Prelude for Lost Souls was such a fun, interesting read, and I fell in love with the cover.  The town of St. Hilaire sounds so interesting and cultish all at the same time - like a paranormal Pleasantville almost. If it actually existed I would probably be drawn to its quirkiness rather than the want to commune with someone who was dead. I found some of the rules The Guild enforced on the residents of St. Hilaire strange, even though I understood some of their reasoning.

In the beginning, even though the beginning of each chapter tells you which character's perspective you'll be reading from I found myself unable to tell the difference between Russ and Dec. That dissipated once I got a little further in and got to know them both better. The unrequited love Russ has for Dec is so sweetly sad - it's not that Dec doesn't love him, it's just not in the same way. The LGBTQ element is fairly tame in this book, is m/m, was done in a completely normal teen hormone way, and didn't detract from the main story. Dec has never fully recovered from the death of his parents two years prior and the town of St. Hilaire is a constant reminder of everything he lost. Naturally, he cannot wait to leave - until the very thing that got him through his darkest days lands on his doorstep. In a town that profits off of grief it wasn't surprising to find that each character has been branded and struggled with their own forms of grief. The male posturing and "chest-beating" some of the characters exhibited was a little off-putting - mainly the Mackenzie brothers and sometimes Russ.

I believe that Prelude for Lost Souls could definitely have a sequel or companion book and I would absolutely read it. Reading this book was so easy to read and get lost in when compared with the last two books I read, even though I adored them. I would recommend reading this book to readers who enjoy young adult, paranormal, supernatural, ghosts, LGBTQ, and mediums. A big thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC of Prelude of Lost Souls - all opinions are my own.

I was provided a copy of Prelude Of Lost Souls by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Title: Prelude Of Lost Souls
Author: Helene Dunbar
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: 1 August 2020
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A town full of mediums, controlled by a corrupt and greedy town council. A community that locks its gates after tourist season ends and doesn't often allow people inside. And look down upon those that do leave. Sounds creepy enough.
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The story is told from three perspectives:
Dec, the boy desperate to leave the town where he doesn't fit in.
Russ, the boy who felt only at home in St.Hilaire after his mom abandoned him, running from the town and her abilities.
Annie, a talented pianist who lost her mentor and wants to fulfill his dying wish.
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Annie ends up in St.Hilaire and is helped by Dec. Her arrival is somewhat supernatural as the story progresses and you realise she's there for an important reason. Dec is determined to leave the town, but with Annie there, he wants to help her first. His best friend, Russ, is the most talented medium in town and always helps Dec, but Russ is also a very complicated character that is going down a dark path.
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In a place where people talk to ghosts and things aren't always what they appear, it has the elements for a great story.
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However, I gave it three stars because it is generally confusing until the last few chapters and was hard to find interesting at first. The ending had a good bit of foreshadowing for book 2.

It felt like there was a lot of latent Raven Cycle DNA in here, though this didn't quite capture the attention in the same way. There seemed to some sort of opacity to the narrative, a separation from the characters even considering the three POVs. I found Annie the easiest to relate to by far, and Russ particularly difficult to connect with. I also wished that the setting had been taken better advantage of, fleshed out further, and made more atmospheric to add to the feeling of the story.

The writing itself was fairly good, though I had pretty major problems with the pacing. The whole book felt like a particularly plodding introduction to a sequel, as if this was just setting the scene for the real action/events/showdown to come, which is not a recipe for making a book itself wildly readable. Even the buildup regarding the relatively more suspenseful plot points like Ian's death or the Guild seemed ineffectual; perhaps because of the emotional separation, I didn't actually feel like I cared much, and there wasn't the, I suppose, malevolence or power to the reveals to encourage reading onward.

It's a decent urban fantasy, and something of a different take on the typical YA entries in the category, but I wouldn't say it's a must-have.

On paper this should have been a new favourite book of mine but I honestly just could not get into it.

I'm gutted that I didn't feel any connection to the story or the characters.

Please don't let me review put you off. A lot of people love this book and I really do think you should give it a try!

I am such a huge Helene Dunbar fan! I knew I needed to read this book just from the author. I did quite enjoy it but it wasn’t my favourite of her books, if I’m being honest.

I really liked the premise of a town full of mediums and the musical aspect was super intriguing. I just couldn’t fully connect with the story.

I do feel that it will be well loved by others, though!

I received an advanced copy of Prelude for Lost Souls from NetGalley so that I could share my review with you!

