snowmaiden's review
5.0
This book has been on my to-read shelf for eight long years, and I got to it at just the right time. I’d expected nothing more than a standard ghost story, but this is a truly luminous piece of writing. Razi, a ghost who has lingered in New Orleans for almost 75 years after her death, is suddenly drawn to a young woman named Amy and follows her home to Baton Rouge. As Razi goes over the mistakes that led to her accidental death, Amy is also moved to reflect upon unprocessed trauma in her past. Will the two of them ever figure out exactly what draws them together, and will either of them ever be able to move on? Highly recommended.
daybreak1012's review
4.0
There were parts of this book that were powerfully written. Those parts caused a near physical ache and are the reason I gave this one four stars instead of three. Other parts of this book tried a little too hard and the mental images they painted felt out of focus. The back and forth between timelines felt awkward and unclear to me at times. I found the switch to be abrupt and jarring, often not sure if we were in the present or the past. I realize that in many ways Razi probably existed in both present and past simultaneously, but for me, it was somewhat confusing.
I did love the story of Razi and Andrew. I also loved the twist and thought it was beautifully constructed and perfectly revealed. I also liked the ghostly narrator -- it was a unique perspective, especially when considering the regrets of a lifetime. There were a few intimately descriptive scenes which I didn't feel were gratuitously done as far as the story goes, but if that sort of thing makes you uncomfortable, I'd suggest skipping this one. I loved the setting: the New Orleans area and the historical parts in the 1920s. I'm glad I spent some time with this book. I just felt like it was missing...something, and that something may have made me feel a little more of those heartbreaking moments that surfaced every now and again. It's not that this book didn't hook me. I just wasn't driven to keep turning pages rather than put the book down for a while.
I did love the story of Razi and Andrew. I also loved the twist and thought it was beautifully constructed and perfectly revealed. I also liked the ghostly narrator -- it was a unique perspective, especially when considering the regrets of a lifetime. There were a few intimately descriptive scenes which I didn't feel were gratuitously done as far as the story goes, but if that sort of thing makes you uncomfortable, I'd suggest skipping this one. I loved the setting: the New Orleans area and the historical parts in the 1920s. I'm glad I spent some time with this book. I just felt like it was missing...something, and that something may have made me feel a little more of those heartbreaking moments that surfaced every now and again. It's not that this book didn't hook me. I just wasn't driven to keep turning pages rather than put the book down for a while.
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