The Book of Lost Souls by Michelle Muto

I was introduced to author Michelle Muto and her books on Twitter.  I will eventually review her other book, but Ms. Muto herself advised me to start with The Book of Lost Souls after I told her I needed something funny to read.  If you are/were a fan of "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" or "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," then this is definitely the book for you.  Teen witch Ivy MacTavish and her paranormal pals get involved in some magical mayhem and then find themselves in a struggle to save the world--no big deal. The Book of Lost Souls is as funny as it is suspenseful and won't disappoint.


Title: The Book of Lost Souls
Author: Michelle Muto
Pages: 288
Publisher: Independent
ISBN: 9781466463219
Publication Date: March 6, 2011
AR Levels:  N/A
Goodreads Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13291148-the-book-of-lost-souls

In a nutshell:  Teen witch Ivy MacTavish makes an interesting date choice for a Halloween dance when she decides to turn a friend's lizard into her very own college guy--Spike; however, her plan comes unraveled when Spike acts less than humanly at the dance and everyone finds out what she's done, even the guy of her dreams--Dean--and the bad boy she can't stand--Nick.  Her band of friends, which includes a brother/sister pair of werewolves and a brother/sister pair of vampires, help her try to pick up the pieces and also make amends for her actions.  While cleaning up a cemetery with her friends, Ivy finds a pair of magic-related books that she believes were hidden by her father, a notorious outlaw known for dark magic who left Ivy and her mom years earlier.  When a murder spree breaks out in her town, Ivy knows that she not only has a connection to what's going on but also that she must do what she can to stop it.  Along the way, she wants to win Dean, but demon Nick  becomes infatuated with her.  Can she stop the dark magic that's plaguing her town, or will she or one of her loved ones become the next victim? And what will she have to risk along the way?  Read to find out!

I'd recommend it for grades: 8-12+

I'd recommend it to:  anyone who loves books about witches, werewolves, and vampires, as well as anyone who enjoys a good paranormal laugh.  

What I liked most about this book:  This book includes character types that we've seen in other fantasy books, but those other books don't include the hipness and suspense that this book brings to the table.  This book isn't Harry Potter or Twilight, and I found that very refreshing!!

Single favorite moment (without getting spoiler-y):  One of my favorite moments occurs early in the book when Ivy's werewolf friends' senile uncle crashes the dance gnawing on a human bone he dug up from the cemetery.  It was definitely a laugh-out-loud moment for me!

Star rating (where 5 stars is awesome and 0 stars is atrocious): I'm going to say 4 stars.  The Book of Lost Souls is a very quick read that will keep you guessing until the end!  I'm looking forward to much more from Michelle Muto!