The town of St. Hilaire is home to numerous mediums who make their livings speaking to the dead. Though the ghosts of the deceased are never the same as they were while living, many people are more that willing to pay for the chance to have one last chance to make amends or say goodbye. The town opens its gates each summer, welcoming in countless tourists from around the world. Ghosts aren’t the only strange thing about the town, however; St. Hilaire is controlled by a rigid organization, known only as The Guild. Each high school senior must enroll in The Guild’s youth program, which is supposed to train them to become the next generation of obedient mediums. Dec Hampton is desperate for a way to escape from St. Hilaire, a town that has somehow become even more haunted since the death of his parents. Russ, Dec’s best friend, is hungry for a chance to prove himself, both to his friends and to The Guild. If Dec were to leave St. Hilaire, Russ would be heartbroken. Things start to shift in the town with the appearance of renowned pianist Annie Krylova and soon it becomes unclear who will stay, who will go, and who will be alive to tell the tale.

You can get your copy of Prelude for Lost Souls on August 1st from Sourcebooks Fire!

Prelude for Lost Souls impressed me with its interesting world, multiple perspectives, and complex, interweaving storylines! I loved the way Helene Dunbar incorporated music into the story. It gave the world a distinct flair that will last in my memory for a long time. Prelude for Lost Souls also has a sequel coming in 2021, so if you’ve been looking for a new series to obsess over, you’ll definitely want to check this book out!

My Recommendation-
If you love music, mediums, and stories of found family, Prelude for Lost Souls should definitely be on your to-read list! This book would be a great fit for fans of The Raven Cycle and other books with paranormal elements integrated into the real world!

Reading the synopsis I thought I'd love this book. I'm a huge fan of necromancers, psychics, magic and dark fiction. Then add in music another one of my loves and it should've been a a perfect match. Sadly this wasn't the case and I ended up losing interest.

The multiple perspectives were not distinct enough for me to understand when they had changed (aside from reading the chapter title) and they didn't seem to have any real depth behind them that I could connect with.

It's not an outright bad read by any means but it just could not hold my attention.

Dec Hampton wants nothing more than to leave St. Hilaire, the spiritualist community he grew up in, behind him, even if he knows it’s going to break his sisters’ and his best friend Russ’ hearts. But when the train of Annie Krylova, the famous piano prodigy whose career he’s been following for years, breaks down outside of his hometown, Dec finds himself tethered to St. Hilaire once more. When Tristan, a childhood friend and presumed ghost that only Dec can see, reappears unexpectedly as well, Dec begins to wonder just how many coincidences it takes to keep him from leaving. Annie, heartbroken over the loss of her mentor, meanwhile tries to do what he requested of her – find the rest of the Unfinished Prelude, a mysterious piece of music that has enraptured many musicians.

With the help of Dec and his best friend Russ, a complicated but talented medium, Annie’s quest for the Prelude takes a turn as family secrets and shifty alliances are revealed until they have to reach out to an enigmatic ghost the entire town’s searching for. One thing Dec knows for sure – he can’t leave now…but will he ever be able to?

I think I touched upon this in my review of Dunbar’s previous release We Are Lost and Found, but this woman just excels at writing settings that make you feel you’ve been there before. This time around, Dunbar takes her readers on an exploration of a small town called St. Hilaire where mediums, ghosts, and tarot-reading teenagers are found at every street corner. And while reading the novel, I could picture everything, from Dec’s house to Annie arriving on the train. It brought with it the sense of dread and feeling lost that comes with living in a town entirely too focused on death, especially when tourist season brings a swing of people wanting to contact the gone and forgotten.

My favourite part, besides the atmospheric setting and general sense of impending doom that was threaded throughout the story, was the relationships that are explored within the book. Dec and Russ’s friendship was really nice to see on the page, but also to see that somewhat unrequited pining that isn’t ever really solved. Russ, overall, was my favourite character to read about. He has so many facets to him and though we learn a lot, I wanted to know everything about him – from his past with Ian, the evasive ghost that the entire town is trying to pin down, to his relationship with his grandmother who passed away but somehow left him the recipes to become a more powerful medium, leading him to a strange addiction. Not to mention his unresolved feelings for his best friend and his lacklustre relationship with his dad. Russ was just a cinnamon roll that I wanted to protect at all costs while also loving his snark and neverending love and support for Dec and Annie. Along that, the complicated bond between Dec and Tristan and how Tristan has simultaneously been a beacon of hope for Dec, but also a source of constant anxiety kept me on the edge of my seat as I flipped through the pages to find out why only Dec could see this ghost that wasn’t a ghost. Annie’s struggle to deal with the loss of her mentor and still having feelings for this boy that somehow understands her better than anyone else after years of being starved of real human interaction also melted my heart.

