Gathering Deep

by Lisa Maxwell

Overview

Chloe Sabourin’s world was turned upside down three times over when she learned that the unspeakable murders in her native New Orleans—the ones that nearly claimed the life of her friend Lucy—were committed by her own mother, the dark witch Thisbe. Moving on from that is the toughest thing she’s ever had to do. Now a new series of ritualistic killings suggests that Thisbe is plotting again. Chloe seeks help from the mysterious Mama Legba, even though she’s unsure whether or not she can trust the Voodoo Queen. But when her boyfriend Piers vanishes, all signs point to Thisbe, and Chloe must quickly learn all she can from Mama Legba to save the one person she has left . . . even if it means bringing down her mother.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780738745428
Publisher:	North Star Editions
Publication date:	10/08/2015
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Lisa Maxwell (Washington, D.C.) is a debut author. When she's not writing books, she teaches English at a local college. She lives with her very patient husband and two not-so-patient boys.

Editorial Reviews

"Maxwell's mixture of past and present, dreams and reality, speech and telepathy is immersive and delirious. . . . Offers psychological melodrama and ghoulish thrills." —Kirkus Reviews

"Fans of gothic horror will eagerly flock to this spooky sequel." —Booklist

"A stunningly intricate and fascinating masterpiece." —VOYA

"Maxwell's novel excels in its heady, Southern-drenched mood." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

09/01/2015
Gr 6 Up—More of a companion novel than a sequel to Sweet Unrest (Flux, 2014), Maxwell's latest focuses on Chloe and Thisbe in this atmospheric fantastical mystery. Reeling from the aftermath of finding out that the evil witch Thisbe is her mother, Chloe becomes determined to sever all ties with Thisbe's dark magic. When her on-off boyfriend, Piers, vanishes on his way to deliver a historical artifact, Chloe knows that Thisbe is behind his disappearance. Enlisting the help of friend Lucy, voodoo queen Mama Legba, and Mama Legba's nephew Odane, the protagonist gathers all her strength in order to conquer Thisbe's nefarious influence. The narrative is peppered with fascinating voodoo rituals and beliefs, heightening the suspense. As with Sweet Unrest, Maxwell's novel excels in its heady, Southern-drenched mood. VERDICT Recommended for fans of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Little, Brown, 2011) and William Ritter's Jackaby (Algonquin, 2014).—Amanda C. Buschmann, Atascocita Middle School, Humble, TX

School Library Journal

2015-07-15
Magical mother-daughter bonds prove tough to sever in this sequel to the Southern gothic Sweet Unrest (2014). Recently possessed Chloe Sabourin is reeling from her unwitting role in the recent murders and dark magic that rocked New Orleans and devastated by the discovery that her mother, Mina, is the witch Thisbe. Chloe fears further manipulation and questions her newfound magical powers but finds allies in her friend Lucy Aimes, mixed-magic practitioner Mama Legba, and Legba's flirtatious nephew, Odane. Less helpful are Chloe's preoccupied boyfriend, Piers, and Odane's icky father, Ikenna, whose warped idea of family ties echoes Thisbe's. Missing her own mother and ignoring Mama's advice, Chloe learns about Thisbe—a former 19th-century slave longing for her lost love, Augustine, and locked in an eternal battle with psychotic slave owner Roman Dutilette—through convenient touch-induced flashbacks and frequent nightmares. Chloe's struggle to separate herself from her mother gains urgency when Chloe must stop Thisbe from summoning Baron Samedi—darkly delightful but vaguely defined as a demon, a Loa, and a trickster psychopomp—and fight her mother in order to save her friends. While the inconsistent use of dialect and magical catchall version of Voodoo prove distracting and insensitive, Maxwell's mixture of past and present, dreams and reality, speech and telepathy is immersive and delirious. Mommy dearest's deal with the devil offers psychological melodrama and ghoulish thrills. (Paranormal suspense. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews

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