Veiled, by S.B. Niccum

Age group: 12 and up
rating: 8


"Where did I come from?" is a question all of humanity must ask itself at one time or another. Not just because we are curious, but because knowing that answer is a key to knowing who we are. Whether you are religious or not, this S.B. Niccum's book, "Veiled" gives an intriguing perspective on just that- what our existence before earth might have been.
   Tess and her "clan" are spirits living in a place much like heaven, where they and millions of other spirits must choose either a life filled with choices or one where salvation is guaranteed but agency is not. Either way, everyone must pass through a veil of forgetfulness before birth. Tess trains for earth life while dark spirits attempt any and all schemes to disrupt the divine order of things. Friends are off to earth without a moments' notice. Life in the spirit world is filled with guardian angel duties, the discovery of a parasitical but unshakable bond between spirits, and of course, romance!
    The first time I read this book, it opened my eyes to 1)the fact that we really are all equal children of God, 2)how liberating an eternal perspective is, 3) this life has meaning, 4) the difference between good and evil is not always clear, and 5)a deep realization that I was someone before coming here. I admire S. B. Niccum for writing about something religious. Almost all of the elements in the story are based on what Latter Day Saints (Mormons) believe about life before Earth.
   I give this book an 8 out of 10 because it forces the reader to come to similar conclusions, or at least examine their feelings on the matter more fully. Though many variables depend on religous beliefs, I found it to be only subtly religious. There are very few instances where Tess interacts with or thinks of God, or "the Eternals." Most of the time she was preoccupied with preparation for mortality or solving the mystery of missing spirits. Though she eventually realizes that He does care about us, it is a very passive thought and doesn't seem to influence her actions in any way.
   Nevertheless, I found the plot to be thrilling and fully admit to secretly reading it under the covers with a flashlight (don't ask me what time it was- I don't know!). While Veiled incorporates some religous belief of pre-earth life, it is much more of an adventure story. It provokes deep thought while still keeping the reader caught up in the action. I would recommend it to any and all of my friends, in hopes that they, too, would be reawakened to a fascination of life- all stages of it.