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Crooked World #1
Crooks and Straights
Gia's brother Nico is different from other boys. And being different can be dangerous in Gia's world. Cape Town is no longer the haven for magical refugees that it once was. The Purists want to get rid of all magic and the newspapers are full of dreadful stories about the Belle Gente, the magical terrorists.
None of this concerns Gia, until the Special Branch— police who investigate the illegal use of magic— come knocking at her door, looking for Nico. When Gia turns to her parents for help, she finds only more secrets. Then she realises that she was the one who put her brother in danger.
None of this concerns Gia, until the Special Branch— police who investigate the illegal use of magic— come knocking at her door, looking for Nico. When Gia turns to her parents for help, she finds only more secrets. Then she realises that she was the one who put her brother in danger.
- GenresFantasy
Unknown Binding
First published April 12, 2014
About the author
Masha du Toit
16 books41 followersMasha du Toit is an artist and writer living in Cape Town, South Africa. She illustrates stories that don’t exist yet, and writes about unexpected magic in everyday situations. She’s inspired by folk- and fairy tales, puppetry, and spur-of-the-moment bedtime stories.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 10, 2015
This was a wonderful read which I suppose falls into the YA category but suited me just fine as an adult reader. It is the story of a young girl in a magical version of South Africa who gets caught between the magical and non-magical world around her. The world itself is full of everyday magic, but also tension as it becomes increasingly clear that magical people and creatures are an oppressed underclass. As such, the book deals with civil rights issues and the topic of children with special needs, through the lens of a world uncomfortable with magical or odd things.
The book is full of inventive magical details and feels very real and well-constructed, and the writing flows well and is often quite beautiful. I recommend Crooks and Straights to fans of Harry Potter, movies like Howl’s Moving Castle, and the books of Neil Gaiman.
The book is full of inventive magical details and feels very real and well-constructed, and the writing flows well and is often quite beautiful. I recommend Crooks and Straights to fans of Harry Potter, movies like Howl’s Moving Castle, and the books of Neil Gaiman.
April 5, 2016
Combining themes of fear-of-the-other and generational conflict with a portrayal of Cape Town fine enough to leave a hint of the spice blend in the take-away, du Toit offers accessible urban fantasy free from the clichés of the US and Europe.
Freed from apartheid, South Africa also became a haven for magical beings and practices rejected by other nations. However, with the radically pro-human Purists gaining both political and popular power, Cape Town is no longer the integrated society it was. None of which is of more than passing interest to Gia as she prepares to take early exit from school and copes with the additional issues of her brother Nico’s autism. However, when a school talk from Special Branch — the paramilitary unit tasked with policing the magical — reveals some children presenting as autistic are actually suffering from uncontrolled magical talent, she discovers the issue might be closer to home than she thought.
While a story set in South Africa containing a struggle between human purists and an increasingly disdained magical underclass cannot avoid — and indeed might seem odd without — metaphors for apartheid, du Toit does not labour the point. Although the specifics are South African, the core is the universal issue of tribalism.
Tribalism is also only one of the several threads running through this novel, from the extremely personal conflict of an old friend not getting on with a new one, to the mundane issue of celebrity culture. Interweaving the trivial with the momentous, du Toit creates a picture of a world like our own but with the openly magical rather than a world defined by the openly magical.
The deviations from our world are equally nuanced. A core cast of South African mythical creatures is expanded by refugees from other nations, providing readers with a strong feeling of place without sacrificing the internationally famous creatures that provide a backbone to urban fantasy.
This mixed cast of supernatural beings and magical systems also provides a clear distinction from apartheid. Instead of questioning whether subtle distinctions of race render people more capable or more civilised, the division of residents into humans and others raises more complex questions: are powers of mind-control acceptable; should creatures whose existence poses a threat to others be part of society; is sentience a fair marker of equality.
Gia is a well-crafted protagonist. Torn between her love of her brother and her anger at her parents expecting her to give up her wants to meet his needs, and between the continuing education her parents expect her to take and the apprenticeship in art she desires, she is both a plausible and sympathetic teenager.
The supporting cast are equally plausible. Humans and magical beings each have their own personalities and desires, shaped but not defined by any powers they might have; a complexity that is especially evident in those characters whose species is not revealed, leaving the reader ambivalent over whether they are magical, eccentric, or both.
Overall, I enjoyed this book greatly. I recommend it to urban fantasy fans looking for a fresh perspective on the genre.
I did not receive a free copy of this book, and was not asked to write this review; however, I am a member of the same online writing community as the author.
Freed from apartheid, South Africa also became a haven for magical beings and practices rejected by other nations. However, with the radically pro-human Purists gaining both political and popular power, Cape Town is no longer the integrated society it was. None of which is of more than passing interest to Gia as she prepares to take early exit from school and copes with the additional issues of her brother Nico’s autism. However, when a school talk from Special Branch — the paramilitary unit tasked with policing the magical — reveals some children presenting as autistic are actually suffering from uncontrolled magical talent, she discovers the issue might be closer to home than she thought.
While a story set in South Africa containing a struggle between human purists and an increasingly disdained magical underclass cannot avoid — and indeed might seem odd without — metaphors for apartheid, du Toit does not labour the point. Although the specifics are South African, the core is the universal issue of tribalism.
