Litani by Jess Lourey

Thomas & Mercer, 2021 (release date: Oct. 19)

ISBN: 9781542027014

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition, compact disc, MP3   ( Bookshop.org  |  Amazon.com )

Set in the mid-1980s, Litani is a mystery/thriller dealing with the unpleasant subject of child molesters, but the book is couched into language that will work for younger readers.  While written for adults, it has value as a “crossover” title to the young adult crowd. Fourteen-year-old Francesca “Frankie” Jubilee moves in with her mom after her dad’s untimely demise.  She is quickly beaten up by three 10 year old girls. The girls allude to The Game, something many kids know about and fear.  Frankie finds her town to be one with an unpleasant past that centers around children that have gone missing over time.  The story follows a fairly predictable path, with Frankie trying to find the truth, and getting it in bits and pieces.  There’s a minor story thread of Satanism, but it’s really just window-dressing and could have been left out.  There’s a big reveal at the end to explain it all, and everything ends up okay, more or less.

The writing is simple and to the point, and the plot devices are familiar: Frankie’s past may have secrets, she makes one friend with a troubled past of his own, she doesn’t get along with her mom due to her being absent from her life for years, etc.  The Game itself is no big mystery, and most of the characters act in a pretty predictable manner. The predictability and basic nature of the writing may not be enough for adult readers to get caught up in the story, but for high school kids, it’s perfect. Entertaining enough to keep teens enthralled, there’s mystery, some excitement, a dead body, characters that kids will understand, and nothing too violent or graphic.  Example: while some of the characters are child molesters, the author wisely doesn’t use any graphic firsthand descriptions of molestation.  Same goes for the Satanic angle: no elaborate ceremonies or sacrifices, just a few pentagrams and candles.  It takes skill to write about vile subjects for a younger age bracket, and Jess Lourey does it extremely well.  The violence is also mild: a couple fights, a rock to the head, nothing over the top.  All of the above and the straightforward nature of Litani make it a good choice for teen readers.

Recommended for high school readers.

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson