Review: Soul Walker (A Touched Girl Series) by Robyn Jones

Publisher: robgirlbooks.com (December 9, 2012)
Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance
Format: Kindle
Source: Sent by author for an honest review

Goodreads Summary
"I need to get you to the hospital." He was taking responsibility for me. Only my parents had that job. I stretched my hand out in protest, but the lack of depth perception had my trembling fingers grazing his overheated neck. I swore his whole body shook.

When five-year-old Anna Pierce is offered a chance to have nightmare-free nights for the small price of her voice, she jumps at it. Silence has to be better than all-consuming dreams about blood and death and fangy monsters. The bargain she strikes comes with a secondary benefit, visions of a person's future potential. The combination of visions and silence changes her very nature and soon she's diagnosed with autism. Twelve years of living in her head comes to a screeching halt the moment Peter Davis pulls her out of an icy river. 

Her new life has her twirling, tiptoeing, and crashing through unfamiliar territory, one filled with a cranky grandma, a knocked up cousin, an unpleasant cousin, a bunch of mostly good vampires, and the boy who rescued her. 

To top it all off, the deal she made at five is no more. Anna is expected to talk, to figure out her resurfacing nightmares, and to control her ever-growing powers. And she'd better get it done soon because if the good vamps want a piece of a living, breathing Touched girl, the evil ones simply want. They'll take Anna for their very own.

Soul Walker is the first book in the Touched Girl Series. It's approximately 91,000 words. Be on the look out for Soul Bender, coming March 2013.
(excerpt from Amazon Product Description

Anna is so refreshing

"Anna doesn't talk. She's brilliant and sensitive, but for now she's nonverbal."

The Good

I started reading two books at the same time and this one just took over the minute I picked it up. I greatly enjoyed getting to know Anna and all of her quirks. She likes to sing herself to sleep and twirl on her tippy toes. She isn't modest with her body at all and causes quite a few people to blush or drop their jaws. I also really liked the other characters, every single one of them. I liked Betsy the most probably due to her straightforward nature which I relish. She is a no-holds-barred type of person that you don't see all the time.

The story is different and not one even similar to something I have read before. The main character is too set apart from anyone I have come across previously. Jones' voice is soothing and I came away from the book glad I had delved into Anna's head.

The vampires were also something I hadn't seen before with the types being a Sire and a Soldier that you could become. Soldiers are killers and Sires are the only ones that can create new vampires or kill vampires with their bite. I always love seeing a fresh take on an old favorite.

The Bad

I got confused while reading, especially in the very beginning. What's funny is that I was drawn in and curious, but also having a hard time figuring out what was going on mostly during the first two chapters. Mainly, this is because I was having to get acquainted with being inside of Anna's head which is different than I am used to and I ended up liking the differences once I understood what was going on. Also, sometimes I would have to go back and read a page ahead of something that happened because to me it just came out of nowhere. I had to do this about three times.

The Romance

I can't really see a love triangle happening in the future, but you never know. Peter and Anna are just too fit for each other. However, Anna was very odd with how she handles relationships and wouldn't get jealous when most people would and also made Peter jealous at times because I think she just didn't know any different. This could become a problem for future books for their relationships, but during this one their new budding romance was a great read.

Conclusion

This was an excellent and refreshing book. It drew me in with a story I haven't come across before and the characters were well thought-out with clear personalities and quirks that made them different. I enjoyed all of the suspense, the critical moments, the bad guys, and am definitely looking forward to the next one coming out.

Excerpts

"'I have two. You'll answer them, and then we'll be all done with this subject.' 'Hardly, but go ahead.' Somewhere between being angry with me, then trying to seduce me, he settled on being amused. I would rather the anger."

"It took a minute of staring before I realized that I had on only my mom-purchased fancy bra and panties. I jerked the covers up, blushing until my whole body felt like a portable heater. Bashfulness, that's new."

"'Yes, but I don't always remember that I talk now.' Sara hugged me for the second time in two minutes. 'Your voice is beautiful. You sound like you're singing,' I could see her little guy growing up. His terrible two's drive her crazy. She has a wedding ring on her finger. She has several bad hair phases."

"Anna, if you ever need me, call out and I'll be there. Always, Peter"

"'We're not helpless, Anna.' He said that without his fangs, but I sure felt like he flashed his razors. Ignoring my instant shivers, or reveling in them, he let out an incredulous laugh. 'He doesn't stand a chance with all of us.' I wondered if excessive arrogance came with the sharp pointies. Nothing touches these guys, except a second bite of poison."