Jacqueline/Creeper

Jacqueline is known to most as Creeper. She is the daughter of a prostitute. Creeper is street smart, which is how she manages to survive alone in New Orleans as an orphan. She has a network of “sources” who help her. Creeper got her nickname because of her ability to climb, just as a vine climbs up a tree or a wall. She is 13-years-old, street smart, and has many friends who help in various ways. She has the presence of a goddess named Oya who controls and thrives on storms. Creeper is at ease with her relationship with Oya. She accepts supernatural events as a matter of fact. She urges Ann-Marie to do the same with her own goddess, Oshun.

As the novel opens, Creeper is trying to find a way to leave New Orleans. She believes that leaving the city is the only path that...