"8 Souls," by Rachel Rust
Young Adult Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance
Book Blurb
All her life, seventeen-year-old Chessie has had recurring dreams about a little white farmhouse. Quaint? Not quite. The house is the site of the unsolved murders of Villisca, Iowa, where eight people were slaughtered in 1912. With her parents on the verge of divorce, Chessie is stuck spending the summer with her grandparents in Villisca—right across the street from the axe murder house.
She’s soon hearing voices calling out for help and begins unraveling a link between herself and the town’s bloody history. And when she falls for a cute boy harboring a big secret, the pieces fall into place as she at last discovers the truth of Villisca's gruesome past…
My Review
Welcome to another Off Theme Review, my lovelies! This week’s read was an utterly fantastic Young Adult ghost story from Entangled Teen by one of my Speilburg Literary Agency sisters in arms! As many of you know, YA reads are a bit of a struggle for me. However, Rachel Rust’s 8 Souls was superbly handled. The characters were believable for their age—not overly adult or painfully young—and their interactions and relationships felt true to the high school age group.
I was, to be quite honest, blown away by the descriptions in this book. Ms. Rust did a wonderful job of showing over telling, and there was more than one time I got literal goosebumps while reading her words. I also had to turn a light on because ain’t no way I was reading this in the dark!
This was a genuinely enjoyable read. The pacing was on point, the characters were relatable, and the plot drew me in. I sat down to read it and, as I said, had to turn a light on because day turned into night and I couldn’t put the thing down! And don’t get me started on the twist… I didn’t see it coming, and that was such a delicious little treat! It’s not too often an author manages to trick me, but I was left agape over this one. 😱
I would absolutely recommend this to any lovers of YA. It is an exceptional example of adolescent characters written to be adolescent characters. (That is one of my biggest pet peeves, in case you can’t tell, and Ms. Rust left me very pleased with her portrayal!) I think many urban fantasy and paranormal lovers would enjoy this as well, even if they aren’t big YA fans. And while it’s billed as a romance, I would definitely say it’s more of a subplot than anything that takes center stage. Ergo, I wouldn’t recommend it to those who are specifically seeking romance, but it’s a great read for those who aren’t big fans of the genre.
So, what are you waiting for? 8 Souls is available for preorder or can be purchased for your immediate enjoyment on or after its release date, May 6th, 2019!
Until next time,
E💕
