The Weight of Souls

Taylor is just trying to get through high school like any other girl her age. But Bethany inherited a curse from her now deceased mother. The dead will hunt her out and mark her. If she can’t pass the mark on, she will be sucked into…well she doesn’t know what but it’s nowhere she wants to go.

First off, The Weight of Souls is a book I enjoyed a lot; in fact it’s one of my favourite offerings from Strange Chemistry so far. However I have been struggling putting together my thoughts into a review. The central relationship is, shall I say, unorthodox. I feel going into details will be a bit spoilery but it’s something a bit different that tiptoes along a thin line of things that might not be OK. But it is all done in such a way that you accept it. Can I be any vaguer?

Central to the story is the topic of peer pressure. Even without Taylor’s supernatural abilities, there’s a strong plot revolving around the stupid, and often dangerous, things teens will do to fit in. The school setting is so believable, right down to the level of meanness from the kids. There’s nothing dramatic, but the actions and words build up into what amounts to bullying in the long term. It shows how easily they can fall from grace, from being normal and accepted, to being at the bottom of the social pecking order.

Taylor’s curse has been passed down over generations from a tomb raiding ancestor. The modern day story is interspersed with passages from a journal that used to belong to her mother. Those of you familiar with the history of Egyptian archaeology will know of the tales of the cursed, and I liked the idea that they are still around, trying to live normal lives.

The Weight of Souls is published by Strange Chemistry and will be available in paperback and ebook editions from 1st August 2013. Thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy for review via NetGalley. Bryony has also organised a huge blog tour which will be stopping here next week. Make your you check out her website to follow the tour and win goodies.

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Also reviewed @ Uncorked Thoughts

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free of charge for review purposes only. Receipt of a book does not guarantee a review or endorsement. My reviews are my honest opinion and are not biased for the purpose of personal gain.