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The Casquette Girls #1
The Casquette Girls
Seven girls tied by time.
Five powers that bind.
One curse to lock the horror away.
One attic to keep the monsters at bay.
After the storm of the century rips apart New Orleans, sixteen-year-old Adele Le Moyne wants nothing more than her now silent city to return to normal. But with home resembling a war zone, a parish-wide curfew, and mysterious new faces lurking in the abandoned French Quarter, normal needs a new definition.
As the city murder rate soars, Adele finds herself tangled in a web of magic that weaves back to her own ancestors. Caught in a hurricane of myths and monsters, who can she trust when everyone has a secret and keeping them can mean life or death? Unless... you’re immortal.
Five powers that bind.
One curse to lock the horror away.
One attic to keep the monsters at bay.
After the storm of the century rips apart New Orleans, sixteen-year-old Adele Le Moyne wants nothing more than her now silent city to return to normal. But with home resembling a war zone, a parish-wide curfew, and mysterious new faces lurking in the abandoned French Quarter, normal needs a new definition.
As the city murder rate soars, Adele finds herself tangled in a web of magic that weaves back to her own ancestors. Caught in a hurricane of myths and monsters, who can she trust when everyone has a secret and keeping them can mean life or death? Unless... you’re immortal.
560 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2013
About the author
Alys Arden
6 books910 followersAlys Arden was raised by the street performers, tea leaf-readers, and glittering drag queens of the New Orleans French Quarter. She cut her teeth on the streets of New York and has worked all around the world since. She either talks too much or not at all. She obsessively documents things. Her hair ranges from eggplant to cotton-candy colored One dreary day in London, she missed home and started writing The Casquette Girls.
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January 28, 2019
5 MIND BLOWING STARS!
You can find the full review and more about this book on my blog!
The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden
Book One of The Casquette Girls series
Publisher: fortheARTofit
Publication Date: October 31st 2013
Rating: 5 stars
Source: ARC sent by the author
First,look at this cover.It's perfection,just like the book.I adore this cover so much,because it reminds me somehow American Horror Story and I love that tv series.And I don't know why but I kept thinking about that show reading this book.I freaking loved it.
The Casquette Girls is a paranormal mystery romance YA.And believe me it is not fluffy romance,I wouldn't have rated this 5 stars if it was.Actually I liked the romance here.It did not become a really big deal,and it was fun to read about it.I must say when I learned this is also with vampires,I was less intrigued to read it,because vampires and witches are my least favorite creatures,but I didn't mind here at all.
I really liked the way the book is written.It is so unique from others,because sometimes you are lost,at least I was.I liked all the parts of this book,because they completed the story so beautifully.Also the characters.I liked Adele because she was not the typical female characters,and she reminded me Violet from American Horror Story,so of course I loved her.
The story takes place in New Orleans after the storm.The main character,Adele who wants to have a normal life.But meanwhile she discovers that she faces some strange powers and also there are a series of unusual events that began a long time ago.Also new people come to her life and everything starts to change.Will she complete the jigsaw that has been going on for so long?
I highly recommend this book to every reader,especially if you read paranormal YA.It is a perfection.Pick it up:)
*Pictures from the review are not mine, I took them mostly from Google images or Tumblr*
September 19, 2016
4.5
Thank you Alys for sending me this copy. Thank you Casey ann books for pushing me to read this!
Brilliant book for fall! Supernatural, New Orleans, History!
I love it!
Cant wait for book two!
Thank you Alys for sending me this copy. Thank you Casey ann books for pushing me to read this!
Brilliant book for fall! Supernatural, New Orleans, History!
I love it!
Cant wait for book two!
November 24, 2015
Guilty pleasure alert!
I have to admit, as I began this book, I found my eyes rolling several times at the silliness of it all... I wasn't sure it'd be for me. But somehow, as it went on, I found myself continuing to turn the pages... enjoying it more and more. It didn't get less silly, but I was along for the ride.
Adele Le Moyne is a high school student whose hometown of New Orleans has been devastated by a terrible hurricane. (Is it Katrina? I'm not sure - there's not mention of "Katrina" at all, and it might be an even-worse storm.) After spending two months in Paris with her rarely-seen mother, Adele is ready to rejoin her father and start rebuilding her home.
The destruction she encounters is shocking. Her school is closed down. The streets are empty. But some of her old friends are around, trying to make the best of a bad situation along with her.
There are the "teenage" things to deal with: soon, Adele is placed in the upper-crust girls' private school, where her designer duds from France are her only hope of being socially accepted. After school, there's the annoying guy from the coffee shop who unfortunately (?) starts taking art lessons from her dad. And then there are the two drop-dead handsome Italian brothers - who say they're in town searching for lost family members. (ooh la la!)
But stranger things are also in the offing. After a bizarre experience at the old convent, Adele seems to be developing a talent for telekinesis. She has to consult with her new friend down at the local voodoo store (who's also a 'cool' girl, AND the mayor's daughter) about whether she might be a witch... and the descendant of old-time New Orleans witches.
When we hop back in time to learn more about what happened with those old-time witches - back when young, unmarried girls were sent over from Frances with only the 'caskets' than supposedly contained their dowries - more light is shed on the supernatural events that Adele has become entangled in, back in the present day.
Good fun... and,
The quote that really captures it all: "Am I going to die tonight? As a sixteen-year-old virgin with only one passport stamp?"
Many thanks to Amazon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are solely my own
I have to admit, as I began this book, I found my eyes rolling several times at the silliness of it all... I wasn't sure it'd be for me. But somehow, as it went on, I found myself continuing to turn the pages... enjoying it more and more. It didn't get less silly, but I was along for the ride.
Adele Le Moyne is a high school student whose hometown of New Orleans has been devastated by a terrible hurricane. (Is it Katrina? I'm not sure - there's not mention of "Katrina" at all, and it might be an even-worse storm.) After spending two months in Paris with her rarely-seen mother, Adele is ready to rejoin her father and start rebuilding her home.
The destruction she encounters is shocking. Her school is closed down. The streets are empty. But some of her old friends are around, trying to make the best of a bad situation along with her.
There are the "teenage" things to deal with: soon, Adele is placed in the upper-crust girls' private school, where her designer duds from France are her only hope of being socially accepted. After school, there's the annoying guy from the coffee shop who unfortunately (?) starts taking art lessons from her dad. And then there are the two drop-dead handsome Italian brothers - who say they're in town searching for lost family members. (ooh la la!)
But stranger things are also in the offing. After a bizarre experience at the old convent, Adele seems to be developing a talent for telekinesis. She has to consult with her new friend down at the local voodoo store (who's also a 'cool' girl, AND the mayor's daughter) about whether she might be a witch... and the descendant of old-time New Orleans witches.
When we hop back in time to learn more about what happened with those old-time witches - back when young, unmarried girls were sent over from Frances with only the 'caskets' than supposedly contained their dowries - more light is shed on the supernatural events that Adele has become entangled in, back in the present day.
Good fun... and,
The quote that really captures it all: "Am I going to die tonight? As a sixteen-year-old virgin with only one passport stamp?"
Many thanks to Amazon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are solely my own
November 29, 2020
This review contains spoilers
New Orleans based author writes New Orleans based YA paranormal book with serious Originals vibes. Adele and her father return to New Orleans after a hurricane (not Katrina) forced them to leave. Adele, Isaac, and Desire, a rag tag team of hot teenagers who don’t fully understand their powers accidentally release an evil on the French quarter—an evil only they can fight.
In all seriousness it’s an entertaining read with a love triangle and narcissistic villains. The side characters capture the city beautifully and their quest for a return to normalcy in complete ignorance of the paranormal fight going on (despite many being knowledgeable in the occult) is the perfect juxtaposition for the primary plot.
The back story is introduced through a diary, which I thought benefited the story because it introduced exposition in a way that educated Adele at the same time as the reader and offered a pacing and tone change to the story.
The big twist came in the end when Adele realized her mom was also a vampire and had to make the difficult decision to lock her in the attic of the convent.
I look forward to finishing this series. Any chance to immerse myself deeper in the city I love is a choice worth making. I love how the author didn’t solely rely on landmarks but used street names and gave brief historical contexts of each neighborhood.
Well done!
New Orleans based author writes New Orleans based YA paranormal book with serious Originals vibes. Adele and her father return to New Orleans after a hurricane (not Katrina) forced them to leave. Adele, Isaac, and Desire, a rag tag team of hot teenagers who don’t fully understand their powers accidentally release an evil on the French quarter—an evil only they can fight.
In all seriousness it’s an entertaining read with a love triangle and narcissistic villains. The side characters capture the city beautifully and their quest for a return to normalcy in complete ignorance of the paranormal fight going on (despite many being knowledgeable in the occult) is the perfect juxtaposition for the primary plot.
The back story is introduced through a diary, which I thought benefited the story because it introduced exposition in a way that educated Adele at the same time as the reader and offered a pacing and tone change to the story.
The big twist came in the end when Adele realized her mom was also a vampire and had to make the difficult decision to lock her in the attic of the convent.
I look forward to finishing this series. Any chance to immerse myself deeper in the city I love is a choice worth making. I love how the author didn’t solely rely on landmarks but used street names and gave brief historical contexts of each neighborhood.
Well done!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2015
I wanted to like this more than I did. I really do. The blurb sounds amazing and intriguing enough for me to pick this book up. I wonder why MC's and romance have to fuck everything up for me. I don't know if it's just me, but the romance department of some of the YA books I've read lately annoys the shit out of me. It's just so frustrating and disappointing.
A storm has almost swept the New Orleans apart. The damaged was bad, so bad that the government turns a blind eye on what's happening of the place and when the initial news and excitement has died down, it's like people of New Orleans was left to fend of themselves, which I find utterly ridiculous. The place is just starting to get on their feet after the nasty storm, if it isn't bad enough, dead bodies after dead bodies are found in the streets drained with blood and the government and even the media has decided to let them deal with their problem. Its like New Orleans was temporarily removed of the map to conveniently cater the story. There goes your world building.
But to its credit, the book made a very good job at advertising New Orleans because it got me really intrigued. I fell inlove with New Orleans and the introduction of the Casquette girls. I think that it's amazing and unique. I even started looking through google images what New Orleans look like and to know more information about the Casquette girls and the writing was great! That's pretty much the reason why I stick with the story, all other thing was a turn off for me.
The story started out so great, then the MC suddenly met 2 mysteriously sibling hot guys and another 1 in a cafe. the story started to freaking dragged i struggled not to actually start reading backwards to just know what will eventually happen.
I also think that this book is quite a hypocrite. I mean, it is so strongly against to the idea of sparkling vampires(which is ridiculous), but have no problem making the vampire blush and have flickered heartbeat in this book. Well, I guess if the author wants their vampires to blush, sparkle or have a heartbeat, who am I to judge?
