Like the main character, Rebecca, I knew very little about New Orleans before Katrina. What I did know came from sources like movies, novels, comic books and random historical facts that stuck in my head from American history classes. Pop culture painted a surrealistic view of the city--populated by a people who have lived and thrived on traditions for centuries and Mardi Gras, was the talk of the world. I was intrigued and terrified by the thought of going to the city.

And then Hurricane Katrina hit and suddenly the world knew about New Orleans and it was all you heard about for weeks, months and even years later. One of America's oldest cities, so much culture and history swept away by nature. But Morris doesn't hide the fact that New Orleans has a dark underside--not just in its past, but its present as well--entangled with all the glitz and glamorous parties.

I found myself fascinated by what Lisette, the ghost, told us about New Orleans and what Rebecca learned on through her independent study. An entire culture of people and lifestyles I never imagined was discussed. I enjoyed those parts moreso then the rest of it honestly. The curse and troubles of the present day were slow to really pick up speed. For a good half of the book there's barely any mention of the curse at all and other then some rather suspicious behavior and statements made by Rebecca's 'aunt' Claudia and father, there wasn't much to tie in with Rebecca.

Character motivations were murky at best, shifting and tangling with other secrets revealed a little too late in the game and making many of the characters seem inconsistent and feckless. I liked Anton until Christmas Break, but then he became just as secretive as every other 'old family'. His explanations at the end seemed off center and even a little cowardly. Tradition dictates, but he had spent the better part of the first half of the book proving that he was more than tradition demanded.

The end itself was poetic justice in a way. How the curse ends that is. It made me wonder just how much of the curse was true 'supernatural' intervention and how much of it was really coincidence and self-fulfilling prophecy. The first two 'deaths' of the curse could be mere coincidence and given the time period entirely understandable. It was after those that the family began to actively try and circumvent it, so who's to say that didn't bring it about ten times worse?
( )

It was a little slow at the beginning, but after you find out more of the ghost's story, it starts to pick up and come together. Not scary at all and some nice historical fiction tied in. ( )

Teen fiction; ghost story/romance for girls. This is not a paranormal romance, but there are ghosts, curses, and voodoo in it. Set in modern New Orleans, the first half reads a bit like a travel guide--mentioning all the local landmarks, the transportation, the cemeteries, even the red beans and rice. It's forgivable only because the author has spent some time there--she's not setting the scene from stuff she dug out of a book, she's just telling you some of the things she appreciates. The characters are ok, though a bit flat--where the story really comes apart for me is the ending, when 20 or so people from the Old-Line families conduct an elaborate scheme to abduct Rebecca with the intent to kill her. Aside from Anton (the love interest) and one of the gunmen, absolutely no one objects to this premeditated murder at all. They're certainly snooty and unfriendly people, but are they all cold-blooded murderers, every single one?
Overall, an enjoyable story if you don't think too hard about it, though there are certainly other teen novels that would be more worthy your time. ( )

I realize this was for young adults, but I did not think it was actually that good of a ghost story. ( )

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