Review: Friendship, Shamans and Soucounas - Oh my!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 2, 2014
"Thin Skin Soul Pinned" is the third novel that I have read by Mila A. Ballentine and for a third time, she has thrown a literary curve ball with her voice and beat of this book.  Paranormal by label, this book is, to me, more about friendship, family and the price of fear.The small town of Hapville, Louisiana is the childhood home of Marie Tousant and her unknown best friend, Libby Townsend.  Both girls are locked behind walls, one of sickness and the other of silence.  When fate and misfortune spin Marie away from Hapville, Libby keeps her in her thoughts, knowing in her heart that she is the closest friend she will ever have - even if they have never spoken a word.  Years and a lifetime later, Marie finds herself back on the shores of the Bayou, a teenager in a strange High School with strange students, strange neighbors and an unlikely pet.  Libby, on the other hand - has found her friend again and she is determined to keep her.  Once Marie realizes they are friends that is.Complex and driven, this story weaves around Libby, Marie and Marie's Granma Tidle - an Island Shaman of age, talent and wisdom.  Events collide and moments crystalize to present a tale that is rich and evolving, a beginning to a series that hints at greatness.  As the final chapter approached, I felt that it had all been solved, the mysteries uncovered and the villain vanquished.  Having read Mila A. Ballentine before, I feel a bit foolish for my trust - for while this book as a happy `enough' ending.... There is no doubt that we will hear from Marie Tousant again.I would recommend this novel to any fans of Paranormal Fiction, Urban Fiction and those wishing to sink their teeth into a promising new series.