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The Thirteen

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" 'Five' Lowrey's passage from the center of his universe - Hockingport, Ohio - to nearby Ohio University is more than just a coming of age journey. If Thomsen Lowrey V had a middle initial it would be 'N' for naive. Five's choice of going to college seems his only alternative to following the family tradition of life on Ohio River towboats, as his father and three previous generations had done.

With only one hometown friend on campus - Denzel 'The Bear' Duerhof - Five is thrown into the turmoil of university life without a clue of a goal. That changes rapidly as his penchant for drawing brings him early notoriety and that rarity among freshmen, campus recognition. He finds classes, especially art courses, can be fun. He discovers beer drinking, pizza, a unique moneymaking scheme, and above all, a wonderful variety of girls.



His love affair with a town girl, Darcy Robinette, leads to even greater campus recognition and his first conflict between life and love. When fraternity rush rolls around, Five goes along with the crowd and finds himself a pledge to Alpha Chi Epsilon.



The Thirteen, as the ACE pledge class is known, move from early euphoria to the depths of despair as their pledgeship reveals some of the harsher aspects of brotherhood. When tragedy occurs, the Thirteen maintain their unity to prevail against a sadistic element within the ACE membership.



Five's role in this story of changing college life in the Fifties brings him into the realms of Korean War veterans, secret society intrigue, modern art and ultimately, vengeance for a murder which he and his pledge brothers seemingly cannot prove."

464 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 19, 1995

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About the author

James Patterson

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James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

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5 stars
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100 (24%)
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Profile Image for Melissa.
15 reviews
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December 15, 2008
This book is not written by the James Patterson that we all know and love. I bought it thinking that it was and was diappointed that it wasn't.
2 reviews
February 28, 2017
Good Read

Enjoyed the characters -didn't understand why Curtis wasn't punished earlier. Couldn't visualize some of the descriptions towards the end of the book.
31 reviews
October 20, 2014
Just really good!!!

a totally different Patterson. if you want a not to be put down book - this is it. having read lots of his work I knew "it" was coming . boy I was not disappointed.

25 reviews
July 5, 2016
Very disappointing

Was really going to enjoy this book as by James Patterson very disappointed by story not up to his usual standard
Profile Image for Jim.
141 reviews
May 31, 2013
This book was purchase by mistake. It was a ok book, but was thinking it would be much better.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews

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