This book had a great potential and superb writing. If unnecessary romance doesn't annoy you, then by all means don't let my review scare you away from reading this book.
"I felt very tiny, like a pawn in a life-size game of chess where the stakes were real. How many wrong moves have I made, unaware that I was even a player?"I have no idea what this story is about when I started reading it. I was pleasantly charmed and intrigued with the setting of the book, but aside from the characters and romance that pretty-much put me off, I also didn't appreciate how the story is so eventful but still make the story somehow drags.
A storm has almost swept the New Orleans apart. The damaged was bad, so bad that the government turns a blind eye on what's happening of the place and when the initial news and excitement has died down, it's like people of New Orleans was left to fend of themselves, which I find utterly ridiculous. The place is just starting to get on their feet after the nasty storm, if it isn't bad enough, dead bodies after dead bodies are found in the streets drained with blood and the government and even the media has decided to let them deal with their problem. Its like New Orleans was temporarily removed of the map to conveniently cater the story. There goes your world building.
But to its credit, the book made a very good job at advertising New Orleans because it got me really intrigued. I fell inlove with New Orleans and the introduction of the Casquette girls. I think that it's amazing and unique. I even started looking through google images what New Orleans look like and to know more information about the Casquette girls and the writing was great! That's pretty much the reason why I stick with the story, all other thing was a turn off for me.
The story started out so great, then the MC suddenly met 2 mysteriously sibling hot guys and another 1 in a cafe. the story started to freaking dragged i struggled not to actually start reading backwards to just know what will eventually happen.
I also think that this book is quite a hypocrite. I mean, it is so strongly against to the idea of sparkling vampires(which is ridiculous), but have no problem making the vampire blush and have flickered heartbeat in this book. Well, I guess if the author wants their vampires to blush, sparkle or have a heartbeat, who am I to judge?
This book had a great potential and superb writing. If unnecessary romance doesn't annoy you, then by all means don't let my review scare you away from reading this book.
April 1, 2014
I just finished this book and . . . oh gosh. My dad’s at home right now so he probably thinks I’m all hopped up on drugs.
Okay, I’m going to try to make this review more review like than a crazy-fan-girl-I-think-I’m-going-to-die rant. I don’t know if that’s possible. I’m still reeling in from this.
-DEEP BREATH-
The first time is always unforgettable - and get your minds out of the gutter, that’s not what I’m talking about. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to re-watch a favourite movie again for the first time? The magic of "the first time" is kind of ruined when you can anticipate everything that happens. The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden is one of those books you finish and close, wishing that there was a way for you to read it again - for the first time.
So the book is divided in three different parts and I’m going to try reiterating my thoughts on the story without any spoilers.
Part I
You’ve cracked open the book and you’re read to just dive in because you’re dying to learn what the mysterious blurb on the back is referring to:
Seven girls tied by time
Five powers that bind
One curse to lock the horror away
One attic to keep the monsters at bay
But Arden teases you, she dangles that golden carrot in your face while leading you into the water. We don’t know right away what this curse is or who these seven girls are, let alone what monsters are being locked away in said attic. Instead, we’re introduced to Adele Le Moyne, possibly one of my favourite YA character ever. She takes us on a tour around New Orleans, after the storm, and we get pulled into the city because it’s impossible not to love the city with how she describes it. There are freak and random incidents that happen throughout this part but you kind of brush it off because well, it’s a city trying to repair itself, no duh there’ll be stuff happening around that wouldn’t normally occur.
HA! As if anything in this story is accidental – Arden lures you with that golden carrot so far into the water, you’re already dead before you know you’re drowning. You don’t know it just yet, but the story has begun. So we begin part II.
Part II
Oh my carrots I can’t even tell you how much I adored this part – I loved reading the diary entries! This might earn me a slap in the face but I think I liked Adeline more so than Adele in this part because every time we were brought back to the present, I kept thinking, ‘oh my gosh, what else happened to Adeline?!’ But it wasn’t only Adeline that caught my attention in the diary, the “Ette” triplets as I called them in my head, Cosette, Lisette and Minette, were as captivating as Adeline described. I don’t know if Arden made Cosette the way she did on purpose, but as a reader, I was drawn to her more so than the other two sisters.
Anyhow, so in the second part, everything starts unravelling and you realise holy mother shit, WHAT IS THIS?! Remember up above when I said she lures you in quietly? Yeah, this is when you realise it.
Part III
So now the characters know about the curse and the vampires so things are really starting to pick up. I love the magic that’s woven in the plot, it’s not overwhelming and just right. I loved seeing Désirée just dive into the magic her grandmother has passed down to her and how the two of them worked together to find a way to deal with the vampire problem.
This part was definitely action packed! I loved seeing Adele grow throughout the book and she turned into a kick ass heroine! I think Emilio put it perfectly with this quote; It seems just yesterday you were that little lost duck in Paris.
Speaking of Emilio, can I just say how much I hate love triangles? My heart just can’t take it!! I am SO torn between Isaac and Nicco!
Okay, I lied. I love and hate love triangles. I hate that I love ones that are done well. It’s as if I enjoy having more angst in my life. Who has an edge right now for me? I’m going to say . . .Nicco. DON’T KIL ME ISAAC FANGIRLS! I don’t know why, there’s something about him that’s got as much as a hold on me as it does for Adele.
There was something that Issac said at the end of the story that caught my attention and I cannot wait to see what he was trying to tell Adele before he was interrupted. I had an inkling when Nicco and him were speaking in the club but gah, I cannot wait to actually hear the full story of what happened there.
All in all my review does not do this story any justice. There are twists in the plot that makes it so when you think you’ve got it figured out, you realise you really don’t. There are so many loveable characters in the story – Ren was just hilarious! – and the antagonist! I can’t decide if I love them more or the coven! There was something about them that you hated and loved at the same time. I’m probably due for a check in an institution because I still can’t help but still like Gabe despite what he did. I thought it was so evil but almost . . . delightfully so.
I can’t wait for the sequel to The Casquette Girls so I’m definitely going to be stalking Arden’s fan page for sneak-a-peeks and any other goodies she may send our way.
Definitely recommended for readers that are looking for a different paranormal story with a splash of romance!
Last gif just to sum up my feels because there’s no way I’m making one of myself doing this;
Okay, I’m going to try to make this review more review like than a crazy-fan-girl-I-think-I’m-going-to-die rant. I don’t know if that’s possible. I’m still reeling in from this.
-DEEP BREATH-
The first time is always unforgettable - and get your minds out of the gutter, that’s not what I’m talking about. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to re-watch a favourite movie again for the first time? The magic of "the first time" is kind of ruined when you can anticipate everything that happens. The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden is one of those books you finish and close, wishing that there was a way for you to read it again - for the first time.
So the book is divided in three different parts and I’m going to try reiterating my thoughts on the story without any spoilers.
Part I
You’ve cracked open the book and you’re read to just dive in because you’re dying to learn what the mysterious blurb on the back is referring to:
Seven girls tied by time
Five powers that bind
One curse to lock the horror away
One attic to keep the monsters at bay
But Arden teases you, she dangles that golden carrot in your face while leading you into the water. We don’t know right away what this curse is or who these seven girls are, let alone what monsters are being locked away in said attic. Instead, we’re introduced to Adele Le Moyne, possibly one of my favourite YA character ever. She takes us on a tour around New Orleans, after the storm, and we get pulled into the city because it’s impossible not to love the city with how she describes it. There are freak and random incidents that happen throughout this part but you kind of brush it off because well, it’s a city trying to repair itself, no duh there’ll be stuff happening around that wouldn’t normally occur.
HA! As if anything in this story is accidental – Arden lures you with that golden carrot so far into the water, you’re already dead before you know you’re drowning. You don’t know it just yet, but the story has begun. So we begin part II.
Part II
Oh my carrots I can’t even tell you how much I adored this part – I loved reading the diary entries! This might earn me a slap in the face but I think I liked Adeline more so than Adele in this part because every time we were brought back to the present, I kept thinking, ‘oh my gosh, what else happened to Adeline?!’ But it wasn’t only Adeline that caught my attention in the diary, the “Ette” triplets as I called them in my head, Cosette, Lisette and Minette, were as captivating as Adeline described. I don’t know if Arden made Cosette the way she did on purpose, but as a reader, I was drawn to her more so than the other two sisters.
Anyhow, so in the second part, everything starts unravelling and you realise holy mother shit, WHAT IS THIS?! Remember up above when I said she lures you in quietly? Yeah, this is when you realise it.
Part III
So now the characters know about the curse and the vampires so things are really starting to pick up. I love the magic that’s woven in the plot, it’s not overwhelming and just right. I loved seeing Désirée just dive into the magic her grandmother has passed down to her and how the two of them worked together to find a way to deal with the vampire problem.
This part was definitely action packed! I loved seeing Adele grow throughout the book and she turned into a kick ass heroine! I think Emilio put it perfectly with this quote; It seems just yesterday you were that little lost duck in Paris.
Speaking of Emilio, can I just say how much I hate love triangles? My heart just can’t take it!! I am SO torn between Isaac and Nicco!
Okay, I lied. I love and hate love triangles. I hate that I love ones that are done well. It’s as if I enjoy having more angst in my life. Who has an edge right now for me? I’m going to say . . .Nicco. DON’T KIL ME ISAAC FANGIRLS! I don’t know why, there’s something about him that’s got as much as a hold on me as it does for Adele.
There was something that Issac said at the end of the story that caught my attention and I cannot wait to see what he was trying to tell Adele before he was interrupted. I had an inkling when Nicco and him were speaking in the club but gah, I cannot wait to actually hear the full story of what happened there.
All in all my review does not do this story any justice. There are twists in the plot that makes it so when you think you’ve got it figured out, you realise you really don’t. There are so many loveable characters in the story – Ren was just hilarious! – and the antagonist! I can’t decide if I love them more or the coven! There was something about them that you hated and loved at the same time. I’m probably due for a check in an institution because I still can’t help but still like Gabe despite what he did. I thought it was so evil but almost . . . delightfully so.
I can’t wait for the sequel to The Casquette Girls so I’m definitely going to be stalking Arden’s fan page for sneak-a-peeks and any other goodies she may send our way.
Definitely recommended for readers that are looking for a different paranormal story with a splash of romance!
Last gif just to sum up my feels because there’s no way I’m making one of myself doing this;
February 23, 2015
Let's review this! :D
***5 witchy stars***
I said it once and I'll say it again, this book was freaking amazing!
The book tells the story of Adele Le Moyne. Her and her father are forced to evacuate their homes when a huge storm -- referred to as "The Storm" rips through New Orleans leaving death and destruction everywhere. Washed up houses, broken families, nothing is left untouched. Soon after their return strange unnatural things start happening to Adele, new mysterious faces join the french quarter and dead bodies start turning up -- deaths unrelated to The Storm.
