The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden

[TeaAndSpooks]

The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden is a true work of art. It is set in post-storm New Orleans (Arden does not name this storm, so I deduce that it is based on Katrina but is a fictional storm) and the main character is a young lady named Adele. This book had two arcs actually, one in present day New Orleans, and the other in the past following a group of young girls making the Atlantic crossing a few hundred years ago.

All the characters are very well written. Adele, specifically, is such a real character, the emotions and the thoughts that Arden gives her are so believable and convincing that it is not at all difficult to put yourself in her shoes. There is a lot of diversity too, many of the main characters are people of color, and as a Native American it was really nice to see a character who quite possibly could have been from my tribe actually play an important part in the goings-on of the plot. (I am Muscogee and pre-colonization there were tons of Creeks in the south).

The atmosphere is breathtaking. I was actually in New Orleans for New Years a few weeks ago and purchased a signed copy of this book from Boutique du Vampyre (GREAT shop!) and I read it about a week after I got home. I immediately had the most intense longing to return to the city. The book is so descriptive and immersive. You feel like you are really there in NOLA. The sights, sounds, smells, it is all so vivid. It was also super cool to know exactly where and what she was talking about when she mentioned landmarks like Jackson Square, Café Du Monde, St. Ursaline’s Convent and the LaLaurie Mansion. At one point one of the characters, Ren, leads a ghost tour, and I actually got to go on one of those! It was such a treat to relive and revisit the city through Adele’s eyes.

This story is about vampires and witches, so if that is your cup of tea, this book is right up your alley! There’s a lot of history in this book, but I won’t go into detail because I don’t want to spoil anything! I loved this book and could not put it down, if you like magic, witches, vampires, history, fantasy, New Orleans, voodoo, art, fashion, murder, romance, mystery, comedy or horror-then this book is a must read! It’s SO good! Alys Arden is a wizard. This book has become one of my prized possessions and I have recommended it to all of my friends, because I just love it that much! It's exciting, sexy, cute, funny, scary, intense, immersive and downright awesome. It has a little something for everyone and it is written SO well, almost like a poem.


Thanks for reading! Please consider supporting this amazing author and reading her book! You can find it on amazon if you just search for it!