Guile

February 22, 2016
Yonie Watereye, the memorable heroine of Cooperâs debut, lives with her talking cat, LaRue, in a city reminiscent of New Orleans. Orphaned and rejected by her surviving relatives, 16-year-old Yonie makes a modest living thanks to LaRue, who is sensitive to guile, a magical substance that suffuses the river. A series of adventures, initially episodic and rushed, leads Yonie to seek out her relationsâboth the bayou-dwelling paternal cousins she grew up with and the mysterious High Town family of her disowned mother. Before long, the ever-curious Yonie and her smitten cousin Gilbert are headed upriver in a sentient houseboat, on the run from a terrifyingly irresponsible villain, and on track to discover the origins of guile. A slower pace in the second half, despite the ramped-up suspense, allows for more exploration of Yonieâs world and character. Cooper adeptly captures the transition from adolescence to adulthood as Yonie faces temptations and hard choices, but the real star of the show is LaRue, whose primness amuses while her mutual loyalty with Yonie gives the story its heart. Ages 12âup. Agent: John Silbersack, Trident Media Group.

December 15, 2015
Yonie Watereye has made her name as a young "pearly," one who can sense the presence of "guile" in an object--but Yonie isn't really the one with the skill to perform the Seeing necessary to spot guile: it's her life companion, her cat. What is guile? And why does it do what it does? Guile is a powerful substance that has covered the water throughout the Bad Bayou. Guile changes the people and things that are exposed to it; the more guile, the more intense the change. A series of Seeings sends Yonie on a journey to find out more about her dead parents' radically different backgrounds. Why have her father's Low Town kinfolk rejected her? Why did her mother leave her High Town relatives? Were her parents' deaths really an accident? And who is maliciously using guile-filled objects to endanger others' lives--including, nearly fatally, Yonie's? With the faithful, tart-tongued LaRue as a feline guide, Yonie discovers connections to family she thought she knew and ones she didn't even know she had. Cooper's setting is an intriguing blend of Louisiana delta and old England, with French surnames and faux cockney speech patterns. The plot is invigorating and exciting, though overly descriptive prose can drag. Unexpected twists leave readers both on edge and fulfilled, even if the outcomes are not all the ones they may have rooted for. Readers will enjoy unboxing Yonie's past right along with her. (Fantasy. 12 & up)

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January 1, 2016
Grades 6-10 In this unique fantasy, orphaned Yonie, 16, is scraping together a living as a pearlysomeone who can sense the presence of guile, a powerful substance that changes objects and people in often harmful ways, in the surrounding bayous. But Yonie isn't the true pearlyit's her talking cat, LaRue, who has the ability to sense guile. Guile-touched objects are being sent to townspeople, and as the two investigate, they become entangled with the prominent family that disowned Yonie's mother, and Yonie uncovers a shocking, dangerous family secret. Descriptions of local legends, though occasionally confusing, lend authenticity, and a solid sense of place is enhanced by inclusion of a detailed map. The beginning is a bit slow, but the story gets more exciting as it goes along, and the memorable, well-drawn characters will ensure that readers will stick with it. Those who like unusual fantasies will enjoy this and will identify with the appealing Yonie as she searches for her roots and a place to belong.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2016
Sixteen-year-old orphan Yonie supports herself in the Bad Bayous by interpreting the "guile" in objects customers bring her. After seeing clients with unusually malevolent objects, Yonie embarks on a quest that reveals secrets about guile and also about her family's history. Cooper's fresh fantasy boasts a new kind of magic, a compellingly original watery world, and memorable characters (including a talking cat).

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)