The Casquette Girls

Sixteen-year-old Adele Le Moyne returns to New Orleans after the hurricane of the century hits. Everything is in chaos including her home but when more people show up dead, unanswered questions circulate.

What worked: The whole New Orleans backdrop adds flavor to this story where a girl finds she played a part in unleashing a centuries old evil. Mysterious, with Gothic undertones, the tension builds halfway through the novel. The pacing was slow at times but when some mysteries are revealed, including an ancestor's journal from 1728, I was hooked. The tone of the novel reminded me so much of YA meets The Originals complete with some hot vampires and other paranormal creatures. Add a dollop of The Secret Circle on how Adele and some others in the town try to combat the evil. I also loved the symbolism of a hurricane causing supernatural havoc to the city.

Adele's character is strong and determined to make sense of what has happened to her beloved city. The conflict between her mother in Paris is realistic. Seriously, what girl would want to leave Paris unless not everything is what it appears to be. Readers find out at the very end the truth of her mother.

There's more characters which include Desiree, the daughter of the local voodoo shop; some high school drama at the private school(I almost felt this part went by too fast); some other New Orleans friends and family. But the main character had to be the city of New Orleans and the French Quarter which are shown in vivid and colorful descriptions. I felt as if I walked the streets and alleys. I wanted more of this!

One thing that I felt did hold this otherwise engaging story back had to be that there seemed to be almost too much going on. There are vamps, werewolves, a cute boy that turns into a crow, a girl that practices voodoo, witchcraft, and a number of other supernatural beings. The story of Issac, for example, I felt wasn't explained enough. I really wanted to see more of his story.

Magically, Gothic trip through the streets of New Orleans where a horrible secret is unleashed after the hurricane of the century.