tracybabler's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to the publisher for the free review copy. All opinions are my own.
Right off the bat, EVANGELINE OF THE BAYOU will capture your imagination. The book opens with Evangeline summonsed by a messenger bird to rid her neighbor’s house of several swamp creatures. Despite the spooky setting, Evangeline keeps a calm head and gets rid of the vermin. The early swamp scenes introduces Evangeline as a Haunt Huntress in training, making several humorous errors as she works alone while her more experienced grandmother sleeps.
Just as soon as we get to know the swamp, though, Gram informs Evangeline that the pair will travel to New Orleans to help a woman who is possessed by something no doctor can cure. Evangeline is happy to leave the swamp, because she can’t shake the trail of a Grim—a canine omen of death that won’t leave her alone. She’s sure it means Gram’s days are numbered.
In New Orleans, the story heads in a different direction. Gram announces that the woman, Mrs. Midsomer, is possessed by a rougarou. In just a few days, she’ll morph into a werewolf-like creature and be lost to her family forever. Gran and Evangeline must risk their lives to stop that from happening. But does Evangeline have the power to overcome these evil forces?
EVANGELINE OF THE BAYOU is full of charm, mystery and Southern flair. Evangeline’s fearless, no-nonsense approach ensures that the sometimes-dark scenes aren’t overly scary. I especially enjoyed the early scenes in the swamp. This world was so rich that I was surprised when the plot shifted to New Orleans.
The book was full of such twists and turns. Each time I thought I knew what was happening, a plot twist would send my mind reeling. At times the plot and the inner workings of the swamp witch magic got overly complicated, to the point where I had to re-read passages. Although I predicted a few key points, much of the mystery was un-solvable until it slowly unraveled.
In the end, EVANGELINE is a unique story with a fresh voice. Parents may want to pre-read some passages of the book before giving it to younger readers, as there are references to weapons and violence throughout.
Right off the bat, EVANGELINE OF THE BAYOU will capture your imagination. The book opens with Evangeline summonsed by a messenger bird to rid her neighbor’s house of several swamp creatures. Despite the spooky setting, Evangeline keeps a calm head and gets rid of the vermin. The early swamp scenes introduces Evangeline as a Haunt Huntress in training, making several humorous errors as she works alone while her more experienced grandmother sleeps.
Just as soon as we get to know the swamp, though, Gram informs Evangeline that the pair will travel to New Orleans to help a woman who is possessed by something no doctor can cure. Evangeline is happy to leave the swamp, because she can’t shake the trail of a Grim—a canine omen of death that won’t leave her alone. She’s sure it means Gram’s days are numbered.
In New Orleans, the story heads in a different direction. Gram announces that the woman, Mrs. Midsomer, is possessed by a rougarou. In just a few days, she’ll morph into a werewolf-like creature and be lost to her family forever. Gran and Evangeline must risk their lives to stop that from happening. But does Evangeline have the power to overcome these evil forces?
EVANGELINE OF THE BAYOU is full of charm, mystery and Southern flair. Evangeline’s fearless, no-nonsense approach ensures that the sometimes-dark scenes aren’t overly scary. I especially enjoyed the early scenes in the swamp. This world was so rich that I was surprised when the plot shifted to New Orleans.
The book was full of such twists and turns. Each time I thought I knew what was happening, a plot twist would send my mind reeling. At times the plot and the inner workings of the swamp witch magic got overly complicated, to the point where I had to re-read passages. Although I predicted a few key points, much of the mystery was un-solvable until it slowly unraveled.
In the end, EVANGELINE is a unique story with a fresh voice. Parents may want to pre-read some passages of the book before giving it to younger readers, as there are references to weapons and violence throughout.
haleyrose's review against another edition
4.0
Cute and charming as all get out. Jan Eldredge was born & raised in Louisiana so she gets points and despite the endless (endlessssss) "bayou" similes & metaphors that I'm not sure anyone uses (but maybe they do?? I am a city Louisianian), all the descriptions of the bayou, New Orleans, and the swamp creatures that abound rang really true. Kids into fantasy should totally read this. If they are local, they'll identify with Mardi Gras culture, family ties, local magic...and if they aen't local they won't get a totally made up image of the bayou. Great message too. AND bonus points for male/female main characters with no romance. Cute romp through Louisiana magic with strong messages about family, friendship & bravery.
t2p's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fun book, but it took us a really long time to get through it. It started out great, but dragged a little in the middle. I liked the idea of learning more about Louisiana "swamp witch" folklore, but felt like it didn't quite give us enough. It reminded me of Charlie Hernandez, but without flushing out the different haunts quite enough. Clark seemed to really enjoy it.
jessikahepburn's review against another edition
4.0
Super cute middle grade fiction with all the right ingredients to capture kid’s (and adults) imaginations!
doctorjessie's review
4.0
I read this as a bedtime book to my children. I probably should’ve paid more attention to the plot before starting this. I got it because my oldest daughter is named Evangeline. I’d say it was a bit too scary for the 7 year old. My almost 10 year old had made it through the Harry Potter books with me though and seems to do just fine with the things that go bump in the night. But we all made it through until the end.
I enjoyed reading the characters with a Cajun/New Orleans accent. *I was disappointed to find that the narrator of the audible book didn’t even make an attempt at giving Evangeline a Cajun accent!* As an adult, the book was quite predictable but my kids were surprised by the twists. Evangeline was spunky, resourceful, intuitive and smart, some good traits of a heroine. It was a quick read, but peppered within were some fantastic vocabulary words (for this word-loving nerd). There was even a character that I assume was on the spectrum and he and Evangeline worked very well together.
Overall, this was a fun read. Just be sure that the kids can handle the creatures of the night or they will end up in your bed every night.
I enjoyed reading the characters with a Cajun/New Orleans accent. *I was disappointed to find that the narrator of the audible book didn’t even make an attempt at giving Evangeline a Cajun accent!* As an adult, the book was quite predictable but my kids were surprised by the twists. Evangeline was spunky, resourceful, intuitive and smart, some good traits of a heroine. It was a quick read, but peppered within were some fantastic vocabulary words (for this word-loving nerd). There was even a character that I assume was on the spectrum and he and Evangeline worked very well together.
Overall, this was a fun read. Just be sure that the kids can handle the creatures of the night or they will end up in your bed every night.
trishabee93's review
3.0
This was pretty cute. I liked the environment and the monsters more than I actually liked either of the main characters.
dragongstone's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bethmitcham's review
4.0
A girl struggles to claim her power, which she is not sure will ever come. I liked the mix of Evangeline's superstition and Julian's science, although it seemed a bit unfair that he turned out to be wrong for not not believing in werewolves. Some bits I could predict although there were also some surprises.
hagiasophia's review
3.5
3.5 stars. Charming, if somewhat predictable middle grade story. The setting and atmosphere are what make it stand out, though it may be too scary for some kids.
bookswithscrump's review
3.0
This was a solid 3.5 read for me, it was fun, "spooky", and takes place in New Orleans-basically all I need in a book. Evangeline is a great character to follow and root for while she hopes to come into her full powers as a haunt huntress, all while fighting all kinds of evil creatures. This book is definitely geared towards kids/middle grade, as it was pretty obvious who the bad guys/monsters were, but it still kept me reading until I could finish it-mostly for Evangeline. Definitely pick it up if you like easy, fun, kid level spooky stories.
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