‘The Unraveling of Mercy Louis’: Writer is one to watch

Growing up is complicated, especially for young women in Texas, or so it seems in Keija Parssinen's second novel, 'The Unraveling of Mercy Louis” (HarperCollins, $25.99). When a dead baby is found in a dumpster, the citizens of small town Port Sabine turn against high school girls, resulting in rumors, false accusations and a culture of fear and mistrust.

One student who feels this acutely is Mercy Louis, a devoutly religious young woman basketball star. Mercy's coach, grandmother and friends hold Mercy to debilitatingly high standards, and when she begins to think for herself, the people closest to her become the ones she cannot trust.

'The Unraveling of Mercy Louis” is a powerful novel that beautifully demonstrates how we grow and change, but the structure leaves something to be desired, as it is divided between two points of view: Mercy's and the student team manager, a socially awkward girl named Illa. While Mercy's chapters are filled with emotion and plot development, Illa's are slow, meandering. The two plots come together in the final section, but it's too late for a satisfying connection.

Despite its graces, Parssinen's asks a lot of readers with this novel. With sluggish opening chapters and a number of plot diversions, it's easy to lose focus. However, Parssinen is an author to keep in our sights. With a simpler structure and narrower focus, her next novel could be something powerful.