Shattered souls by Mary Lindsey

Lenzi is sure she is going mad, just like her dad did before he committed suicide.  The only real comfort in her life is Zak, a soul almost as tortured as she is.  The voices she hears seem to be dulled by the pills she sneaks from her mothers medicine cabinet, but they only seem to work for so long and she finds herself the social outcast of her school - the freak.  But then one night she meets Alden, a boy who says he has known her for centuries, who seems to know her almost better than she knows herself - although at first he calls her Rose, a name that stirs echoes of memories. 

But Alden brings something else to, the promise of a destiny where Lenzi is a ghost hunter who helps souls find their way to eternal rest, or eternal damnation, depending on what they were like when they were alive.  It is a scary concept, one that she is almost too scared to deal with.  And then there is the added complication of Zak, who sees Alden as a rival for her affections, a rival that stirs a dangerous jealously within him.  While Lenzi explores the present and the past with Alden, she feels like he is holding something back, a secret that he doesn't want her to know.

This was an interesting read, and one that will appeal to readers who like to work a little for their books, who want a story that unfolds as you read it rather than jumping up and down from the start to grab your attention.  Lenzi is not a particularly strong character and there are bits about her that bug me, but the mythology that was built around her and Alden is both interesting and intriguing.  This could easily be the start of a series that includes other people in the same "reality" or it could easily be a stand alone novel.  The ending finishes off the story and brings closure for the characters, without bringing the story to an abrupt stand still.  This was another novel that I picked up to read and debated with myself about whether I was going to finish it or not, and I am glad I did, but more for the supporting cast and mythology than Lenzi.

If you like this book then try:

• Anna dressed in blood by Kendare Blake
• The unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
• The space between by Brenna Yovanoff
• The black tattoo by Sam Enthoven
• Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Reviewed by Brilla