Caught suddenly in a hurricane of eighteenth-century myths and monsters, Adele must quickly untangle a web of magic that links the climbing murder rate back to her own ancestors. But who can you trust in a city where everyone has a secret, and where keeping them can be a matter of life and death – unless, that is, you’re immortal.
----
Well. Has the book piqued your interest yet?!
The book was interesting, this was my first witch centered novel (I think) and I loved every bit of it. I was so fascinated by all the stories (even if they were made up) of New Orleans, the history, the integration of the casquette girls (which in fact were a real thing!) and also the paranormal aspect of the book.
The build up in the beginning was slow, Adele's character, she was very.. annoying in the beginning due to her denial. Ugh, she went back and forth believing she had powers to thinking she was crazy. But after she accepted what she was the story finally kicked off!
After about a quarter of the way I found it so hard to put the book down, I just wanted to keep flicking the pages to find out what happens next. Alys Arden does a great job at foreshadowing hints to add to the mystery surrounding Adele and The Storm.
The characters were all very likeable, there is a love triangle in the book. I didn't really mind it since it was done well. I really liked Nicco and Isaac! And Gabe! And Sebestien and every other freaking character in the book. Each had their own personalities and were different! Even the bad guys were kind of likeable. It was such a perfect set of characters for the book.
I don't know what else to say, there were a lot of twists, a lot of secrets get uncovered and shit gets crazy by the end of the book. I should also mention that this book is sort of told in two POVs, one being Adele in present time and the other being Adeline (Adele's ancestor).
If you love YA paranormal books with witches, heaps of mystery, great characters and plotline then read this! READ IT!
***5 witchy stars***
I said it once and I'll say it again, this book was freaking amazing!
The book tells the story of Adele Le Moyne. Her and her father are forced to evacuate their homes when a huge storm -- referred to as "The Storm" rips through New Orleans leaving death and destruction everywhere. Washed up houses, broken families, nothing is left untouched. Soon after their return strange unnatural things start happening to Adele, new mysterious faces join the french quarter and dead bodies start turning up -- deaths unrelated to The Storm.
Caught suddenly in a hurricane of eighteenth-century myths and monsters, Adele must quickly untangle a web of magic that links the climbing murder rate back to her own ancestors. But who can you trust in a city where everyone has a secret, and where keeping them can be a matter of life and death – unless, that is, you’re immortal.
----
Well. Has the book piqued your interest yet?!
The book was interesting, this was my first witch centered novel (I think) and I loved every bit of it. I was so fascinated by all the stories (even if they were made up) of New Orleans, the history, the integration of the casquette girls (which in fact were a real thing!) and also the paranormal aspect of the book.
The build up in the beginning was slow, Adele's character, she was very.. annoying in the beginning due to her denial. Ugh, she went back and forth believing she had powers to thinking she was crazy. But after she accepted what she was the story finally kicked off!
After about a quarter of the way I found it so hard to put the book down, I just wanted to keep flicking the pages to find out what happens next. Alys Arden does a great job at foreshadowing hints to add to the mystery surrounding Adele and The Storm.
The characters were all very likeable, there is a love triangle in the book. I didn't really mind it since it was done well. I really liked Nicco and Isaac! And Gabe! And Sebestien and every other freaking character in the book. Each had their own personalities and were different! Even the bad guys were kind of likeable. It was such a perfect set of characters for the book.
I don't know what else to say, there were a lot of twists, a lot of secrets get uncovered and shit gets crazy by the end of the book. I should also mention that this book is sort of told in two POVs, one being Adele in present time and the other being Adeline (Adele's ancestor).
If you love YA paranormal books with witches, heaps of mystery, great characters and plotline then read this! READ IT!
November 3, 2015
When I read a book, I hope that I'm taken away to a place far from my own. When I read I book I hope that I cry, scream, gasp, laugh and all that good stuff. When I started The Casquette girls I had no idea what to expect. I was hoping I would feel all of those things and boy did I.
New Orleans in this novel is a place of Magic, history, mystery, romance, and destruction. Adele Le Moyne has returned from staying with her mother in Paris while attending Notre Dame university. Adele fled with her father before the terrible storm hit New Orleans that created the most heartbreaking destruction. She's back in New Orleans with her father and its time to start again. However things are some what different now she is back and not just because of the destruction the storm had left in its wake.
When she is caught up in a spell that wasn't hers to begin with, When she meets two mysterious brothers who are hiding a big secret, when she finds a diary that will change her life forever.. and when all else fails its time the coven band together to fight evil.
Adele is one of my favourite heroines of all time. She wasn't at all two dimensional. I could picture her sitting on my bed and having a conversation with me! she's badass, doesn't take no for an answer and is one brave chick! You can definitely tell that Alys Arden is from the French Quarter of New Orleans, because of the amount of detail and eeriness that she brought to this book. So much so that I am now going to New Orleans next year! it has to happen.
There are some shocking revelations in this book! Im not going to spoil it for you people but lets just say it wasn't wedding dresses in those Casquettes.... it was something much more sinister and exciting.
Aly has created word images so vivid that it is almost like watching a movie. She takes you for a romp through beautiful New Orleans with an action packed suspenseful event that had my heart facing and had me excited from beginning to end. Don't open the attic door guys. Its locked for a reason. READ THIS BOOK.
New Orleans in this novel is a place of Magic, history, mystery, romance, and destruction. Adele Le Moyne has returned from staying with her mother in Paris while attending Notre Dame university. Adele fled with her father before the terrible storm hit New Orleans that created the most heartbreaking destruction. She's back in New Orleans with her father and its time to start again. However things are some what different now she is back and not just because of the destruction the storm had left in its wake.
When she is caught up in a spell that wasn't hers to begin with, When she meets two mysterious brothers who are hiding a big secret, when she finds a diary that will change her life forever.. and when all else fails its time the coven band together to fight evil.
Adele is one of my favourite heroines of all time. She wasn't at all two dimensional. I could picture her sitting on my bed and having a conversation with me! she's badass, doesn't take no for an answer and is one brave chick! You can definitely tell that Alys Arden is from the French Quarter of New Orleans, because of the amount of detail and eeriness that she brought to this book. So much so that I am now going to New Orleans next year! it has to happen.
There are some shocking revelations in this book! Im not going to spoil it for you people but lets just say it wasn't wedding dresses in those Casquettes.... it was something much more sinister and exciting.
Aly has created word images so vivid that it is almost like watching a movie. She takes you for a romp through beautiful New Orleans with an action packed suspenseful event that had my heart facing and had me excited from beginning to end. Don't open the attic door guys. Its locked for a reason. READ THIS BOOK.
June 5, 2014
***This review was originally submitted to Author Alliance.***
I admit, I don't read a lot of YA. Why not? Well, because so many times the teenage characters have so much angst that I just can't get through it. That said, the description of The Casquette Girls really spoke to me and I decided to take a chance.
Wow. I am so glad I did.
The Casquette Girls is technically a YA Paranormal Romance. The main characters are all sixteen to eighteen years old. If you're looking for a book suitable for teens, this is a good candidate. There's no sex, no swearing, and only limited violence. That said, there's a whole lot else going for it that will keep you engaged even if you're well north of thirty.
I wish I could summarize the story for you. I want to. But there's just so much to it that any description I could possibly make would pale in comparison to what the book was - near perfection.
First of all, the book takes place in New Orleans right after Katrina. The author does a fantastic job of capturing the horrors of post-storm life while not delving deeply into some of the political aspects of the issues that happened in Louisiana. You'll feel for the characters who had to return to storm ravaged life and you'll learn how the city's undefeatable spirit kept it going when it seemed like all was lost.
Next, the vampire narrative is incredibly well done. The story bounces back and forth between Adele's ancestor, Adeline's diary and present day and it does so nearly seamlessly. All too often, these flashbacks can be too drawn out and slow, but in The Casquette Girls, they are incredibly important and very well done. Just as you're wondering why we need to read all this history, the author shows you exactly why you're reading.
There were parts of the climax that took me completely by surprise and that is rare. The author left me wanting more, but not a lot more. I don't want another book (well, unless there's another threat to neutralize), but I'd love to read an epilogue or check in with these characters five years in the future to see what happened after all of the...drama.
Superbly written and edited, this is a book that will hold your interest from the first page to the last. Each character is important. Each is well defined and well crafted. The ending is thrilling and nearly perfect. This is definitely one of the top books I've read in 2014.
I admit, I don't read a lot of YA. Why not? Well, because so many times the teenage characters have so much angst that I just can't get through it. That said, the description of The Casquette Girls really spoke to me and I decided to take a chance.
Wow. I am so glad I did.
The Casquette Girls is technically a YA Paranormal Romance. The main characters are all sixteen to eighteen years old. If you're looking for a book suitable for teens, this is a good candidate. There's no sex, no swearing, and only limited violence. That said, there's a whole lot else going for it that will keep you engaged even if you're well north of thirty.
I wish I could summarize the story for you. I want to. But there's just so much to it that any description I could possibly make would pale in comparison to what the book was - near perfection.
First of all, the book takes place in New Orleans right after Katrina. The author does a fantastic job of capturing the horrors of post-storm life while not delving deeply into some of the political aspects of the issues that happened in Louisiana. You'll feel for the characters who had to return to storm ravaged life and you'll learn how the city's undefeatable spirit kept it going when it seemed like all was lost.
Next, the vampire narrative is incredibly well done. The story bounces back and forth between Adele's ancestor, Adeline's diary and present day and it does so nearly seamlessly. All too often, these flashbacks can be too drawn out and slow, but in The Casquette Girls, they are incredibly important and very well done. Just as you're wondering why we need to read all this history, the author shows you exactly why you're reading.
There were parts of the climax that took me completely by surprise and that is rare. The author left me wanting more, but not a lot more. I don't want another book (well, unless there's another threat to neutralize), but I'd love to read an epilogue or check in with these characters five years in the future to see what happened after all of the...drama.
Superbly written and edited, this is a book that will hold your interest from the first page to the last. Each character is important. Each is well defined and well crafted. The ending is thrilling and nearly perfect. This is definitely one of the top books I've read in 2014.
December 22, 2020
Uhhhh.... yes! This looks/ sounds amazing. I just may buy it 😁
Although I don’t know what lies ahead here... but it makes me miss my beloved mikaelsons ❤️
[dont judge me! yes, TVD & TO were guilty pleasure Netflix binge watches until the last two seasons that I watched (still guilty pleasures) religiously haha... but I still have Hope 💛😉]
Although I don’t know what lies ahead here... but it makes me miss my beloved mikaelsons ❤️
[dont judge me! yes, TVD & TO were guilty pleasure Netflix binge watches until the last two seasons that I watched (still guilty pleasures) religiously haha... but I still have Hope 💛😉]
March 28, 2014
The Casquette Girls is not your ordinary teen paranormal romance story. The main character, Adele, is not your typical YA character. She is far more complex than that. Yes, she acts childish at times and is ruled by her hormones, but there are more layers to her, and she is a character that uses her head. It's probably why I found the ending quite unexpected - because it didn't end in the way you would expect a YA novel to end - but it felt right because it fit Adele's character perfectly.
