Jax Reviews Sojourner by Maria Rachel Hooley

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Series:  Sojourner #1

Format Read: Nook Book

Source: Reviewer owned

Release Date: December 2010

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Blurb from goodreads: 

Seventeen-year-old Elizabeth Moon has been dreaming of her murder her entire life, and in those dreams, a dark presence is there, watching. When she returns home to Hauser’s Landing, the very place her father disappeared, she comes in contact with a gorgeous boy named Lev Walker, and it’s not long before she’s falling in love. But there’s something wrong with Lev. When she realizes he’s the eerie watcher in her dreams, she’ll have to discover the truth. Is he a guardian angel or a sojourner, an angel of death who has come to collect her soul?

Jax's thoughts:

I think part of what caught me on this book was that the main character has the same name as one of my favorite authors. I'm glad it did. 

It does have some obvious cliches - small town, mean girls, popular boy who is overshadowed by the loner, and small minded prejudices coming home to roost as the new girl/prodigal daughter stirs up old problems. I can't deny that some of it made me think of Twilight, which is hardly a good thing in my book. However, the book itself is enjoyable. There is a whodunnit element, with an answer that isn't readily apparent, but isn't completely obscure either. 

It does have a good dose of dealing with prejudice, so if that's a topic that you prefer to not touch, then this may not be your kind of thing. However, I think it's fairly portrayed and dealt with. The supernatural element is not overdone, the romance is sweet. The bumps in the road are a bit trite, but we are dealing with YA, that's sort of what makes it feel more realistic.

The story ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, and I'm not sure that I'll pick up the next one. I do like the characters and the tale, but neither the cast nor the story grabbed me so tight that I feel I need to know what happens next.