Broken Circle

Gr 9 Up—Adam has been plagued by nightmares since his mother died, but it's not until a psychotic episode overtakes him at school that his dad ships him off to a private academy for help. Here, Adam learns his True Destiny—he is a soul guide, one of the few beings trained to lead a soul through death, into Limbo, and out to the Other Side. A child of two warring guide clans, Adam has been raised with no training on how to use the giant powers roiling inside him; and although warned to trust no one, he doesn't know enough to avoid La Luz (a shadowy organization seeking to overthrow death itself—and, by extension, the soul guides, too) in time to prevent a schoolmate's death. He is ultimately on his own when it comes to dealing with his (quite real) inner demons. Although the authors' world-building is thin and the last chapter is more a pause for breath than a conclusion, readers will forgive these aspects in favor of Adam's wry, funny, and ultimately sweet voice. Through the horrors he encounters, he realizes that the family he longs for is more than just blood ties. Savvy readers will be disappointed with the sketchy details of the soul guide's world. The blood, gore, and period explicit language render this better for older readers. Fans of Holly Black and Cassandra Clare will enjoy this series starter.