Soul Savior

by I.R. Miller

Quincey Oaks was supposed to be looking for colleges to attend, not a way out of the hell she found herself in.
When she heard the ad in the news, she thought it was a hoax, too. Everyone knew that ghosts weren't real, no matter what some crazy man said. But everything she knew was turned on its head after she almost got killed by one inside a haunted mansion. Now she needs to find a way to help the ghosts. It won't be as easy as she thought, though---there's someone else in this mansion who will do anything he can to stop Quincey from calming them.
If she ever wants to escape the mansion, she's going to need a lot of help. Will she ever make it out, or will she die trying?

404 pages, Paperback

Published August 11, 2023

About the author

I.R. Miller is a teen author from the Midwest. They live with neurodivergence and chronic illness, and one of their goals with their writing is to make sure they add representation for those in the fantasy genre.

Reviews

[M. N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me HOOKED. I was saying ‘oh one more chapter’ after every chapter. If you want to read a book about some hardcore lovable found family, this is your next favorite book. The author is so talented and had me falling in love with the witty, relatable protagonist from the very first page, jumping right in to the story from the beginning. The big plot twists at the end left me reeling and enraptured, and the storytelling throughout the book had me both on the edge of my seat and wishing I could give the pages a hug. SO glad I found this book, and I cannot wait for the sequel!!

[Brianna Sholly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible debut novel. I was captivated from the beginning and couldn’t wait to see what happened.

[Vil N. Melling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book and AAAH I'm screaming! It's been a while since I felt THIS connected to the characters of a book, and my goodness it felt great all throughout the story. I bombarded Miller with my thoughts on Instagram while I was reading, but for the sake of sharing my thoughts with any Goodreads user who's wondering whether or not to buy and read this book, here's my full spoiler-free review (using a structure I'd like to call Random Thoughts With Vil.

I'd give this book like a 4.9/5 stars. The story, the characters and the writing were all great (which we'll talk more about in a second), buth the 0.1 points deduction comes from the issues with tense that popped up here and there. The book is written in first person past tense, but occasionally, a sentence of the prose used present tense in a way that didn't feel exactly correct.

Moving on from that, because otherwise, the writing was showstopping. I.R. Miller nailed the deep POV and character voice. There wasn't a dull moment in the writing, because every sentence felt like it truly came straight from Quincey's head (save for the chapters written from the ghosts' perspectives). Quincey's sarcastic as hell, and that shines through in both her dialogue and prose, making the entire book very entertaining and immersive to read. Whenever I read, I was no longer on my bed, in my desk chair or in a chair at school; I was there, in the mansion with Quincey.

Done with the writing, let's talk about the characters! GAH! The characters!
Quincey: Quincey was so relatable, both in a "haha mood" way and in a "holy moly, I feel called out" way. I really think she may be one of the characters I've related the most to... ever. Her internal conflict was so well established (and once again, relatable), and it stayed consistent throughout her entire development. I can't wait to see how she grows in the sequel.
Minerva: THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A STRONG AND STANDOFFISH FEMALE CHARACTER WELL! Minerva's feisty, blunt and aggressive, but because of her moments of emotion, weakness and humanity, she was so much more than a standard Strong Female Character cut-out.
Constance: Ultimate mom friend. I loved her so much. She was so soft, sweet and nurturing, and her backstory and internal conflict explained why so well. Everyone needs a friend like Constance.
Ray: This ball of energy became my favorite as soon as he was calmed and could join the family. Ray's a teenager who's not afraid to be an immature teenager, which is SO REFRESHING to see in a book like this. Teenagers in books often act way too mature for their age, but this didn't happen once with Ray (nor with any of the others, really), and it made him so funny, sweet and precious!
Lyle: Miller must have gotten a blueprint of my type of book boyfriend; Lyle's blond with blue eyes, he's charming and funny but has a soft and sweet side, and he plays some guitar. The perfect man, I will hear no objections. Right off the get-go, Lyle proved his potential as a favorite character and a book boyfriend, and it only got better as the story went on. Also, his protectiveness over Quincey was so adorable and sweet. It's so good to see a love interest who's protective but not possessive and controlling (there's way too many of those). Lyle never stopped Quincey from doing anything she wanted to do, but constantly wanted the best for her and her safety.
Mary: THIS LITTLE CUTIE! Mary was only in the story for the last hundred pages, but she's already so cute and well-written. Mary's supposed to be an unexpectedly intelligent nine-year-old, and she's written exactly as such! The way she acts and rationalizes shows that she clearly is a little kid, but she's still so well-spoken and wise in that lovable little kid way.
Elias: I often find that anxious-nervous-wreck characters are just written as pools of whininess that are incapable of doing anything, but you better bet Elias was NOT like that. Yes, he's a nervous and anxious man, but he still DOES STUFF. He wasn't the annoying "oh no, weak little me can't do this" sterotype, but was more like... "Oh, you wanna do this? You- you sure? Okay, okay, okay... Yeah, yeah I'll help."
Wick: Fantastically introduced, fantastically executed antagonist. He always felt threatening, but never felt overpowered. He felt so realistic as well! I never felt like he was just evil without reason, which is a massive turn-off for me. From the moment he started speaking, you could tell there was more to him, and the more time he spent on the page, the more the feeling of "there's so much more to him, isn't there?" grew. Then the twist at the end came, and it made so much sense!

