The Sin Collector

Title: The Sin Collector

Author: Jessica Fortunato

147 pages, Kindle edition

Published February 2012

“The Sin Collector” follows the life of Liliana, a born Sin Collector. She has spent over 100 years absorbing people’s sins so they may rest in peace come death. However when she meets another Collector, one who insists everything she has been taught is a lie, Liliana must make her way from Sunny L.A. all the way to the streets of Madrid. Searching for answers to a question we all share. Why are we here? The friends and enemies she makes along the way only seem to blur the line between right and wrong. Can Liliana fight the Castus, an organization bent on killing off every Sin-Eater? Should she trust her head or her heart when the two most important men in her life are fighting alongside her?
Then there is the worst question of all, who will be left when the dust settles."

This book has been sitting on my To-B-Read shelf for sometime now. During the Holy Week (Lent), I decided to read and contemplate. I thought, at first, Liliana was an angel who absorbs the sins of mankind. But as the story progressed, I was incredibly mistaken.

The truth is: I haven’t read any book that tells me about Sin Eaters or sin collectors. SO I went on researching for it through Wikipedia and this is what I got: The term sin-eater refers to a person who, through ritual means, would take on by means of food and drink the sins of a household, often because of a recent death, thus absolving the soul and allowing that person to rest in peace.

So, within 24 hours, I immersed myself in this Jessica Fortunato book and I exclaimed in the end: “The Sin Collector is Groundbreaking!”

The story follows Liliana, a sin collector who is already a hundred years old. Back when she was a child, she was mentored by Olexander and thought her how she wad going to be a sin collector.  Collectors, as they were called, stop aging when they reach 20. Soon her mentor left her, as it is impossible for Collectors to be near each other. They would feel excruciating pain when this happens. So Liliana had been on her own since then.

Her life as a librarian may not have been as exciting nor fulfilling, added to the fact that her boss is kind of jerk, but she enjoyed her solitary life. She gained friends like Sophie and George. One day, an old friend (really old, as in a century old)  showed up and then her boss was murdered. Coincidence? Not really. To unravel the mystery, she had to accompany her friend, Billy all the way to Ireland. Soon she went on a journey that led her to the knowledge that her fellow Collectors were being murdered by an organization called The Castus. There she also saw her former mentor and was shocked when there was no more pain felt while they were together.

Jessica Fortunato did a fantastic job with The Sin Collector.  The prologue immediately got my attention and it made me want to read more. Although the book was fairly short, I was not disappointed at all. The story itself was action-packed, fast-paced, and brilliantly executed. The characters were easy to relate with. They”re really not as complicated as you think. The twist revolving one Collector was a welcomed surprise. Truly, in this world full of sinners, you can never trust anyone, even your own kind.

I would love to read more about the future that was waiting for Liliana and her companions. The little girl, Julia proved to be a special innocent child who could turn into an amazing woman when her time comes. I can’t wait to get my hands on Book 2!

I’m pleased to rate The Sin Collector with 4 stars. Looking forward to reading Thomas, soon. Truly a tour de force!