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indigo_ewenicorn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I am in love with Charlie and Sam!
I did not want this book too end and feel like I just want to know everything about all the different characters in this story. What is Ollie's history? Is Dante the only ghost pet? Where'd he come from?
I love the LGBTQIA+ representation in this book. It is part of the story, but not the main focus of it. Just like in life, sexuality is part of a person's story, but doesn't need to be the focus of it.
I'm very excited to get the next book in this series and continue on Charlie and Sam's journey.
Charlie is a teenage boy who after dying in the operating room and being brought back to life has gained the ability to see spirits/ghosts. He mostly tries to stay away from the spirits as they have the ability to interact with him and hurt him if they wish. Some spirits are stuck in a death loop where they re-live the moments of their deaths over and over again. If Charlie gets too close to a death loop he can get sucked in and experience everything that has happened to the person in the loop.
Some of the more famous ghosts around York are disappearing and rumor has it that they are being taken by the Shadow Man. Charlie reluctantly forms an alliance with Sam, who has the same abilities as Charlie, but knows more about the magic surrounding the dead as well. They enter a whirlwind mystery investigation into the missing ghosts. They team up with old friends of Charlie's, Leonie and Mitch. Together they solve the mystery of the missing ghosts and through it all discover that Charlie and Sam are quite smitten with each other.
I am curious about Charlie's sisters. Do they have special abilities too? Will they play a bigger part in the next book? Will Charlie tell his parents what he can do and how will they react? Who is "The Hand"?
I did not want this book too end and feel like I just want to know everything about all the different characters in this story. What is Ollie's history? Is Dante the only ghost pet? Where'd he come from?
I love the LGBTQIA+ representation in this book. It is part of the story, but not the main focus of it. Just like in life, sexuality is part of a person's story, but doesn't need to be the focus of it.
I'm very excited to get the next book in this series and continue on Charlie and Sam's journey.
Some of the more famous ghosts around York are disappearing and rumor has it that they are being taken by the Shadow Man. Charlie reluctantly forms an alliance with Sam, who has the same abilities as Charlie, but knows more about the magic surrounding the dead as well. They enter a whirlwind mystery investigation into the missing ghosts. They team up with old friends of Charlie's, Leonie and Mitch. Together they solve the mystery of the missing ghosts and through it all discover that Charlie and Sam are quite smitten with each other.
I am curious about Charlie's sisters. Do they have special abilities too? Will they play a bigger part in the next book? Will Charlie tell his parents what he can do and how will they react? Who is "The Hand"?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: War
cass_lit's review against another edition
5.0
It’s not often that I turn from the last page of a book to find myself shocked and devastated that it’s over. Thank god I already knew there was a sequel coming, because I don’t know that my heart could take just being done with Charlie. And Sam. And Heather. And Ollie. And Leonie. And Mitch. And Audrey 🥲
What a debut. Not only were the characters fleshed out completely and had growth (and so easy to root for, as evidenced above), but the plot was SO intricate. The science was there, the mystery was there, the sweet romantic undertones were there, the twists were there. It’s a YA, but there was still a lot of dark themes and some heavy grief — understandable, when ghosts play such a role. Also loved the disability and queer representation.
This was practically perfect, in my opinion. I couldn’t recommend it more.
What a debut. Not only were the characters fleshed out completely and had growth (and so easy to root for, as evidenced above), but the plot was SO intricate. The science was there, the mystery was there, the sweet romantic undertones were there, the twists were there. It’s a YA, but there was still a lot of dark themes and some heavy grief — understandable, when ghosts play such a role. Also loved the disability and queer representation.
This was practically perfect, in my opinion. I couldn’t recommend it more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Minor: Suicide, War, Death of parent, and Vomit
kaz_brekker1's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Blood, Child death, and War
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Gun violence
purrson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I received a copy of this with my RainbowCrate subscription and had no idea what to expect, but enjoyed it so much, I’m hoping for a sequel.
