Ship of Souls by Zetta Elliott

Title: Ship of Souls
Author: Zetta Elliott
Publisher: AmazonEncore
Acquired: Received free for an honest review
Age Group: Young Adult
Grade: 73% or C-
Buy It: Amazon

When 11-year-old Dmitri (“D”) loses his mother to breast cancer, he finds himself taken in by an elderly white woman, Mrs. Martin. D loves to watch birds and, while in the park, is amazed to find an injured bird that can talk. He takes it home and soon learns there are malevolent forces inhabiting the region beneath Prospect Park and they are hunting for the bird; Nuru is a life force that has been kept hostage by the earthbound spirits who are ghosts of soldiers that died in the Revolutionary War. Nuru’s mission is to guide the ship that will carry the souls of the dead back to her realm. D has been chosen as Nuru’s host, and must carry the bird from Brooklyn to the African Burial Ground in lower Manhattan where the dead await deliverance.

My Thoughts::
I haven't heard anything about this book before I read it, and most of the time I like that. It's sort of cool to read a book when you have no idea how others felt about it or if they liked it. Then knowing that when you write about it, all your thoughts are fresh and you know they all have to be your own because you know no one else's.

This book was so short that I didn't get to build a solid connection to any of the characters. This is always disappointing because you WANT to build that connection, not only to get to know the character better, but because it makes the book that much more emotional. When something happens to the character you care a whole lot more because you actually care about that character. Instead, I realized the character was in danger, but I didn't really have any strong feelings about what happens to them. This makes for some dull moments that are supposed to be suspenseful.

There was also a lot going on in the book. You're trying to get a sense of whats happening, which was exciting but also a bit confusing. And since the book was so short, everything, including the friendships, seemed rushed and just packed together.

Despite these things, the book was fast paced and a decent book to read in one sitting. The plot was creative and the book discussed things more serious than just boyfriend troubles. Even though it was short, I couldn't help feeling afterward that I read something heftier.