Review: The Bridge

The Bridge by Rachel Lou
Rating: ★★★★

Wow, I really enjoyed this book.

It's hard to describe such entertaining creativity when you find it, but this book definitely shows off the active mind of its author. In a world where witches channel their focus through salt, familiars can be invisible, sassy jellyfish, and constantly fainting can land you in the arms of a god-like, paranormal love-muffin—I couldn't stop reading.

Everett is a witch that loves books, libraries, and writing paranormal research papers for fun (I love this nerd). There's nothing that special about him (witching aside); he keeps to himself in the fashion of an extreme introvert, he's still dealing with his parents disappearance/assumed deaths that took place seven years before, he lives near woods that positively reek of paranormal "ew", and the occasional harmless spirit wanders his way so that he and his grandpa send her/him to her/his afterlife. All-in-all, his life is pretty normal for a witch.

That is until he finds himself jerked along by an invisible force to a dojang (the Korean version of a dojo) where he finds tons of paranormal gunk and a wild-looking guy sparring with his sister.

Dun dun DUNNN, his life changes in a million different ways.

He starts investigating the paranormal energy rolling off of the dojang, and slowly discovers his familiar (which caused the tugging that brought him to the dojang in the first place).

When he tells his grandpa (his only surviving family) about the tugging and the "instinct", he discovers that he's a Bridge Master, which is like sticking a huge target on himself and doing a strip tease to every power hungry creature in their world.

The problem is not only:
(a) Everett's age

"You’re a blank slate. Moldable.”
“It sounds like someone wants to get their hands on me.”
“That is what the Order suspects. You are the youngest Bridge Master as of now, which leaves you with more than enough time to be molded into something you’re not.”

(which makes him impressionable, moldable, etc. *cue old crotchety lady wagging a bony finger and yelling "You young people and your damned malleability to anyone's will!"*), but also...
(b) he's mega-weak for a witch. He has a cereal bowl of energy compared to every one else's pool-sized bowl, which creates issues. Mostly the fainting. It causes his new friend Bryce to think he has medical issues.

“He had made Everett promise to keep drinking water, stay away from sharp objects, and keep his phone within reach. Every ten minutes for the first hour after Bryce left, Everett had to send a text confirming his awareness.”

Also, there's Mr. Pendley from a mysterious witch regulation organization called "The Order", who basically makes it his job to make Everett feel like the worlds biggest inconvenience. Jerk.

Anyway, his "Bridge Master" instructor, Omar, goes missing before they even have a chance to meet, and it's kinda assumed that it's Everett's fault because of the whole target/strip-tease thing, and then he enters into the messy world of hybrids and hybrid-boyfriends who want him to create a bridge to the In Between where it turns out his instructor, Omar, might be wandering around.

Everett is incredibly lovable, and very active. Some second-hand embarrassment definitely happens, and lots of laughing. The romance is also so sweet to read. It happened at such a normal pace, all witchy-ness aside, and it wasn't all-consuming, which I loved. Everett was still himself and actively pursuing his goals when Bryce wasn't around. He was realistic, thank God. The butterflies and the wandering thoughts were there (of course—he's got the feels after all), but he has other, bigger issues, and he tackles those head-on. There's just some lovely, tingly blushing in between.

I just finished another book where the main character was practically crippled by his guy-crush and it made him obsessive, incompetent, and annoying. That made Everett's resourcefulness and back-bone soooooooooo refreshing.

I also loved the creepy woods theme!

“A whisper breathed a soft name past his ear, carried on the same small gust of wind.
His breath jittered in his throat.
The air calmed.
'Are you lost?' the wind whispered.
He grabbed his salt baggie and sprinted down the path.
'Lost?' The wind swirled around his head, his legs, tightening into small loops that almost tripped him.”

This book is an easy, entertaining read that left me never wanting to put it down. I'm almost upset I finished it so quickly!