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The Soulkeepers (The Soulkeepers #1)
by
G.P. Ching (Goodreads Author)
When fifteen-year-old Jacob Lau is pulled from the crumpled remains of his mother's car, no one can explain why he was driving or why the police can't find his mother's body. Made a ward of his uncle and thousands of miles from home, a beautiful and mysterious neighbor offers to use her unique abilities to help him find his mom. In exchange, she requires Jacob to train as...more
Kindle Edition, 311 pages
Published
March 21st 2011
by Carpe Luna. Ltd.
(first published March 10th 2011)
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The Soulkeepers by G.P. Ching is one of those rare stories that seizes your attention from the start and never lets it go. You quickly become wrapped up in this imaginative story and are transported into Jacob's world. You experience all of his confusion and frustration first hand and you simply must know what happens next.
There is so much packed into this story; it is incredibly easy to get swept up into it. I found myself gobbling up pages, desperate to know more about this new, exciting and t...more
There is so much packed into this story; it is incredibly easy to get swept up into it. I found myself gobbling up pages, desperate to know more about this new, exciting and t...more
"The Soulkeepers" is guilty of stealing precious hours of sleep, but it is so worth every minute spent and more. This story has an original premise, beautiful scenery, lovable characters, jaw clenching action, and a book load of mystery to keep the pages turning until the very end. G.P. Ching’s writing is brilliant and some aspects of the "The Soulkeepers" are reminiscent of one of my favorite author’s work, Anne Rice.
I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to everyone.
I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to everyone.
Jul 08, 2011
Tamara Rose Blodgett
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
action,
drama,
paranormal-urban-fantasy,
ya,
mystery,
adventure,
paranormal-romance,
romance,
suspense
This is a Must Read YA book!!!
Truly well-crafted. It's perfect for the Christian reader OR the non-Christian. It is rare in literature to finish a "Christian" book and not feel preached at. This novel does that. I still cannot determine if this IS a Christian book, per se...but it was fascinating. There's just enough truth in all the elements that were used [in the book] that it smacks of plausibility...
The gist of the story is (male POV; gotta love that!) Jacob is propelled on a journey (not of...more
Truly well-crafted. It's perfect for the Christian reader OR the non-Christian. It is rare in literature to finish a "Christian" book and not feel preached at. This novel does that. I still cannot determine if this IS a Christian book, per se...but it was fascinating. There's just enough truth in all the elements that were used [in the book] that it smacks of plausibility...
The gist of the story is (male POV; gotta love that!) Jacob is propelled on a journey (not of...more
ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I am here to say that the book the soul keepers is very good and keeping you interested in what will come next and just being an all around good book, however this book is not so great at showing true pain and sorrow.
Jacob is the main person in this story and all he wants is to find his mom, but she is somewhere that is nowhere. some of the things that keep you interested in the book are, "she is nowhere, you wont find her. she is no longer of this earth"-Dr. Si...more
Jacob is the main person in this story and all he wants is to find his mom, but she is somewhere that is nowhere. some of the things that keep you interested in the book are, "she is nowhere, you wont find her. she is no longer of this earth"-Dr. Si...more
First, let me point out that I am NOT the target audience. This is a YA title and for the record, my 13-year-old daughter read the entire book and pronounced it excellent. I am a member of the secondary audience that YA books seem to draw, that is, moms of tweens and teens.
This book has many plusses. Well-written, descriptive, imaginative, vast, ambitious. There are occasional typos but as I can attest personally, self-published authors don't always have the benefit of editors and proofreaders....more
This book has many plusses. Well-written, descriptive, imaginative, vast, ambitious. There are occasional typos but as I can attest personally, self-published authors don't always have the benefit of editors and proofreaders....more
** SOME SPOILERS MAY ENSUE! **
By the time I picked up The Soulkeepers, I had read a lot about it and couldn't wait to dive in. I wasn't disappointed!
From the moment Jacob wakes up in a hospital bed with a "damaged brain", he is a very relatable character, especially for me personally. My heart went out to him as he journeyed from not caring about anyone or anything to opening his heart and having faith. You can't help but root for Jacob to come around. A fantastic good vs. evil plot that will co...more
By the time I picked up The Soulkeepers, I had read a lot about it and couldn't wait to dive in. I wasn't disappointed!
From the moment Jacob wakes up in a hospital bed with a "damaged brain", he is a very relatable character, especially for me personally. My heart went out to him as he journeyed from not caring about anyone or anything to opening his heart and having faith. You can't help but root for Jacob to come around. A fantastic good vs. evil plot that will co...more
The Soulkeepers by G. P. Ching is a young adult novel which begins the urban fantasy Soulkeeper series. Jacob Lau only has his mother, and when he wakes up in a hospital, certain he is dead, he discovers that he might not even have her anymore. His father died years ago, and now his mother is missing, and very well could be dead. Jacob has more questions than answers as an uncle he did not know he had takes him to live with his family in a small town that does not seem to want him there. Small t...more
Title: the Soulkeepers
Author: G.P. Ching
Pages: 312
Genre: Fiction
RDL:
Exposition: The story starts off in Hawaii, where the character Jacob is from. He had just experienced a accident in which his mother was kidnapped. He cannot recall what had happened to him. Jacob has now been taken into his Uncle John's care. This involves him moving from his hometown and going to Paris, Illinois. He did not know that he had a unlce or any other family member, which is why he is uncomfortable with moving with...more
Author: G.P. Ching
Pages: 312
Genre: Fiction
RDL:
Exposition: The story starts off in Hawaii, where the character Jacob is from. He had just experienced a accident in which his mother was kidnapped. He cannot recall what had happened to him. Jacob has now been taken into his Uncle John's care. This involves him moving from his hometown and going to Paris, Illinois. He did not know that he had a unlce or any other family member, which is why he is uncomfortable with moving with...more
Interesting concept with a plot htat moved along fairly quickly. Some strange minglings and interpretations going on. Minglings are a christian novel that has magic (not all miracles) and shamans/herbalists. It was surprising to me but didn't offend me but I suspect it could offend some. Interpretations are of some of the religious texts but again, if it is a plot device and doesn't offend the target audience then OK.
I would not read another of these only because it was too Christian for me and...more
I would not read another of these only because it was too Christian for me and...more
Mar 14, 2013
meleah
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy-sci-fi,
young-adult-fiction
Ok - so it was a neat idea. This book probably isn't something I would have bought on my own, but it was free on kindle so I decided to give it a shot. The first 1/2 - 2/3 of the book was pretty exciting with the mystery and Jacob trying to figure things out and learning his ability, but the last 1/3 of the book didn't hold my interest as much. I liked the main characters, Jacob and Malini, though I did think the whole Jacob/Maini/tree part and right after was overly dramatic. I also really enjo...more
In The Soulkeepers we get to discover the magic underlying a world much like our own. Jacob Lau discovers he's something more than human, and by the end, I was cruising through the tale, excited at how all the ideas and characters were coming together. The book has a spiritual thread which sometimes seemed a little forced as Jacob denied the existence of God, but by the end, Jacob's character arc made sense.
Ching isn't afraid of making her characters real. Jacob makes some bad choices, but he le...more
Ching isn't afraid of making her characters real. Jacob makes some bad choices, but he le...more
This is, I believe, Ching's first novel, and it shows. The concept isn't bad, and the writing isn't dreadful, but overall it just clunked. The biblical scholar in me winced at the sloppy interpretations of certain texts; the small-town girl rolled her eyes at the stereotyped version of the bigoted, narrow-minded townspeople; the writer tried to overlook the cliched plot development; the reader completely lost patience at the (literal) deus ex machina at the end.
It's not a dreadful book. I'm prob...more
It's not a dreadful book. I'm prob...more
Jan 16, 2013
Jade Warwick
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
e-books,
kindle-books
Fifteen-year-old Jacob Lau has it rough. He and his mother live a modest life in Oahu, estranged from the rest of their family and till mourning the death of Jacob's father. But when there is a mysterious car accident that leaved Jacob injured and his mother, Lilly, missing, his uncle's family is forced to take him in. Jacob is moved to the small town of Paris, Illinois, where he faces starting a new high school, being bullied for his Chinese-German heritage, the scorn of his extended family, th...more
I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I first picked up the book. I had figured some supernatural or fantasy story judging solely on the cover and title - what I was *not* expecting were Christian elements to be woven into the story. On principle, I avoid books with real-world-religious-themes because it just feels uncomfortable but this one held some promise so I stuck to it.
