Darkness Becomes Her

Keaton's first book for teens (the author writes for adults as Kelly Gay) blends urban fantasy and Greek mythology. Given up by her mother at age four after they fled their hurricane-destroyed home in New Orleans, Ari Selkirk (now 17) is determined to sort out the puzzle of her past. A box of clues drives her back to the now privately owned city-region known as "New 2," where Ari finds that the rumors of the city being a sanctuary for the paranormal are true. Aided by a clan of self-proclaimed freaks and weirdoes, Ari looks for answers: why are the powerful families that own New 2 interested in her, and who is her father? More importantly, after learning the gods are real, why is one of them pissed off at her? Keaton's writing is vivid, yet the amalgam of goddesses, voodoo, vampires, and witches somewhat muddles the intriguing plot surrounding Ari's origins and the mysterious curse that has befallen her family for generations. Still, this is a page-turning story with a multidimensional heroine and an atmospheric near-future setting. Ages 14–up. (Feb.)