The pandemic led to a delay reading this book the tI was very excited for last year! The combination of music, found families, and the paranormal was nicely interwoven with the protagonist's story. This will have a place on my classroom bookshelf and I'll recommend it to fans of Seanan McGuire's Every Heart a Doorway series.

This was a book that I Really enjoyed this read and I would recommend to others easily, I will be looking out for other titles by this author.

I liked this book, but didn't love it. I think I just wanted more out of all of the characters, and unfortunately I didn't get it. Maybe others would enjoy it more than I did.

I really enjoyed Prelude for Lost Souls. It has an intriguing plot that unfolds quietly and steadily. It is moody and atmospheric, and, at times, tense and emotional, 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.

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.

Prelude for Lost Souls quietly captivated me, and I look forward to the next installment in the series.

This was a pretty cool book! Definitely some interesting elements overall, though maybe not the strongest writing.

This ARC was provided for review, but in no way affects the following impartial and unbiased review:
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3*
Pros: Refreshing and original premise. Mystical and captivating world-building. LGBT+ representation. Focuses in communicating with the dead and in the afterlife. Eerie and full of mystery. Deals with grief, honouring your loved ones and moving on. Showcases classical music and living as an acclaimed musician.
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Cons: Insubstantial romance. Incredibly slow pace. Underdeveloped secondary characters.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is available for purchase now.

I am not entirely sure why, but this book just wasn’t my bag. I just couldn’t get into it at all. It could be the way it’s told. It switches back and forth between multiple narrators, which normally doesn’t bother me all that much. In this case, though, I really didn’t care at all about two of the characters, so their chapters didn’t keep me engaged.

The idea of a town with sort of a cult feel to it has loads of potential. You could take it in a dark direction, or just keep it fun. However, despite being mentioned very early on, The Guild (which basically runs the town) didn’t really make its presence known in a way that lived up to the reputation the author had created for it. I was just expecting more.

I thought Russ was a fascinating character. The lengths he was willing to go to in order to be the best…zoinks, yo! I didn’t really understand his friendship with Dec, possibly because it was already falling apart when the book started. He and Dec wanted fundamentally different things, and they struggled to accept that. It was kind of a bummer, but it definitely added to the story.

Dec and Annie just weren’t all that interesting. Annie, unfortunately, didn’t seem to add all that much to the narrative. I really can’t put my finger on why I wasn’t a big fan of Dec. I should have liked him and I have no idea why I was less than thrilled by the chapters he narrated. That just happens sometimes.

As I write this, I realize this is a pretty negative review, so let me hasten to add: I didn’t hate the book. The plot is unique, there is a ton of potential for the continuing story, and Russ was a complicated character (I love complicated characters!). When it comes right down to it, this wasn’t the right book for me. Everything that felt a little off to me might be exactly what would make someone else absolutely love this book.

I will start by saying it kind of reminded me of The Raven Boys, which I love.
I was really excited for Perlude for Lost Souls, the synopsis was intriguing, I mean we’re dealing with mediums and magic! However, I didn’t feel super invested in the characters or the plot happening. That being said, i did think the story was overall well written and had a great atmosphere going on.
I liked this enough that I will be continuing on with the next book.

I'm okay with the base concept here. Closed societies are inherently fascinating. We start out with a vague air of menace and oppression. The pattern is a familiar one to anyone familiar with cult or dystopia stories: an uneasy stasis thrown into chaos by the arrival of an outsider. Even so, the details of the plot are unique enough to keep the reader engaged. Some of the structures are frustrating. Dunbar has a tendency to have characters discover a piece of information that isn't revealed to the reader for several more chapters.It's trying for mysterious but tends to come off as annoying.

PRELUDE FOR LOST SOULS by Helene Dunbar | Grade: B | No spoilers ahead.
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After finishing Helene Dunbar’s highly-acclaimed novel, WE ARE LOST AND FOUND, I knew that I needed to get ahold of whatever Dunbar was going to come out with next. So, I raced over to Netgalley and found out that she had a new (although very different from WALAF) novel coming out later this year. I sent in my request and was thankfully approved for a galley. Now I will preface this by saying that I don’t really normally read paranormal-themed books. Which I think was a both a good and bad thing for my enjoyment of the novel. On the one hand, this being so different from what I normally read gave it a very fresh and original feeling. I really liked the setting of St. Hilaire and I thought that this community was very well-developed. On the other hand, it was a reminder as to why I usually read YA contemporary books. My biggest critique for the novel was that it never really took off. In my opinion, it started off really strong, but then ran out of gas like half way through it. The greatest tragedy I think was that the most promising plot line (at least to me) was killed off a little too fast. I think readers who are more typically into paranormal-themed YA novels will find lots to love here, but wouldn’t be very quick to recommend this particular book to those that don’t share this sub genre preference. A very special thank you to @netgalley and @sourcebooksfire for an advanced copy of the novel. While I of course appreciated this opportunity, my review is presented without bias.

This was a super spooky read one which I quite enjoyed reading. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this book when I started reading it as it didn’t seem that it was for me. However, I am so glad I carried on and persisted. As it turned out to be a good read.

As I continued reading this book I became engrossed in it, I could not put it down. However, what I will say is I found the final part of this book very repetitive. I ended up skim reading the end to see if it stopped. Unfortunately it did not.

I would try another book from this author but this one unfortunately fell a little bit short for me.

Found family, queer content, and mediums?? AMAZING! Plus it has nice worldbuilding and eloquent writing so what's not to love??

3/5 stars

I'm going to start off by saying this book fell a little flat for me, however, that is on me. I couldn't completely connect with the characters and the story. I enjoyed the idea and really liked the musical aspect of this book. I honestly thought this was going to go darker than it actually did. I would recommend giving this a try, I can see someone really loving this book.

I liked it. I really liked and I wasn't sure if I would. It's tense and it's emotional but what really took me by surprise was how deep it turned out to be. Solid writing and engaging characters will have you happily turning the pages until the end. Happy reading!

Prelude for Lost Souls was such an intriguing story and I don't think I had ever read anything like it before! I loved the plot, mystery and the characters! I loved the representation and the setting. It was a perfect start to a new series, and I can't wait for the next one!

Oh man, my heart!

Every year I seem to find one book that takes me by surprise with how deeply it worms its way into my heart. It's usually a book that, while I knew, (or at least hoped!), I'd enjoy, by the end I realize I never saw it coming. Hello 2020, meet Prelude for Lost Souls.

There's magic and mystery, angst and heartache, found family and unbreakable friendships. And there were tears that I was absolutely not prepared for.
While things were a little slow to start, I soon found myself captivated by the world Ms. Dunbar created in St. Hilaire, and I am in desperate need of book 2. Though Prelude for Lost Souls wrapped up parts of the story, I feel like there is so much more to come and I can't wait to see where Ms. Dunbar takes us.

Prelude for Lost Souls is an intriguing read, and the cover does not do it justice. The characters are engaging and carry a hint of mystery. Once I started reading, I did not want to put this one done. Overall, a well-written story that develops at a smooth, steady pace making it easy to get lost in.

Yes, I wanted to read this book because I loved the cover. No, it didn't disappoint. The first thing that made me love the story was the author's writing style itself. It's easy to read, but it also grabs you from the starts. I loved the paranormal atmosphere and how well-balanced it was with the other aspects of the story, such as all the relationships.

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.