Sweet Unrest

Ok if anyone knows me well, they would know I love anything New Orleans. The history, stories, the beautiful city & the food. Yea I have only been to New Orleans once in my life and that was when I was a kid, it left a lasting part on me I can't explain, as well as it just seems to keep calling me to come back. Now that's not because I just read this ghostly love story book.. this was way before then but I swear it's there on my mind and I never really as a kid got to see New Orleans not really just went to a cemetery and stayed in hotel right near Bourbon Street so no I don't know the town but still I do does that even make sense... This book as many starts out strong getting your attention and then slows to a crawl about half way through, then wham picks up so fast your heads spinning trying to catch all info and read as fast as you can to find out what happens. The love ya'll the love between Lucy and Alex oh my gosh I loved it. Lucy has arrived in New Orleans because of her Dads job with a college, which bought property to turn into historical museum. Lucy starts having dreams about Alex and another person Alex is with but she can't understand how she can see and talk to Alex if he is just a dream. The story goes on ya'll... great time to read during this Oct and you will want to know what happens to the love between Lucy and Alex Oh Yea.. Recommend for Witchy, Family, and All for Love.. Ages 16 and up just a good fun read. Does have killing in this so beware.. Gina Clabo

To be completely honest I purchased this book based purely off of the cover and title, and I am so glad I did. This turned out to be an unexpectedly great find, and I am so glad I got to read it. The mystery, romance (however sad and unorthodox it might be) and the thrill were amazing. It seemed as if this novel was a bit on the dark side for a YA, but after reading it I feel as if it wasn't really. Lisa Maxwell did a superb job writing this book and for it to be her debut novel is amazing. The language and culture in the book are amazingly well done and the characters are easy to relate to, hard to keep yourself from falling in love with and completely unforgettable. I was completely immersed and enthralled with this enchanting story about voodoo and hoodoo, magic, trapped and wandering souls, good and evil, love that transcends time and goes on through multiple lifetimes, history, friendships and family. I couldn't get enough, I laughed, cried and rooted for good to defeat evil, I was on the edge of my seat wondering who was behind it all and what would happen next. Maxwell knew what she was doing with the traditional New Orleans themes of voodoo, sacrifice, possession and ghosts, and boy did she do it well, I cannot wait to find out what is in store for Lucy, so I hope there is a follow up story!

Sweet Unrest was a wonderfully detailed Southern gothic story. Lucy Aimes' entire life is uprooted when her father takes over a job managing/curating a large southern plantation. Lucy gets conscripted to take pictures of the estates, but she can't escape unsettling dreams of drowning, or the handsome boy that no one else seems to see. As the story progresses, her dreams of the past and her experience of the present start to dovetail, both haunted by the same ancient evil that still lingers in the estate. Maxwell does a wonderful job fleshing out Lucy's world--the details of 19th century New Orleans and voodoo magic were fascinating and the climax was appropriately heart-pounding and creepy. I enjoyed Lucy's bittersweet romance, but selfishly wanted more of it.

For fans exploring Maxwell's other novels after reading "Last Magician", this will be a bit of a let down. While the research for voodoo and New Orleans is great, and the discussion of race relations is realistic, the focus on the love story comes off a bit heavy at times.

Came in better shape than I expected. I like her as an author. Finishing up another series of hers

Sweet Unrest was a decent read, and okay for a debut novel. What I liked: The story line is full of possibility. I loved the New Orleans setting, and the author does a nice job of developing the atmosphere. The plot was somewhat predictable, though, and the characters fairly flat. I kept waiting for the storyline to pick up, but it never really did. The climax and conclusion of the story seemed sloppy and hurried; it definitely left me wanting something more. I'd recommend this book to readers who enjoyed the Beautiful Creatures series.

This book combines a number of things I absolutely love - the South, ghosts, voodoo, New Orleans, history - and pours it beautifully into an engaging tale that kept me guessing. In the end, my favorite part is the sweeping suggestion that love just might span more than a lifetime. Dreamy book!

This was an entertaining story and I enjoyed reading it. But I felt like there was a lot left unexplained and the ending felt rushed and a little sloppy.

This is the story of Lucy, who is suffering from her parent's moving the family from Chicago to some old and history-laden plantation neighboring New Orleans. Lucy is more than miffed that she is supposed to spend her final year in highschool in some southern country estate, but things are looking up a bit when she gets to know mysterious Alex and makes friends with people from around New Orleans. She even gets in touch with the inevitable voodoo-priestess, Mama Legba, and since she tends to suffer from repeating and grisly dreams, she seeks help with with her.But then the dreams change and a girl gets killed and it's only Lucy who can solve the mystery.I'm used to reading series right now, I just realized that. Because the moment I read a standalone novel, I'm rather fast to judge it having some "rushed relationship-development". And it was a close call with "Sweet Unrest". But then I thought again and I have to admit that yes, the relationships aren't on a backburner, but somewhere in the middle of the story, they sure start to feel real. And the mystery is a good one, especially combined with the very well captured "old south"-feeling. It's riddles on top of riddles-scheme, with a good villain that is not even obvious for quite some time.But the most impressive thing was the ending. I didn't expect it to turn out like that, since it somewhat leaves the "same old, same old"-path that seems to be mandatory for so many YA-books.If you like the "Beautiful Creatures"- series (I know I did), this probably is for you, too.