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shannonleighd's review against another edition
4.0
YES. Asian protagonist. Asian model on the cover.
Thank you.
(Oh, and the synopsis sounds cool too.)
8/24 Edit: Need to write a real review ... but I really did like this one. Lots of cool stuff thrown in without it feeling too mish-mashy (probably not a word ... but whatevs.) I also liked that the protagonist is Chinese but it wasn't like OMG THIS CHARACTER IS ASIAN LOOK HOW ASIAN AND DIFFERENT SHE IS (thank you for not making her a martial arts expert as well.) She's just the main character and is also Chinese.
Proper review to come soon.
Thank you.
(Oh, and the synopsis sounds cool too.)
8/24 Edit: Need to write a real review ... but I really did like this one. Lots of cool stuff thrown in without it feeling too mish-mashy (probably not a word ... but whatevs.) I also liked that the protagonist is Chinese but it wasn't like OMG THIS CHARACTER IS ASIAN LOOK HOW ASIAN AND DIFFERENT SHE IS (thank you for not making her a martial arts expert as well.) She's just the main character and is also Chinese.
Proper review to come soon.
kylek's review
4.0
I hadn't been expecting to enjoy this book quite as much as I did. I thought the romance would be trite because of the who she was falling for, but this book has so much actually going for it.
First let's talk about the curse. The blurb doesn't really say much except the bare facts. I thought the explanation about the curse would be something along the lines of every other paranormal out there. But then almost right away you find out that the curse is quite literally a curse, put on my freaking Anubis! Yes, this book deals with Egyptian mythology, and I was NOT expecting that at all (and now looking at the cover more closely, I really should have lol). I liked how the book was written, with excerpts of the story about how the curse came about in between the present day problems that Taylor was dealing with. I was also pleasantly surprised that the curse was even more complicated than you first think, and there are still quite a few unanswered questions about it once you reach the end.
This book deals with a lot of difficult subjects. We have bullying because Taylor is half Chinese. We have a secret society that is actually quite far reaching and very dangerous, and we have the usual teenage problems, friends, romance and family. At first I really didn't like her dad. I knew he was trying to help but the way he was doing it was incredibly counter productive. Taylor also had friend issues, as in she only had the one friend and because of her curse it was hard to keep that friendship, but this was mostly Taylor's fault through out the story.
Lastly we have the romance. As I mentioned before I hadn't been expecting much from it, but I found it to be really sweet. Taylor and Justin start confiding with each other and helping each other out and he finally realizes why Taylor is the way she is, but not only does he accept her, but actually starts protecting her as well.
As for the plot itself, it was great. The pacing was just right. There was something always going on, whether it was her personal issues or her actual investigation about Justin's death. It was a great mix between a mysterious, deadly curse, a dangerous secret society and life's problems.
I didn't have high expectations for this one going in, but it managed to surprise me with it's depth on multiple accounts, and I'm glad I got the chance to review it.
First let's talk about the curse. The blurb doesn't really say much except the bare facts. I thought the explanation about the curse would be something along the lines of every other paranormal out there. But then almost right away you find out that the curse is quite literally a curse, put on my freaking Anubis! Yes, this book deals with Egyptian mythology, and I was NOT expecting that at all (and now looking at the cover more closely, I really should have lol). I liked how the book was written, with excerpts of the story about how the curse came about in between the present day problems that Taylor was dealing with. I was also pleasantly surprised that the curse was even more complicated than you first think, and there are still quite a few unanswered questions about it once you reach the end.
This book deals with a lot of difficult subjects. We have bullying because Taylor is half Chinese. We have a secret society that is actually quite far reaching and very dangerous, and we have the usual teenage problems, friends, romance and family. At first I really didn't like her dad. I knew he was trying to help but the way he was doing it was incredibly counter productive. Taylor also had friend issues, as in she only had the one friend and because of her curse it was hard to keep that friendship, but this was mostly Taylor's fault through out the story.