The main protagonist, 15-year-old Jacob Lau, is a rather believable obnoxious, self-centered, attitude-ridden teenager....more
The main protagonist, 15-year-old Jacob Lau, is a rather believable obnoxious, self-centered, attitude-ridden teenager....more
Engaging story about a 16 year old boy who discovers he has special powers after a near-death experience. The boy's mother disappears after the accident that nearly took his life and he is sent to a small, backwards town to live with family he never knew he had. He gets into fights but meets the girl of his dreams. This poses a problem because he wants to run away from home to search for his mom and to get away from a creepy girl who can beat boys up without even trying.
Sounds nutty, right? Well...more
Sounds nutty, right? Well...more
This book is the first in the Soulkeepers series, and is the first " fallen angel" story I have ever read. The book was geared to young adults, which means its your standard outcast that saves the day type story, but approaches being an outcast in a whole new way. Instead of being left out because of a special ability, the main character is left out because of his race. The main character is part Chinese, and is excluded in his little town of mostly white Germans because of his mixed parentage....more
I got this as a free download ebook. From the little synopsis that was presented it sounded like a decent book. Nothing special but something to read while on the go and not have to worry about stopping and picking back up later. Ok well maybe it is just me but the synopsis/description of the book and the actual book were totally different. Maybe its all the religion thrown in and seemingly forced down my throat each chapter. I don't mind a book that touches on religion or has it as a key compon...more
I almost skipped this book as in general I find fantasy themes with angels/ fallen angels and a traditional Christian basis tend toward the author having an additional religious agenda along with the plot/storyline.
I'm glad I took a chance on this, as the traditional religious theme was not particularly slanted in any specific direction and the 'mythology' held up well. Overall, the book was uneven for me, however. There were parts of the book where I could not put it down but there were other s...more
I'm glad I took a chance on this, as the traditional religious theme was not particularly slanted in any specific direction and the 'mythology' held up well. Overall, the book was uneven for me, however. There were parts of the book where I could not put it down but there were other s...more
Aug 13, 2012
Paula Sealey
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
sci-fi-and-fantasy
After 15 year old Jacobs mother disappears, he is sent to stay with family he has never met before and struggles to fit in with a town full of people who have known each other all their lives. Haunted by strange dreams, he finds solice in the form of Malini, a fellow social outcast at school.
Having been pushed too far by his cousin and unleashing his temper, he damages the property of Dr Silva, the local botanist, and is sent to her house to work and repay the debt. Jacob discovers he has a hidd...more
Having been pushed too far by his cousin and unleashing his temper, he damages the property of Dr Silva, the local botanist, and is sent to her house to work and repay the debt. Jacob discovers he has a hidd...more
This Story starts out with a 15 year old boy being taken to live with his uncle he had never met after his mother goes missing. He experiences a lot of prejudice and bullying at this small town high school, and finally befriends an Indian girl, who gets bullied just as much as he does. After throwing a fit and breaking a window of the neighbor’s house, he has to work off the cost in her garden. However, this neighbor has many secrets.
He learns about his past and his talents as a Soulkeeper, with...more
He learns about his past and his talents as a Soulkeeper, with...more
From the opening sentence this book grabbed my attention and kept it.
I don't read loads of YA books, unless my teens are reading it and recommend the book. I found this one on my own, though. It was so full of interesting plot twists. The questions I had pulled me through the book to the very end.
I really identified with Jacob as the loner boy who didn't have herds of kids to sit next to in the cafeteria. The fact that he befriended Malini made him cool in my eyes, even though he was full of t...more
I don't read loads of YA books, unless my teens are reading it and recommend the book. I found this one on my own, though. It was so full of interesting plot twists. The questions I had pulled me through the book to the very end.
I really identified with Jacob as the loner boy who didn't have herds of kids to sit next to in the cafeteria. The fact that he befriended Malini made him cool in my eyes, even though he was full of t...more
Sadly I had a hard time with The Soulkeepers. I really don't know if it was the religious parts or what but I can say I would have found it a bit more enjoyable if they had not been thrown in. I just don't think I needed to know every few chapters who believed what and who didn't. I just felt like it should have been mentioned in the synopsis somehow but instead when I read the above synopsis I had no clue about all the religious parts inside.
There were some other parts in the story that I reall...more
There were some other parts in the story that I reall...more
I really enjoyed this book; I was enthralled from the very begininning. It was well written, though not in the traditional sence. It didn't use a lot of big words and incredibly long sentences, but was written in a way that was closer to how people talk every day.
About halfway through the book the plot turned into a "God vs. Devil" aspect, and started talking about passages in the Bible, and Genesis and all that. Not being a Christian, I groaned and wanted to put the book down. I wanted to stop...more
About halfway through the book the plot turned into a "God vs. Devil" aspect, and started talking about passages in the Bible, and Genesis and all that. Not being a Christian, I groaned and wanted to put the book down. I wanted to stop...more
Ack, read another free book that ended up having way too strong religious overtones for my taste. I really don't know why booksellers can't make it more obvious, and I'm surprised this one slipped past me with all the checking I did about the genres and such but by the time I realized, it was kind of a trainwreck in progress and I couldn't stop. I think I'm going to stop reading free books, most of them are terrible at best.
Anyway. Book about a teenage boy trying to deal with the possible death...more
Anyway. Book about a teenage boy trying to deal with the possible death...more
Dec 23, 2011
Tahlia Newland
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ya,
urban-fantasy
I really enjoyed this novel, it's a real gem for the price. Although we once again had a teen with a previously unknown special talent and angels, both of which I'm a little sick of, the author managed to bring a different slant to the formula. Not only is it well written with great characters and a flawless plot, it has a bit more depth than a lot of popular fiction.
I'm the first one to run screaming at any hint of dogma, so I was a bit worried when I hit the quote from the bible and the result...more
I'm the first one to run screaming at any hint of dogma, so I was a bit worried when I hit the quote from the bible and the result...more
The book starts out with an amazing line that evolves into a mystical story essentially about light and dark. The fantasy does follow a typical pattern of boy meets girl in new town and finds trouble. However, GP Ching leaves you guessing with the details in every chapter. Where's his mom? Why's he so special? What's everyone hiding from him?
For the first two weeks, I found myself reading a chapter per night due to my schedule. However, just yesterday, I couldn't put the book down. There were so...more
For the first two weeks, I found myself reading a chapter per night due to my schedule. However, just yesterday, I couldn't put the book down. There were so...more
3.5 stars.
I usually try to stay away from books about fallen angles and religion. Not because I'm not religious myself, but because too many books seem to mock or contradict one religion or another in the process. I don't know if I would've read Soulkeepers had I known it was this kind of book but I ended up enjoying it. I think for me, it's best to ignore all the religious innuendos and just read it as a story. I can't do this with every book, but with Soulkeepers it was fairly easy to do.
The...more
I usually try to stay away from books about fallen angles and religion. Not because I'm not religious myself, but because too many books seem to mock or contradict one religion or another in the process. I don't know if I would've read Soulkeepers had I known it was this kind of book but I ended up enjoying it. I think for me, it's best to ignore all the religious innuendos and just read it as a story. I can't do this with every book, but with Soulkeepers it was fairly easy to do.
The...more
A great book with a male point of view, unusual in young adult fiction. The novel starts off with a bang, Jacob is pulled from the wreckage of his mother's car...his mother's whereabouts remaining a mystery. He suffers from nightmares, ones that could be from the car wreck or could mean something else... He is taken in by his uncle, a man who doesn't seem to know what to do or necessarily want the boy thrust upon him. A kind neighbor makes a deal with Jacob, she will attempt to find his mother i...more
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G.P Ching is the author of The Soulkeepers Series and variety of short fiction. She specializes in cross-genre paranormal stories, loves old cemeteries, and enjoys a good ghost tour. She lives in central Illinois with her husband, two children, and one very demanding guinea pig.
More about G.P. Ching...
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“The hardest thing you will ever do in life is to know for sure what is true.”
—
11 people liked it
“...in the presence of God, it is less important who is right than what is right.”
—
9 people liked it
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Sep 06, 2012 07:28am