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This Wicked Game (2013)

by Michelle Zink(Favorite Author)

3.23 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0803737742 (ISBN13: 9780803737747)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Dial

review 1: I was intrigued by a YA book involving Voodoo, thought it might be fun and different than what's been out recently. Instead, it was the most white-washed, racist, offensive book. Near the very beginning of the book we discover the main character, Claire, is a descendant of Marie Leveau. When I read that I was angry that the girl on the cover is very white. (Interjection: I realize I should have put together book about Voodoo in New Orleans + white girl on cover = problem much faster). At first I blamed the publishers for yet another example of putting a white girl on the cover of a book about (I assumed) a POC. Ha, it turns out to be so much worse. The author obviously envisioned Claire as a white person, describing her blond hair several times. I still cannot wrap ... moremy head around how Ms. Zink could simultaneously make Claire a descendant of Marie Leveau and also a blonde white girl. What?!?! Also, for good measure, the author says Claire's mother was a poor Bayou priestess. Because when I hear that description, I think, white person. COME ON!!! This whole book is suppose to be about a group of people, descendants of New Orleans Voodoo practitioners, and most of them are white! Those that maybe aren't white are, 'exotic'. Ugh. If you are writing a book set in a)New Orleans and b)about the descendants of Voodoo practitioners; you are writing a book about black people!!! I freely admit I know next to nothing about Voodoo so I can't really speak to that element; but even I know the limited descriptions of it in this book were just someone taking something they thought 'fun' and 'exotic' from TV and sprinkling it throughout her book to add color (ha, that's ironic). In short this book is a gross example of white-washing and cultural misappropriation and it is really too bad because an actual well-researched, well-written book about Voodoo in New Orleans could be awesome.
review 2: This books was surreal. The reading level seemed to be a third to fourth grade level with short sentences and limited vocabulary. The book also had larger print and plenty of white space. On the other hand, it was about serious topics with a bit of horror and some graphic violence thown into the mix. I found the writing style and the plot incongruous. I wondered if it was a volume for teen emerging readers. In the end, the style of the book kept me from getting deeply involved with either the characters or the story. It was just OK. less

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