Tribalism is also only one of the several threads running through this novel, from the extremely personal conflict of an old friend not getting on with a new one, to the mundane issue of celebrity culture. Interweaving the trivial with the momentous, du Toit creates a picture of a world like our own but with the openly magical rather than a world defined by the openly magical.
The deviations from our world are equally nuanced. A core cast of South African mythical creatures is expanded by refugees from other nations, providing readers with a strong feeling of place without sacrificing the internationally famous creatures that provide a backbone to urban fantasy.
This mixed cast of supernatural beings and magical systems also provides a clear distinction from apartheid. Instead of questioning whether subtle distinctions of race render people more capable or more civilised, the division of residents into humans and others raises more complex questions: are powers of mind-control acceptable; should creatures whose existence poses a threat to others be part of society; is sentience a fair marker of equality.
Gia is a well-crafted protagonist. Torn between her love of her brother and her anger at her parents expecting her to give up her wants to meet his needs, and between the continuing education her parents expect her to take and the apprenticeship in art she desires, she is both a plausible and sympathetic teenager.
The supporting cast are equally plausible. Humans and magical beings each have their own personalities and desires, shaped but not defined by any powers they might have; a complexity that is especially evident in those characters whose species is not revealed, leaving the reader ambivalent over whether they are magical, eccentric, or both.
Overall, I enjoyed this book greatly. I recommend it to urban fantasy fans looking for a fresh perspective on the genre.
I did not receive a free copy of this book, and was not asked to write this review; however, I am a member of the same online writing community as the author.
March 30, 2015
My cursor hovered between 4 and 5 stars on this one. It's really that good. Set in South Africa, but a sort of alternate South Africa where there are magical beings. For example, a dust bunny might run up a broom handle and scare a sweeper. So, you get to know a whole new world while getting to know the characters and the story.
The writing is smooth -- calm, even -- which makes the tension all the more apparent. The main character is a teen aged girl who is discovering all sorts of things about herself, her family, and her world. Her brother, in our mundane world, would be described as having special needs. In the world of Crooks & Straights, he is magical. Readers don't get to know him that well until the second book in the series, Wolf Logic, (which I bought upon reading the last word of this one) but he is important enough to this story that you know he will be back.
Crooks are those with magical abilities. Straights are those without -- and they are sometimes referred to as "humans," which leads to interesting questions for the MC in this story.
Besides being a coming of age story, Crooks & Straights speaks to the power that people allow politicians to possess, and to race, and to human rights.
If you like fantasy, magic, magical realism, coming of age stories, or fantastic illustrations (the author is an artist in more ways that one), you'll like this story. I'm trying to force my friends to read it so that we can rave about it together.
The writing is smooth -- calm, even -- which makes the tension all the more apparent. The main character is a teen aged girl who is discovering all sorts of things about herself, her family, and her world. Her brother, in our mundane world, would be described as having special needs. In the world of Crooks & Straights, he is magical. Readers don't get to know him that well until the second book in the series, Wolf Logic, (which I bought upon reading the last word of this one) but he is important enough to this story that you know he will be back.
Crooks are those with magical abilities. Straights are those without -- and they are sometimes referred to as "humans," which leads to interesting questions for the MC in this story.
Besides being a coming of age story, Crooks & Straights speaks to the power that people allow politicians to possess, and to race, and to human rights.
If you like fantasy, magic, magical realism, coming of age stories, or fantastic illustrations (the author is an artist in more ways that one), you'll like this story. I'm trying to force my friends to read it so that we can rave about it together.
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April 28, 2014BIG DISCLAIMER: I proofread this book, so unfortunately I won't be able to rate it. But I am more than happy to share what I enjoyed about it. Firstly, Masha's writing is easy to get into. She has a light, lyrical touch. Secondly, she writes YA contemporary fantasy set in my home town, so there's loads of South African cultural references. The story itself reminds me of what it was like to grow up during the apartheid era, only now it's not a racial issue, but one of human vs. magical creature, complete with a special force out there to police the magicals. I love the way she's created a whole range of magical species. Also, no love triangle. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! There's also a twist in this story I so did not expect, which totally wrung my heart. I absolutely have to read the next one.
March 1, 2019
A book where magical creatures exist in South Africa? Yes please!
Crooks and Straights hooked me in the same way the Harry Potter series did – I was learning about magical beings along with the main character. But more than that, it was set in a country I could relate to, South Africa, my home.
Gia is a sensible 16 year old. She makes decisions with more thought than one would expect from most of her peers. Having said that, she’s still a teenager with the usual frustrations and insecurities. I liked that she didn’t get sidetracked by a cute boy.
Like a lot of South African families Gia, Nico, and their parents, have a special relationship with Mandy, their domestic worker/nanny/confidant. I love Mandy, she’s every bit a part of the storyline as Gia’s parents and friends are.
There’s a fantastic plot twist that I will not spoil – worth the read just for that scene alone!
The themes of abuse of power and tribalism felt very real and worked especially well with the novel’s setting.
Masha’s writing flows nicely, almost musically, and her illustrations fit the story perfectly.
