Review: Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey

Shattered Souls

By: Mary Lindsey

Pub. Date: December 8, 2011

Publisher: Philomel Books

Pages: 326

Source: Bought

A thrilling debut story of death, love, destiny and danger

Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.

Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.

Shattered Souls is one of those books that you should read on a rainy day, curled up on your couch. It was fantastic and had everything that I could want. There was history, mystery and very cool characters.

I met Mary Lindsey at a book signing in Houston, Texas, where the book takes place. That in itself was cool and even though I just moved to Texas a few months before,  I knew some of the places mentioned in the book. Lindsey was hilarious, and it just made me want to read her book so much more.

The main character is Lenzi who can hear ghosts which automatically makes her think she is going crazy like her father, but it turns out she isn't crazy, she is a Speaker. She hears ghosts and is supposed to help them move on before they turn into those crazy ghosts that hurt people. I thought this concept was very cool. Who doesn't love a good ghost story?

I liked Lenzi. She's just trying to be a normal girl, except she is anything but normal. Actually, she is a thousand year old soul, but this time around, she doesn't remember any of her past lives. After her father committed suicide a year earlier, her mom moves them to Houston to start over. The only person that pays any attention to her is college boy, Zak, who quickly becomes her boyfriend. I know that I was supposed to hate Zak, but I think I am part of the minority who really liked him. Sure, he had some issues that definitely needed working on. But I still liked him.

Lenzi thinks she is getting closer and closer to the disease who took her father when Alden comes along. Like, Lenzi, he has been reincarnated over and over again throughout the centuries, except he is her protector, and he is in love with her and has been forever.

I loved Lenzi and Alden together. I would love to read more about their lives. I think that would make for an interesting story. Maybe there could even be a short story focused on a particular past life??

I thought Shattered Souls was fantastic. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a second book, but if that doesn't happen, I am still happy I got to read this one and will read anything else Mary Lindsey puts out there for us!