Teen melancholy comes in strong at the forefront of this YA story, with a main character who’s trying to hang on to normalcy despite ghostly drama only he can see, and (in very relatable/typical adolescent fashion) is sometimes so-self conscious, he doesn’t notice what’s right in front of him. But the pity party doesn’t go on too long, and it’s hard not to love the characters we meet (our MC’s new and old friends) as this mystery ramps into adventure.
Throughout this book a true love of the location—its setting’s present and past—really shines through, and brings the living and long dead characters and their history (or the times they represent) to life. It’s delightfully queer and inclusive (the main character has a visible disability), with some romance to boot. The villains are sinister enough to make the stakes properly high, and these teens deal with enough real life drama that the story stays grounded where it needs to be. It’s truly heartfelt, endearing, and delightfully spooky that I absolutely recommend it for a fun, good read.
Teen melancholy comes in strong at the forefront of this YA story, with a main character who’s trying to hang on to normalcy despite ghostly drama only he can see, and (in very relatable/typical adolescent fashion) is sometimes so-self conscious, he doesn’t notice what’s right in front of him. But the pity party doesn’t go on too long, and it’s hard not to love the characters we meet (our MC’s new and old friends) as this mystery ramps into adventure.
Throughout this book a true love of the location—its setting’s present and past—really shines through, and brings the living and long dead characters and their history (or the times they represent) to life. It’s delightfully queer and inclusive (the main character has a visible disability), with some romance to boot. The villains are sinister enough to make the stakes properly high, and these teens deal with enough real life drama that the story stays grounded where it needs to be. It’s truly heartfelt, endearing, and delightfully spooky that I absolutely recommend it for a fun, good read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Death
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Medical content, Torture, and War
mxbluet18's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Trigger warnings for Sixteen Souls include: death, PTSD (depictions of past events/flashbacks); torture (remembered); suicide (hanging); child abuse (remembered); blood and blood magic (implied); body horror/occult horror; kidnapping; decomposition of a corpse; violence and murder; parental death (on page); anxiety and panic attacks; use of a firearm; transphobia and homophobia (off page)
☆
☆
First impressions, amazing. It has chapter titles and a map. Both good features for books to have. As well as the very English colloquialisms and northern words and phrases.
~
This is a really well written book, with some amazing representation, and lovely characters. It was interesting reading a book that so heavily featured spirits and magic (the two things aren't always included together).
~
I found a couple of the friendships surprising and unlikely but they really worked. And I was mostly unsurprised to find a healthy dose of pining (as with many queer YA stories).
~
I also really liked that the trans and gay representation was really subtle. In the sense that the fact that there was a trans and gay characters wasn't front and centre, and wasn't a particularly large part of the overarching plotline.
~
The guilt aspect, and the reason both Sam and Charlie are seers took me by surprise, but it also makes a weird sort of sense. I thoroughly loved this book, and would highly recommend it to anyone.
☆
☆
First impressions, amazing. It has chapter titles and a map. Both good features for books to have. As well as the very English colloquialisms and northern words and phrases.
~
This is a really well written book, with some amazing representation, and lovely characters. It was interesting reading a book that so heavily featured spirits and magic (the two things aren't always included together).
~
I found a couple of the friendships surprising and unlikely but they really worked. And I was mostly unsurprised to find a healthy dose of pining (as with many queer YA stories).
~
I also really liked that the trans and gay representation was really subtle. In the sense that the fact that there was a trans and gay characters wasn't front and centre, and wasn't a particularly large part of the overarching plotline.
~
The guilt aspect, and the reason both Sam and Charlie are seers took me by surprise, but it also makes a weird sort of sense. I thoroughly loved this book, and would highly recommend it to anyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Murder, Suicide, Violence, Torture, and War
Moderate: Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Medical content, Grief, and Transphobia
emilysbookishlife's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Suicide, and Gore
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, and War
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