Soul Screamers Read-A-Long (1) - My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent

My review is spoiler-free, so readers new to the series can read freely!

The discussion questions and responses below the review will most likely be filled with spoilers, so read those at your own risk! Scroll down to find the discussion!

REVIEW:

My Soul To Take
(Soul Screamers #1)
Rachel Vincent
Release: December 29, 2009
Add to Goodreads   Buy at Amazon

She doesn't see dead people. She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next.

I originally reviewed My Soul to Take over a year ago, so I've updated the review a little and am reposting it below.


Prior to checking out My Soul to Take I had already read most of Rachel Vincent's adult series, Shifters. I really love that series, even though the characters sometimes made me furious, so I was expecting that her YA series would be fantastic as well.

This is definitely one of those books that gets better the further you get. When I started it, I liked the main character Kaylee, and I enjoyed learning about what she is and how her ability works. Vincent reveals her ability slowly and we learn what Kaylee is as Kaylee does. But, it wasn't until about halfway through the book that this became a "stay up late and read it no matter how early I have to wake up" book. And the last 50 pages or so were in the  "CAN'T PUT THIS DOWN!" category. When I was crying by the book's end (I got teary eyed, okay?) I knew this would be a series to continue.

Vincent has a knack for developing an urban fantasy element not commonly seen in the genre. In her Shifters series she created a complex world based on werecats and politics. In My Soul to Take, Kaylee discovers that she is a bean sidhe (pronounced like 'banshee'). I've had only a small exposure to bean sidhe in the past, but in Vincent's world they are not women dressed in ragged dresses who walk around funerals and wail for the dead (which is a traditional legend). They are also not woman with broken hearts who turn into crazy screaming she-demons who kill men with their wail (thank you Charmed...).

Vincent's bean sidhe have the ability to sense when someone near them is just about to die. When they get this sensation, they are overcome with grief and the overpowering urge to scream at the top of their lungs. This unearthly wail holds souls to this plane for a little longer while the wail lasts. Of course, there is much more to being a bean sidhe, but I can't give it all away!

The romantic element to this story is the new relationship between Kaylee and Nash. I could have used a little more relationship build up between them. I understand that he is a popular guy and that's why Kaylee is immediately interested in him and excited when she runs into him outside of school, but it seemed like they were an item almost instantly. I would have liked some more tension and such before they decided they were practically in love. With that said, I did like their relationship and the sweet high school feel of it. I also enjoyed the way Vincent held out on us about Nash and why he knew so much about Kaylee. Perhaps she decided to use up all the tension and mystery on that instead of on Kaylee and Nash's relationship. 

And then there is Tod. A mysterious character who enters the story about halfway through, Tod shows an immediate interest in Kaylee and has some sort of secretive past with Nash. I loved all of the interactions between these three and can't wait to read more about Tod as the series goes on! I see a possible love triangle happening in the future, but I might be reading into that because of my experience with Shifters.

As I mentioned above, the end of this book will keep you reading until the last page. You will not want to put it down once you enter the final sequence of major events. Leave it to Rachel Vincent to throw in some curve balls!

I am SO excited to dive into the rest of this series! Everyone who is up to date with the Soul Screamers series sings its praises and I've heard each book is better than the last!

Recommended for fans of: books with surprises, emotional twists and turns, unusual paranormal elements, and enigmatic boys named Tod.

    

  4 / 5 stars

You can check out my co-host Little Read Riding Hood's review of My Soul to Take HERE!!!

DISCUSSION:

Let’s Discuss!

Soul Screamers Read-A-Long Discussion #1

My Soul to Lose (Soul Screamers #0.5)
My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers #1)

 

***SPOILER ZONE***

Leave your comments, questions, praise, fangirling, wails, and moans in the comments below!

Here are some questions you can discuss (but you don't have to):

Prequel questions:
1. How does the prequel novella compare to the first book for you?
2. Do you think Lydia (the girl in the hospital) will make an appearance in later books?

My Soul to Take questions:
3. When did you figure out what Kaylee is, or did the big reveal surprise you?
4. Who is your favorite character right now: Kaylee, Nash, Tod, etc. and why?
5. Where do you think the relationships between Kaylee, Nash, and Tod will go in the future?
6. What were some plot twists and reveals that surprised you?
7. What do you make of the creepy shadows? Do you think they will become a bigger problem?

Leave your answers to the discussion questions, or anything else you want to say, in the comments below! I can’t wait to read what you guys have to say!

And keep an eye out for our next discussion, on March 15!

MY SOUL TO SAVE (Soul Screamers #2)