Book Review: The Orphan, The Soul Catcher, and The Black Blizzard

Most of his life, Charlie Reese has been surrounded by a loving family and all the comforts of home. But when a house fire claims them, he and his cousin, Jimmy are sent to an orphanage in the heart of ‘Depression Era’ Chicago. A year later, Charlie’s life is shaken by yet another tragedy and with it comes the mysterious introduction of a secretive runaway, named Bartholomew. As Charlie begins to discover more about his new companion, he unknowingly becomes a participant in a two-hundred year old secret. Come the morning of the Black Blizzard, Charlie finds he must make a choice - flee the destiny laden at his feet or take on his responsibility and follow a path full of supernatural wonders.

*Excerpt from Goodreads.com

This was an interesting read for me because I didn't remember that it was the beginning of a series (doh!). So, until the end of the book when I saw there was another one coming, I was really confused about the lack of closure in the book. Stupid me...

Having said that, this was a fantastic book with a perfect ending to set up a sequel! The plot is well thought out and well crafted. I love the setting of depression era Chicago. It is such a gritty and nasty place. It's the perfect setting to move the story of Charlie and Buck through. Charlie is a kid that has had to grow up too fast. He has a problem with not being able to leave "project" children alone. He feels the need to take them under his wing and help them along. Well, he get's more than he bargains for with "Buck". Buck gets him into more trouble then he really knows what to do with. It's an interesting relationship to watch develop and I'm excited to see how the author (Kimberlee Bastian) works all of the sub characters into the rest of the story. 

This book has something for a wide range of readers. There is some action and adventure, some mortal vs immortal, and some mystery going on. If you are at all a fan of any of these things then this book would be a worthwhile read for you. 

I apologize for the vagueness of this review because it's hard to tell you much about the story and what I liked about it without having some spoilers, and I hate spoilers. Just know that this book has a lot going for it and that it will keep you turning pages to the very end. If you have the time, pick it up and give it a read. 

Overall Rating: 4/5