Paul cannot wait to get his assigned Speaker. More than ready to protect him or her, he prepares himself to put as much into the relationship as possible. When he gets assigned sarcastic, intense Vivienne, he is not happy. As more and more things around them start going wrong, they both have to learn to put aside their problems and face their enemies or expect to die.

FRAGILE SPIRITS by Mary Lindsey is different and strange, but in a way that makes it hard to put down. The concept of a book about a pair of people, one who listens to the dead and tries to send them on their way without being possessed and another who protects that person's soul while they're doing that, is fascinating. Though this is a companion to another novel, it is easy to read as a standalone, and Lindsey gives enough background information on the world to make it understandable.

Paul is a good narrator, and it was nice for me to read a young adult novel with a male narrator, since I don't do that very often (not on purpose). Even so, I found myself wishing that Vivienne had more of an input in the narration just to get a better grasp on her side of things. Their dialogue reads wonderfully and occasionally humorously natural, and I love some of the conversations they get into. The plot also feels very natural, and the balance of action with less action/transitional parts is well done, and I didn't find myself bored or getting distracted through it.

Overall, this probably won't go on my list of favorite young adult books, but if you enjoy supernatural stories, this is a solid and enjoyable pick. The uniqueness behind the concept will definitely have me looking at what other books Mary Lindsey comes out with.