Lastly we have the romance. As I mentioned before I hadn't been expecting much from it, but I found it to be really sweet. Taylor and Justin start confiding with each other and helping each other out and he finally realizes why Taylor is the way she is, but not only does he accept her, but actually starts protecting her as well.
As for the plot itself, it was great. The pacing was just right. There was something always going on, whether it was her personal issues or her actual investigation about Justin's death. It was a great mix between a mysterious, deadly curse, a dangerous secret society and life's problems.
I didn't have high expectations for this one going in, but it managed to surprise me with it's depth on multiple accounts, and I'm glad I got the chance to review it.
keri91's review
1.0
Well okay...
Let me first say that I knew nothing about this book. I picked it as my "Book Based on the Cover" for my 2015 Challenge. I did not read any spoilers or reviews prior to cracking it open. I picked it because of the awesome cover art and a half-Asian female lead! Maybe she'll be kickass?!
Aaaaand no.
My rating: .5 stars because of the race of the lead. Literally. I believe Asians need more rep in literature, especially YA, so that's why it gets any rating at all.
I originally was going to give it 2 stars, but after I finished, the angrier I got with the loopholes, crappiness of the plot and the unbelievability of everything.
Spoilers ahead so read at your own risk.
First of all, is it even really stated how these ghosts know that ONLY SHE can see them? They will appear out of nowhere and try to grab her... but she actively avoids them so how do they know??? Second, if your family has been cursed forever, WHY ARE YOU STILL HAVING BABIES? CUT THAT SHIT OUT.
Within the first few chapters, we see the meanies who try to get Pete to kiss Taylor. What??? Is this a new form of bullying I am unaware of? Because, you know, when I was bullied all I got were fat jokes. Lame.
So her future crush is Justin, who just sits around and watches her get bullied day in and day out by his posse, but later in the book, he's loved her since they were 10!! He was only mean to her because he wanted her to notice him. So he started bullying her first and then his friends joined and he couldn't stop them!! What complete crap. For SIX YEARS, he let her be bullied, not saying anything, not trying to be friends, not helping her or worrying about her, etc. and all of a sudden "He's loved her since they first met!" Oh, and let's not forget that he BLAMED her for his initiation into the group (more later) because she told him in passing to say "Dare" instead of "Truth." BUT SHE WASN'T EVEN IN THE GROUP ITSELF, HOW WAS SHE SUPPOSED TO KNOW IT WAS AN INITIATION? But he loved her forever, amirite?
Thanks, Liz.
Anyway, Justin finds out he's dead but doesn't realize he's dead and accidentally touches her. Well shit, now she's doomed. And she gets into a fight with him and he disappears for like a week, which is 1/3 of her allotted time, so double shit.
During this time, Taylor proves what an utter bitch she is because when Justin's ex-girlfriend is grieving and sad, she is snooty and rude. UMMM. I get it, she bullied you for 6 years and is a total wanker. But her BOYFRIEND JUST DIED. Give her a damn break.
ANYWHO. Taylor calls Pete, because they used to be bffs until Taylor broke his heart... or he just got tired of her shit, I'm split on which it was. He helps her find Justin (and is a total a-hole in the process, but you know, she rejected him!! She deserves it!!) and for no reason whatsoever, she tells Justin her family secret and Justin starts to protect her. Even though they're like this the entire time:
Sooo the "plot twist" is Justin wasn't murdered! Or so he thinks. He just fell off some rafters because... wait for it.... He's in a secret league of Truth or Darers called "V Club" and had to complete his dare or risk because a social loser FOR SENIOR YEAR! Once you're in, you're in FOR LIFE!!!! And oh, the V Club is oooold, so there's higher ups too! Like a school principal! And a cop! And... and... I dunno, no one else is mentioned.
Yeah. You read that right. Truth or fucking Dare to the death, bitches.
(Except Justin can't go home. Cause he's dead. Oops.)
