Color Blind

Seventeen-year-old April's relocation to her aunt's house in New Orleans following her father's unexpected death introduces her to new love, old secrets, and black magic.Even though the distance from Montgomery, Alabama, to New Orleans is short, the white teen quickly finds that the two cities are worlds apart. On a whim, April joins a haunted tour of the city on which she meets Miles, a charismatic and handsome white guide. She also meets Marguerite, the mysterious, black owner of a voodoo shop, who offers to spiritually cleanse her. April's interest in the dark world only intensifies when she finds that she is descended from the famous voodoo high priestess Marie Laveau. After accompanying Miles into the 9th Ward, which is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, April gains some perspective on her own loss. Her grief is understandable, but her continual reckless behavior endangers everyone around her and frustrates readers. Her aunt's selfish absence, which alternates with extreme anger, feels false. Poorly paced dialogue gives the narrative a frantic quality. The beguiling and layered setting, filled with both African-American and white characters, is overwhelmed by a lack of nuance and poor storytelling. Chaotic characters, a disjointed plot, and a romance that falls flat. (Mystery. 12-16) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2016

Gr 8 Up-In this realistic novel, readers meet April, whose father has just died and whose mother is missing in action in the Middle East. She is sent to live with her aunt Kate, her mother's estranged sister and a New Orleans chef. The story takes a while to get started as readers meet some of the other characters, including a love interest. Teens also encounter a young girl named Angel and her mother, Simone, who live in the Ninth Ward and end up having family ties to April. The protagonist and her aunt don't get along, and both are thrown into a life together that they are unprepared for. The teen attempts to contact the spirit of her dead father through a local voodoo priestess. The climax involves April making very poor decisions concerning Angel, a goat, and a voodoo ceremony gone horribly wrong. This moment seems to come at an odd point in the plot, with the connection between April and Marie Laveau, a prominent historical figure of New Orleans and a voodoo priestess, acting as the catalyst for April to put the pieces of her new life together. The ending feels forced, and the writing is serviceable. The French Quarter setting, historical references to the rich history of New Orleans, and descriptions of Kate's cooking are the highlights of this work. VERDICT Teens will keep hoping for a supernatural element that never comes, making this book an additional purchase for most collections.-Nancy Jo Lambert, Reedy High School, Frisco, TX

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