Redemption (Hearts of Stone)
Stone gargoyles come to life and take front-and-center stage in Launier’s uneven YA paranormal debut. Sixteen-year-old Aude (pronounced odd, which she often feels describes her character) loves being in her Montreal band, resignedly accepts living with her flighty mother, and unwittingly brings four gargoyles back to human life. One of the turned gargoyles, Guillaume, has been trapped (along with his family) in stone for the past 70 years, although he appears to be merely 17 in his human form. When Aude brings them back to life, they desperately seek to understand how she did it before their essences fade once more into the hard, cold statues that perch atop Montreal’s churches. Strange drumming sounds and tribal chanting begin to haunt Aude as she slowly unravels an ancient Iroquois prophecy foretelling Montreal’s downfall. While the plain writing and flat characterizations may turn some readers away, still others may be intrigued enough by the unusual paranormal aspect of gargoyles and the flavorful French Canadian culture to stick around for the second book in the series. Grades 7-12. --Julie Trevelyan