Supposedly rigged séances summon a genuine Presence through the Infernal Gates in this deliciously melodramatic page-turner, set in the Roaring ’20s. Swept from their tenement room to the Long Island mansion of a wealthy Theosophist by domineering con-man Drake Morley, latest in a line of "uncles," 14-year-old Greer Duquesne and her mother, the beautiful, otherworldly fortuneteller Madame Camille, find themselves in a specially prepared room, holding hands with moneyed guests seeking contact with the Beyond—or at least an evening's amusement. Madame Camille has the right patter and a genuine sense of empathy, but it's Greer who can actually see people's auras, and whose psychic powers suddenly have her mother roaring out harsh revelations in the voice of a spirit named Merlin. With the séances beginning to bring in serious amounts of money, Greer's ambition to lead a normal, settled life looks to go glimmering, unless she can find a way to escape Drake's clutches. Karr (The Boxer, 2000, etc.) builds suspense with fine expertise, leading to a lurid climactic session that brings together Merlin, a wild storm, a power failure, a well-armed band of bootleggers, and some ugly news about Drake's past that pitches him past the brink of insanity. Readers will admire Greer for the plucky way she stands up to her mother's menacing impresario, and though the wrap-up seems too quick, the prospect of a sunnier future for Greer and her mother ends the tale on a satisfyingly rising note. (Fiction. 11-13)
Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-374-23453-1
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2001
A teenager concocts a risky private game that almost leads to tragedy in this character portrait of a borderline obsessive-compulsive from Tashjian (Tru Confessions, 1997). Weary of incessant worrying, regrets, and mental instant replays, Monica tries a distraction; drawing on her fondness for anagrams and other wordplay, she performs an act either a) normal, b) silly, c) mean, or d) sacrificial, depending on which of four Scrabble letters she draws. Repeated drawings lead to several good deeds, which are more than balanced out by embarrassing or painful ones. Soon Monica has made herself wear pajamas to school, give away her prized kaleidoscope, alienate her best friend, and, after locking Justin, the preschooler she babysits, in his room, driven him to jump from a window and scratch his cornea. Monica comes off more as a born fretter than someone with an actual disorder, so her desperation seems overdone; the game appears less a compulsion than a bad decision that gets out of hand. Still, readers will feel Monica’s thrill when she takes charge, and also, with uncommon sharpness, her bitter remorse after Justin’s accident. Once Monica’s secret is out, Tashjian surrounds her with caring adults and, turning her penchant for self-analysis in more constructive directions, leads her to the liberating insight that she’s been taking herself too seriously. As a light study in how self-absorption can sometimes help as well as hurt, Multiple Choice is a fitting choice. (Fiction. 11-13)
Pub Date: June 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8050-6086-3
Page Count: 186
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A quirky cast and some heavy issues never quite mesh in this ineffective tale about a teenager who discovers some ugly truths about her small town in 1961. Despite having lived in Quiver, Oklahoma, her entire life, Frannie Driscoll doesn’t know that her town is segregated until Raymond Chisholm and his daughter, Celeste, arrive for a brief stay. Disturbed by the way Celeste, the school’s only African- American student, is shunned and insulted, Frannie makes awkward overtures that are coolly received, but soon result in friendship. After dropping hints about her father’s research, Celeste shows Frannie a hidden room in the attic of her house and later relates a horrifying tale of Ku Klux Klan atrocities in Quiver in the 1920s. For no obvious reason, Grove keeps present prejudice and past racism separate, disassociating the contemporary cast from any taint of the Klan, even though it’s logical to think that some of the area’s white families had ancestors who were members. A subplot involving Frannie’s mother and a sexist employer only muddies the waters; a protest that Celeste’s classmates mount comes as a surprise, considering their earlier behavior; and the irony is anything but subtle when Celeste is cut from the school choir just before a statewide competition that is, predictably, won by an integrated group. Celeste—beautiful, mature, worldly, and a great singer—comes close to being a type; Frannie’s other friends are an engagingly diverse lot, which lightens the ship, but not enough to keep it afloat. (Fiction. 11-13)
Pub Date: June 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-399-23207-9
Page Count: 218
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1999
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