The book started off a little slow and took a while to reveal the main plot, but during that time it painted a hauntingly beautiful picture of a post-storm New Orleans that just made me fall in love with it. I could actually see myself walking down the streets Adele called home and feel her pain as she witnessed the destruction.
The other thing I didn't expect were the nature of the vampires. After Twilight, the YA paranormal genre has been inundated with 'tame' vampires that fall in love with the main female character who's too stupid to run away. Not in The Casquette Girls. While there are a few romances springing up, and a lot of confused feelings, Adele never forgets who it is she is dealing with. These vampires are anything but tame, and are probably more terrifying because they pretend to be nice to get what they want. Bram Stoker would have been proud of these vampires.
Then there are the mysteries. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you realise you have barely scratched the surface and there is another mystery to uncover. The final mystery - the big one - was able to retain its secrets right till the very end. I usually pride myself in being able to guess the outcome of a story. I am happy to say that I couldn't guess this one at all. It made for an interesting and unique reading experience for me.
If you want to read a YA paranormal romance without any sparkly vampires in sight, this book is a must. You won't be disappointed.
The book started off a little slow and took a while to reveal the main plot, but during that time it painted a hauntingly beautiful picture of a post-storm New Orleans that just made me fall in love with it. I could actually see myself walking down the streets Adele called home and feel her pain as she witnessed the destruction.
The other thing I didn't expect were the nature of the vampires. After Twilight, the YA paranormal genre has been inundated with 'tame' vampires that fall in love with the main female character who's too stupid to run away. Not in The Casquette Girls. While there are a few romances springing up, and a lot of confused feelings, Adele never forgets who it is she is dealing with. These vampires are anything but tame, and are probably more terrifying because they pretend to be nice to get what they want. Bram Stoker would have been proud of these vampires.
Then there are the mysteries. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you realise you have barely scratched the surface and there is another mystery to uncover. The final mystery - the big one - was able to retain its secrets right till the very end. I usually pride myself in being able to guess the outcome of a story. I am happy to say that I couldn't guess this one at all. It made for an interesting and unique reading experience for me.
If you want to read a YA paranormal romance without any sparkly vampires in sight, this book is a must. You won't be disappointed.
March 1, 2019
I read this book as part of a birthday read along for The Booket List on Facebook.
This book has a little bit of everything. I don't even know how to properly categorize since it has so many elements from different genres woven into it. Also witches, who doesn't like witches!?
For a while, I was kind of confused as to where the plot was ultimately going, but I was thoroughly enjoying the journey. This starts off as a post-apocalyptic story. Adele has returned from visiting her mother in France after the massive storm that destroyed New Orleans. She struggles to go back to her every day life. Because of the curfew and crime heavy atmosphere, her father pushes Isaac on Adele as her part time protector. However, Adele also manages to attract the attention of another newbie in town, strange and mysterious Nicolo.
As people continue to disappear around town, Adele discovers she has a strange power and uncovers her ancestors diary. As she begins investigating, she finds that many of these things are linked and the newcomers in town are angry about a centuries old curse. The mystery of the curse was put together really intricately. I loved seeing Adele and her friends try to solve it from the present and Adeline and her coven take the steps they did to eventually cast the curse.
One thing that kind of bothered me was the love triangle. At first, it was really confusing because I couldn't tell if Adele actually liked one of the guys, and I definitely shipped her with the other so... whoops. The ending was pretty crazy and I'm really interested to see what will happen in the next book.
This book has a little bit of everything. I don't even know how to properly categorize since it has so many elements from different genres woven into it. Also witches, who doesn't like witches!?
For a while, I was kind of confused as to where the plot was ultimately going, but I was thoroughly enjoying the journey. This starts off as a post-apocalyptic story. Adele has returned from visiting her mother in France after the massive storm that destroyed New Orleans. She struggles to go back to her every day life. Because of the curfew and crime heavy atmosphere, her father pushes Isaac on Adele as her part time protector. However, Adele also manages to attract the attention of another newbie in town, strange and mysterious Nicolo.
As people continue to disappear around town, Adele discovers she has a strange power and uncovers her ancestors diary. As she begins investigating, she finds that many of these things are linked and the newcomers in town are angry about a centuries old curse. The mystery of the curse was put together really intricately. I loved seeing Adele and her friends try to solve it from the present and Adeline and her coven take the steps they did to eventually cast the curse.
One thing that kind of bothered me was the love triangle. At first, it was really confusing because I couldn't tell if Adele actually liked one of the guys, and I definitely shipped her with the other so... whoops. The ending was pretty crazy and I'm really interested to see what will happen in the next book.
December 20, 2015
Wow. What a journey this book took me on. I absolutely adored all the complex history that was woven within the story, and how the characters tied in with one another. Set mainly in the French Quarter of New Orleans after a horrific hurricane, simply known as the Storm, it follows a teenage Adele Le Moyne as she returns to her city to find almost everything destroyed.
Man, where do I even start with this book? Basically, I loved everything in it. There. Review done, yeah?
Okay, for real now. The legends in this book are so intricately wound, that it’s hard not to feel completely submerged in them. I loved how the past and present was so expertly connected, and how it was slowly revealed throughout the book just how related it really was. The pacing of the book was excellent, as I was constantly on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next little morsel of information to be revealed (while still trying to make my own guesses (which were often wrong…)).
All the characters in this book were amaaazing! As it got further into the story, more bits of information about many of the characters were revealed, leaving a whole lot of really developed characters. That’s another point, actually. Quite a few things that happened earlier in the book that seemed a bit random, out of place, or even completely pointless, totally ended up making sense later on, which shows a lot of writing skill, so I applaud Arden for that.
This book had such an intriguing storyline that it was very hard to put down. The paranormal element mixed really well with the urban setting, and all the past/present links matched up perfectly to create a truly exceptional story. This is a really well-constructed book that any reader can easily love.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Man, where do I even start with this book? Basically, I loved everything in it. There. Review done, yeah?
Okay, for real now. The legends in this book are so intricately wound, that it’s hard not to feel completely submerged in them. I loved how the past and present was so expertly connected, and how it was slowly revealed throughout the book just how related it really was. The pacing of the book was excellent, as I was constantly on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next little morsel of information to be revealed (while still trying to make my own guesses (which were often wrong…)).
All the characters in this book were amaaazing! As it got further into the story, more bits of information about many of the characters were revealed, leaving a whole lot of really developed characters. That’s another point, actually. Quite a few things that happened earlier in the book that seemed a bit random, out of place, or even completely pointless, totally ended up making sense later on, which shows a lot of writing skill, so I applaud Arden for that.
This book had such an intriguing storyline that it was very hard to put down. The paranormal element mixed really well with the urban setting, and all the past/present links matched up perfectly to create a truly exceptional story. This is a really well-constructed book that any reader can easily love.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
June 6, 2020
I have bought a lot of books of ebooks, some from famous authors, many self published. With both there is always an element of risk, though admittedly with the self published the risk increases, as you may discover a hidden jewel or feel you have wasted your money. Happily this one shines in the darkness as brightly as Adele does in the darkened streets of post hurricane New Orleans. She is everything you want in a heroine, brave and resourceful, putting her heart on the line... sometimes at the risk of her life. New Orleans is described in such a way that you can not only see it but taste it, smell it... I want to go there so badly after reading this book! There are unexpected twists and an ending which will surprise and possibly shock you but never disappoint.
There is a clear hero in this story for me, though I know others disagree, the mark of a good story when you feel the need to argue about it surely? So take a look and decide for yourself... who's team are you on?
There is a clear hero in this story for me, though I know others disagree, the mark of a good story when you feel the need to argue about it surely? So take a look and decide for yourself... who's team are you on?
Read
December 17, 2015Graded By: Jennie
Cover Story: Christopher Pike Would Be Proud
BFF Charm: Yay
Swoonworthy Scale: 6
Talky Talk: Straight up avec une touche paranormal
Bonus Factors: New Orleans, Southern Gothic
Relationship Status: Cemetery Companion
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Christopher Pike Would Be Proud
BFF Charm: Yay
Swoonworthy Scale: 6
Talky Talk: Straight up avec une touche paranormal
Bonus Factors: New Orleans, Southern Gothic
Relationship Status: Cemetery Companion
Read the full book report here.
November 5, 2016
The fact that Nicco calls her 'bella' really adds to the whole Twilight thing.
May 7, 2020
MY SWEET ISAAC
July 3, 2018
I really, really enjoyed this book. The magic and history that is woven into it is gorgeous. I loved the setting and cast of characters. The switching between French and English felt so authentic and I cannot reccomend the audio book enough because Kate Rudd puts so much personality into each character. You know who she is the moment she starts speaking. The characters are great. I loved them all, pretty much. Adele on ever so slightly annoyed me now and again, just purely because of her obsession with someone so obviously wrong for her (to me anyway). I adored Isaac and Dee and the friendship they built up between them. I have a huge soft spot for Mac!!! Hes so awesome and I hope he finds out more about whats going on in the next book. Thoroughly enjoyed!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2019
this book was just way too long. i loved the NOLA setting and most of the characters were great. I didn't care much for Adele. in the audible version, it's broke into 2 parts. i think (maybe) i missed something between the end of part 1 and beginning of part 2? i don't know. i don't plan on reading anymore int his series.
April 13, 2014
The Casquette Girls is a work of art. Yup. Nice and simple. I could leave it at that if I wanted to and it would encompass everything I feel about this novel, but that a review would not make. So here we go.
What makes this book so special? It's ability to suck you in? It's colourful collection of characters? The richness of architecture, history and urban legends? It's intelligent, mature and enticing narrative? All of those things and so much more.
The novel is so well written and full of intelligent vocabulary, yet I didn't feel like the words were too flowery or big for me to stomach. The author has a way of drawing you in and not letting you go. I read this novel very quickly considering I didn't have enough hours in the day. I read it in three. But I could have easily read it in one had I just locked myself in my room and shunned all worldly responsibilities.
The characters in the novel are diverse and interesting. Each one of them has an individual voice which I applaud any author that can achieve because it isn't easy to write a novel with a big number of characters and to keep the reader intrigued by each of them and to remember each of them. That's hard. But Miss Arden makes it look like child's play. She does it so well.
