Let’s start this week off with a book review. I did tell you all that I had finished two books. And I am on track to finish a book this week as well. This week will be a bit tricky as I am moving and cleaning, on top of working and trying to get myself situated in my new home. My fiance is very excited. I’m wondering where the heck everything is going to go. It’s a whole thing. But, more on that later. For now, let me tell you about The Souls of Lost Lake.
Summary of the Souls of Lost Lake
The Souls of Lost Lake is another one of the works of Jaime Jo Wright. I know, it’s been a while since I’ve read one of her books. In this one we follow two women in different time zones. Ava, who is in the past, and Arwen, in the present. Both women have to figure out a mystery in their respective times, while figuring out their own lives.
Ava
Let’s talk about Ava first. When she was 13 years old, she came out of the woods into Tempter’s Creek, a small town. She was covered in blood, dragging an axe and had no recollection of what had happened to her family. Now, she’s a young woman and the town isn’t sure how to feel about her. Some feel sorry for her as she still has no memory of what happened when she was young. Others believe she hacked her parents and two older brothers. When a member of the community is killed with an axe, all fingers point at Ava. She swears she is innocent, but the only one to listen to her is the new preacher in town, Noah. When another person goes missing, it’s up to Ava and Noah to figure out who the real killer is, and solve the mystery of what happened when she was just a child.
Arwen
Now, present day we follow Arwen, fondly called Wren by most people. She works at a summer camp just outside Tempter’s Creek and a young girl has gone missing in the woods. Everyone knows the campfire tale of the murderess, Ava Coons, and how she killed her family. Now her ghost roams the forest seeking her next victim. Wren and two friends head to Lost Lake, after she has a dream of finding the missing girl there. They don’t find her, but find the cellar of the old Coons home. Inside they find some old stuff, including a doll. On the bottom of the foot is a name. Arwen. Freaked out, Wren now is determined to solve the old mystery of the Coons murder, and how it ties to her, while dealing with some personal issues regarding her own family and her best friend’s family.
The Souls of Lost Lake Positives
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Jaime is an incredible writer and story teller. This one gripped me emotionally in a way that none of her other books have. I laughed, I almost cried, and when the conclusions were starting to unfold, my jaw was on the floor. And I actually felt bad for one of the “bad guys” at the end of the book. There were great twists and turns. For the most part, I had a great time with this book.
Now the Negatives
The characters. Ava and Arwen both drove me crazy on multiple occasions. I understood, to a point, why they were the way they were. But that didn’t stop me from wanting to reach into the book and smack them. There was also one scene of Arwen’s that had me wondering what the heck I just read once it was done. It was….weird. There’s no other way to put it. Now, this next negative had nothing to do with the book itself, but the narrator of the audiobook. The way she read it was….annoying. I went back and forth between physical and audio. She would read the narration with more emotion than when she read what the characters were saying sometimes. And her pauses were….wrong. It did take me out of the story at times because I was annoyed.
Rating of The Souls of Lost Lake
I gave The Souls of Lost Lake a 4 star rating. Overall it was a fun story to go through. I did love the Lord of the Rings references and the mystery. And the way the emotional scenes truly felt emotional were amazing. The plot twists….chefs kiss. But the characters and the audiobook experience do take away. I am trying to not use the narrator of the audiobook as a part of my rating of the book. So it truly is the characters. There was a side character whom I absolutely adored – more than the main characters. That is why I gave this a 4 star.
Moving Forward
So, I am currently making my way through 2 books. One is going a bit faster and that is the audiobook. It’s merely because I can listen to it when I’m driving, or cooking, or cleaning or packing. But both books are quite interesting at the moment. I have high hopes for the physical book I’m reading. It’s a fantasy and I really want to find a fantasy series to enjoy. Oh, and I have some good news. My creativity is slowly coming back. I’ve been having some more flow to my ideas. Even if the last one had me scratching my head as to why it entered my mind. There is a tiny part of me that wonders if I could write a good romance based story. And I don’t like romance. Why are you like this brain? Maybe I can redirect it towards my second draft. Anything is possible, if I try.