On the topic of characters, I'll just say real quick that they all had fantastic, realistic, immersive and consistent personalities. No one felt like a cardboard cut-out stereotype. They all had life (badum-tish, funny joke, 'cause they're ghosts), they all had internal conflict, and they all felt like people.

In a similar vein, let's talk about the dialogue because YES! It's not often you find dialogue as natural and well-written as this. The characters in this book didn't speak like robots, one-liner machines or like flowery poetry in human form. They spoke like humans. Their personalities glowed every time they opened their mouths, and it always felt so natural—even in longer monologues!

Now let's talk about Lyle and Quincey for a moment, because gah, they're so cute. Nowadays people are so addicted to fast-moving romances, they skip past every little step on the way and view kisses and sex as the ONLY way to write romance and chemistry between characters. Miller so clearly understands that there's so much more to love than that. Lyle and Quincey didn't do much more than flirt and hold hands in this book, yet their chemistry and romantic tension is so clear. Amazingly written romance.

I really loved how the plot was structured. Quincey tackled "calming" one ghost at a time, and it was so nice to go along with her on the journey. The book follows as she completes her task one ghost at a time by finding them, learning and practicing to calm them, and then calming them. Each of the times was different enough from the last to not get repetitive, and it was so fun to explore the mansion with her. It was also amazing to see the found family grow. Tensions and stakes rose naturally as the plot progressed, until the big climax + plot twist hit, and it was GREAT! Throughout the book, I had my suspicions of what the twist would be, and I thought I had it predicted, but then it came and it was not at all what I had predicted, but it made so much sense! Way more sense than my previous prediction did. It did exactly what a twist should do; it made me say "I should've seen that coming!"
The ending felt so earned and nice, it had me smiling my head off. It wrapped up this story extremely well while also setting up the sequel (which I cannot frickin' wait for).

Finally, I wanna briefly touch on something Miller and I chatted a bit about on Instagram: how this book handles neurodiversity and mental health issues. Quincey has anxiety and ADHD, but it's never painted up as something horrible and daunting that's "wrong" with her. Her ADHD isn't an obstacle she has to overcome; it's simply something she lives with, and it's mentioned here and there. She has an on-screen anxiety attack, and mentions her anxiety from time to time, but she's never judged for it or treated like she's fragile or sick. Lyle has dyslexia, but the only one who views that negatively is Lyle himself (due to backstory reasons). When Quincey finds out, she's neither judgmental or offput by it. Wonderful handling of mental health and neurodiversity.

For all of this, I simply must award Soul Savior a five-star rating. It's joining the club of my favorite books.

[Taylor Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was truly remarkable—one of those rare stories that feel both deeply personal and universally resonant. From the very first page, I was completely immersed, never once needing to remind myself that this was the author’s debut novel or that they were younger. It carried a sense of raw authenticity that made it all the more compelling, as if the story had been waiting to be told in exactly this way. The writing had a natural rhythm, an effortless sincerity that drew me in, making it impossible to put the book down.

What some might see as imperfections—whether in the form of minor grammatical errors, familiar character archetypes, or well-trodden plotlines—only served to enhance the novel’s charm. Instead of feeling like shortcomings, these elements added layers of depth and sincerity, making the book feel more real, more human. It was perfectly ‘young’ in its voice and energy, but never in a way that made it feel simplistic or unpolished. Rather, it struck a delicate balance: fresh and unfiltered, yet still purposeful and well-crafted.

