I agree with nearly all of what fireblossom said. Although I'm not nearly as disappointed with the ending, I do believe it could have been executed with more fervor. ( )

There is much I like about Rhodi Hawk's ambitious debut novel. The sense of place--New Orleans and the surrounding Louisiana bayou country--is strong and delicious. The characters she creates are vibrant, original, and real, and the story takes place both in the present and in the early part of the 20th century.

It's a long book which leads the reader through all sorts of dark corners, both literal and of the human psyche. But like several such books that I can think of, the long and well-crafted build-up leads to a rather disappointing ending, in my opinion. I resent investing so much in terms of both time and interest, only to have it end, not with a bang, but with a whimper, and not only that, but nothing is resolved in the end.

If the end had been worthy of the rest of the book, I would have given it five stars. But it simply isn't. She should have done better by her readers. ( )