Crooks and Straights hooked me in the same way the Harry Potter series did – I was learning about magical beings along with the main character. But more than that, it was set in a country I could relate to, South Africa, my home.
Gia is a sensible 16 year old. She makes decisions with more thought than one would expect from most of her peers. Having said that, she’s still a teenager with the usual frustrations and insecurities. I liked that she didn’t get sidetracked by a cute boy.
Like a lot of South African families Gia, Nico, and their parents, have a special relationship with Mandy, their domestic worker/nanny/confidant. I love Mandy, she’s every bit a part of the storyline as Gia’s parents and friends are.
There’s a fantastic plot twist that I will not spoil – worth the read just for that scene alone!
The themes of abuse of power and tribalism felt very real and worked especially well with the novel’s setting.
Masha’s writing flows nicely, almost musically, and her illustrations fit the story perfectly.
May 1, 2019
Emphasis on ‘young’
I wouldn’t even really use the word ‘adult’ as the MC, while purportedly 16, often acts and regards the world more as a 12yr old. Or younger.
The world is dense with imagery and the frequent use of South African dialect or references was refreshing. It was, however, jarring to realize that while all these children had grown up in that world, they were just now - at *16* - being taught about magical creatures. That greatly increased the dissonance between their given age and how they acted, spoke, and viewed the world.
Then there was the question of why two renowned clothiers had to suddenly move, yet they still get high ranking clients. And again, the 16yr old doesn’t seem to know.
This should not be listed as UF. It should be listed as YA.
I wouldn’t even really use the word ‘adult’ as the MC, while purportedly 16, often acts and regards the world more as a 12yr old. Or younger.
The world is dense with imagery and the frequent use of South African dialect or references was refreshing. It was, however, jarring to realize that while all these children had grown up in that world, they were just now - at *16* - being taught about magical creatures. That greatly increased the dissonance between their given age and how they acted, spoke, and viewed the world.
Then there was the question of why two renowned clothiers had to suddenly move, yet they still get high ranking clients. And again, the 16yr old doesn’t seem to know.
This should not be listed as UF. It should be listed as YA.
July 7, 2014
This YA fantasy book by South African writer and artist Masha du Toit gets five stars from me for two reasons. _Crooks and Straights_ is well-written with a great deal of sensory detail that makes the telling very cinematic. Even more important, though, the book also takes up some serious topics that add a real political and cultural sophistication to the story.
This work of fiction tells us the story of 16-year old Gia who is dealing with the kind of issues that teens frequently must confront. Her parents are having economic struggles and as a result, they’ve moved to a smaller house in a new neighborhood in Cape Town, South Africa. Gia has to deal with creating her own space in the new house. She has to learn to take a more adult role in her parents’ business (they can’t afford to hire more employees), to negotiate relationships at a new school as well as with old friends, to help care for her 7 year-old brother who is “different” (autistic was my first thought), and to find way to connect to a mother who is overwhelmed with economic and familial problems. And like any 16-year old, Gia is also trying to figure how to grow up and become an adult.
What’s different here is that there are “crooks and straights” in this society, meaning those with and without magical abilities. In one of the early episodes in the book, Gia attends the “Supernatural Studies” class at her new school. The teacher sagely leads students through an exercise that teaches them to think seriously about how we classify organisms, in particular, magical creatures versus non-magical. This leads us to ruminate on how we humans tend to classify organisms in the natural world and each other. We are confronted with the fact that our categorization is all too often about reducing the status of others or dismissing them all together.
Early in the book Gia encounters an extremist political movement called the Special Branch that is determined to separate creatures known as magicals (and those humans with magical abilities) from the rest of humanity and to put the magicals on a Grey List. This extremist movement has held sway in Europe for some time, and now it is becoming stronger in Gia’s homeland. This thread of growing political fascism weaves through the book giving it a sense of unsettledness and darkness. Don’t make the faulty assumption that we’re looking soleyat South African society because of its history of apartheid and political repression. The kinds of problems Gia encounters, the “disappeared” for example, have existed in many other places in the world in the last 100 years, not just South Africa. Argentina and Chile, Maoist China, the old Soviet Union, and of course, Nazi Germany, all come to mind (not to mention certain political movements in the U.S. which I will not mention so as to not give them any undeserved attention). Eventually Gia also has dealings with a revolutionary movement in opposition to the anti-magical protofascists, but the revolutionaries are nearly as unappealing as the Special Branch.
Toward the end of the book, one of Gia’s family members makes a quite dramatic move just as Gia enters a deal with the devil to save her little brother. The book ends in a dark place with a gigantic hole in the family, and with Gia stuck between a rock and a hard place. If she makes one choice, something bad will happen, and if she makes another choice, something bad will happen. I understand that Crooks and Straights is the first in series, so perhaps Gia’s choice will turn out for the best. But at this point things look pretty grim for Gia.
I found this lack of resolution to be unsettling and for a while I was ready to criticize the book for essentially leaving us hanging. But I have to face the fact that life is like that sometimes. We don’t get to choose between good and bad. Sometimes we get bad and worse. And we don’t get to control the behavior of those we love either. My only criticism of this book is that I think it ended too quickly. There was insufficient exploration or reflection about what the final events in the family and of Gia’s decision would mean for them all.