So Taylor is like, "I gotta get into this club cause it's so dope- I mean, I gotta find Justin's killer!" and so she calls up Pete and somehow convinces him AND Tambourine (I literally can't remember her name), you know her bullies, to initiate her. She has to jump down into train tracks after a train leaves and play chicken with it.
She can't do it alone, Justin has to save her ass. Kick ass factor -1. But whatever, she's in.
She gets picked for the first dare, so she gets to claim the next Truth or Dare round. And guess what her dare is? The same one that killed Justin!!! Even though it's been voted "impossible" by the leaders of the group, she HAS TO DO IT!!
So blah blah blah, she does it thanks to Justin (Kick ass factor -100 at this point), she almost dies like 4 times (cause the Darkness is coming since it's been like... forever), her and Justin kiss twice.
All of a sudden, Tamale can see Justin!! Apparently Taylor's kisses bring Justin some life because he's stealing her soul (or something.)
I'm also confused, brah.
So anyway, they go to a pub and Taylor demands her truth and she asks what really happened to Justin. Justin wanted to leave because it was getting crazy dangerous and that's just NOT ALLOWED!! NO TAKE BACKS FROM THE GROUP HE WAS FORCED TO BE IN SINCE HE WAS 10! So what do these 4 shits plans to do? Kill him. WAY TO PROVE JUSTIN RIGHT, YA STUPID ASSHOLES.
So Taylor touches everyone and then goes to touch Pete and....
she can't do it. Because Pete is her oldest friend.
RECAP FOR THOSE LOST: Pete kicked her ass to the curb because she didn't like him, bullied her for the past 3~4 years (he was late to the game, I think?), didn't bother helping every time she was hurt, didn't call or worry when she missed like 75% of the school year, she gets angry at him like 80% of the book, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN, THEY ARE BFFS AND SHE JUST CAN'T!!!
So this means, she gets sucked into the Darkness, but not before she kisses Justin like 3 more times and makes him more viable so everyone can see him (even her father.)
So now she's stuck in the Darkness and something cool should happen, right? Look, all those people she marked looking terrified! Looking like someone's building a dead person army! Shit's about to go down!!
EXCEPT NOT. Because here comes Justin to save Taylor AGAIN, because she can't save herself AGAIN. Kick ass factor nonexistent at this point, why not just named this book "The Weight of Keri's Disappointment." He jumped through the closing Darkness cloud to find her. Literally gtfo at this point.
So he leads her to the light and they are both okay!! And now everyone can see Justin even though he's dead, and everyone is friends again. Except the principal is angry and Anubis might be building an army, because Justin is some sort of prophet or, you know what, I don't even care.
Me with this book.
Don't read it. Save yourself the time and energy and go read something else.
Let me first say that I knew nothing about this book. I picked it as my "Book Based on the Cover" for my 2015 Challenge. I did not read any spoilers or reviews prior to cracking it open. I picked it because of the awesome cover art and a half-Asian female lead! Maybe she'll be kickass?!
Aaaaand no.
My rating: .5 stars because of the race of the lead. Literally. I believe Asians need more rep in literature, especially YA, so that's why it gets any rating at all.
I originally was going to give it 2 stars, but after I finished, the angrier I got with the loopholes, crappiness of the plot and the unbelievability of everything.
Spoilers ahead so read at your own risk.
Spoiler
So Taylor has being seeing murdered ghosts since she was 10 because of a family curse. Poor thing. If they touch her, she gets marked and has to find their killer before 3 weeks are up or she gets sucked up into the Darkness.First of all, is it even really stated how these ghosts know that ONLY SHE can see them? They will appear out of nowhere and try to grab her... but she actively avoids them so how do they know??? Second, if your family has been cursed forever, WHY ARE YOU STILL HAVING BABIES? CUT THAT SHIT OUT.