And one of the things that I really was surprised at was that the diary entries by Adeline were keeping my attention so much I didn't want to go back to Adele's narrative because I was so glued to Adeline and her story.
Diary entries tend to be a break from the narrative that we're more interested in. The narrative that covers the main plot of the novel. A diary usually just helps to explain the situation in the present. But the diary entries in The Casquette Girls held their own, and were a strong presence in the novel. I loved the unearthing of secrets, the historical scenery and the suspense and possible chance of a romance. I want to know more about Adeline and Gabriel and what happened to them that turned them from a possible relationship to mortal enemies. It is basically touched upon and you can fill in the blanks yourself, but I didn't want to. I wanted to savour each moment, each bite (pun most definitely intended).
That's not to say I didn't absolute * heart * Adele's narrative. She's funny, mature, conflicted and strong. She's likable straight away and her inner dialogue is fun to be around. I enjoyed her growth in character from this lost little girl in Paris pining for her Emile * retches * (more on him later) to a young woman with telekinetic abilities alongside the power to create and control fire, who stands up to dangerous, unnerving vampires (who long to be free and want to use her) and stubborn, bitchy witches (who turn out to be not so bitchy but give her a hard time realizing it). Oh and then there's the pesky crow who mashes up her face on her first night in New Orleans and seems to have a creepy habit of stalking her.
I liked how this all unfolded and how we learnt who was who and their secrets. The first time we meet Isaac, he's like this grumpy, opinionated pain in the ass (kinda like me :D ) who sits in the cafe Adele works at. I didn't expect anything to happen when we were first introduced to him. I just thought Miss Arden was painting a picture of the characters in the city. It then slowly came to light that this guy would play a big part in the book. I did realize early on he was SPOILER ALERT......
The crow. And I liked how Adele gave as good as she got. He deserved to be given a taste of his own obnoxious, grumpy medicine.
Then Adele bumps into Niccolo and Gabriel, the two gorgeous, Italian brothers who claim to be searching for their family. Well, that's kind of true. And she does kind of bump into them as well. She finds them in a store, lifting a fridge for the old owner. I liked the owner despite him having a small part. Miss Arden's magical prose helps to make us like a guy we meet for two seconds.
Anyhoo, I digress.
These two brothers introduce themselves. Gabe, the dramatic, flirtatious fella with the blond hair. And Nicco the dark, quiter, serious and observant type, who I can imagine if I was in Adele's shoes, would just look at me and I'd melt into a puddle on the spot.
So these two hotties clearly are not all they seem and I said to the author very early on that though readers are usually Team Nicco or Team Isaac, I was wondering where all the Team Gabe fans were at. And I was routing more for him in the beginning, but I held back because I knew there was something fishy about him. No guy can be that charming and not have this Mr Hyde, psycho side to them. Not in a paranormal novel. Where they are probably vampires. And I was right. :D Just read it to see.
But none of Nicco's or Gabe's faults come close to the nasty pr*ck that is their other brother, Emilio a.k.a Emile. This guy is a douche. And yet, Miss Arden still manages to give him layers by making him care about someone. That someone would be giving too much away. I'll leave that spoiler for you guys to read. And I guessed about his love interest's secret too, but that's not to say Miss Arden's twists didn't keep me guessing. They most certainly did. And I loved every minute of it: not knowing what was going to happen next. It made a change from the predictable plots in YA fiction.
So the modern and historical plot lines were fabulously delicious and filled to the brim with urban legend and lore. The plot was also woven with true historical events and rumours. Les filles a la cassette being one of them. There truly were girls with caskets who sailed over to La Nouvelle-Orléans to marry the not so pleasant locals who mainly consisted of lawless thugs. And it turned out that they did have caskets that were meant to be filled with their dowries such as gowns and household items but when they were opened, they discovered the caskets were empty. Now either the king screwed them over, or they were robbed at some point during their journey, or there really were vampires who used them to travel overseas. Now I know which one I'd prefer to believe, just for the awesomeness of it.
Miss Arden cleverly used true events to create a supernatural world. The Storm that devastated New Orleans, the caskets, the attic in the convent that truly was nailed shut by nails blessed by the Pope. And the author just let her imagination wonder and create a beautiful piece of literature. This should be famous, and making movies.
Twilight ain't got sh*t on this.
I'd also like to add that despite the magical, supernatural plot of this novel woven meticulously into historical events and modern events, this book is a beautiful tribute to the events that unfolded during and after the Storm a.k.a Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans. The author clearly loves her home town and this novel is a work of love. I've read previous reviews about The Casquette Girls that made a similar point. The Casquette Girls is for the people of New Orleans. But to add to that, I'd say this novel is meant to be for everyone outside of New Orleans as well, so we can get a glimpse of just what it was like. I didn't know much about the Storm, or how life was for those left behind. I could only imagine. But Miss Arden allowed me to see, and whether what she narrates as Adele is something she has experienced personally, I felt honoured to be privy to her experiences (Adele's and/or the author's). It cut straight through my heart, and the whole way through this novel you couldn't stop yourself from being emotionally invested in it. Now when I see a picture like this:
I understand its meaning and it breaks my heart. It's so poignant and yet, for the ignorant it just looks like graffiti on a door. To understand the code, read this article: http://www.southernspaces.org/2010/ka...
I rate The Casquette Girls 5 out of 5. I'd give it more if I could. It was that wonderful. And I can't wait for the sequel The Romeo Catchers, to come out.
Oh and, in case you were wondering... (Alys certainly was, seeing as I've been teasing her about it)... Guess whose Team I'm on...
:)
Favourite Quotes
I had loads of favourite quotes which I'll probably add more when I read the book again. Yes, I'm definitely planning a date with it again. So for now, I've got a few that I remember solely because I laughed so hard I had to stop reading.
“One Hurricane Es-pec-i-al,” Blanche said, dropping a single plate with a mound of eggs dripping in gooey cheese, and a mysterious powdered-sugar-dusted log. “Bon appetite.” He placed a fork next to each of us, not knowing we only needed on.
“Wow, Blanche, you really outdid yourself.”
“This really is... special,” said Nicco.
“Always, baby.”
“What is this?” I poked the long lump of fried dough. “A Twinkie?”
Blanche opened his mouth -
“No Twinkie jokes!” I yelled.
He mimed zipping his lips. “Yeah, baby, that's a fried Twinkie. You know that shit'll survive the apocalypse.”
“This way!” He walked us around the church. Where an illuminated statue of Jesus cast a fifty-foot shadow on the back of the Cathedral. I guess the Church thought Jesus deserved a generator?
I tried to gauge Isaac's interest. Like everyone else, he was hanging onto Ren's every word. I had to force back a smile as I watched his fully engrossed profile.
“Psst. Adele, come take a picture of me in front of the statue, but wait until some other people are behind me so it proves I was on the tour.”
“Come on, Desiree, it's rude. I don't want to distract Ren.”
“Oh, please, that statue of Jesus could start twerkin' and Ren wouldn't break character.”
What makes this book so special? It's ability to suck you in? It's colourful collection of characters? The richness of architecture, history and urban legends? It's intelligent, mature and enticing narrative? All of those things and so much more.
The novel is so well written and full of intelligent vocabulary, yet I didn't feel like the words were too flowery or big for me to stomach. The author has a way of drawing you in and not letting you go. I read this novel very quickly considering I didn't have enough hours in the day. I read it in three. But I could have easily read it in one had I just locked myself in my room and shunned all worldly responsibilities.
The characters in the novel are diverse and interesting. Each one of them has an individual voice which I applaud any author that can achieve because it isn't easy to write a novel with a big number of characters and to keep the reader intrigued by each of them and to remember each of them. That's hard. But Miss Arden makes it look like child's play. She does it so well.
And one of the things that I really was surprised at was that the diary entries by Adeline were keeping my attention so much I didn't want to go back to Adele's narrative because I was so glued to Adeline and her story.
Diary entries tend to be a break from the narrative that we're more interested in. The narrative that covers the main plot of the novel. A diary usually just helps to explain the situation in the present. But the diary entries in The Casquette Girls held their own, and were a strong presence in the novel. I loved the unearthing of secrets, the historical scenery and the suspense and possible chance of a romance. I want to know more about Adeline and Gabriel and what happened to them that turned them from a possible relationship to mortal enemies. It is basically touched upon and you can fill in the blanks yourself, but I didn't want to. I wanted to savour each moment, each bite (pun most definitely intended).
That's not to say I didn't absolute * heart * Adele's narrative. She's funny, mature, conflicted and strong. She's likable straight away and her inner dialogue is fun to be around. I enjoyed her growth in character from this lost little girl in Paris pining for her Emile * retches * (more on him later) to a young woman with telekinetic abilities alongside the power to create and control fire, who stands up to dangerous, unnerving vampires (who long to be free and want to use her) and stubborn, bitchy witches (who turn out to be not so bitchy but give her a hard time realizing it). Oh and then there's the pesky crow who mashes up her face on her first night in New Orleans and seems to have a creepy habit of stalking her.
I liked how this all unfolded and how we learnt who was who and their secrets. The first time we meet Isaac, he's like this grumpy, opinionated pain in the ass (kinda like me :D ) who sits in the cafe Adele works at. I didn't expect anything to happen when we were first introduced to him. I just thought Miss Arden was painting a picture of the characters in the city. It then slowly came to light that this guy would play a big part in the book. I did realize early on he was SPOILER ALERT......
The crow. And I liked how Adele gave as good as she got. He deserved to be given a taste of his own obnoxious, grumpy medicine.
Then Adele bumps into Niccolo and Gabriel, the two gorgeous, Italian brothers who claim to be searching for their family. Well, that's kind of true. And she does kind of bump into them as well. She finds them in a store, lifting a fridge for the old owner. I liked the owner despite him having a small part. Miss Arden's magical prose helps to make us like a guy we meet for two seconds.
Anyhoo, I digress.
These two brothers introduce themselves. Gabe, the dramatic, flirtatious fella with the blond hair. And Nicco the dark, quiter, serious and observant type, who I can imagine if I was in Adele's shoes, would just look at me and I'd melt into a puddle on the spot.
So these two hotties clearly are not all they seem and I said to the author very early on that though readers are usually Team Nicco or Team Isaac, I was wondering where all the Team Gabe fans were at. And I was routing more for him in the beginning, but I held back because I knew there was something fishy about him. No guy can be that charming and not have this Mr Hyde, psycho side to them. Not in a paranormal novel. Where they are probably vampires. And I was right. :D Just read it to see.
But none of Nicco's or Gabe's faults come close to the nasty pr*ck that is their other brother, Emilio a.k.a Emile. This guy is a douche. And yet, Miss Arden still manages to give him layers by making him care about someone. That someone would be giving too much away. I'll leave that spoiler for you guys to read. And I guessed about his love interest's secret too, but that's not to say Miss Arden's twists didn't keep me guessing. They most certainly did. And I loved every minute of it: not knowing what was going to happen next. It made a change from the predictable plots in YA fiction.
