Processing Grief in Helene Dunbar’s Prelude for Lost Souls

Release Date: August 4, 2020
Series: Prelude for Lost Souls #1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Description

“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.”

My Thoughts

After an unexpected detour on the way to her tutor’s funeral, Annie ends up in the strange little town of St. Hilaire. Everyone in the town are mediums, and every summer tourists come from all around to speak to their loved ones long since passed one last time. Now the season is over and hard times are coming. The Guild, the local officials who rule the town, are cracking down on infractions and passing impossibly strict new rules. Dec doesn’t care; all he wants is to get out of town no matter what. Unfortunately, his plans are waylaid by the arrival of Annie, several confrontations with an angry boy who wants to summon his dead brother’s ghost, and the spirit of another dead boy who thinks Annie is the key to everything. St. Hilaire is full of family secrets and churning conspiracies, and only Dec, Russ, and Annie can drag the darkness into the light…

Read the rest of this review at Tor.com.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy.