Honest-to-goodness paranormal mystery!
From Chapter 1, I immediately bonded with Stark's writing style. Her writing has just enough detail to provide a good framework while allowing for the reader's mind to fill in the blanks. The entire tone of the book was sharp and gritty, which balanced out the more abstract supernatural aspects. I even found myself peering over my shoulder every now and then to check for hooded figures, only to be brought back with the character's dry humor and quick witThe rate at which plot elements were revealed were spot-on for my tastes and kept me reading long past bedtime. I identified with Phoebe's facetious charm and her penchant for putting her foot in her mouth. I particularly bonded with the juxtaposition between sardonic, messy Phoebe and the bright, pastel-laden teacher's lounge. The romance was wonderfully refreshing and real. Phoebe and Jack are both eye-on-the-prize people, so it was exciting to me that they kept with their characters and didn't abandon their life's missions for a rump in the hay.
While I enjoyed the book immensely, I was sometimes confused by the transitions between settings and had some trouble keeping the names of the cameo characters straight (the ones involved in the murders, particularly). These ended up being very minor flaws in the grand scheme of things, but these flaws unfortunately jarred me away from a truly immersive book.
Stark has a talent for forcing the reader to perceive the novel from a truly first-person perspective. You sense things as Phoebe senses them. You feel her passion to find answers about her past and her powers and her role in the events that plague the small town of Harrow.
Seven Souls was a marvelous read and I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the books in this series!