A dark, imaginative, and enchanting tale of spirits and unlikely heroes.
A young woman must face her destiny in Quinton’s (The Phoenix Stone: A Dark Beginning, 2019, etc.) horror novel set in 1963 New Orleans.
Teenage Delphine “Del” Larouche was practically raised in an orphanage, but now she’s old enough to strike out on her own. Eager to live a life on her own terms, she finds herself a job and begins to plan her future. But when strange killings with ritual elements that defy logical reasoning start causing widespread fear, Del latches onto the case with intense fascination. What she doesn’t realize is that evil forces of nightmarish proportions are gathering strength. When she makes a startling discovery about her own past, she must make an agonizing decision: give up the life she’s dreamed of—or embrace her fate and an uncertain future. The Big Easy setting is a perfect background for a paranormal novel, and the author does a great job of emphasizing the city’s distinctive features to increase tension; cemeteries, swamps, and dimly lit streets all serve to enhance the plot. Some of the dialogue, however, may cause readers to struggle. In an effort to make the characters sound realistic, the author emphasizes their Louisiana accents, but at times it's distracting and hard to read, as when a local police captain calls private investigator Frank Morgan and asks, “Frang, leesen, I was wond’ren could you run a call fer me?” That said, the idea of a showdown with evil spirits in New Orleans will likely be enough to keep readers interested, and there are plenty of intriguing side characters who add layers of complexity to the story. Witnessing Del’s transformation from timid young woman to confident investigator is immensely satisfying, particularly in the book’s second half. The author also makes his admiration for Edgar Allan Poe apparent with several melancholy poems between chapters—a nice touch for fans of classic literary horror.
A dark, imaginative, and enchanting tale of spirits and unlikely heroes.Pub Date: Oct. 23, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-73277-233-5
Page Count: 398
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Dec. 25, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Though all the surface elements are in place, Picoult falters in her exploration of what turns a quiet kid into a murderer.
Picoult’s 14th novel (after The Tenth Circle, 2006, etc.) of a school shooting begins with high-voltage excitement, then slows by the middle, never regaining its initial pace or appeal.
Peter Houghton, 17, has been the victim of bullying since his first day of kindergarten, made all the more difficult by two factors: In small-town Sterling, N.H., Peter is in high school with the kids who’ve tormented him all his life; and his all-American older brother eggs the bullies on. Peter retreats into a world of video games and computer programming, but he’s never able to attain the safety of invisibility. And then one day he walks into Sterling High with a knapsack full of guns, kills ten students and wounds many others. Peter is caught and thrown in jail, but with over a thousand witnesses and video tape of the day, it will be hard work for the defense to clear him. His attorney, Jordan McAfee, hits on the only approach that might save the unlikable kid—a variation of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder caused by bullying. Thrown into the story is Judge Alex Cormier, and her daughter Josie, who used to be best friends with Peter until the popular crowd forced the limits of her loyalty. Also found dead was her boyfriend Matt, but Josie claims she can’t remember anything from that day. Picoult mixes McAfee’s attempt to build a defense with the mending relationship of Alex and Josie, but what proves a more intriguing premise is the response of Peter’s parents to the tragedy. How do you keep loving your son when he becomes a mass murderer? Unfortunately, this question, and others, remain, as the novel relies on repetition (the countless flashbacks of Peter’s victimization) rather than fresh insight. Peter fits the profile, but is never fully fleshed out beyond stereotype. Usually so adept at shaping the big stories with nuance, Picoult here takes a tragically familiar event, pads it with plot, but leaves out the subtleties of character.
Though all the surface elements are in place, Picoult falters in her exploration of what turns a quiet kid into a murderer.Pub Date: March 6, 2007
ISBN: 0-7434-9672-8
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2007
SEEN & HEARD
IN THE NEWS
IN THE NEWS
A fable about the consolatory and strengthening powers of religion flounders about somewhere inside this unconventional coming-of-age tale, which was shortlisted for Canada’s Governor General’s Award. The story is told in retrospect by Piscine Molitor Patel (named for a swimming pool, thereafter fortuitously nicknamed “Pi”), years after he was shipwrecked when his parents, who owned a zoo in India, were attempting to emigrate, with their menagerie, to Canada. During 227 days at sea spent in a lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutan, a zebra, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger (mostly with the latter, which had efficiently slaughtered its fellow beasts), Pi found serenity and courage in his faith: a frequently reiterated amalgam of Muslim, Hindu, and Christian beliefs. The story of his later life, education, and mission rounds out, but does not improve upon, the alternately suspenseful and whimsical account of Pi’s ordeal at sea—which offers the best reason for reading this otherwise preachy and somewhat redundant story of his Life.
Pub Date: June 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-15-100811-6
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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