So the modern and historical plot lines were fabulously delicious and filled to the brim with urban legend and lore. The plot was also woven with true historical events and rumours. Les filles a la cassette being one of them. There truly were girls with caskets who sailed over to La Nouvelle-Orléans to marry the not so pleasant locals who mainly consisted of lawless thugs. And it turned out that they did have caskets that were meant to be filled with their dowries such as gowns and household items but when they were opened, they discovered the caskets were empty. Now either the king screwed them over, or they were robbed at some point during their journey, or there really were vampires who used them to travel overseas. Now I know which one I'd prefer to believe, just for the awesomeness of it.
Miss Arden cleverly used true events to create a supernatural world. The Storm that devastated New Orleans, the caskets, the attic in the convent that truly was nailed shut by nails blessed by the Pope. And the author just let her imagination wonder and create a beautiful piece of literature. This should be famous, and making movies.
Twilight ain't got sh*t on this.
I'd also like to add that despite the magical, supernatural plot of this novel woven meticulously into historical events and modern events, this book is a beautiful tribute to the events that unfolded during and after the Storm a.k.a Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans. The author clearly loves her home town and this novel is a work of love. I've read previous reviews about The Casquette Girls that made a similar point. The Casquette Girls is for the people of New Orleans. But to add to that, I'd say this novel is meant to be for everyone outside of New Orleans as well, so we can get a glimpse of just what it was like. I didn't know much about the Storm, or how life was for those left behind. I could only imagine. But Miss Arden allowed me to see, and whether what she narrates as Adele is something she has experienced personally, I felt honoured to be privy to her experiences (Adele's and/or the author's). It cut straight through my heart, and the whole way through this novel you couldn't stop yourself from being emotionally invested in it. Now when I see a picture like this:
I understand its meaning and it breaks my heart. It's so poignant and yet, for the ignorant it just looks like graffiti on a door. To understand the code, read this article: http://www.southernspaces.org/2010/ka...
I rate The Casquette Girls 5 out of 5. I'd give it more if I could. It was that wonderful. And I can't wait for the sequel The Romeo Catchers, to come out.
Oh and, in case you were wondering... (Alys certainly was, seeing as I've been teasing her about it)... Guess whose Team I'm on...
:)
Favourite Quotes
I had loads of favourite quotes which I'll probably add more when I read the book again. Yes, I'm definitely planning a date with it again. So for now, I've got a few that I remember solely because I laughed so hard I had to stop reading.
“One Hurricane Es-pec-i-al,” Blanche said, dropping a single plate with a mound of eggs dripping in gooey cheese, and a mysterious powdered-sugar-dusted log. “Bon appetite.” He placed a fork next to each of us, not knowing we only needed on.
“Wow, Blanche, you really outdid yourself.”
“This really is... special,” said Nicco.
“Always, baby.”
“What is this?” I poked the long lump of fried dough. “A Twinkie?”
Blanche opened his mouth -
“No Twinkie jokes!” I yelled.
He mimed zipping his lips. “Yeah, baby, that's a fried Twinkie. You know that shit'll survive the apocalypse.”
“This way!” He walked us around the church. Where an illuminated statue of Jesus cast a fifty-foot shadow on the back of the Cathedral. I guess the Church thought Jesus deserved a generator?
I tried to gauge Isaac's interest. Like everyone else, he was hanging onto Ren's every word. I had to force back a smile as I watched his fully engrossed profile.
“Psst. Adele, come take a picture of me in front of the statue, but wait until some other people are behind me so it proves I was on the tour.”
“Come on, Desiree, it's rude. I don't want to distract Ren.”
“Oh, please, that statue of Jesus could start twerkin' and Ren wouldn't break character.”
July 6, 2021
3.5 stars. An atmospheric YA Vampire and witches tale. The post Katrina New Orleans was done well and the scene and characters set for the series.
July 13, 2016
[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
I'm not sure exactly how to rate this novel: I really liked the setting (New Orleans), but some of the characters' features sometimes made me roll my eyes. To be fair, this may be in part due to my own jaded views on similar works: I've probably read one too many YA paranormal romance stories, so the usual love triangle and annoying guy attitudes has become old for me. I regret not liking this book more, at any rate.
The setting was definitely enchanting, in a sort of twisted way—twisted because this New Orleans is one slowly getting back on its feet after one of the most devastating hurricanes it's ever seen (possibly Katrina, or at the least inspired by it). Infrastructures are in shambles, crime's on the rise, there's a curfew the police can barely enforce... And while I have no idea if this is an accurate depiction of a post-hurricane city, whether it would've been thus left to fend for itself by the government, I still liked that NOLA, for its blend of "post-ap" and people trying to go back to, and go on with, their lives there, keep smiling, keep the businesses running, and so on. Somehow, I could understand Adele's desire to stay there, and not be shipped off to Paris or somewhere else, all the more since it'd mean being in a boarding school and not with her family. It was still magic.
I also liked the parts about Adeline: a bit awkward in the way it was introduced, maybe (a journal), but her journey, the people she met, the stifling stay in a ship for weeks, knowing a threat was lurking and nobody could just walk away to escape it, those were interesting.
On the downside, the novel relies on quite a few YA tropes that I couldn't care less about—love triangles, good boy vs. bad boy love interest, female characters being talked about as if they weren't there and generally being a bit... passive, Queen Bee and Mean Girls at school, and so on. Granted, Adele was not passive for the whole story so I won't fault her too much for that, and the school part wasn't the main part; it just felt like the "mandatory YA dynamics being inserted here", when the actual plot itself could've done without that. Mysterious murders, predators waking up, Adeline's story shedding light on what happened and hinting at what to be done: all those would've been fine, no need for a romance subplot (which didn't have anything special going for it), that slowed down the pace to a crawl in places: I could do with the "slower" chapters used to describe the city and its atmosphere, I could do less with lulls caused by romantic scenes.
Some of the descriptions (told in 1st person) were a bit odd, too—on the purple prose side, and not very believable coming from a 16-year-old girl. I found this happened mostly in the beginning (darkness being described as "the obsidian", or "espresso-coloured hair"?), and less afterwards. I'm not sure either about the French words and sentences used here and there; some were alright, others sounded grammatically weird. No idea if this is how people in New Orleans do speak, but as a native French reader, it's strange.
Finally, I felt some subplots and threads were left somehow dangling. For instance, Adele's mother was thrown in here a bit at random, too close to the end. And I would've liked to know a bit more about Cosette and the native girl; did they have offspring or not, and if not, was it to keep the number of characters down? Sometimes it seemed like things happened by coincidence, as plot devices, and not naturally enough to be really believable.
Conclusion: The main plot (monsters and witchcraft, with events originating in the past) was good, even though not the most original ever—it's less about "being original" and more about "what you make of it" anyway. Yet I didn't really care about the main characters, nor about the romance.
I'm not sure exactly how to rate this novel: I really liked the setting (New Orleans), but some of the characters' features sometimes made me roll my eyes. To be fair, this may be in part due to my own jaded views on similar works: I've probably read one too many YA paranormal romance stories, so the usual love triangle and annoying guy attitudes has become old for me. I regret not liking this book more, at any rate.
The setting was definitely enchanting, in a sort of twisted way—twisted because this New Orleans is one slowly getting back on its feet after one of the most devastating hurricanes it's ever seen (possibly Katrina, or at the least inspired by it). Infrastructures are in shambles, crime's on the rise, there's a curfew the police can barely enforce... And while I have no idea if this is an accurate depiction of a post-hurricane city, whether it would've been thus left to fend for itself by the government, I still liked that NOLA, for its blend of "post-ap" and people trying to go back to, and go on with, their lives there, keep smiling, keep the businesses running, and so on. Somehow, I could understand Adele's desire to stay there, and not be shipped off to Paris or somewhere else, all the more since it'd mean being in a boarding school and not with her family. It was still magic.
I also liked the parts about Adeline: a bit awkward in the way it was introduced, maybe (a journal), but her journey, the people she met, the stifling stay in a ship for weeks, knowing a threat was lurking and nobody could just walk away to escape it, those were interesting.
On the downside, the novel relies on quite a few YA tropes that I couldn't care less about—love triangles, good boy vs. bad boy love interest, female characters being talked about as if they weren't there and generally being a bit... passive, Queen Bee and Mean Girls at school, and so on. Granted, Adele was not passive for the whole story so I won't fault her too much for that, and the school part wasn't the main part; it just felt like the "mandatory YA dynamics being inserted here", when the actual plot itself could've done without that. Mysterious murders, predators waking up, Adeline's story shedding light on what happened and hinting at what to be done: all those would've been fine, no need for a romance subplot (which didn't have anything special going for it), that slowed down the pace to a crawl in places: I could do with the "slower" chapters used to describe the city and its atmosphere, I could do less with lulls caused by romantic scenes.
Some of the descriptions (told in 1st person) were a bit odd, too—on the purple prose side, and not very believable coming from a 16-year-old girl. I found this happened mostly in the beginning (darkness being described as "the obsidian", or "espresso-coloured hair"?), and less afterwards. I'm not sure either about the French words and sentences used here and there; some were alright, others sounded grammatically weird. No idea if this is how people in New Orleans do speak, but as a native French reader, it's strange.
Finally, I felt some subplots and threads were left somehow dangling. For instance, Adele's mother was thrown in here a bit at random, too close to the end. And I would've liked to know a bit more about Cosette and the native girl; did they have offspring or not, and if not, was it to keep the number of characters down? Sometimes it seemed like things happened by coincidence, as plot devices, and not naturally enough to be really believable.
Conclusion: The main plot (monsters and witchcraft, with events originating in the past) was good, even though not the most original ever—it's less about "being original" and more about "what you make of it" anyway. Yet I didn't really care about the main characters, nor about the romance.
December 18, 2015
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
THE CASQUETTE GIRLS is a fascinating and haunting paranormal YA novel. The plot starts off a tad slow though once it gets started it really moves. It's a tale that takes some of New Orleans' more famous ghost and vampire stories and gives them an even more sinister bent. I loved the setting as its a city so entrenched in mystery and has its own very colorful history. The description of the French Quarter and its ghost stories were so vivid I could smell the beignets at Cafe du Monde and recalled the creepy feeling of walking around the Quarter during a vampire tour I took last year.The story switches between a city still reeling from the after effects of Hurricane Katrina and the early days of New Orleans. I could really feel the devastation of the characters trying to pick up after Hurricane Katrina cleaning out their homes and starting their lives over again in a city they love. The connection between these two times was cleverly interwoven into the fabric of a haunting tale of murder, betrayal, magic, and family.
