Review: Fun, But Has a Been There & Done a That Feel
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 04 15, 2014
I would like to thank NetGalley and Flirt for the opportunity to read this e-ARC. Although I received the ebook for free, that in no way impacts my review.<blockquote>Lori Adams gives New Adult a haunting paranormal twist with the first novel of The Soulkeepers, a series that blends ancient legends and new myths with an enchanting mix of thrills, humor, and high drama.When Sophia St. James learns that she’ll be moving from Los Angeles to a podunk town somewhere in Connecticut for her senior year of high school, she isn’t expecting an otherworldly encounter. But there is more to Haven Hurst than meets the eye: it’s home to a family of Guardian Angels, and she is the only one who can see them in spirit form. Sophia soon realizes she wants to see much more of Michael, an irresistible yet volatile Guardian who seems drawn to her too.As Michael battles his forbidden desire for the beautiful young newcomer, one of Hell’s most notorious Demon Knights arrives. Handsome and charismatic, Dante has come to claim the reincarnated soul of his lost lover trapped in Sophia. Cursed with the demon of Persuasion living inside him, Dante will use his seductive charms to lure Sophia into a dangerous game that ends with the kiss of death—unless Michael, who has captured Sophia’s heart, can now capture her soul.</blockquote>An entertaining book, Ms. Adams has tackled a not uncommon concept and worked to make it her own. In some ways she has succeeded, and in others the story has fallen a bit short of the mark. That is not to say it isn't an enjoyable read, because it certainly is. It makes for a great beach book, or if you are simply looking to escape reality for a while without having to work too hard while doing so.What worked for me:Sophia is an entertaining character in many ways, but what makes her stand out is her belief in what she is able to do. Of course she has the momentary questioning, but she'd be crazy not to. However once she has an idea of what's going on she runs with it, and actually enjoys her unique abilities rather than the typical lamenting anything that makes her different than her peers. Additionally she doesn't spend too much time thinking about her looks, sure she takes time with her appearance, but she doesn't obsess over her weight, hair color, clothes, etc. And when the chips are down Sophia thinks of others first - her friends, her dad, even her teachers. Not something you come across on a regular basis.It was also really nice that this book didn't focus heavily, in fact hardly at all, on a mean girl(s) vs the nice new girl. Definitely a nice break in a YA book to avoid the whole stereotype of the mean girl clique threatening the shy, new girl because of jealousy over a boy or just perceived popularity.Michael and his 'family' are wonderful. Granted one would expect that given their status, yet they genuinely seem to care about one another, which is even more unexpected when you learn that they are not biologically related. And then there is Dante. His emotional conflict concerning Sophia is touching and feels real. You can feel his pain at times, getting a sense of the man as opposed to the demon.What didn't work for me:This storyline just feels as if it has been done to death even though Ms. Adams did add her own creative spin. The whole new girl moves to town and catches the eye of the most unattainable guy is totally overdone. Add the fact that she thinks she is plain looking but he finds her irresistible and I could name a fair number of books with the same broad-strokes plot without batting an eye.Then there is Michael's internal dilemma and how he handles the situation. He behaves just like a teenager rather than the being that he is. He spends far more time dithering than Sophia. Add that their attraction is more supernatural than natural and it just leaves me feeling kind of cheated. What do they really have in common? Would it be enough to sustain their romance without the extra bells and whistles?My overall feeling:This was a great read if you are looking to escape the real world for a little while, but don't expect anything really unique to hold the book up on its own for very long. The characters are mostly fun, and refreshingly wholesome for the most part. Granted the protagonist is the Pastor's daughter, but even the ultra popular/pretty/wealthy mean girl is still fairly wholesome. There are the normal pranks, but nothing extraordinarily mean or age inappropriate. The last quarter of the story really picked up speed, and the ending left me curious to know more. Curious enough to add the sequel to my ever-growing 'To-Be-Read List.'