Thirteen Shells - Softcover

A coming-of-age tale that resists the usual clichés to focus on the telling details that reveal the essence of a life. (Kirkus Reviews)

The linked-collection form is well-suited to this exploration of identity since the stories can be read in isolation or in any order, but read straight through they function as a coming-of-age novel, a full and satisfying bildungsroman. Like a shell necklace, beauty can be found in both the parts and the whole...Though Thirteen Shells departs from Bozak’s earlier fiction in terms of content, the quality of this new offering is consistent with the first two widely acclaimed novels. Bozak is a talented writer and brings insight and beauty to her account of a southwestern Ontario childhood. (Winnipeg Review)

Thirteen Shells is a true-to-life account of a totally captivating character, another unforgettable work of fiction from [Nadia Bozak] (Owen Sound Sun-Times)

As a vivid picture of growing up in the ‘80’s, Thirteen Shells is a landmark. (The London Yodeller)

richly detailed...There's a grittiness and emotional dynamism in these... tales (Quill & Quire)

Nadia Bozak’s coming-of-age snapshots are a gentle reminder of all that’s immediate and fleeting. Wistful, distinct, and full of life. (Iain Reid, author of I’m Thinking of Ending Things)

Unflinching and forgiving, sentimental and unsparing. Nadia Bozak writes straight to the heart of girlhood, where secrets are both awkward and empowering, as childhood’s magic gives way to the discomfort of adolescence and a young woman comes into her own. Thirteen Shells is a beautifully written book. (Teva Harrison, author of In-Between Days)

Finally, there exists a penetrating, nuanced account of Canadian girlhood. (Booklist)

Bozak’s newest book, [is] all repressed heartbreak and wry humour...It is difficult not to be entranced by Shell (Ottawa Citizen)

There is a certain beauty in literature that only can be expressed through the naive, unsure nature of a child growing up amidst the razor edges of dysfunctionality. In Thirteen Shells, Ottawa author Nadia Bozak takes this to a new level by dulling these edges with the unassailable love of a girl for her parents...Shell is no angel. She lies and steals, at least a little. Experiments with drugs. And has her petty jealousies. But by the midpoint in the novel, the readers find themselves rooting for Shell, hoping that her dreams will come true. And that is the novel's brilliance. (Ottawa Review of Books)