Jacob is independent, brave, and devoted.

Jacob is a teenager who finds his life is turned upside down when his mother disappears in a car accident.  He is the one driving.  He is sent to live with an uncle, but he has to leave his home of Hawaii to go to the mainland in Illinois.  Along the way, Jacob proves himself to be independent, brave, and devoted to his family and to God in Soulkeepers.

Jacob finds himself in a series of mysterious circumstances.  When he “dies” in a car crash, he sees only black before he is brought back to life.  Jacob is confused and frightened when he wakes up, and even then, he still exhibits signs of his independence.

He didn’t want to know a God who made a war then killed off people’s fathers in it.  No, Jacob was sure he was alone in this.  Alone with an uncle he’d never met. (Ch. 2)

Jacob is also brave.  Although he has a temper, he soon realizes that he has magic powers, such as the ability to control water and use it to fight his enemies.

His body was a string map.  … The strings were tight and when he strummed them with his mind, they played a note, the same note as the water.  In that moment, everything felt connected. (Ch. 12)

Jacob discovers his gift of fighting with water to defend Malini, a girl who is very important to him.  He later develops this skill with the help of Dr. Silva.  It proves that Jacob is special, and will be a useful fighting in the war between Heaven and Hell.

Finally, Jacob is devoted.  Despite his earlier reservations about God, he will be one of God’s soldiers.  He wants to save his mother.  Dr. Silva and her tree, who is actually her dead husband, help Jacob try to find his mother.  It is Jacob’s faith that his mother is still alive that allows him to eventually find her.