At the center of this story is Adele who comes into her powers by accident which unravels the plot. She spends a bit of time denying that she has powers which is understandable but once she becomes comfortable with it and tries to find out about where her powers come she really shines and shows off just how brave and clever she is. I loved getting glimpses of the past through a diary Adele reads about some of the Casquette Girls who came to New Orleans in the 1700s. I would have loved to spend more time with the 1700s characters but since the stories of the past and present are so connected it didn't really matter what time period the book was being written from in the end. The vampires were evil and with so many good reformed vampires out there in fiction it was kind of nice to have vampires be the monsters they were meant to be. I enjoyed the vampire plot and seeing how Adele and her friends are able to foil them...sort of...
I tend to be extremely picky about YA novels and as a result don't read that many due to my dislike of some of the tropes that show up constantly. THE CASQUETTE GIRLS was one of those YA books that piqued my interest enough with its setting and interesting story that I just had to see what it was about. I'm so very glad I did not skip past it! It drew me in and I was enamored with the story from start to finish. It's not only masterfully written with a compelling paranormal mystery but it really brings out the haunting history and character of New Orleans both in the present and in the past. There are some loose ends which I assume means more books and that is a very good thing as I'd like to return to this world.
THE CASQUETTE GIRLS is a fascinating and haunting paranormal YA novel. The plot starts off a tad slow though once it gets started it really moves. It's a tale that takes some of New Orleans' more famous ghost and vampire stories and gives them an even more sinister bent. I loved the setting as its a city so entrenched in mystery and has its own very colorful history. The description of the French Quarter and its ghost stories were so vivid I could smell the beignets at Cafe du Monde and recalled the creepy feeling of walking around the Quarter during a vampire tour I took last year.The story switches between a city still reeling from the after effects of Hurricane Katrina and the early days of New Orleans. I could really feel the devastation of the characters trying to pick up after Hurricane Katrina cleaning out their homes and starting their lives over again in a city they love. The connection between these two times was cleverly interwoven into the fabric of a haunting tale of murder, betrayal, magic, and family.
At the center of this story is Adele who comes into her powers by accident which unravels the plot. She spends a bit of time denying that she has powers which is understandable but once she becomes comfortable with it and tries to find out about where her powers come she really shines and shows off just how brave and clever she is. I loved getting glimpses of the past through a diary Adele reads about some of the Casquette Girls who came to New Orleans in the 1700s. I would have loved to spend more time with the 1700s characters but since the stories of the past and present are so connected it didn't really matter what time period the book was being written from in the end. The vampires were evil and with so many good reformed vampires out there in fiction it was kind of nice to have vampires be the monsters they were meant to be. I enjoyed the vampire plot and seeing how Adele and her friends are able to foil them...sort of...
I tend to be extremely picky about YA novels and as a result don't read that many due to my dislike of some of the tropes that show up constantly. THE CASQUETTE GIRLS was one of those YA books that piqued my interest enough with its setting and interesting story that I just had to see what it was about. I'm so very glad I did not skip past it! It drew me in and I was enamored with the story from start to finish. It's not only masterfully written with a compelling paranormal mystery but it really brings out the haunting history and character of New Orleans both in the present and in the past. There are some loose ends which I assume means more books and that is a very good thing as I'd like to return to this world.
February 20, 2019
For a 560 page book, I feel like this went by pretty quickly, and that is probably because it was incredibly well-written, with a great character, voice and setting. Casquette Girls takes place New Orleans in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Adele and her father return two months later to find a shell of their beloved city.
Arden did an amazing job of world-building here. She captured all of the community, and weirdness, and difficulty of NOLA in the wake of the hurricane. You could tell, like Adele, the author really loves this city, and it was a great setting for an urban fantasy story. Only the true New Orleaners are occupying NOLA in this sort of post-apocalyptic devastation.
"That's when I discovered a really good laugh could change everything."
As the story unfolds, strange things keep happening to Adele, like the scary crow who slashed her face and keeps appearing in odd places, a series of unsolved murders in the city, and Adele's newly awakened ability to move things with her mind. Then she finds the diary of her ancestor, capturing her unusual journey from Paris to La Nouvelle-Orleans.
Adeline's journal entries are equally well-crafted, slowly revealing new information and capturing the history of how New Orleans was settled. The casquette girls were real. They were young women sent from orphanages to supply wives to the new settlers. Arden's work in developing this world and history only makes New Orleans more fascinating. I want to know more.
This would have hands down been a 5-star favorite book for me if not for....duh duh duh...LOVE TRIANGLE. There are so many attractive males in here that are fascinated by Adele, I had trouble keeping track of who was whom.
"I knew that every part of him wanted me. Wanted to protect me."
And gals, let's be clear. YOU DO NOT OWE A MAN AN APOLOGY FOR TELLING HIM TO GO AWAY BECAUSE HE'S STALKING YOU. If that is all you take from this review, then I have done something good in the world today.
Despite my complaints, as this all came together in the end, I had several, "Oh my gosh! I didn't see that coming," moments. There is definitely more mystery and drama to come in the sequels and I am 100% here for it!
Arden did an amazing job of world-building here. She captured all of the community, and weirdness, and difficulty of NOLA in the wake of the hurricane. You could tell, like Adele, the author really loves this city, and it was a great setting for an urban fantasy story. Only the true New Orleaners are occupying NOLA in this sort of post-apocalyptic devastation.
"That's when I discovered a really good laugh could change everything."
As the story unfolds, strange things keep happening to Adele, like the scary crow who slashed her face and keeps appearing in odd places, a series of unsolved murders in the city, and Adele's newly awakened ability to move things with her mind. Then she finds the diary of her ancestor, capturing her unusual journey from Paris to La Nouvelle-Orleans.
Adeline's journal entries are equally well-crafted, slowly revealing new information and capturing the history of how New Orleans was settled. The casquette girls were real. They were young women sent from orphanages to supply wives to the new settlers. Arden's work in developing this world and history only makes New Orleans more fascinating. I want to know more.
This would have hands down been a 5-star favorite book for me if not for....duh duh duh...LOVE TRIANGLE. There are so many attractive males in here that are fascinated by Adele, I had trouble keeping track of who was whom.
"I knew that every part of him wanted me. Wanted to protect me."
And gals, let's be clear. YOU DO NOT OWE A MAN AN APOLOGY FOR TELLING HIM TO GO AWAY BECAUSE HE'S STALKING YOU. If that is all you take from this review, then I have done something good in the world today.
Despite my complaints, as this all came together in the end, I had several, "Oh my gosh! I didn't see that coming," moments. There is definitely more mystery and drama to come in the sequels and I am 100% here for it!
October 20, 2021
Fantastic YA vampire story. I loved the characters and the chemistry. There were a lot of them to follow, but it gets easier as you go. I wasn't crazy about the Mother, and really didn't care about her, so that is the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars. I felt like she should have been given a little more time and attention. Maybe knowing more about her story? There were a lot of flashbacks but they were handled well. I thought it was a great vampire addition to the genre.
October 25, 2017
I loved the New Orleans setting and riff on the history and legends of the city. It took awhile to get to the meat of the story, and it is long. It totally pays off though, and I will definitely be reading the next book when I am ready for a good long read. 4 stars
June 24, 2016
4.5 stars
I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.
This book has been getting a bit of hype recently as people start to review it in time for it's publishing date and I can honestly say that it really deserves it. The Casquette Girls seems to have pretty much everything you want in a book - sense of place, atmosphere, friendship, magic, supernatural and history.
Adele is returning to New Orleans a few short months after the devastating Hurricane Katrina. Adele and her father have no idea what or who they will be returning to and all they do know is that the city is home and it needs them to bring it back to life. But Adele has more to worry about than fixing up the neighborhood when she appears to develop magic powers, plus dead bodies sucked dry of blood are showing up around the French Quarter. With the help of an ancestor's secret diary, Adele must combat an ancient curse and create a secret witchy coven along the way.
One of the best bits in this book is the sense of place and the atmosphere that is described around the areas of New Orleans and specifically the French Quarter where Adele goes. It's so natural for her to have friends who dress as vampires, scientists for café workers, tour guides dressed like romance novel covers and much more and I loved it. Adele is a very likeable character, she takes the devastation of her home and her favourite places so bravely and really strives to carry on with school and work when it would be easy to crawl into a ball. She is also very accepting of her magic and isn't one of these people that keeps refusing it exists. I loved Adele's relationship with everyone in the book and there's a deep sense of Adele's belonging in the place. The way she knows and communicates to everyone and how they respond to her really brings to mind the fact she grew up in the cafes and bars of the French Quarter (in a good way mind you!)
There were so many diverse characters from Africa-America, Creole, French, Italian not to mention personalities. The hot and cold Niccolo, the exuberant but deadly Gabe (who I couldn't help but really like), mysterious Emilio, the absent mother, the caring father (who reminded me of Lance in Arrow), and the unlikely best friends Desiree and Isaac.
I found myself really enjoying the book and its pace which took a while to build up naturally because of the focus on the effects of the storm. I loved the dip into the history of the place now and again plus Adeline's diary to her father and her details of what had happened with her spell. I would have liked much more about Adeline and what happened to her and who the hell her dad was. I felt like i was still grasping for some additional information by the end of the book about Adeline, her father, Isaac and Desiree's sides of the story which was skipped over plus Niccolo's decision at the end. I would love to have been in his mind for a while (NOVELLA PLEASE!). Hopefully some of these questions will be answered in the next book.
I recommend anyone looking for a bit of magic to wrap themselves in to pick up this book. I don't think it will disappoint. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.
This book has been getting a bit of hype recently as people start to review it in time for it's publishing date and I can honestly say that it really deserves it. The Casquette Girls seems to have pretty much everything you want in a book - sense of place, atmosphere, friendship, magic, supernatural and history.
Adele is returning to New Orleans a few short months after the devastating Hurricane Katrina. Adele and her father have no idea what or who they will be returning to and all they do know is that the city is home and it needs them to bring it back to life. But Adele has more to worry about than fixing up the neighborhood when she appears to develop magic powers, plus dead bodies sucked dry of blood are showing up around the French Quarter. With the help of an ancestor's secret diary, Adele must combat an ancient curse and create a secret witchy coven along the way.
One of the best bits in this book is the sense of place and the atmosphere that is described around the areas of New Orleans and specifically the French Quarter where Adele goes. It's so natural for her to have friends who dress as vampires, scientists for café workers, tour guides dressed like romance novel covers and much more and I loved it. Adele is a very likeable character, she takes the devastation of her home and her favourite places so bravely and really strives to carry on with school and work when it would be easy to crawl into a ball. She is also very accepting of her magic and isn't one of these people that keeps refusing it exists. I loved Adele's relationship with everyone in the book and there's a deep sense of Adele's belonging in the place. The way she knows and communicates to everyone and how they respond to her really brings to mind the fact she grew up in the cafes and bars of the French Quarter (in a good way mind you!)