About a week before I read _Crooks and Straights_, I read the first volume of _The Hunger Games_. I’m not surprised that _Hunger Games_ is so popular. We love those action-packed stories with a strong hero who overcomes vulnerabilities to achieve in the end. Katniss Everdeen was not graced with a great deal of self-reflection. She is definitely a “woman of action.” The reason we love those types of stories is because they are pretty easy to read, and they don’t demand consideration of the more complex moral ambiguities and difficult choices that ordinary people really have to make.
Gia does have to make those choices. She is more like us than Katniss Everdeen will ever be, and that means this novel is less “escapist” than some. The end of volume one of _The Hunger Games_ telegraphed what will happen in later books. Can we spell r-e-v-o-l-u-t-i-o-n? Gia’s future is far less clear. That ambiguity is unacceptable to a lot of readers. Americans in particular are not happy with ambiguity and have been accused of insisting always on a “happy ending.” But for me this ambiguity is more like realistic and ultimately more interesting. I recommend _Crooks and Straights_.
This work of fiction tells us the story of 16-year old Gia who is dealing with the kind of issues that teens frequently must confront. Her parents are having economic struggles and as a result, they’ve moved to a smaller house in a new neighborhood in Cape Town, South Africa. Gia has to deal with creating her own space in the new house. She has to learn to take a more adult role in her parents’ business (they can’t afford to hire more employees), to negotiate relationships at a new school as well as with old friends, to help care for her 7 year-old brother who is “different” (autistic was my first thought), and to find way to connect to a mother who is overwhelmed with economic and familial problems. And like any 16-year old, Gia is also trying to figure how to grow up and become an adult.
What’s different here is that there are “crooks and straights” in this society, meaning those with and without magical abilities. In one of the early episodes in the book, Gia attends the “Supernatural Studies” class at her new school. The teacher sagely leads students through an exercise that teaches them to think seriously about how we classify organisms, in particular, magical creatures versus non-magical. This leads us to ruminate on how we humans tend to classify organisms in the natural world and each other. We are confronted with the fact that our categorization is all too often about reducing the status of others or dismissing them all together.
Early in the book Gia encounters an extremist political movement called the Special Branch that is determined to separate creatures known as magicals (and those humans with magical abilities) from the rest of humanity and to put the magicals on a Grey List. This extremist movement has held sway in Europe for some time, and now it is becoming stronger in Gia’s homeland. This thread of growing political fascism weaves through the book giving it a sense of unsettledness and darkness. Don’t make the faulty assumption that we’re looking soleyat South African society because of its history of apartheid and political repression. The kinds of problems Gia encounters, the “disappeared” for example, have existed in many other places in the world in the last 100 years, not just South Africa. Argentina and Chile, Maoist China, the old Soviet Union, and of course, Nazi Germany, all come to mind (not to mention certain political movements in the U.S. which I will not mention so as to not give them any undeserved attention). Eventually Gia also has dealings with a revolutionary movement in opposition to the anti-magical protofascists, but the revolutionaries are nearly as unappealing as the Special Branch.
Toward the end of the book, one of Gia’s family members makes a quite dramatic move just as Gia enters a deal with the devil to save her little brother. The book ends in a dark place with a gigantic hole in the family, and with Gia stuck between a rock and a hard place. If she makes one choice, something bad will happen, and if she makes another choice, something bad will happen. I understand that Crooks and Straights is the first in series, so perhaps Gia’s choice will turn out for the best. But at this point things look pretty grim for Gia.
I found this lack of resolution to be unsettling and for a while I was ready to criticize the book for essentially leaving us hanging. But I have to face the fact that life is like that sometimes. We don’t get to choose between good and bad. Sometimes we get bad and worse. And we don’t get to control the behavior of those we love either. My only criticism of this book is that I think it ended too quickly. There was insufficient exploration or reflection about what the final events in the family and of Gia’s decision would mean for them all.
About a week before I read _Crooks and Straights_, I read the first volume of _The Hunger Games_. I’m not surprised that _Hunger Games_ is so popular. We love those action-packed stories with a strong hero who overcomes vulnerabilities to achieve in the end. Katniss Everdeen was not graced with a great deal of self-reflection. She is definitely a “woman of action.” The reason we love those types of stories is because they are pretty easy to read, and they don’t demand consideration of the more complex moral ambiguities and difficult choices that ordinary people really have to make.
Gia does have to make those choices. She is more like us than Katniss Everdeen will ever be, and that means this novel is less “escapist” than some. The end of volume one of _The Hunger Games_ telegraphed what will happen in later books. Can we spell r-e-v-o-l-u-t-i-o-n? Gia’s future is far less clear. That ambiguity is unacceptable to a lot of readers. Americans in particular are not happy with ambiguity and have been accused of insisting always on a “happy ending.” But for me this ambiguity is more like realistic and ultimately more interesting. I recommend _Crooks and Straights_.
August 17, 2017
Loved this book-couldn't put it down. Classic coming of age premise. However, was left a little dissatisfied at where the author left the story. It felt like we should have progressed just a bit farther in the timeline or stopped a bit earlier.
