I really enjoyed Prelude for Lost Souls. It has an intriguing plot that unfolds quietly and steadily. It is, at times, tense and emotional, and while there are no massive twists or shocking reveals, there are a few curious coincidences that tie together two of the storylines (and I am still left with a question or two there.) This is a story about friendships, grief, and expectations.

There are multiple storylines going on here, and while Dec's and Annie's intersected more neatly, Russ's ran mostly separate. While one storyline is tied up and another has OH SO MANY questions! That's fine though, because I'm HERE for Russ's story. There's also great LGBTQ representation.

The worldbuilding feels a little incomplete for a paranormal novel set in a town whose entire industry revolves around mediums and talking to the dead, but honestly, I feel like the book reads more like a contemporary novel with a spooky paranormal setting. Since this is the first in a series, I'm hoping we learn a lot more about The Guild and the town of St. Hilaire in the next book - which I'm looking forward to. ( )

Every character in this book is some sort of prisoner, but there are no cells or walls. Annie may be an interloper, but her prison is as integral to the town of St. Hilaire as are the rest-Dec, Russ, Ian and Tristan. As you read the book, you may be confused at first by the differing plot elements, but by the end, most everything has fallen into place and you'll feel satisfied. It looks like a sequel will come and that should be equally interesting. ( )

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. ( )