The male characters in Mary-Lou Zeitoun’s 13 (Porcupine’s Quill) include a guidance counsellor who takes nude photos of his adolescent pupils and a music teacher who thinks “drums are not for girls.” No wonder Marnie, the thirteen-year-old protagonist, hates men. She also hates school, her parents and her suburban Ottawa home. Life takes a turn for the better when Marnie discovers punk, although she soon learns that punk boys can be just as gross as regular men. Marnie’s rotating cast of best friends, her blasé responses to being hit on by weird guys and her crusade to achieve equality for girls make her one of the most realistic teenagers committed to paper. 13 doesn’t include any phony nostalgia, clumsy slang or fake angst; it’s the real deal.