March 31, 2019
This book was so delightful! I'd purchased it on the recommendation of an author friend and then promptly forgot about it (look, I have a lot of books to read). Went into this not remembering anything about it and it was so much fun! I look forward to reading more by this author!
November 21, 2018
A world full of things familiar and unfamiliar. Something new and a little different and completely awesome.
May 13, 2015
Full disclosure: Though the author lives in Cape Town, South Africa and I live in Pennsylvania in the U.S. we are acquainted through the crazy miracle of the internet.
I've been a fan of fairy tales since my parents read me Grimm's as a boy. I love classically styled fairy tales, but I'm also a sucker for a good modern take, or a story where the fairy realm and the real world collide. That last one is what we get with Crooks and Straights.
The story follows Gia, a creative and talented girl in a creative and talented family. Gia seems well adjusted at first, but she's struggling. Struggling with her own identity and becoming an adult, struggling with fitting in in their new neighborhood, struggling to understand what she's being told (and not told) about the magical world, and struggling to come to terms with secret truths in her own family.
Gia is the oldest child, but she's adopted. Her younger brother Nico is her parent's natural born son, but he's...odd, and no one knows why, nor will they talk about it. The book renders this relationship very well. Gia loves Nico and is one of the people that is 'good with him'. But she's sixteen after all and has moments of resentment. Resentment of Nico's condition, and resentment that it seems to take priority over her in the family dynamic. That resentment is authentic, but never stops Gia from trying to do right by her brother, which eventually leads to her entanglement in the magical world.
That magical world is revealed as the story unfolds. It's there from the beginning, but at the edges. Gia knows only what she's been told about the 'magicals' and that's mostly propaganda from her government. A government with a growing Purist Party and their shadowy enforcement bureau, the Special Branch. Her first glimpse of the Special Branch and the magicals is when she passes by a Special Branch operation. They're destroying a nest of small fairies near her house. Gia gets involved directly when she saves one of the survivors from her cat. She's nervous and unsure, but her instincts are to nurse it back to health rather than destroy it. From there she interacts more and more with various magicals until, almost without her realizing it, she's involved in the conflict between the Purity Party and the Belle Gente, a resistance movement for the fey. All while trying to keep up with her homework and stop fighting with her mother.
There's a good note on world-building there, for we see everything through Gia's eyes. We learn about the world as she does, so du Toit avoids world-building through encyclopedia entry. It's similar to Harry Potter in that we follow the Straight as she learns about the Crooks. In fact, if you like Harry Potter, you'll probably like this, but it's much more toned down. The world feels grounded and realistic, but it's different than our own. The obvious difference of trolls and brownies, but different in other ways. The teens all have 'texters' that they keep in touch with, but there are no cell phones. There's plenty of print media, but no one really uses a computer and I don't believe there was any TV. That's a subtle way to make a different version of our world, but still relatable. One where teens still hang out at the food court, but secret police use werewolves to sniff out forbidden magic, say.
Being set in in South Africa, it would be difficult not to see the old oppression of Apartheid in the Purist Party. I don't know if that's intentional on the author's part, or just a general comment on humankind's capacity for xenophobia. Perhaps I'm just sensitive to it because of the racial struggles in my own country. At any rate, it's an undertone not an overtone, and doesn't feel overly political.
Mostly what it is is good story. The prose is clear and bright, peppered with cool sounding Afrikaans names for the various fairies. And a few idioms (beep the hooter rather than honk the horn) that rang awesomely odd in this Yank's ear. It was what I look for in a good fairy tale. Part delightful whimsy at the glimpse of a world of magic, part tense thrills at the peril the dark parts of that world holds. But also part melancholy, for that world and our own don't always mix well, and remember, not all fairy tales have a happy ending.
I've been a fan of fairy tales since my parents read me Grimm's as a boy. I love classically styled fairy tales, but I'm also a sucker for a good modern take, or a story where the fairy realm and the real world collide. That last one is what we get with Crooks and Straights.
The story follows Gia, a creative and talented girl in a creative and talented family. Gia seems well adjusted at first, but she's struggling. Struggling with her own identity and becoming an adult, struggling with fitting in in their new neighborhood, struggling to understand what she's being told (and not told) about the magical world, and struggling to come to terms with secret truths in her own family.
Gia is the oldest child, but she's adopted. Her younger brother Nico is her parent's natural born son, but he's...odd, and no one knows why, nor will they talk about it. The book renders this relationship very well. Gia loves Nico and is one of the people that is 'good with him'. But she's sixteen after all and has moments of resentment. Resentment of Nico's condition, and resentment that it seems to take priority over her in the family dynamic. That resentment is authentic, but never stops Gia from trying to do right by her brother, which eventually leads to her entanglement in the magical world.
That magical world is revealed as the story unfolds. It's there from the beginning, but at the edges. Gia knows only what she's been told about the 'magicals' and that's mostly propaganda from her government. A government with a growing Purist Party and their shadowy enforcement bureau, the Special Branch. Her first glimpse of the Special Branch and the magicals is when she passes by a Special Branch operation. They're destroying a nest of small fairies near her house. Gia gets involved directly when she saves one of the survivors from her cat. She's nervous and unsure, but her instincts are to nurse it back to health rather than destroy it. From there she interacts more and more with various magicals until, almost without her realizing it, she's involved in the conflict between the Purity Party and the Belle Gente, a resistance movement for the fey. All while trying to keep up with her homework and stop fighting with her mother.
