Review: Dirty Little Angels

Dirty Little Angles

by Chris Tusa

Set in the slums of New Orleans, among clusters of crack houses and abandoned buildings, Dirty Little Angels is the story of sixteen year old Hailey Trosclair. When the Trosclair family suffers a string of financial hardships and a miscarriage, Hailey finds herself looking to God to save her family. When her prayers go unanswered, Hailey puts her faith in Moses Watkins, a failed preacher and ex-con. Fascinated by Moses's lopsided view of religion, Hailey, and her brother Cyrus, begin spending time down at an abandoned bank that Moses plans to convert into a drive-through church. Gradually, though, Moses's twisted religious beliefs become increasingly more violent, and Hailey and Cyrus soon find themselves trapped in a world of danger and fear from which there may be no escape.

First Sentence:
The baby was a white fist of flesh.

This book is not for the faint of heart. That being said I thought the book was a true page turner. The characters are very life-like because Tusa does not try to sugar coat things. It takes place in New Orleans around the life of Hailey Trosclair, a teenager who tries to save her family since God has decided to stop listening. This is a very logical thing to believe considering she has to live with a mother who has become recluse due to a miscarriage, a father who is a drunk and refuses to find a job, and a brother who has gotten involved with a very bad man. Add to this a best friend so evil "her daddy calls her the black plague on two legs" and a boy who uses and manipulates her. Tusa does an amazing job creating a genuine life experience for a girl who God gave up on.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about the ugly, but true, aspects of life. The book will leave you with many new and creative insults such as "shut up, you walking miscarriage". I am looking forward to what Tusa will be witting next.

Title: Dirty Little Angels

Author: Chris Tusa

Paperback: 147 pages

ISBN 10: 1604890304

ISBN 13: 978-1604890303
Buy It: Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble
Review Number: 5