Within the first few chapters, we see the meanies who try to get Pete to kiss Taylor. What??? Is this a new form of bullying I am unaware of? Because, you know, when I was bullied all I got were fat jokes. Lame.
So her future crush is Justin, who just sits around and watches her get bullied day in and day out by his posse, but later in the book, he's loved her since they were 10!! He was only mean to her because he wanted her to notice him. So he started bullying her first and then his friends joined and he couldn't stop them!! What complete crap. For SIX YEARS, he let her be bullied, not saying anything, not trying to be friends, not helping her or worrying about her, etc. and all of a sudden "He's loved her since they first met!" Oh, and let's not forget that he BLAMED her for his initiation into the group (more later) because she told him in passing to say "Dare" instead of "Truth." BUT SHE WASN'T EVEN IN THE GROUP ITSELF, HOW WAS SHE SUPPOSED TO KNOW IT WAS AN INITIATION? But he loved her forever, amirite?
Thanks, Liz.
Anyway, Justin finds out he's dead but doesn't realize he's dead and accidentally touches her. Well shit, now she's doomed. And she gets into a fight with him and he disappears for like a week, which is 1/3 of her allotted time, so double shit.
During this time, Taylor proves what an utter bitch she is because when Justin's ex-girlfriend is grieving and sad, she is snooty and rude. UMMM. I get it, she bullied you for 6 years and is a total wanker. But her BOYFRIEND JUST DIED. Give her a damn break.
ANYWHO. Taylor calls Pete, because they used to be bffs until Taylor broke his heart... or he just got tired of her shit, I'm split on which it was. He helps her find Justin (and is a total a-hole in the process, but you know, she rejected him!! She deserves it!!) and for no reason whatsoever, she tells Justin her family secret and Justin starts to protect her. Even though they're like this the entire time:
Sooo the "plot twist" is Justin wasn't murdered! Or so he thinks. He just fell off some rafters because... wait for it.... He's in a secret league of Truth or Darers called "V Club" and had to complete his dare or risk because a social loser FOR SENIOR YEAR! Once you're in, you're in FOR LIFE!!!! And oh, the V Club is oooold, so there's higher ups too! Like a school principal! And a cop! And... and... I dunno, no one else is mentioned.
Yeah. You read that right. Truth or fucking Dare to the death, bitches.
(Except Justin can't go home. Cause he's dead. Oops.)
So Taylor is like, "I gotta get into this club cause it's so dope- I mean, I gotta find Justin's killer!" and so she calls up Pete and somehow convinces him AND Tambourine (I literally can't remember her name), you know her bullies, to initiate her. She has to jump down into train tracks after a train leaves and play chicken with it.
She can't do it alone, Justin has to save her ass. Kick ass factor -1. But whatever, she's in.
She gets picked for the first dare, so she gets to claim the next Truth or Dare round. And guess what her dare is? The same one that killed Justin!!! Even though it's been voted "impossible" by the leaders of the group, she HAS TO DO IT!!
So blah blah blah, she does it thanks to Justin (Kick ass factor -100 at this point), she almost dies like 4 times (cause the Darkness is coming since it's been like... forever), her and Justin kiss twice.
All of a sudden, Tamale can see Justin!! Apparently Taylor's kisses bring Justin some life because he's stealing her soul (or something.)
I'm also confused, brah.
So anyway, they go to a pub and Taylor demands her truth and she asks what really happened to Justin. Justin wanted to leave because it was getting crazy dangerous and that's just NOT ALLOWED!! NO TAKE BACKS FROM THE GROUP HE WAS FORCED TO BE IN SINCE HE WAS 10! So what do these 4 shits plans to do? Kill him. WAY TO PROVE JUSTIN RIGHT, YA STUPID ASSHOLES.
So Taylor touches everyone and then goes to touch Pete and....
she can't do it. Because Pete is her oldest friend.