There's a good note on world-building there, for we see everything through Gia's eyes. We learn about the world as she does, so du Toit avoids world-building through encyclopedia entry. It's similar to Harry Potter in that we follow the Straight as she learns about the Crooks. In fact, if you like Harry Potter, you'll probably like this, but it's much more toned down. The world feels grounded and realistic, but it's different than our own. The obvious difference of trolls and brownies, but different in other ways. The teens all have 'texters' that they keep in touch with, but there are no cell phones. There's plenty of print media, but no one really uses a computer and I don't believe there was any TV. That's a subtle way to make a different version of our world, but still relatable. One where teens still hang out at the food court, but secret police use werewolves to sniff out forbidden magic, say.
Being set in in South Africa, it would be difficult not to see the old oppression of Apartheid in the Purist Party. I don't know if that's intentional on the author's part, or just a general comment on humankind's capacity for xenophobia. Perhaps I'm just sensitive to it because of the racial struggles in my own country. At any rate, it's an undertone not an overtone, and doesn't feel overly political.
Mostly what it is is good story. The prose is clear and bright, peppered with cool sounding Afrikaans names for the various fairies. And a few idioms (beep the hooter rather than honk the horn) that rang awesomely odd in this Yank's ear. It was what I look for in a good fairy tale. Part delightful whimsy at the glimpse of a world of magic, part tense thrills at the peril the dark parts of that world holds. But also part melancholy, for that world and our own don't always mix well, and remember, not all fairy tales have a happy ending.
May 4, 2014
Now, this is something out of the ordinary: A contemporary YA fantasy set in South Africa. For a non-South African, that means that cultural distance is built right in, to a greater degree than in most fantasies set in other worlds. That's a feature, not a fault. It adds interest, though I was glad that my Kindle dictionary has a good vocabulary of South African words. I could mostly tell from context what a word meant in general - this is a food, that's a term of address - but to get the full significance I had to check the dictionary.
The book itself has potential. It's free from plot holes, stupid tropes and characters acting like idiots in order to advance a predetermined sequence of events, which is itself refreshing. The world, which is not our world exactly (magical beings and magic use are common and almost everyday), is well imagined and well conveyed. The characters are varied and diverse, and I had no trouble keeping them straight in my head.
I did feel, though, that there were either too many characters and plot threads, or the book was too short, because a number of the characters and plot threads didn't end up being that important to the main thrust of the story. I realise they may be getting set up for future books, since this appears to be the start of a series, but especially in the first half of the book I felt that the plot lacked direction and a sense of urgency. A lot of things happen, a lot of characters say and do things, but the time devoted to them doesn't always seem proportionate to their ultimate importance in the primary plot, and that primary plot doesn't really get going in earnest until about halfway through.
I'd also like to feel a little more of the struggle that the main character goes through. As the book goes on, issues, threats and losses pile up, but I didn't get as full a sense of their weight as I thought they deserved. At one point the main character has to give up a long-held dream in order to protect another family member. I needed to see more of both the struggle and loss of giving up that dream and the love that led to doing so. Like the author, I come from a British Commonwealth country where emotion is not always shown, and I've had the same criticism of my writing, so I understand where it's coming from, but it's an aspect that I think has room for improvement.
The writing style is generally competent, though I did find a few issues, mostly typos and a bad habit of putting an excess comma before the main verb. It's better than many native English speakers write, and I think the author has English as a second language.
On my sub-scale within the four-star space, from 0 (just above mediocre) to 9 (just below amazing), I give this book a 4. It could easily be a 6 or 7 if there was more clarity in the main character's stakes and emotional reactions, starting earlier in the book. It's a well-imagined setting, the characters are interesting and the writing capable.
I know the author on Google+, and she provided me with a copy for review.
The book itself has potential. It's free from plot holes, stupid tropes and characters acting like idiots in order to advance a predetermined sequence of events, which is itself refreshing. The world, which is not our world exactly (magical beings and magic use are common and almost everyday), is well imagined and well conveyed. The characters are varied and diverse, and I had no trouble keeping them straight in my head.
I did feel, though, that there were either too many characters and plot threads, or the book was too short, because a number of the characters and plot threads didn't end up being that important to the main thrust of the story. I realise they may be getting set up for future books, since this appears to be the start of a series, but especially in the first half of the book I felt that the plot lacked direction and a sense of urgency. A lot of things happen, a lot of characters say and do things, but the time devoted to them doesn't always seem proportionate to their ultimate importance in the primary plot, and that primary plot doesn't really get going in earnest until about halfway through.
I'd also like to feel a little more of the struggle that the main character goes through. As the book goes on, issues, threats and losses pile up, but I didn't get as full a sense of their weight as I thought they deserved. At one point the main character has to give up a long-held dream in order to protect another family member. I needed to see more of both the struggle and loss of giving up that dream and the love that led to doing so. Like the author, I come from a British Commonwealth country where emotion is not always shown, and I've had the same criticism of my writing, so I understand where it's coming from, but it's an aspect that I think has room for improvement.
