Publishers Weekly
06/29/2020
In the small town of St. Hilaire, N.Y., everyone is judged on the strength of their ability to speak with and summon the spirits of the dead. Pianist Daniel “Dec” Hampton just wants to escape his deceased parents’ legacy and leave as soon as possible, while his best friend Russ Griffin yearns for the prestige of joining the town’s Guild Youth Corps as a student leader. The teens’ plans are disrupted when 17-year-old piano prodigy Anastasia “Annie” Krylova is temporarily stranded in St. Hilaire en route to the funeral of her mentor, Dmitry Petrov. Bonding over their love of music, Dec and Annie attempt to fulfill Dmitry’s lifelong quest—finding the missing portions of the Unfinished Prelude, a mysterious piece of music that seems tied to St. Hilaire and Dec’s family. But as they and Russ speak with the dead, they stumble across the town’s darker secrets. Combined with the story’s many elements, a meandering plot saps the mystery’s sense of urgency, but Dunbar invokes small-town intrigue and plentiful atmosphere with this haunting, romantic tale. Ages 14–up. Agent: Lauren MacLeod, Strothman Agency. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
"Fans of Lauren Myracle’s darker novels will appreciate Dunbar’s balance of the extraordinary and the typical." — School Library Journal
"Working to unravel the mysteries that drew them together, three teenagers find unexpected answers in a town where not only the dead are haunted." — Foreword
"Dunbar invokes small-town intrigue and plentiful atmosphere with this haunting, romantic tale." — Publishers Weekly
"Mesmerizing and haunting, Dunbar invites readers into a world of family secrets, anxious ghosts and a society’s ruthless grasp for power that will leave you wanting more." — The Nerd Daily
"Fans of ghost stories and mysteries alike will enjoy following the unlikely threads Dunbar weaves into spooky surprises in this dark novel, upending many traditional tropes along the way. In St. Hilaire, it’s the living you have to watch out for, not the abundant dead." — Tina Chambers, Chapter16
"Dunbar [manages] to capture grief and loss in a way that turned a paranormal book into a novel centered on human experience and struggle." — The Young Folks
"A quietly compelling story. " — Kirkus Reviews
"Ghost story, love story, and mystery in equal measure, Helene Dunbar's Prelude for Lost Souls is filled with unforgettable characters who reveal the many ways a life can be haunted. Perfect for fans of The Raven Boys. " — –Lisa Maxwell, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Magician series
"[A] charming novel perfect for a lazy weekend. It’s moody and melodramatic, the kind of story that makes you think of falling leaves and cozy sweaters and waning friendships and new lovers and finally learning to let go." — Tor.com
School Library Journal
08/21/2020
Gr 9 Up—A town full of honest-to-goodness spiritualists is noteworthy to the tourists who flock to St. Hilaire every summer. But living behind the locked gate of the town can be stifling, and dark-haired Dec wants out. He dreams of being out from under the Guild, St. Hilaire's town council, and away from the place that holds a prescribed future and bad memories of his past. His best friend, pale-skinned Russ, on the other hand, would do anything to impress the Guild for a chance to be in the youth corps and, eventually, join their ranks. When a famous piano prodigy, Annie, finds herself stranded in St. Hilaire, Dec, Russ, and Annie's destinies intertwine as they work together to undo a musical curse of the distant past. Told in alternating first-person narration, readers get to know St. Hilaire from the perspective of insiders—one who wants to leave and one who wants to be in power—and outsiders—a living pianist and a long-dead composer. The main characters find first love and independence alongside ghosts, mediums, supernatural romance, tarot, and runes. VERDICT Fans of Lauren Myracle's darker novels will appreciate Dunbar's balance of the extraordinary and the typical.—Jennifer Miskec, Longwood Univ., Farmville, VA
Kirkus Reviews
2020-06-01
Welcome to St. Hilaire, New York, a town that speaks to the dead.
Daniel “Dec” Hampton, still reeling from the deaths of his parents two years ago, feels suffocated by the rules and regulations set forth by the Guild, the authoritarian town council, and anxiously awaits the day he can leave. Russ Griffin, Dec’s best friend, struggles with his mother’s abandonment and desperately wants the coveted spot of Student Leader, a placement that will lead to a permanent Guild position after high school. Talented teen pianist Anastasia Krylova has recently lost her mentor, whose last request is that Annie find the missing portion of the Unfinished Prelude, a composition with an enigmatic history. When fate brings Annie to Dec’s door, the lives of all three teens are upended in unexpected and mysterious ways. How is Annie connected to Tristan, the ghost who occupies Dec’s home—and how is Tristan linked to the Prelude? Will Dec leave St. Hilaire, or will he be trapped here forever? Can Russ pass muster as a medium to gain his place with the Guild? Dec, Russ, and Annie share the first-person narration; each has a distinct voice. Dec’s is angry while Russ’ is brooding and Annie’s is grief-stricken; the story may resonate with readers who have experienced loss. The setting is inspired by Lily Dale, the spiritualist community in upstate New York. All characters are assumed white.
A quietly compelling story. (Paranormal mystery. 14-18)
