Really great indie author first time novel. Dark and moody southern paranormals are one of my favorite genres so I was thrilled when Anne Rice posted the link to the nola.com article that mentioned Alys Arden's book. Not only is the book very well written but it's also super long which I LOVE. I like the blending of past and present- my only complaint being I wish some of the chapters were a bit longer. The present setting for the book is immediately post-Katrina New Orleans. The author combines many of the go-to paranormal themes such as weres, vamps, witches, and voodoo which makes for a very spooky setting. She highlights the dourness of post-Katrina New Orleans but constantly comes back to the fact of how GREAT the city used to be and will be again. I'm a huge lover of all things New Orleans and this book really made you feel like a local cruising the streets of the Quarter and craving some beignets and café au lait. Very excited to see there will be a sequel. When I opened up the email about the opportunity to read this book for review, I was initially struck by the cover. Let's just take a moment to appreciate just how beautifully done it is. I love this sort of cover; simple, but with a picture that has your intrigued about the story. Wonderful typography that is a color that pops off the background. Yeah, I would say that this is an A+ cover. For anyone who has been around my blog, you probably already know that I tend to decide what to read based on the cover. Now, I was a little concerned when I read the synopsis and realized that it was going to be a paranormal. Usually I do not choose paranormal books to read when it is a review opportunity offered to me. However, I was very much intrigued by the synopsis, so I decided that I would give it a chance. I am incredibly glad that I did so, as well. I did not expect to love this book as much as a did, but it was simply wonderful, and I was thrilled to be reading another debut author this year! The book is broken up into three separate parts. The first part was a bit slow for me, but it was still beautifully written. We are introduced to Adele, who is returning to her home of New Orleans after the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. It was amazing listening to the description of the town based on how Adele was seeing it, and it did make me feel like I was there with her. I love when an author describes the setting so well that you feel like you are there, and Arden did an amazing job of this. Part two was honestly my favorite part of the novel. I loved the flash backs that we received from the past back to the present, and then seeing how they were going to play a role in the rest of the plot and book. I am a big fan of getting flashbacks in novels as long as they are handled well, and I feel that Arden did a very good job of having things flow smoothly. We met so many other great characters through this part of the book as well, and they were all so developed. I love when an author spends as much time developing the minor characters as she does the protagonist. Now part three brought about a lot of the things that I was most worried about, and luckily I had worried for nothing. Of course, we are all used to the idea of vampires of Twilight where they sparkle and fall in love with the humans without worrying about the danger and what not. I am SO glad that none of that was the case, here. Sure, there were relationships and things happening, but these vampires were obviously dangerous in the way that you would expect them to be. I respect Arden for doing this so well. Lastly, another thing that I really enjoyed about this book was that I could never guess what was going to happen next. Well, I tried to guess, but I always ended up being completely wrong. I love when a book surprises me, and this book seemed to keep me on my toes the whole time. I could have never guessed how this book was going to end, and I loved that. I really look forward to continuing this series, and reading anything else that Arden decides to publish.
What do You think about The Casquette Girls (2013)?
Love this book! you will not be disappointed in reading this.
—mpamcohen
Even 12 months, this book stand out it my mind. Loved it!
—coco12
