Shadow Soul by M J Bavis

Running from her past, Camilla is lost in a cycle of destructive behavior. Perhaps it’s time she let others in, and confronted the darkness of her shadow soul.

After ending up in hospital yet again in an effort to escape her pervasive memories, Camilla is befriended by one of the nurses, Anita. Her generosity and affection pierces Camilla’s defensive, and she contemplates settling down for a while, making further friends in college students, Tony and Jill.

However, Camilla’s past isn’t that easy to escape or forget, and when the truth comes out, will she run again or stand and fight for her friends?

A contemporary YA story, with a little bit of fantasy thrown in for good measure, Shadow Soul is well written and engaging. It’s hard to believe that Bavis, originally from Finland, is writing in her second tongue. The language is assured, and the British idioms are spot on.

I was immediately drawn into the world of Camilla, eager to find out what she was running from, and learn more of her strange abilities.

I am conflicted about this book, because for what it does – a young adult drama, with coming to terms with self and past actions, and a large dose of angst ridden emotion – it does very well.

However, there is another potential story within this narrative, one involving a hidden world, an intense war and dedicated soldiers that harbor surprising talents. This was the story that grabbed my interest, but unfortunately it is used more as a device to wring guilt and pain out of Camilla than explore the hidden worlds at war lurking just outside the perception of our reality.

I award Shadow Soul…