Review “Bridge of Souls”

Title: Bridge of Souls | Author: Victoria Schwab | Series: Cassidy Blake #3 | Publisher: Scholastic | Genre: Middlegrade | 300 pages

I was very disappointed when they pushed back the release date for this book from autumn 2020 to spring 2021. And I was absolutely elated when it was finally delivered. And even happier – if that was even possible – when Sammie got her copy from the library so we could start our buddy read. (Naturally, I fell behind and Sammie could spend the rest of the time it took me to read to silently smile and listen to my weird ideas.)

Cass thinks she might have this ghost-hunting thing down. After all, she and her ghost best friend, Jacob, have survived two haunted cities while travelling for her parents’ TV show.
But nothing can prepare Cass for New Orleans, which wears all of its hauntings on its sleeve. In a city of ghost tours and tombs, raucous music and all kinds of magic, Cass could get lost in all the colourful, grisly local legends. And the city’s biggest surprise is a foe Cass never expected to face: a servant of Death itself….

I was so happy to meet Cass and Jacob again and right from the start the setting of New Orleans was draped over me like a heavy and warm blanket. I have never been to New Orleans and have all my knowledge of this city from documentaries and pictures on the internet. Sure, it gives you a general idea of the city but having it described by somebody (and from an author like Victoria Schwab, too) is something else entirely. I loved the overall feeling that the description of the city and the hotels and the haunted places gave me, and of course the Veil.

Cass is curious and reluctant at the same time. I always liked that she felt the pull to go behind the Veil, to see, to experience, but at the same time to be reluctant to lie to her parents, to feel out of her depth. She is still worried about Jacob, who has gained tremendous power for a ghost, who flies too close to the living, being able to move and touch things and not being too intangible anymore. It worries Cass, knowing that that’s not how it’s supposed to be.

Besides Jacob becoming too powerful and fearing that he might lose control, Cass also has to deal with New Orleans’ opressing Veil, a creepy and dangerous servant of Death itself that is chasing them and keeping everything a secret from her parents.

I quite liked the book. It was very easy to slip back into this world and it felt comfortable and thrilling. I still like the characters, I rooted for them and I was happy to discover the city and the Veil with Cass and Jacob. I loved how high the stakes were, how they had to switch between the world of the Living and the Veil, who they met to get answers. There were so many interesting new characters and places.

I have to admit that the ending seemed a bit rushed to me. Especially since I’m still not sure if this book is the end of the series or if there will be any more books. I absolutely adore this series and I somehow really hope that the author will write more Middlegrade because I love her writing but don’t really find any purchase with her YA books.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and reading it with Sammie. I liked the atmosphere, the characters and the plot and I kind of hope that there will be more of this series in the future, even though it’s not sure if there will be any more books.

My Rating