Reviewed by Jess
TITLE: The Women of Dauphine
AUTHOR: Deb Jannerson
PUBLISHER: NineStar Press
LENGTH: 230 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 10, 2019
BLURB:
When Cassie’s family moves into a decrepit house in New Orleans, the only upside is her new best friend. Gem is witty, attractive, and sure not to abandon Cassie—after all, she’s been confined to the old house since her murder in the ’60s.
As their connection becomes romantic, Cassie must keep more and more secrets from her religious community, which hates ghosts almost as much as it hates gays. Even if their relationship prevails over volatile parents and brutal conversion therapy, it may not outlast time.
REVIEW:
It took me a little while to get into this young adult paranormal romance, but once the story picked up and the stakes were raised, I was hooked. What starts as a sweet YA love story between a girl and the ghost in her old New Orleans home turns into a coming-of-age tearjerker about staying true to yourself, trusting your beliefs, and moving on.
When Cassie, the smart yet timid daughter of strict and abusive parents, meets a cool teenage girl named Gem after moving into their old New Orleans home, it doesn’t take her long to realize Gem is a ghost who only Cassie can see. Gem is mysterious and hardened, but soon, she and Cassie become best friends and eventually something more. Cassie’s life isn’t easy—she deals with school bullies, abuse at home, and the difficulty of having the love of your life be a ghost who cannot leave the home she died in so many years ago. But things get even harder when a schoolyard incident gets Cassie sent away to a violent conversion therapy camp for kids who can see ghosts—and kids who are queer.
Though the conversion therapy parts are pretty hard to endure, they make a lot of sense within the story, especially regarding the bonds between spirituality and queerness. Cassie already feels like an “other” because she’s gay, but adding a ghost girlfriend is unacceptable to her conservative parents, making her torture and imprisonment at the Chose People “therapy” center especially heartbreaking and anger-inducing. We feel just as vindicated as Cassie does when the center is eventually abolished. So often in stories do conversion therapy plotlines end tragically, but in this one, the abused kids receive their just rewards.
Don’t worry, this story isn’t a lesson in suffering like it sounds! It doesn’t stray from difficult topics, but in the end, Cassie is a smart and resilient character who knows who she is and never backs down to her oppressors. She’ll defend Gem to the end, even if people don’t believe her, and she’s not afraid to use her words (or a knife) to defend her own pride and principles. She’s practical and sharp, but she’s also hopelessly in love with someone she knows has no future in the real world. Gem, who died decades earlier after a messy breakup with her ex-girlfriend, also knows that their relationship has a sell-by date, but she’s not ready to give up the intimacy she and Cassie have shared for so many years. The stakes are also high because staying with Gem means Cassie also has to stay in a house with her abusive parents, putting her in a really difficult spot. It’s a bittersweet love story that may leave you in tears but won’t leave you dissatisfied. Each character meets an excellent ending that leaves us feeling hopeful for them.
This is a unique YA read with intriguing characters and a completely satisfying story arc. It starts a little slow, and some of the beginning interactions between Cassie and Gem feel a little silly, but the characters grow along with our curiosity, and the ending is perfect. If you don’t mind a heavier YA read, this one is for you.
RATING: 
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