#BookReview: Prelude for Lost Souls (Prelude for Lost Souls #1) by Helene Dunbar

Synopsis: For readers of Nova Ren Suma, Maggie Steifvater, and Maureen Johnson comes a spellbinding tale about choosing your own path, the families we create for ourselves, and facing the ghosts of your past.

In the town of St. Hilaire, most make their living by talking to the dead. In the summer, the town gates open to tourists seeking answers while all activity is controlled by The Guild, a sinister ruling body that sees everything.

Dec Hampton has lived there his entire life, but ever since his parents died, he's been done with it. He knows he has to leave before anyone has a chance to stop him.

His best friend Russ won't be surprised when Dec leaves—but he will be heartbroken. Russ is a good medium, maybe even a great one. He's made sacrifices for his gift and will do whatever he can to gain entry to The Guild, even embracing dark forces and contacting the most elusive ghost in town.

But when the train of Annie Krylova, the piano prodigy whose music has been Dec's main source of solace, breaks down outside of town, it sets off an unexpected chain of events. And in St. Hilaire, there are no such things as coincidences.

Goodreads | Amazon

Rating: 3 Stars
My Review: This book was kind of a waste.  I don't even know why the publisher even bothered.  I wished that this would have been redone to do something more. 

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up—A town full of honest-to-goodness spiritualists is noteworthy to the tourists who flock to St. Hilaire every summer. But living behind the locked gate of the town can be stifling, and dark-haired Dec wants out. He dreams of being out from under the Guild, St. Hilaire's town council, and away from the place that holds a prescribed future and bad memories of his past. His best friend, pale-skinned Russ, on the other hand, would do anything to impress the Guild for a chance to be in the youth corps and, eventually, join their ranks. When a famous piano prodigy, Annie, finds herself stranded in St. Hilaire, Dec, Russ, and Annie's destinies intertwine as they work together to undo a musical curse of the distant past. Told in alternating first-person narration, readers get to know St. Hilaire from the perspective of insiders—one who wants to leave and one who wants to be in power—and outsiders—a living pianist and a long-dead composer. The main characters find first love and independence alongside ghosts, mediums, supernatural romance, tarot, and runes. VERDICT Fans of Lauren Myracle's darker novels will appreciate Dunbar's balance of the extraordinary and the typical.—Jennifer Miskec, Longwood Univ., Farmville, VA  --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Review

"Fans of Lauren Myracle's darker novels will appreciate Dunbar's balance of the extraordinary and the typical." ― School Library Journal

"Working to unravel the mysteries that drew them together, three teenagers find unexpected answers in a town where not only the dead are haunted." ― Foreword

"Dunbar invokes small-town intrigue and plentiful atmosphere with this haunting, romantic tale." ― Publishers Weekly

"Mesmerizing and haunting, Dunbar invites readers into a world of family secrets, anxious ghosts and a society's ruthless grasp for power that will leave you wanting more." ― The Nerd Daily

"Fans of ghost stories and mysteries alike will enjoy following the unlikely threads Dunbar weaves into spooky surprises in this dark novel, upending many traditional tropes along the way. In St. Hilaire, it's the living you have to watch out for, not the abundant dead." ― Tina Chambers, Chapter16

"Dunbar [manages] to capture grief and loss in a way that turned a paranormal book into a novel centered on human experience and struggle." ― The Young Folks

"A quietly compelling story. " ― Kirkus Reviews

"Ghost story, love story, and mystery in equal measure, Helene Dunbar's Prelude for Lost Souls is filled with unforgettable characters who reveal the many ways a life can be haunted. Perfect for fans of The Raven Boys. " ― –Lisa Maxwell, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Magician series

"[A] charming novel perfect for a lazy weekend. It's moody and melodramatic, the kind of story that makes you think of falling leaves and cozy sweaters and waning friendships and new lovers and finally learning to let go." ― Tor.com  --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Did you know that comments are DELICIOUS? Well they are and if you comment on any of these posts you could win some awesome goodies! 

Don't forget to check out our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and out other social media found on the side bar! 

 Disclaimer: "All opinions are 100% honest and my own."  Thanks to Goodreads and Amazon for the book cover, about the book, and author information. Buying via these links allows my site to get a % of the sale at no cost to you. 

FTC Guidelines: In accordance with FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers, I would like my readers to know that many of the books I review are provided to me for free by the publisher or author of the book in exchange for an honest review. If am compensated for any reviews on this site I will state that post has been sponsored. 

Posted in: 3 Stars, Edelweiss, Review, SourceBooks Fire, Young Adult