46) The Weight of Souls by Bryony Pearce

The Blurb :

Sixteen year old Taylor Oh is cursed: if she is touched by the ghost of a murder victim then they pass a mark beneath her skin. She has three weeks to find their murderer and pass the mark to them – letting justice take place and sending them into the Darkness. And if she doesn’t make it in time? The Darkness will come for her…

She spends her life trying to avoid ghosts, make it through school where she’s bullied by popular Justin and his cronies, keep her one remaining friend, and persuade her father that this is real and that she’s not going crazy.

But then Justin is murdered and everything gets a whole lot worse. Justin doesn’t know who killed him, so there’s no obvious person for Taylor to go after. The clues she has lead her to the V Club, a vicious secret society at her school where no one is allowed to leave… and where Justin was dared to do the stunt which led to his death.

Can she find out who was responsible for his murder before the Darkness comes for her? Can she put aside her hatred for her former bully to truly help him?

And what happens if she starts to fall for him?

My Thoughts :

I remember seeing this book somewhere and applying for a review copy.  I didn't get one.  However the blurb and cover stuck with me and I ended up putting this one on my wish list and I was lucky enough to get a copy given to me.  It didn't take me long to pick it up and start reading despite the fact that it was a paperback version and I usually take forever to get around to reading them.  I was intrigued by the description and eager to see if this book was as good as I had heard.

Within a few chapters I was hooked.  The concept is original and unusual, something that I always like in a book.  Despite being a Young Adult book this one wasn't childish or whiny like some can be.  Some of the characters were stupid for getting involved in the V Club but other than that they all acted quite mature and didn't annoy me.  Another plus for this book.

The plot was good, well written and exciting.  I couldn't wait to find out what the Darkness was and if Taylor would find out what happened to Justin.  As the story unraveled I was pulled in more and more.  I found it hard to take a break and not just read this in one sitting.  It was a curious story and mysterious 'ability' so I was very invested in finding out what the author would do with the chain of events she had put into motion.

The Weight of Souls was a great read and one I would recommend to anyone who enjoys paranormal reads and doesn't mind Young Adult books.  Ghostly as this is it isn't scary and explores a tie between Egyptian mythology and being judged for murder.  Slightly educational but very supernatural.

Well worth trying.  I will be keeping an eye on this author and hope that this book gets a sequel.  This book seems to stand alone but there are so many ways this could be built on and become a series.  I would definitely enjoy reading more about Taylor and her gift/curse.

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