With that said, I’m going to be honest here and confess that the couple that derived from this story wasn’t who I was rooting for (what can I say, I’m a lover of the underdog). Still, the blossoming romance between Russ and his ghost and Annie’s and Dec’s budding romance were intriguing for very different reasons – you’ll still hear me playing The One That Got Away by Katy Perry though, wistfully watching as Dec and Russ dance around the unmentioned connection they share.

There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the Guild and though we do learn about the sinister things they do to keep the bloodlines of seers and mediums strong, I still don’t have a full grasp on their members or what it is they actually do but maybe that was the point, to keep the reader guessing as Dec tries to escape and Russ tries to change the system from within. I can see how that would be explored more in the sequel.

The only real complaint I had was that the characters could have been a bit more fleshed out. While we do get the POV from Annie, Russ and Dec, I felt that there was an imbalance to how much we get to know about the individual characters. Since this is only the start of a series, though, it made sense that some characters got more of a spotlight than others and I hope to learn more about those who haven’t gotten their time to shine yet in the sequel.

Mesmerising and haunting, Dunbar invites readers into a world of family secrets, anxious ghosts and a society’s ruthless grasp for power that will leave you wanting more.

Honestly, after I read the first line about most people in St. Hilaire making their living by talking to the dead, I didn't need to read any further.  Attention secured.  

One of my favorite things about this book is the friendship between Dec and Russ.  Both have suffered tragic losses in their lives, but know they can count on each other no matter what.  Everyone needs a friendship like that in their life, although at some points it seems as if the balance shifts with Dec taking more than he gives.  Each is at a crossroads where the decisions they make will significantly impact not only their lives, but also their loved ones - especially Dec.  Russ is struggling with some personal demons (not literal ones - but he does struggle with literal ghosts) that may prevent him from achieving his goals.

While Dec and Russ had to maneuver through hurdles and obstacles, Anna didn't seem to have as much agency.  She shares POVs with Dec and Russ, but primarily exists to support other story lines.  I'd love to see her play a bigger role in the second book.

Something I never had a firm grasp on was The Guild.  Their presence loomed like a dark cloud over the story, and they controlled many activities of citizens in the town, but exactly how they obtained that power and how they used the money brought in from tourists and other sources was never clear to me.

I'd describe this book as a quiet paranormal that reads like a contemporary.  It may lack heartstopping reveals or shocking twists, but the story takes you by the hand and leads you on a pleasant supernatural journey.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I definitely felt The Raven Boys vibes from this book, and that should be an instant winner for me. Maybe my feelings of being underwhelmed were because I kept mentally comparing the two books.
I quite liked the concept, and the plot was intriguing, but I didn’t really connect with the characters as much as I’d like, so I didn’t feel as invested in their journey or it’s outcome as I would have liked. The pacing was a bit off in places too, so that definitely contributed, and there were quite a few loose ends by the end of the book.
Other than that, I think Prelude For Lost Souls is a well written, atmospheric read.

St. Hilaire is a town full of physics and mediums and is a major tourist spot during the summer. People come from all over the country to speak to their dead family members. The supernatural side of this story had my complete attention, and I enjoyed reading about and understanding how the different characters communicated with those who had met death or were cursed. It's a great read that is totally worth your time

St. Hilaire, New York, is a place unlike any other. People visit from all over the country to speak to their dead family members and friends through the many mediums that live in the town. Dec Hampton, a seventeen-year-old boy, is ready to leave St. Hilaire and have a normal life. He is tired of being told what to do by the Guild and no longer wants to be controlled by them. When Annie, a famous teenage prodigy shows up on his front step, Dec begins to learn secrets about the town and himself that he never thought he would know. Tristan, a boy that only Dec has been able to see for years, is seen by Annie as well, and she is determined to help put the boy to rest through the Prelude, a song that has been on her heart because of her instructor, Dmitry. This is a beautiful story of mystery, secrets, and darkness, but also love and hope.

