By Manuel A. Meléndez
Publisher: Aignos Publishing, Inc.
This book is about a mother, two boys, and three daughters trying to survive in New York after having moved from Puerto Rico. With the encouragement of the husband, who has moved to the U.S. mainland first, the family follows looking for a better way of life only to find much despair and horror.
The family noticeably begins to battle a curse from the past that comes in the form of an evil spirit. The spirit, named Eduardo, once loved the mother from a distance and will stop at nothing to possess her. The evil spirit is determined to possess the mother, destroy her family, and take the youngest son’s soul.
The author has written two novels, two poetry books, and a collection of short stories. His first novel When Angels Fall made The Latino Author’s Top Ten Book List in 2013 because it was so good. This new novel, Battle for a Soul, is another one of his great works.
If you like Stephen King and eerie books that make you jump or give you goose bumps, then you must, and I say DOUBLE must, pick up a copy of Battle for a Soul. This book will keep you awake and will send chills down your spine. Caution, you may not want to read this book at night.
Mr. Meléndez’ style of writing is easy to follow. The plot is intense and his settings are amazing. The author’s characters are so believable that they could almost be part of your family just with how they interact with each other. He makes the reader feel as if he or she is right there alongside the family fighting against the evil spirit(s).
His writing skills are so good that you are quickly drawn into the story. Even when you walk away from reading a few chapters to take a break, the author has managed to get a hold of your subconscious. The story is full of twists and turns and just when you think you may have figured out the story, you find out you were wrong. The author is so attuned to what makes a good book and how to create suspense, action, and great scenes to keep the story moving forward that you lose track of time. On a 10-point scale with 10 being the best, I would rate this book a 12.
I couldn’t wait till the ending to find out what happens with the demon’s battle for the soul, but on the other hand I wanted it to keep going because the story was so intense, so good. This, readers, is a testament to a high quality publication. I can easily see this book made into a movie. As I read the book I kept imagining how it would look on the big screen one day.
I will leave you with just a few last words on this book review – pick up a copy as soon as you can! It’s a book that you will want to have on your bookshelf. And if you lend it out by hapstance, be sure to get it back – an excellent book!!!
Source: Book was provided by author for review. It was reviewed by Corina Martinez Chaudhry.
