Showing posts with label Soul Screamers. Show all posts

In Review: My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent

Released: 12/21/10 352 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0373210275

Kaylee and Nash's relationship is complicated, to say the least and while ex-girlfriends to a struggling relationship are always nightmares, Nash's is one literally. She's a Mara, a parasite that eats the nightmares she causes.

Kaylee can't seem to decide what she wants from Nash until Sabine walks into the picture and makes it clear she wants Nash back, and she's willing to fight dirty to make that happen. Kaylee doesn't trust Nash, she wants what she can't have, and is completely unfair stringing him along.

And Nash, he's all alone fighting the hardest battle he's had to face, may ever have to face, and she can't support him in that. But not only can she not stand by her man, she doesn't want the only person who can help and accept him to.

Tod shows so much intuition, and stupidity at the same time. He is the best written character in the series. Readers are drawn to him, even if he isn't center stage. After reading his short story Reaper I can't help but to wonder what happens to one's soul mate if one's life is given to another. There are clearly some feelings that are being left unsaid, and I can't help to be grateful for that.

And throughout, the school is erupting in chaos, and Kaylee is pointing fingers, which just furthers the feelings of pettiness, not her brightest moment. Overall, the story is well paced, but Rachel Vincent never does what is expected, and although that is usually a good thing, I'll have to wait to see how the decisions in the end play out. Kaylee has grown up a lot, and now its time to see if the relationships that have been formed can grow and change too.

In Review: Reaper by Rachel Vincent

Released: 12/1/10
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: E Book
ASIN: B004AYD50E

Just as the title indicates this is all about everyone's favorite Reaper, Tod. The Soul Screamers series is has thus far been completely from Kaylee's point of view, but Kaylee isn't in this one at all, and until this point we know little about Tod. He's Nash's brother, he died, he became a Reaper, but the how's and why, not so much.

This takes place before we ever meet Kaylee, before Nash's betrayal, when Tod was still alive. It's short, but fast paced, and makes you question all the chemistry from the previous novel.

Tod acts like he's the bad guy, especially now, like he doesn't care, but his actions scream louder than anything Kaylee can manage that the exact opposite is true. He has all the makings of a hero if he lets himself take that spot, and bravo for the masterful writing. His death is equal parts heartbreaking and delightful.

In Review: My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

Released: 6/1/10 304 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0373210053

Kaylee and Rachel Vincent seem back on track. Unlike the last book where although the stakes were high, Kaylee really had no reason except wanting to help to put herself on the line, the complete opposite is true.

A new drug is hooking and killing her fellow classmates, and as she gets closer to discovering who and what is behind it she uncovers a dark secret that may just rip apart the happy world she's just getting ready to know. The betrayal and anger run so deeply that nothing can be the same after this. Memories are precious and what becomes of us when we squander them?

The plotting is extra tight on this one, and the clues are so subtle that they are easily overlooked. And although this is a very good read, it is not a standalone book, each book in this series builds off the other, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. What was bad was the ending. Cliffhangers are all wonderful and all, but this one was so overwhelming that the book felt wholly unfinished.

In Review: My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

Released: 12/29/09
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0373210046


The follow up to My Soul to Take, let me feeling a little eh. Kaylee finally knows what she is, she expects that when someone is close to death she's gonna scream her head off, except when teen pop sensation Eden falls over dead right in front of her and not a single screech escapes her lips something is wrong.

Enter in Addison, former girlfriend of Tod, who is about to experience the same fate, if Kaylee can't stop it. The premise of the story was wonderful. The plotting superb. The visuals, especially those of the Netherworld were excellent, and very creepy.

What was lacking was feeling, it didn't evoke enough in me. Tod's character in the first novel, was very snarky, and entertaining, likable though he acted like he didn't care, which he had none of this time around. And Addison, I didn't care for her plight at all. She was shallow, and she got what she deserved, no need to try to save her, under the pretense that she was really a good person who was just trying to help out her family. I just didn't feel it.

On the other hand, Kaylee and Nash's relationship felt less rushed. There's still plenty of work to be done here, and not just exploring the differences in their social standings. Kaylee was a little over the top in her displays of teenage rebellion, that were suppose to bridge the gap between normalcy and supernatural. Nash seemed little more than her lap dog, his protests feeble and easily set aside. The characters seemed a little flat, they've lost their spark, which I hope is regained in the next one.

In Review: My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

Released: 08/01/09 384 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0373210039

The first full novel in Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers is a fun ride, with plenty of twists and turns that leave the reader wanting more.

This time we find Kaylee, again with Emma, sneaking into a dance club. She's enjoying herself, somehow managed to snag a hottie jock from school, Nash, and everything is going really well, right up until the point she begins to have a panic attack. She's trying not to scream her head off, trying not to embarrass herself, as Nash instills her with comfort, driving away the need to scream, to announce the impeding death of a stranger. There's an attraction to him, a desire to confess her soul and her fears, even when she'd never even done so with her best friend, Emma.

But Kaylee is different, and as her death premonitions are confirmed, and fellow students begin to drop around her, she delves into a world she never knew existed, to stop more deaths, with Nash at her side. He has more answers, and unlike her uncle, he's willing to give them to her.

Rachel Vincent always surprises me with how tight her plotting is, and this one was wonderful. The twists along the way were delightful, and the characters well fleshed out. Kaylee's reaction were very much those of a teenager, her emotions running a true gauntlet of fear and excitement over the unknown and untried.

In Review: My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent

Released: 7/1/09
Publisher: Harlequin teen
Format: E book
ISBN: 978-1-4268-3867-5

The first short story to Rachel Vincent's new soul screamer's series, and I'm really excited.
Something is wrong with Kaylee, when someone is about to die she can't stop herself from screaming literally. Kaylee is suppose to be shopping with her friend Emma, enjoying herself, when Kaylee begins to scream, and she can't stop screaming though she desperately wishes to.
And it would be the worst day of her life, until she wakes up in a psychiatric ward. She knows she doesn't belong there, but they won't let her out until she gets "better." Everyone thinks she's crazy, except the quiet girl who has a special ability of her own.
This prequel does little more than give a glimpse of Kaylee and her world. Just as with Ms. Vincent's Shifters series the writing is phenomenal, but the character is more likable. She reminds me more of Kacy than she does of Faythe. She's a little headstrong, she wants to help others, and she's a little naive. The best thing of all is that its being offered for free on Ms. Vincent's website, so there's nothing stopping you from trying it out. http://rachelvincent.com/MSTL.html
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