RECAP FOR THOSE LOST: Pete kicked her ass to the curb because she didn't like him, bullied her for the past 3~4 years (he was late to the game, I think?), didn't bother helping every time she was hurt, didn't call or worry when she missed like 75% of the school year, she gets angry at him like 80% of the book, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN, THEY ARE BFFS AND SHE JUST CAN'T!!!
So this means, she gets sucked into the Darkness, but not before she kisses Justin like 3 more times and makes him more viable so everyone can see him (even her father.)
So now she's stuck in the Darkness and something cool should happen, right? Look, all those people she marked looking terrified! Looking like someone's building a dead person army! Shit's about to go down!!
EXCEPT NOT. Because here comes Justin to save Taylor AGAIN, because she can't save herself AGAIN. Kick ass factor nonexistent at this point, why not just named this book "The Weight of Keri's Disappointment." He jumped through the closing Darkness cloud to find her. Literally gtfo at this point.
So he leads her to the light and they are both okay!! And now everyone can see Justin even though he's dead, and everyone is friends again. Except the principal is angry and Anubis might be building an army, because Justin is some sort of prophet or, you know what, I don't even care.
Me with this book.
Don't read it. Save yourself the time and energy and go read something else.
seeingnight's review
4.0
GENRE: Young Adult Urban Fantasy
THEME: Ghost, Romance, and Supernatural
RECEIVED: Publisher
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
A clever ghost story with an interesting take on an Egyptian curse, Pearce takes the readers on a scary but mysterious journey with a sixteen-year-old girl who has a big responsibility. Ghost may be scary but the darkness that takes the souls who have sinned is the thing everyone should be afraid of.
The Weight of Souls follows Taylor Oh a young teen who is living with a curse that has been passed down each generation. She sees ghosts and the ghost who were murdered want revenge and Taylor can help them. Her curse allows ghosts to mark her then to pass the mark to their murder, which will send them into darkness. Even though her life is already complicated enough, her school bully Justin is murdered and he leaves his mark, now she must find his murder before the darkness decides to take her instead.
Taylor Oh is an outcast, a girl who has been picked on for quite a while by the “popular” kids. But she also has the curse to deal with, the loss of her mother and a father who insist she’s crazy. Her life is far from easy and I give her a lot of credit for not going crazy with all the emotional set backs in her life. Pearce does a great job creating a character with some backbone that understands her responsibility and tries her best to get through each day. The hardest part for me was Taylor’s relationship with her father; he is a stubborn man who is doing more harm than good. She needs all the support she can get and he keeps nagging her about how she ill, I felt so bad for her since she really needed a dads comfort. She also has a great friend, her only friend Hannah who is a sweet girl that really wants Taylor to open up to her. Their friendship has its ups and downs but I felt it was written well and realistic. In the end Taylor is just starting to get a handle of things and has a lot to learn and look forward too.
Justin is a complex character; the readers learn a bit about his past but are probably not going to like him at the beginning. He has secrets, has been misunderstood and also just wanted Taylor to open up to him as well. He works with Taylor to figure out what happened to him and that there is a whole secret society that’s affecting kids and adults. His life is tied to a club called V and it’s dangerous and they’re in way over their heads. I actually liked Justin’s characters once I got to know more about him, there are still a lot of unanswered questions that I’m hoping the next book will dive into it.
Overall I found this story really unique; there are many books about people who can see ghost, but not because of an ancient curse. I can tell there is so much potential with the curse and that there is a lot more to discover with Taylor’s family history. There are bits and pieces that were pretty creepy and the darkness is something I never would want to encounter. My only negative was Taylor’s father; it may be because I’m close with my dad but I hated how much he didn’t listen to her and was actually hurting her by not being supportive. I’m also super curious about V Club and how big and what dangers lie ahead for Taylor. The ending was great and a new beginning takes place for what ever ghost she must help next.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult novel with some darker tones that set the eerie scenes. Fans of Tara Hudson’s Hereafter series and Michelle Hodkin’s Mara Dyer series will enjoy The Weight of Souls.
