Review: The Soulkeepers by G.P Ching

Jacob Lau is shipped off to live with his after his mother goes missing.

This is just the beginning of his problems.

The Soulkeepers (The Soulkeepers Series) is the first book in the series by G.P. Ching, and her debut novel.

Jacob’s father died several years ago. His mother goes missing and is feared dead. He ends up in a town where generations of families have lived and don’t like newcomers. This town and some of their families hold secrets, and Jacob has one of his own.

The stereotypical idea of small towns not liking newcomers (or those who aren’t white) seemed a little heavy-handed. Perhaps growing up in a diverse city, I didn’t see much of this when new people showed up in the neighborhood. But it’s a good way to force to characters together who may not have otherwise been friends.

Jacob acts like a typical teenager in the middle of a crisis. There were some readers who thought he was acting childish, but he’s 15 and an essentially an orphan. There aren’t many who would act like mature adults in that situation.

Most of the characters were likable – if they were meant to be liked. However, the woman who lives across the street whom Jacob has to help because he broke her window was frustrating. She calls herself a “Helper,” but it seemed her goals were only to help herself.

My biggest issue with the book was the overt presence of Christianity and stories from the Bible. There was no mention of God or religion in the summary and was a little surprised by the heavy inclusion in certain parts of the book. A little bit of a warning would have been appreciated.

Overall, the book was an OK read. The short chapters kept the action moving and didn’t have too many moments where the book lagged. However, I’m not sure I’m interested in these characters enough to keep reading the series.