The Holders is a YA paranormal novel by Julianna Scott.Becca, seventeen, has been her brother’s protector since she can remember. He’s always been different. The voices in his head have caused many to try and put him in a mental institution – or worse. Yet Becca has always known, deep down, that the voices are real.
And no one is going to take her brother Ryland from her if she can help it.
So when two representatives from a “school” in Ireland called St. Brigid’s talk about how all they want to do is help Ryland – that he’ll fit in for once and be happy – she’s not naïve.
Yet as she listens, she realizes these people seem different. So, she agrees for them to take him – but only if she’s right by his side.
Thus starts her journey to Ireland.
Once there, she begins to learn more about her own family history and a legend about people with special abilities called Holders.
It doesn’t take long for Becca to realize that there might be an alternative reason that St. Brigid’s wanted her brother. He may be the one they’ve been waiting for…
Becca’s fierce loyalty to her brother is honorable and her extremely early high school graduation at age fifteen makes her unique as a protagonist.
As The Holders continued, I found that the abilities rooted in Irish legend and tradition was interesting and it was very easy to visualize the school in Ireland.
The romance aspect of The Holders was refreshing as Alex and Becca’s connection was based on rapport and personality than just pure attraction. And though I kinda/sorta saw it coming, the big shocks were pretty surprising.
It was going relatively strong there for a while, but then I felt the plot got a bit more mushy and romance focused that I prefer. I really can only take certain romance-focused books well – they have to be written a way my taste enjoys, which tends to be rare-ish.
Yet The Holders was still good. It has some faint resonance of Twilight themes and I kept thinking of the Holders as a more naturalistic X-Men story with leprechaun accents! Ha! Fine, if not extraordinary, read.
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