Review: Bad Juju by Dina Rae

Bad Juju 
by Dina Rae

Reviewed by Mallory Heart Reviews

An intricate novel of contemporary dysfunction, evangelical Christianity, and Vodoun, “Bad Juju” riveted my attention from the very beginning, as I quickly discovered the apt nature of the title. A conglomeration of interwoven lives, histories, present events, psychology, possession, and divergent viewpoints melds together to form a cohesive and engrossing entirety.

Jake is a half-wanted, half-unwanted, foster child, orphaned and growing up in a trailer park primarily occupied by quiet elderly tenants. Unfortunately for Jake, his uncle, with whom he lives, is neither quiet nor elderly, but instead is a drunken abuser who takes out his inferiorities on his wife Leah and on Jake, so far sparing toddler Rhianna. Jake begins studying Vodoun with his aged neighbor Lucien, a Haitian bokor emigrant, and soon brings along Henry, a high school classmate with Asperger’s Syndrome, whom Jake meets during In-School Suspension.

Henry’s parents are evangelical Christians, committed to a mission trip to Haiti to help in rebuilding following the 2010 devastating earthquakes. Lucien immediately spots Henry as a useful tool to carry a message to his long-lost family, all of whom remained in Haiti when Lucien escaped to the States. Unfortunately, Lucien is not the only bokor involved, and soon events begin to unfold that neatly remove the process from Lucien’s control.

Filled with deep and deftly drawn characterizations, an adventurous plot, lots of sensual action, and and an adept overview of Haitian history and contemporary background, “Bad Juju” is a winning choice. I rate it 18+ for sensuality, language, and violence.


Reviewed by Mallory Heart Reviews
http://archiestandwoodsreviewsandwritings.blogspot.com

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