The Gates of Evangeline

The Gates of Evangeline by Hester Young

Blurb:

"When New York journalist and recently bereaved mother Charlotte "Charlie" Cates begins to experience vivid dreams about children in danger, she's sure that she's lost her mind. Yet these are not the nightmares of a grieving parent. They are warnings that will help her and the children she sees, if only she can make sense of them. After a little boy in a boat appears in Charlie's dreams, asking for her help, she finds herself entangled in a world-famous thirty-year-old missing-child case that has never ceased to haunt Louisiana's prestigious Deveau family. Armed with an invitation to Evangeline, the family's sprawling estate, Charlie heads south, where new friendships and an unlikely romance bring healing. But as she uncovers long-buried secrets of love, money, betrayal, and murder, the facts begin to implicate those she most wants to trust--and her visions reveal an evil closer than she could have imagined."

My Review:

This book is one of the SheReads.org books of winter. I'm so glad I was able to review this book! I love the writing in this book. I was captivated from the beginning. I love the descriptions, the flow of the story, the language of the book, and the writing style. This book grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go. Of course, I'm not sure if any mom, anywhere, could read about the children in Charlie's dreams and not get involved. It's heart wrenching. If I suddenly start seeing children in my dreams, I hope it's not because they're in danger; I hope it's because they're happy and thankful I was their teacher, or something. I like Charlie's voice. I like her personality, and I feel for her after her loss. The characters in this book are well developed and realistic. They come to life on the page. The story of young Gabriel is compelling and draws the reader in.  The description of what Charlie feels at the boat dock is so well done that it had my skin crawling.

Rating: R (This book is not for younger readers. There is profanity in the book; not a ton, but enough to up my rating, including a couple of "f" words. There is also "intimacy"-there are scenes and talk of it as well. There is also some violence; there are descriptions of some not nice things that happen to children.)

Recommendation: Adult

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.