The writing style is generally competent, though I did find a few issues, mostly typos and a bad habit of putting an excess comma before the main verb. It's better than many native English speakers write, and I think the author has English as a second language.
On my sub-scale within the four-star space, from 0 (just above mediocre) to 9 (just below amazing), I give this book a 4. It could easily be a 6 or 7 if there was more clarity in the main character's stakes and emotional reactions, starting earlier in the book. It's a well-imagined setting, the characters are interesting and the writing capable.
I know the author on Google+, and she provided me with a copy for review.
August 15, 2016
You know that feeling you have on Christmas morning when you have a pile of presents before you, filled with potential? You’re excited to open them but also a bit trepidatious because maybe the promising shapes belie the contents. Maybe they’re going to be disappointments and you have to smile and be grateful all the while wishing that the shimmering paper had been filled with something else.
I came to Crooks & Straights with that Christmas morning feeling. I read the description on Amazon and thought, “Wow, I’ve got to get my hands on that”. Here it is:
Gia’s brother Nico is different from other boys. And being different can be dangerous in Gia’s world. Cape Town is no longer the haven for magical refugees that it once was. The Purists want to get rid of all magic and the newspapers are full of dreadful stories about the Belle Gente, the magical terrorists.
None of this concerns Gia, until the Special Branch— police who investigate the illegal use of magic— come knocking at her door, looking for Nico. When Gia turns to her parents for help, she finds only more secrets. Then she realises that she was the one who put her brother in danger.
I am delighted to report that Crooks & Straights was not in any way a disappointment. As I turned the pages, it really felt like I was unwrapping a beautiful and thoughtful gift.
There are so many surprises and hidden bits of magic along the way. I won’t spoil them, but here are a few of the things I liked best about this book.
Masha isn’t only a writer but an artist too. She has scattered the book with her own illustrations.
Politics plays a big part in this story. Politics between the magical and unmagical but also in an allegorical way. There are issues of cultural sensitivity that are common in South African fiction, but in this case the cultures in question are things like trolls and fairies.
Magic is normailsed in this world in a way that makes me think of embroidery. Masha has done an amazing job of stitching it on to everyday life in such a way that it feels totally familiar and natural.
There is a very South African flavour to the world that Masha has created. You get an idea of what it’s like to live here – the diversity of language (magical creatures have different names in different languages) and culture, the socio-economic divides.
Subtle world building that’s the perfect recipe for a book hangover.
Luckily, Crooks and Straights is the first part in a duology and, as I’m late to the party here, the other book, Wolf Logic, is already out
I came to Crooks & Straights with that Christmas morning feeling. I read the description on Amazon and thought, “Wow, I’ve got to get my hands on that”. Here it is:
Gia’s brother Nico is different from other boys. And being different can be dangerous in Gia’s world. Cape Town is no longer the haven for magical refugees that it once was. The Purists want to get rid of all magic and the newspapers are full of dreadful stories about the Belle Gente, the magical terrorists.
None of this concerns Gia, until the Special Branch— police who investigate the illegal use of magic— come knocking at her door, looking for Nico. When Gia turns to her parents for help, she finds only more secrets. Then she realises that she was the one who put her brother in danger.
I am delighted to report that Crooks & Straights was not in any way a disappointment. As I turned the pages, it really felt like I was unwrapping a beautiful and thoughtful gift.
There are so many surprises and hidden bits of magic along the way. I won’t spoil them, but here are a few of the things I liked best about this book.
Masha isn’t only a writer but an artist too. She has scattered the book with her own illustrations.
Politics plays a big part in this story. Politics between the magical and unmagical but also in an allegorical way. There are issues of cultural sensitivity that are common in South African fiction, but in this case the cultures in question are things like trolls and fairies.
Magic is normailsed in this world in a way that makes me think of embroidery. Masha has done an amazing job of stitching it on to everyday life in such a way that it feels totally familiar and natural.
There is a very South African flavour to the world that Masha has created. You get an idea of what it’s like to live here – the diversity of language (magical creatures have different names in different languages) and culture, the socio-economic divides.
Subtle world building that’s the perfect recipe for a book hangover.
Luckily, Crooks and Straights is the first part in a duology and, as I’m late to the party here, the other book, Wolf Logic, is already out
December 7, 2015
Magic, Rebellion, and Secrets.
Gia's biggest worry is her plan to take First Exit and join an arts school, whereas her parents, Karel and Saraswati, expect her to continue her schooling and go on to the university. With the weight of her decision resting on her mind, even shifting to a new home or her parents forgetting her sixteenth birthday don't ruffle her as much as it should have.
Her new school isn't bad either, and her friends, Fathima and Ben, visit her often. Gia's all settled in, with a room of her own in the attic, away from her nosy younger brother Nico.
The house, they are in, was previously occupied by a witch. And magicals keep wandering in, disturbing Gia's cosseted little world. Given the government's policy of curbing and culling magicals, in the name of Purity, things soon heat up.
A speech by a captain of the Special Branch, a paramilitary unit specialising in dealing with magicals, gets Gia wondering about her brother's disability. Her loose tongue draws attention to herself and ultimately to her brother.
