Can We Do Some Voodoo? Sweet Unrest by Lisa Maxwell

Sweet Unrest

by Lisa Maxwell

Gr. 9 & Up: A romantic ghost story, Voodoo spells, and the humid-drenched southern locale of historical New Orleans all combine for a satisfying mix of contemporary and historical fiction from Maxwell’s first, Sweet Unrest.  When Lucy Aimes’s family moves to an old plantation near New Orleans for her history professor father’s work, she becomes plagued with vivid dreams featuring a handsome Alex and surprisingly familiar Armantine.

Lucy soon learns that the dreams are much more than they seem with the assistance of a local mystical woman; intertwining a bit of history of Voodoo with an enjoyable mystery, Maxwell produces a well-written, spell-binding, enthralling, and informative story that young readers (and adults) are sure to snap up.  Read it for the heady descriptions of New Orleans and mysticism if nothing else.

I'm Dead, But Will You Marry Me?

The Ghost Bride

by Yangsze Choo

Yangsze Choo’s The Ghost Bride deeply delves into the underbelly of Malayan afterlife; after the son of a rich household dies without a wife, Li Lan’s family is approached with an offer for her to become a “ghost bride” to the deceased.  Naturally, Li Lan balks, but not before forming what can only be described as a crush on the nephew of the household, Tian Bai.

When a medicinal treatment goes awry, Li Lan learns firsthand what the spirits in the Malayan afterlife experience; she is not yet a ghost but she is not fully in the land of the living.  A rich mythology of beliefs combine to form a fascinating portrayal of the afterlife: will Li Lan be able to find her mother, long since deceased, in the Plains of the Dead? Can the mysterious Er Lang assist her in breaking the bonds with her near-ghost-husband?

I found this to be a very dream-like novel, one in which Malayan notions of the afterlife were so contrary to my own that it was difficult for me to relate.  However, it is truly fascinating, and Choo does a commendable job in melding together multiple religious viewpoints (as is the case with such territories as Malaya).  Perhaps the ending tied up too neatly and quickly, yes.  And perhaps I finished the book and found the notes, and thought, “How handy this would have been beforehand!”  So, if you haven’t read this yet, definitely be aware there are nifty notes in the back that explain quite a bit.