The Keeper of Night (The Keeper of Night duology, 1)

Ren is neither British Reaper nor Japanese Shinigami, and yet she is both. Living in London with her little brother and collecting souls, she’s dreamed of traveling to Japan and finding her mother. When a turn of fate causes the High Reapers to hunt Ren, that dream may finally come true. But to become a Shinigami she must complete an impossible task. Or maybe it isn’t so impossible with the help of her little brother and a cast-off Shinigami who’s more then he seems.

I really don’t like Ren, but her character arc is fantastic. Neven, her little brother, is a sweetheart, more capable than he’s given credit for, and Hero, a Shinigami who helps them in their quest, is hiding many things from the beginning. Together they make for a wonderful story with a fantastic ending that, to me, almost shouldn’t have a sequel. Yet I can’t wait for it.

One thing that really bothered me was how Ren dismisses Neven’s discomfort and constantly says he doesn’t understand not belonging, when he has understood it his whole life. If Ren would listen to him, the story would be different and this key element is what makes this story such a tragedy.