Gia needs to save her brother from being taken away and with little help coming forth from her parents, she decides to take matters into her own hands. She plunges headlong into the world of Crooks and Straights. A battle between the magicals and the humans, where no one is as they seem to be.
I loved this book. A perfect bed-time read. It felt a lot like the Harry Potter series, especially the darker, latter books. This contemporary, fantasy is set in Cape Town, South Africa. The story is paced just right, that it gave me good immersion. Besides, it has that richness to it that is absolutely wonderful. And the author, Masha du Toit's artwork is just fabulous!
The book closes with more mysteries and a promise of more adventure. I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series :)
Gia's biggest worry is her plan to take First Exit and join an arts school, whereas her parents, Karel and Saraswati, expect her to continue her schooling and go on to the university. With the weight of her decision resting on her mind, even shifting to a new home or her parents forgetting her sixteenth birthday don't ruffle her as much as it should have.
Her new school isn't bad either, and her friends, Fathima and Ben, visit her often. Gia's all settled in, with a room of her own in the attic, away from her nosy younger brother Nico.
The house, they are in, was previously occupied by a witch. And magicals keep wandering in, disturbing Gia's cosseted little world. Given the government's policy of curbing and culling magicals, in the name of Purity, things soon heat up.
A speech by a captain of the Special Branch, a paramilitary unit specialising in dealing with magicals, gets Gia wondering about her brother's disability. Her loose tongue draws attention to herself and ultimately to her brother.
Gia needs to save her brother from being taken away and with little help coming forth from her parents, she decides to take matters into her own hands. She plunges headlong into the world of Crooks and Straights. A battle between the magicals and the humans, where no one is as they seem to be.
I loved this book. A perfect bed-time read. It felt a lot like the Harry Potter series, especially the darker, latter books. This contemporary, fantasy is set in Cape Town, South Africa. The story is paced just right, that it gave me good immersion. Besides, it has that richness to it that is absolutely wonderful. And the author, Masha du Toit's artwork is just fabulous!
The book closes with more mysteries and a promise of more adventure. I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series :)
June 23, 2022
I wish I'd written a proper review of this when I read it because it's really good and I thoroughly enjoyed it. But lockdown...
I'm revisiting the book ahead of reading the sequel and I'm struck by how magical, inventive, interesting and Capetonian it is. Nothing has made me want to move to Cape Town more than this book.
If you've ever lived in South Africa, you'd be forgiven for believing that magic exists. There are fairies flitting about in the corner of your eyes and tokoloshes threatening to cause mayhem.
And if there had been magic a century ago, you can bet that the government would have cracked down on it.
Which is what makes this book and this world so interesting. Because the world of Crooks and Straights cracks down on magic with Apartheid-like precision but it's also an allegory to homophobia, transphobia and all the forms of hatred and inequality that we see in SA today.
I can't wait to dig into Wolf Logic now but thought I'd drop a note to explain why Crooks and Straights should be on your to-read list.
I'm revisiting the book ahead of reading the sequel and I'm struck by how magical, inventive, interesting and Capetonian it is. Nothing has made me want to move to Cape Town more than this book.
If you've ever lived in South Africa, you'd be forgiven for believing that magic exists. There are fairies flitting about in the corner of your eyes and tokoloshes threatening to cause mayhem.
And if there had been magic a century ago, you can bet that the government would have cracked down on it.
Which is what makes this book and this world so interesting. Because the world of Crooks and Straights cracks down on magic with Apartheid-like precision but it's also an allegory to homophobia, transphobia and all the forms of hatred and inequality that we see in SA today.
I can't wait to dig into Wolf Logic now but thought I'd drop a note to explain why Crooks and Straights should be on your to-read list.
February 5, 2016
What an intriguing world! Gia always knew there was magic, but she had no idea how entrenched in the magical world she really was. In South Africa, there are two types of people: crooks (magicals) and straights (non-magicals). Gia is a Straight, and she always thought the rest of her family was, too. But with the Purist movement taking over in government, someone she cares about catches the wrong sort of attention, and Gia makes a daring deal to save the ones she loves.
Crooks and Straights thrilled me by introducing me to new kinds of magical creatures I had never heard of before. I was really fascinated by the entire world du Toit created. I know that Gia's journey continues in another book, which I'll be bumping up my TBR list. I need to know how it goes from here.
Crooks and Straights thrilled me by introducing me to new kinds of magical creatures I had never heard of before. I was really fascinated by the entire world du Toit created. I know that Gia's journey continues in another book, which I'll be bumping up my TBR list. I need to know how it goes from here.
May 19, 2016
One of my favorite reads so far this year.
Based in South Africa, the setting is a bit different but the society feels all too familiar. There's great characters, an interesting take on magicals, a diverse bestiary that you meet as you read through and a point of view that resonates.
Loved the family and the main character. Though she plays a smaller role, especially loved the old shop owner down the street.
Couldn't put the book down once I made it a couple chapters in!
Based in South Africa, the setting is a bit different but the society feels all too familiar. There's great characters, an interesting take on magicals, a diverse bestiary that you meet as you read through and a point of view that resonates.
Loved the family and the main character. Though she plays a smaller role, especially loved the old shop owner down the street.
Couldn't put the book down once I made it a couple chapters in!
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