THEME: Ghost, Romance, and Supernatural
RECEIVED: Publisher
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
A clever ghost story with an interesting take on an Egyptian curse, Pearce takes the readers on a scary but mysterious journey with a sixteen-year-old girl who has a big responsibility. Ghost may be scary but the darkness that takes the souls who have sinned is the thing everyone should be afraid of.
The Weight of Souls follows Taylor Oh a young teen who is living with a curse that has been passed down each generation. She sees ghosts and the ghost who were murdered want revenge and Taylor can help them. Her curse allows ghosts to mark her then to pass the mark to their murder, which will send them into darkness. Even though her life is already complicated enough, her school bully Justin is murdered and he leaves his mark, now she must find his murder before the darkness decides to take her instead.
Taylor Oh is an outcast, a girl who has been picked on for quite a while by the “popular” kids. But she also has the curse to deal with, the loss of her mother and a father who insist she’s crazy. Her life is far from easy and I give her a lot of credit for not going crazy with all the emotional set backs in her life. Pearce does a great job creating a character with some backbone that understands her responsibility and tries her best to get through each day. The hardest part for me was Taylor’s relationship with her father; he is a stubborn man who is doing more harm than good. She needs all the support she can get and he keeps nagging her about how she ill, I felt so bad for her since she really needed a dads comfort. She also has a great friend, her only friend Hannah who is a sweet girl that really wants Taylor to open up to her. Their friendship has its ups and downs but I felt it was written well and realistic. In the end Taylor is just starting to get a handle of things and has a lot to learn and look forward too.
Justin is a complex character; the readers learn a bit about his past but are probably not going to like him at the beginning. He has secrets, has been misunderstood and also just wanted Taylor to open up to him as well. He works with Taylor to figure out what happened to him and that there is a whole secret society that’s affecting kids and adults. His life is tied to a club called V and it’s dangerous and they’re in way over their heads. I actually liked Justin’s characters once I got to know more about him, there are still a lot of unanswered questions that I’m hoping the next book will dive into it.
Overall I found this story really unique; there are many books about people who can see ghost, but not because of an ancient curse. I can tell there is so much potential with the curse and that there is a lot more to discover with Taylor’s family history. There are bits and pieces that were pretty creepy and the darkness is something I never would want to encounter. My only negative was Taylor’s father; it may be because I’m close with my dad but I hated how much he didn’t listen to her and was actually hurting her by not being supportive. I’m also super curious about V Club and how big and what dangers lie ahead for Taylor. The ending was great and a new beginning takes place for what ever ghost she must help next.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult novel with some darker tones that set the eerie scenes. Fans of Tara Hudson’s Hereafter series and Michelle Hodkin’s Mara Dyer series will enjoy The Weight of Souls.
claudiap's review
3.0
“The Weight of Souls” foi o primeiro livro que li de Bryony Pearce. Foi um daqueles livros que apareceu no feeds do Goodreads, como cativando o interesse de alguns amigos. Por isso pensei experimentar.
Enquanto história YA paranormal foi relativamente bem conseguida. É só mesmo um volume. Yupi! Ando mesmo a ficar cansada de trilogias. É reconfortante ter uma história que não é esticada até à exaustão.
Pearce mostra um mundo YA multicultural (o que em é uma raridade), e a personagem principal feminina é asiática não estereotipada (que para mim foi uma agradável novidade).