In a way, the novel’s small imperfections became part of its brilliance. They reminded me that stories don’t need to be flawless to be meaningful—sometimes, it’s the rough edges that make a book feel the most alive. The rawness, the unrefined beauty of it all, made the emotions hit harder, the characters feel more genuine, and the experience of reading it all the more unforgettable.

And now, after finishing it, I find myself beyond thrilled for whatever this author writes next. If this debut was any indication of their talent and storytelling ability, I can only imagine how incredible their next book will be. I’ll be counting down the days until I can get my hands on it.

[Mercury Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first written review ever, but I felt very compelled to write one after reading this phenomenal piece of what could only be considered artwork. Where the heck do I even start.

THE PLOT: Omg? The flow of this book was perfect. I can only describe it as pulsing, and it sure will feel like a heartbeat once you start reading it.

THE SETTING: No spoilers, I promise, but AHHHH. Yes, many ghost stories take place in haunted mansions, but those are your run of the mill type. This one makes you a ghost with the way it snags you and pulls you in. The rooms? The twists? Crazy work.

THE CHARACTERS: Minerva. Um, anyways. The personalities of each character are so distinct and realistic I almost yelled at each person multiple times.

Overall, a rollercoaster of a read—but I like rollercoasters so it was a fantastic ride.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly one of the best reads of 2024. As I am looking through my list of books I’ve read this year, I came across this one and knew I had to make a review.
I loved every character. They were clever, well thought out and developed. Premise was, although a little unoriginal, interesting and kept me hooked. Plot was well planned and writing kept me engaged. I couldn’t help but cheer for the main character, Quincey. In fact, read this book and you won’t be able to help wanting her to succeed.
The plot twist was shocking, and nearly made me sit up in surprise. Did not see it coming, though in hind sight it might have been a little obvious—because of the well-done foreshadowing.
A marvellous debut novel. I look forward to where this young author goes next.

[Tatum Elisabooks :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read this book in 3 days (i think) and i absolutely loved it. i bought it because i love the author and i was AMAZED by her writing! the way you can connect with each character is incredible, and the plot twists were absolutely stunning. i kept thinking to myself “oh ill only read another chapter or so” and i’d end up reading for hours. i could not put this book down. i. r. miller, i knew you were good but this is PHENOMENAL

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

IR Miller creates characters that leap off the page and straight into your heart, they’re intricate in ways many people don’t manage to capture. And it gives you a glimpse into a world that’s clearly well thought out that you can’t wait to dive further into by the end.

The entire book screams with vibrance and delight but isn’t afraid to get real with you. The prose itself is absolutely stunning!

I couldn’t recommend this book enough and I can’t wait to dive into the rest of the series

[Grace Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any book that makes me giggle this much at the banter and relationships, and makes me gasp at the twists like that, gets an automatic five star rating. I don’t make the rules. I just loved reading this—the actual experience of reading it (so beyond the plot and character arcs etc, just the line-to-line experience) was entertaining

[SeUnGmIn In ThE bUiLdInG🫰 · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read this book on a car ride and i loved it!!! this was in my top 2 books i read in 2024. the plot was amazing and the characters were amazingly created. the slowburn was amazing and perfectly created. great job I. R. Miller!!!

[Ava Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was soooooo good and a debut novel 😵 it was so good and I am excited to read her next book😁

[Pierce Samuel ✞︎ (My Girlfriend's Ver.)]

Pre-Review - AGAIN SO EXCITED TO GET THIS 🤭 I’m spinning in circles waiting for it to arrive jsdjdcjjcjdjfjvhf

[Catherine Khaperska · Rating 5 out of 5]

So
1) Minerva X Constance forever
2) Lyle x Quincey 🥺🥺🥺
3) ray is a gem to be protected at all costs
4) THE BANTER IS BANTERING
5) THEY CAME BACK TO LIFE??????? AT THE END????? AHHHH MY HEARTTTTT
6) The teenage humour is sending me every time
7) CHAPTER NAMES!!! WERE SO BACK
8) Quincey really is a human punching bag that poor girl its a miracle she doesn't have a concussion yet
9) I want Minerva Jr do you take PayPal
10) Elias and wicks connection making everything fit together and wrap up nicely ❤️ 🥺🥺
This is a MUST READ

[Tatum Carrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible beginning to an intense fantasy series with a slow build, slow burn, and a loveable protagonist. ( as well as her ghost friends :) ) Miller has an incredible way with words and makes you feel all sorts of things throughout this book, and the rest of the series.