Ruined: A Novel by Paula Morris


I adore New Orleans, so it was inevitable that I enjoy Paula Morris's nod to the Big Easy. When her father is called away to China on business, Rebecca is sent to live with her tarot-card reading Aunt Claudia and younger cousin Aurelia, who live in the ritzy Garden District of New Orleans in a small shotgun style house. Rebecca has a hard time adjusting to the intricate class system that is part of Temple Mead Academy, and isn't impressed with Them, a group of wealthy old-family New Orleanian kids. While spying on them in Lafayette Cemetery, she meets Lisette, a ghost from 1853 (supposedly a victim of yellow fever), as well as Anton Grey, a handsome member of Them, who takes an interest in Rebecca. Mardi-Gras parades, murder, and light romance ensue as Rebecca finds out who she really is. At times it was difficult to suspend my disbelief (her father's absence is particularly hard to swallow), but this book will appeal to teen who enjoy mystery and supernatural themes.

Popular posts from this blog

the game of love and death by martha brockenbrough

Image
A brilliant, beguiling and beautiful book set in Depression-era Seattle in the 1930s, TGOLAD tells the at once heartbreaking and hopeful love story of African American chanteuse Flora Saudade and adopted wealthy white boy Henry Bishop. Forever foes Love and Death are playing a game: Flora and Henry are their unknowing pawns. A pitch-perfect Seattle setting, an indelible ensemble cast of characters, and a hefty dose of high-stakes legerdemain all come together in a mesmerizing cacophony that will keep you turning the pages well into the night. I had the distinct pleasure of listening to Ms. Brockenbrough read at the Washington State Book Awards; the notes of her voice floating through the air were every bit as gorgeous as her words on the page. Not to be missed! Click here for a trailer and here for a full review . Grade 8+
Read more

my friend dahmer by derf backderf

Image
A haunting look at what happens when a kid slips through the cracks (which happened to be gaping wide throughout the ubiquitous 'hands-off-I'm-too-busy-having-a-breakdown/affair/addiction/vision" parenting style of the 70s and 80s). Most of us remember Jeffrey Dahmer as the guy who ate people, but Derf Backderf knew him as the guy who entertained his classmates with an ongoing and entertaining schtick (imitating his mother's seizures), the guy who didn't quite fit in yet maintained a bizarre celebrity status (including his own club), and, eventually, the guy who could finish a six-pack in mere seconds and always had a bottle at the ready to drown out the darkness at home and in his head. Backderf masterfully crafts a thoroughly researched cautionary and poignant tale of a lost young man without glossing over details or over sympathizing. Don't miss it - and pair it with Jeff Jensen's Green River Killer for more graphic serial killer memoir. Click here fo
Read more