O grande problema nesta história é que a premissa é interessante, mas a concretização podia ser bem melhor. Taylor Oh pertence a uma família que sofre com uma maldição egípcia, em que quando um fantasma que tenha sido assassinado lhe toca, ela tem de procurar o assassino e passar-lhe a “morte”. Infelizmente, Pearce foca-se muito na vida social e romântica da protagonista. Voltei a confrontar-me com uma protagonista que é desajustada socialmente, que moralmente é irrepreensível, que sofre terríveis pressões dos pares, que se apaixona pelo bad boy (que afinal é um coração de ouro)… E isto é só mais do mesmo… Porque leio isto em TODOS os YA. Bah…
No entanto, quando a história se foca na maldição fiquei bastante cativada. Gostei particularmente da parte final da história. Apesar das minhas críticas, foi uma agradável surpresa. Eu recomendo a quem não se importar com o facto de a formular YA estar bastante presente. No geral, uma boa leitura.
Enquanto história YA paranormal foi relativamente bem conseguida. É só mesmo um volume. Yupi! Ando mesmo a ficar cansada de trilogias. É reconfortante ter uma história que não é esticada até à exaustão.
Pearce mostra um mundo YA multicultural (o que em é uma raridade), e a personagem principal feminina é asiática não estereotipada (que para mim foi uma agradável novidade).
O grande problema nesta história é que a premissa é interessante, mas a concretização podia ser bem melhor. Taylor Oh pertence a uma família que sofre com uma maldição egípcia, em que quando um fantasma que tenha sido assassinado lhe toca, ela tem de procurar o assassino e passar-lhe a “morte”. Infelizmente, Pearce foca-se muito na vida social e romântica da protagonista. Voltei a confrontar-me com uma protagonista que é desajustada socialmente, que moralmente é irrepreensível, que sofre terríveis pressões dos pares, que se apaixona pelo bad boy (que afinal é um coração de ouro)… E isto é só mais do mesmo… Porque leio isto em TODOS os YA. Bah…
No entanto, quando a história se foca na maldição fiquei bastante cativada. Gostei particularmente da parte final da história. Apesar das minhas críticas, foi uma agradável surpresa. Eu recomendo a quem não se importar com o facto de a formular YA estar bastante presente. No geral, uma boa leitura.
middlekmissie's review
3.0
A different take on school/bullying drama. It was fun, if slight. Felt like a first book (and the ending was more of a cliffhanger than open-ended), but I can't see any indication of planned sequels.
tien's review against another edition
4.0
One of my favourite moments in life is when I’ve just read a book that exceeded my expectation. A book that is so engaging, that absorbed all your attention, that totally ruin everything else in the day for you, and that you can barely put down. Even better is a book you can devour in the one sitting. The Weight of Souls is one of those books for me. It was so easy to read with engaging characters and a pretty suspenseful plot; I was immediately immersed in the book and did not think of anything else for the day (fingers crossed that I didn’t do any major mistakes at work!).
What originally attracted me to this book is the ghost idea. I am Chinese in descent and they’re pretty superstitious especially when it comes to ghosts. Despite my being westernised, ghosts are just one of things that I cannot un-believe. Though personally I’ve never come across one nor do I want to and am pretty sceptical if someone said that they have come across one, I believe in the idea and ghosts in fiction would usually say to me, “Read Me!”
Interestingly, Taylor Oh is a halfie (ie. her mother is Chinese but her father is not) and it is through her mother that she has inherited this familial curse of seeing ghosts of murdered victims which usually comes with the obligation of avenging their murders. She was 10 when she saw her first ghost and from then on, her life has gone on a downward slide especially since she’s been unable to confide in her friends of what she’s seeing or doing. Not only that, she’s also been bullied at school. Life as a teenager is hard already without the extra burden (curse) that Taylor has to carry but then one of her bullies died and she’s the only who can see him. She felt forced to help him especially since her life is at risk from the Mark she carries but who murdered him and why? Will she be able to work together with him to solve this mystery?
I really liked the dynamic of relationships in this book, between Taylor and her dad, Taylor and Justin, Taylor and Hannah and Pete, etc. Each of them different and each revealed parts of Taylor: her loneliness, her strength, her loving nature, etc. There were also snippets of the origin of the curse which was told from Taylor’s memory of her mother’s voice which was really sweet and I really enjoyed this ‘ancient story’. As with all ghosts story, it’s always interesting to find out how the author would spin the romantic side of the story and I’ve to say that it was pretty sweet
This story will string you along so be prepared to read it in one sitting. I loved the suspense, the “historical background”, the character interactions, the supernatural idea, and of course, the romance. I’m hoping with the way the book is ended that there will be an awesome sequel.