There were so many diverse characters from Africa-America, Creole, French, Italian not to mention personalities. The hot and cold Niccolo, the exuberant but deadly Gabe (who I couldn't help but really like), mysterious Emilio, the absent mother, the caring father (who reminded me of Lance in Arrow), and the unlikely best friends Desiree and Isaac.
I found myself really enjoying the book and its pace which took a while to build up naturally because of the focus on the effects of the storm. I loved the dip into the history of the place now and again plus Adeline's diary to her father and her details of what had happened with her spell. I would have liked much more about Adeline and what happened to her and who the hell her dad was. I felt like i was still grasping for some additional information by the end of the book about Adeline, her father, Isaac and Desiree's sides of the story which was skipped over plus Niccolo's decision at the end. I would love to have been in his mind for a while (NOVELLA PLEASE!). Hopefully some of these questions will be answered in the next book.
I recommend anyone looking for a bit of magic to wrap themselves in to pick up this book. I don't think it will disappoint. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
March 19, 2015
The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden is a 2013 fortheARTofit publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book embodies the spirit of the old school Gothic novel told in first person perspective by Adele Le Moyne a high school student returning to New Orleans after the worst hurricane in history virtually destroyed the city, perhaps for good.
Alone with her father now, Adele is even separated from her BFF who has moved to LA, probably to stay for the duration. The New Orleans climate has now changed, some familiar faces remain, but relatives searching for loved ones creates a new landscape in the Dystopian atmosphere.
Adele finds she has now been accepted into one of New Orleans' most prestigious schools, but life there is miserable as the usual cliques form and Adele is the odd man out.
But, in the midst of this unease, Adele hears an old story, a legend by now, about the Casquette girls. Girls who were lured into a home by evil and after all was said and done, only two bodies were found. This coincides with some rather spooky experiences Adele had encountered recently, coupled with the discovery of a diary written by one of her ancestors.
This YA spin on old world myths, legends, and voodoo, is actually a pretty interesting take on both old and new legends and beliefs. The diary Adele unearths was written circa 1700's and tell the more traditional version of vampires we know from stories like Dracula or even Stephen King's Salem's Lot. But this story adds the roots of France, Creole, and the deep South to blend a new tale of horror.
Adele is a wonderful character, typical of her age, so she doesn't always make the right choice, she is ruled by her heart and at times her hormones, but she is in many ways an old soul. There are quite a few characters in the book, so between current day and the diary of the past, there were moments when it seemed hard to keep up with them all.
The author does a great job of writing both historical details and present day details due to her incredible knowledge of New Orleans.
For me the story got off to a slow start and it wasn't until about a quarter of the way in that the diary is discovered and it's author is found to be significant to Adele. Once we get started reading the diary, events in the present begin to really take shape as well, and the action intensifies.... really intensifies. There are many twist and turns and huge reveals once the story got rolling good.
The book is just a bit long and could use some trimming down just a hair here and there. But, overall this is a very ambitious undertaking and the author did a great job with this one. I don't read a lot of YA PNR, but this one was well worth the time. This one gets 4 stars
This book embodies the spirit of the old school Gothic novel told in first person perspective by Adele Le Moyne a high school student returning to New Orleans after the worst hurricane in history virtually destroyed the city, perhaps for good.
Alone with her father now, Adele is even separated from her BFF who has moved to LA, probably to stay for the duration. The New Orleans climate has now changed, some familiar faces remain, but relatives searching for loved ones creates a new landscape in the Dystopian atmosphere.
Adele finds she has now been accepted into one of New Orleans' most prestigious schools, but life there is miserable as the usual cliques form and Adele is the odd man out.
But, in the midst of this unease, Adele hears an old story, a legend by now, about the Casquette girls. Girls who were lured into a home by evil and after all was said and done, only two bodies were found. This coincides with some rather spooky experiences Adele had encountered recently, coupled with the discovery of a diary written by one of her ancestors.
This YA spin on old world myths, legends, and voodoo, is actually a pretty interesting take on both old and new legends and beliefs. The diary Adele unearths was written circa 1700's and tell the more traditional version of vampires we know from stories like Dracula or even Stephen King's Salem's Lot. But this story adds the roots of France, Creole, and the deep South to blend a new tale of horror.
Adele is a wonderful character, typical of her age, so she doesn't always make the right choice, she is ruled by her heart and at times her hormones, but she is in many ways an old soul. There are quite a few characters in the book, so between current day and the diary of the past, there were moments when it seemed hard to keep up with them all.
The author does a great job of writing both historical details and present day details due to her incredible knowledge of New Orleans.
For me the story got off to a slow start and it wasn't until about a quarter of the way in that the diary is discovered and it's author is found to be significant to Adele. Once we get started reading the diary, events in the present begin to really take shape as well, and the action intensifies.... really intensifies. There are many twist and turns and huge reveals once the story got rolling good.
The book is just a bit long and could use some trimming down just a hair here and there. But, overall this is a very ambitious undertaking and the author did a great job with this one. I don't read a lot of YA PNR, but this one was well worth the time. This one gets 4 stars
June 18, 2014
5 stars out of 5
I can easily say I was recommending this book long before I had even finished it, when I was barely halfway through it. This is the kind of book that within the first 50 pages you know you have been lucky enough to find something amazing. If I could say anything to Alys Arden it would be the following:
Fangirling out of the way, back to business.
The Casquette Girls is the story of a teenage girl headed home to New Orleans after a super-storm that the reader will be able to compare Katrina to. I find this to be a great plot device since that storm is so much a part of our cultural knowledge that expanding it to the proportions needed for the plot is very simple. Before she even makes it home, our heroine Adele starts seeing things beyond the norm and they intensify in both severity and importance as the story progresses until the fate of the entire Crescent City hangs on her decisions.
The ride is amazing, the storytelling is spot on, I loved every minute of my experience reading this. I also enjoyed that it was a standalone, though I will freely admit to wanting more stories both from Alys Arden and from this group of characters. When the story ended I sat on my couch at 3am for a few minutes like this:
To say that I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who asked would be an understatement. If I had more than 5 stars to give, I would give them to this book. In short
I can easily say I was recommending this book long before I had even finished it, when I was barely halfway through it. This is the kind of book that within the first 50 pages you know you have been lucky enough to find something amazing. If I could say anything to Alys Arden it would be the following:
Fangirling out of the way, back to business.
The Casquette Girls is the story of a teenage girl headed home to New Orleans after a super-storm that the reader will be able to compare Katrina to. I find this to be a great plot device since that storm is so much a part of our cultural knowledge that expanding it to the proportions needed for the plot is very simple. Before she even makes it home, our heroine Adele starts seeing things beyond the norm and they intensify in both severity and importance as the story progresses until the fate of the entire Crescent City hangs on her decisions.
The ride is amazing, the storytelling is spot on, I loved every minute of my experience reading this. I also enjoyed that it was a standalone, though I will freely admit to wanting more stories both from Alys Arden and from this group of characters. When the story ended I sat on my couch at 3am for a few minutes like this:
To say that I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who asked would be an understatement. If I had more than 5 stars to give, I would give them to this book. In short
December 22, 2014
The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden is a mixture of genres in a way. It has a little bit of historical fiction, a good bit of urban fantasy/paranormal and a healthy dose of modern disaster. This is billed as Young Adult but I found that while it was about a high school aged girl, it didn't feel young. There was very little swearing and it was good clean writing but it didn't feel watered down. It was wonderful and spooky and beautifully written.
Adele is coming back to the Big Easy from France after Katrina wipes it out. She sees the destruction and horrors that have wrapped around the city and is struck by the stillness of it all. She keeps saying that she has never heard it so quiet and how eerie it is. The creepiness factor is in the book from day one and it really set the tone. People are dying, the water lines on the houses are high and there is mold everywhere. You go on a tour of the broken New Orleans with Adele and you can truly feel her despair.
The modern market has been inundated with stories where the vampires and other preternatural beings are no more terrifying than a puppy. They may have a hint of danger and show their teeth but you never really feel threatened. These characters are different. They are vengeful and have lived far too long to not be bitter and disenchanted with human lives. The hurricane coming through was just the opportunity they needed to burst free and start terrorizing the villagers, so to speak.
Another aspect that I really enjoyed was that Adele was never really alone in her fight. There was always someone there, even if she hardly knew them, to help. Her new relationships are strong while the old ones seem to fizzle out. Adele definitely grew as a person in a perceptible way throughout the book. She was not the only one that changed as well. It seemed that everybody grew up as they confronted their wrecked home town and the creepy-crawlies that were out to get them.
Finally, the part that really hooked me with this book and kept me reading was the historical aspect of it. Written like a diary, it captured so much more than flashbacks or secondhand stories or accounts. I had never heard of the casquette girls of New Orleans but it was a wonderful way to introduce history and flavor into the story. It made it so much more than just a modern fantasy story but took it back in time as well and gave it a past.
5 out of 5 stars. Wish they had called the hurricane by its actual name instead of calling it "The Storm".
Full Review on my blog http://tarabelletalking.blogspot.com/...
Adele is coming back to the Big Easy from France after Katrina wipes it out. She sees the destruction and horrors that have wrapped around the city and is struck by the stillness of it all. She keeps saying that she has never heard it so quiet and how eerie it is. The creepiness factor is in the book from day one and it really set the tone. People are dying, the water lines on the houses are high and there is mold everywhere. You go on a tour of the broken New Orleans with Adele and you can truly feel her despair.
The modern market has been inundated with stories where the vampires and other preternatural beings are no more terrifying than a puppy. They may have a hint of danger and show their teeth but you never really feel threatened. These characters are different. They are vengeful and have lived far too long to not be bitter and disenchanted with human lives. The hurricane coming through was just the opportunity they needed to burst free and start terrorizing the villagers, so to speak.
Another aspect that I really enjoyed was that Adele was never really alone in her fight. There was always someone there, even if she hardly knew them, to help. Her new relationships are strong while the old ones seem to fizzle out. Adele definitely grew as a person in a perceptible way throughout the book. She was not the only one that changed as well. It seemed that everybody grew up as they confronted their wrecked home town and the creepy-crawlies that were out to get them.
Finally, the part that really hooked me with this book and kept me reading was the historical aspect of it. Written like a diary, it captured so much more than flashbacks or secondhand stories or accounts. I had never heard of the casquette girls of New Orleans but it was a wonderful way to introduce history and flavor into the story. It made it so much more than just a modern fantasy story but took it back in time as well and gave it a past.
5 out of 5 stars. Wish they had called the hurricane by its actual name instead of calling it "The Storm".
Full Review on my blog http://tarabelletalking.blogspot.com/...
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