Review: Rebel Spirits

REBEL SPIRITS
Lois Ruby
Paranormal Young Adult
304 pages
Scholastic Point
Available now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Lori Chase doesn't know what to think about ghosts. She may have seen a few in the past, but those were just childish imaginings...right? Only now that she is living in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, spirits seem to be on everyone's mind. The town is obsessed with its bloody Civil War history, and the old inn that Lori's parents run is supposedly haunted by the souls of dead soldiers.

Then Lori meets one such soldier--the devastatingly handsome Nathaniel Pierce. Nathaniel's soul cannot rest, and he desperately needs Lori's help. Because Nathaniel was not killed in the famous battle. He was murdered. Lori begins to investigate the age-old mystery, stumbling upon shocking clues and secrets.

At the same time, she can't help falling for Nathaniel, just as he is falling for her....

MY THOUGHTS
Rebel Spirits has an appealing premise, promising us an impossible romance between a young woman and the ghost of a Civil War soldier as well as the uncovering of a mystery surrounding his death all those years ago. Set in beautifully atmospheric Gettysburg, the opening chapters of this story have us fairly thrumming with anticipation, eager to experience a party of history page by page. Unfortunately, what unfolds is a tale that fails to set itself apart from a myriad of young adult romantic suspense stories, giving us a heroine who reads younger than her nearly seventeen years and a soldier who is every bit as untouchable to us as readers as he is to those around him when in spirit form.

In the opening chapters Lori appears to be a cute girl who's less-than enthused about having to move away from her home in the pursuit of her parents' dream to own a bed and breakfast, but she's not whiny or sulky and she immediately has us feeling at ease in her presence. Problems start to arise when Nathaniel enters the picture (though she does handle the fact that he's a ghost quite well), becoming suddenly very judgmental and quick to believe whatever newest piece of information about his past is revealed. She fully supports him and revels in her rapidly escalating love for him one minute before suddenly questioning what type of person he was when he died the next, her emotional turmoil churning at a pace we can hardly keep up with before finally settling on a supposed deep and abiding love.

The highlight of the story is secondary character Evan, a young man doing whatever manual labor the B&B needs to keep it up and running, his quick wit and easy charm making Nathaniel's quiet and more reserved nature almost bland in comparison. Granted, a great number of their differences can be attributed to the time period in which they both grew up, but Evan is vibrant, charismatic and the first part the story that feels tangible, making our detachment from Lori's obvious feelings for Nathaniel all the more apparent. He's sweet to her even when she's quick to dismiss him in favor of Nathaniel and the responsibility she feels she owes the soldier to solve his murder, and our frustration with her only continues to grow as Evan tries harder and harder to win a little of her affection.

Overall Rebel Hearts, while a quick and easy read, doesn't quite captivate or enthrall, it simply relates the tale line by line and page by page, the difference between it and some other standouts in the genre like that of a speech delivered in monotone versus one full of inflection and passion.

Rating 2.5-3/5

Find Lois:

Website • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.