Thank you, Strange Chemistry via NetGalley for ecopy of book in exchange of honest review
What originally attracted me to this book is the ghost idea. I am Chinese in descent and they’re pretty superstitious especially when it comes to ghosts. Despite my being westernised, ghosts are just one of things that I cannot un-believe. Though personally I’ve never come across one nor do I want to and am pretty sceptical if someone said that they have come across one, I believe in the idea and ghosts in fiction would usually say to me, “Read Me!”
Interestingly, Taylor Oh is a halfie (ie. her mother is Chinese but her father is not) and it is through her mother that she has inherited this familial curse of seeing ghosts of murdered victims which usually comes with the obligation of avenging their murders. She was 10 when she saw her first ghost and from then on, her life has gone on a downward slide especially since she’s been unable to confide in her friends of what she’s seeing or doing. Not only that, she’s also been bullied at school. Life as a teenager is hard already without the extra burden (curse) that Taylor has to carry but then one of her bullies died and she’s the only who can see him. She felt forced to help him especially since her life is at risk from the Mark she carries but who murdered him and why? Will she be able to work together with him to solve this mystery?
I really liked the dynamic of relationships in this book, between Taylor and her dad, Taylor and Justin, Taylor and Hannah and Pete, etc. Each of them different and each revealed parts of Taylor: her loneliness, her strength, her loving nature, etc. There were also snippets of the origin of the curse which was told from Taylor’s memory of her mother’s voice which was really sweet and I really enjoyed this ‘ancient story’. As with all ghosts story, it’s always interesting to find out how the author would spin the romantic side of the story and I’ve to say that it was pretty sweet
This story will string you along so be prepared to read it in one sitting. I loved the suspense, the “historical background”, the character interactions, the supernatural idea, and of course, the romance. I’m hoping with the way the book is ended that there will be an awesome sequel.
Thank you, Strange Chemistry via NetGalley for ecopy of book in exchange of honest review
analog_librarian's review against another edition
5.0
I received an ARC through Netgalley for this book and loved it. It was an interesting book about a teen with supernatural abilities that was really hard to put down. It was an enjoyable teen read that has a character who is considered different by her peers. It is a lot about acceptance and learning that just because you run in a different crowd as someone else, you may actually have a lot in common. The book sets it up well for future volumes and I truly hope that happens. If you have read the Mara Dyer books and enjoy them, you will probably like this. It has a similar feel to it. I highly recommend the Weight of Souls!
rjsthumbelina's review
5.0
I LOVED this book. Initially, the interesting premise drew me in: a girl forced to seek out revenge for any ghost who touches her because of an ancient curse brought on her family by Anubis? I'm there.
Then the characterization sucked me in. Before I knew it, I really cared about Taylor and (ghost's name removed to keep from spoiling the plot), and didn't want him to have to move on. Plus I needed to know who killed him, and about the Vs.
The journal of Oh Fa being weaved into the plot was a great way to let the reader know the backstory of the curse.
I can't wait for the next installment to come out! I need to know more...about everything! Definitely one of the best YAs I've read in quite some time.
I received a free copy of this book on netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Then the characterization sucked me in. Before I knew it, I really cared about Taylor and (ghost's name removed to keep from spoiling the plot), and didn't want him to have to move on. Plus I needed to know who killed him, and about the Vs.
The journal of Oh Fa being weaved into the plot was a great way to let the reader know the backstory of the curse.
I can't wait for the next installment to come out! I need to know more...about everything! Definitely one of the best YAs I've read in quite some time.
I received a free copy of this book on netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.