This has been one of my favorite reads of the year so far. The entire story was so elegantly crafted and interwoven with the idea of music, and it was so captivating. The characters, plot, and development were all so well done, and I truly loved getting to watch Dec meet Annie and fall for her! The supernatural side of this story interested me greatly, and I enjoyed reading about and understanding how the different characters communicated with those who had met death or were cursed. I am looking forward to hopefully seeing a second book after this one, as I felt the ending was a bit unresolved and left the story open for more to happen in a sequel. I would highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an ARC of this book!

Yes, there are some loose ends here, but unless the author keeps this series in St. Hilaire and explores new people and events, there's no reason for this to be a series.

There are a few spiritualist communities still left, on in New York State but nowhere near where St. Hilaire is located. Adding in the proximity to New York and surrounding it with a "regular" town added to the sense of this as a place apart - but more could have been done to show the spiritual nature (maybe starting it a day or two earlier, so we'd see how the town changes during the season and after) and how seriously the townspeople take their professions. Instead we get glimpses, as well as a couple of hauntings (or something like that) and attempted seances. Why the town wants to reach Ian isn't quite clear, nor is how the Guild is formed. It felt as though there were things excised to make way for more tension about the Prelude and the piano and Dec's wanting to leave.

eARC provided by publisher.

I find myself in an awkward situation of holding an ARC, agreeing it's well-written with a creative concept—and feeling nothing.

But before I get into all the reasons why I didn’t like the book, let’s first take a look at what I did enjoy. The concept is great and even if the rest disappointed me, I’m glad I read it just to experience such a cool idea. There is also no denying Dunbar's writing is incredibly cinematic. We can see the story evolve in front of our eyes, follow the action-scenes meticulously. The is entertaining, the short chapters that always end in cliffhangers make you want to read on. It’s fast-paced and action-packed.

Unfortunately, this is already where my praise ends. I know, trust me, nobody is more saddened than me.

Firstly, there is the execution of the concept and the world-building. It just didn’t do it for me. The characters were underwhelming. I found both the main and secondary characters to be quite flat and rather dull.
The secondary characters were simply tools to move the story along and never became fully fleshed-out.
You may feel that reading this review, the book should really get less than 3 stars from me. And maybe you’re right, but I want to give it the benefit of the doubt, knowing that I went into it with high expectations. It’s really still a pretty good book and I would recommend it to people.

I really liked the premise behind this book, and the story itself was good. The only issue I had was that I felt the pacing was a little off - it was slow at times, but I love a good fantasy and I know plenty of people who will love this when it comes out.

Prelude For Lost Souls was such a good read! It has a heavy spiritualist community, a decked out car, a curse, a piano with a secret, brooding ghosts with secrets and a wonderful love story! I really enjoyed the world building in the book, it was also atmospherically enchanting... In a supernatural way of course. I can't say I was in love with the characters but I'm definitely excited to see whats in store for them in the next book!

The premise is good, but the story dragged with a lot of talk and little action. It was hard to get through and didn't inspire any real concern for the characters or their story. I was disappointed because I was expecting a good supernatural read.

I really like how this one started, and the concept intrigued me throughout. I felt like it was maybe 50 to 75 pages too long - somewhere about halfway things lost their steady pacing for me and I felt like they dragged a bit. They picked back up, and I did enjoy the book as a whole and was very intrigued by the way it ended and left things. If it had been edited a little tighter I think it would have been a truly phenomenal book. It is definitely a y a story. And I'm starting to think I'm too old for most of them LOL... A coming-of-age / growing into your own storylines just doesn't resonate with me the way it used to, and that's what this really is - with a mystery and some mysticism thrown in for good measure. Still, as it was, it was a concept well-executed and populated with interesting characters, I just found it a little draggy in the middle. Stick with it though, the ending was worth it, and I am curious to see where things will go next...

Not to my taste, personally. There's a sort of Gothic feel that I think other readers might enjoy, as well as a restlessness that matched well to the protagonist's age and circumstances. I don't think the decision to include multiple perspectives helped, but that might just be me

This book get like stepping into a more adult version of Halloweentown. However, the multiple plots lines get out of place and made the general flow feel clunky. As it seems this is meant to be a series, I wish the author had started with the plot of the Guild’s secrets and then the second book be about Annie and The Prelude. I feel like that would have given us a lot more time to get to know the town and it’s quirkiness. The first chapter felt like it was trying to do that, but it faded out by the end of the book. I’m sad because I really like the idea of this series but the whimsy of it felt lacking. I generally like the author’s writing style as contained within each chapter but the jumping around to plots that really don’t get connected in the end made it tough to give this anymore than 2.5 stars.