Tubb (Selling Hope) turns from historical fiction to a zodiacal thriller set in New Orleans.
On her 13th birthday, Jalen goes to Madame Beausoleil in the French Quarter to have her horoscope read--an annual tradition begun with Nina, her beloved grandmother. This year, however, with Nina gravely ill, Jalen goes with her friend Ellie. After Jalen's disappointing horoscope, Ellie buys her a book to cheer her up, The Keypers of the Zodiack. In her attic, Jalen finds a pin that opens the lock on the book. Inside is a chart of the zodiac, with a sign for Ophiuchus the Snake--a 13th sign for the zodiac. No wonder Jalen's horoscope didn't resonate with her: Jalen is an Ophiuchus.
The moment Jalen departs from the attic, everyone seems different. What power has she unleashed by unlocking the book? The heroine discovers she has 23 hours in which to restore Ophiuchus to the heavens, or these bizarre changes will be permanent. Her former sign, Sagittarius, launches arrows at her, Taurus tries to quash her, and Gemini tells her that "everyone on earth has changed" as a result of Jalen's actions. Scenes of a bull (Taurus) rising from the mist, and Capricorn the goat "bobbing and weaving" down Bourbon Street make New Orleans the perfect setting for this tribe of Keepers. Tubb balances the emotional pull of Jalen's grandmother with the suspenseful quest to restore order to the zodiac. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness