The Soulkeepers by GP Ching

When fifteen-year-old Jacob Lau is pulled from the crumpled remains of his mother's car, no one can explain why he was driving or why the police can't find his mother's body. Made a ward of his uncle and thousands of miles from home, a beautiful and mysterious neighbor offers to use her unique abilities to help him find his mom. In exchange, she requires Jacob to train as a Soulkeeper, a warrior charged with protecting human souls.

He agrees to her demands, desperate for any clue to the mystery of his mother's disappearance. But soon Jacob finds himself trapped in a web of half-truths, and questions her motives for helping him.

Goodreads Summary

A great book with a male point of view, unusual in young adult fiction.  The novel starts off with a bang, Jacob is pulled from the wreckage of his mother's car...his mother's whereabouts remaining a mystery.  He suffers from nightmares, ones that could be from the car wreck or could mean something else...  He is taken in by his uncle, a man who doesn't seem to know what to do or necessarily want the boy thrust upon him.  A kind neighbor makes a deal with Jacob, she will attempt to find his mother if he trains to be a Soulkeeper, one who protects souls.  He is, as would be expected, still in almost a state of shock over all of the changes occurring at such a rapid rate in his life.  Malini comes along at the perfect time.  There is a budding romance between Malini and Jacob, very sweet and subtle.  The book takes off from this point on.

Jacob was a terrific character.  He has rough-edges, but the reader will find that some of those edges are smoothed throughout the novel.  He is loyal to a fault to people he feels truly deserves his loyalty and he shows compassion at the perfect moments during the book.  He has his flaws, but those serve to add to his character.  Malini is the calmer one, the character more likely to think things through.  She is a perfect foil for Jacob.  The secondary characters, notable the fallen angels, are just as intriguing to get to know.  This author's take on fallen angels is particularly interesting as she portrays them as hedonistic, brash, and slightly uncaring-a refreshing difference to the other angel novels. 

The events in this book are fast-paced and exciting, it is hard to put this book down.  The plot is different, it likely won't remind the reader of any other plot or book he/she has read.  This book is a mix of genres, the author blends them together very well.  This novel is recommended for teen/young adults readers who enjoy mystery, action, intrigue, romance, and fantasy. 

5 Stars