Fiktshun's Soul Screamers Reading Challenge: Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Pages:  339
Publisher: MIRA Ink
Published: 6th of July 2012 (UK)
  
I died on a Thursday-killed by a monster intent on stealing my soul. The good news? He didn't get it. The bad news? Turns out not even death will get you out of high school...  Covering up her own murder was one thing, but faking life is much harder than Kaylee Cavanaugh expected. After weeks spent "recovering," she's back in school, fighting to stay visible to the human world, struggling to fit in with her friends and planning time alone with her new reaper boyfriend. But to earn her keep in the human world, Kaylee must reclaim stolen souls, and when her first assignment brings her face-to-face with an old foe, she knows the game has changed. Her immortal status won't keep her safe. And this time Kaylee isn't just gambling with her own life...

What I Have to Say 

Rachel Vincent is so cruel to her characters. She hurts them viciously and makes me cry. This is why I love her books so much! I don't know what it is about me as a reader, but I love books that make me really upset for the characters. 

This series, it's just so good. I cannot wait for the next book, but it's going to be a whole year!! How can I wait so long? 


As I said in my review of If I Die, I was really interested to see how Kaylee developed after the end of If I Die and Vincent didn't disappoint! It's brought a whole new level to the character with the new powers she has and the new challenges she faces. And a whole new level of emotion :'( 


Her relationship with Tod is moving really fast too. I can see why, and the whole situation that she's in completely explains it. I like that it's moving fast, I think. It feels right. And I'm coming to terms with the whole Kaylee and Tod thing. I mean, I still think Tod and Emma would be wonderful together, but I've accepted him with Kaylee. 


All in all, I think that If I Die is still my favourite book in the Soul Screamers series. But Before I Wake is a brilliant follow up book and I can't wait for the next book. Though that will be the last in the series! :'( I don't want this series to be over!!!

Fiktshun's Soul Screamers Reading Challenge: If I Die by Rachel Vincent

 

 There will be spoilers in this post from My Soul to Take, My Soul to Save, My Soul to Keep and my Soul to Steal! If you want to know more about the Soul Screamers books then check out my review of the first book in the series, My Soul to Take here! 

 Alternatively if you've already some of the books 

My Soul to Save is here!

My Soul to Keep is here!

And My Soul to Steal is here!

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Pages: 342
Publisher: MIRA Ink
Published: 27th of September 2011

The entire school's talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck. Everyone except Kaylee Cavanaugh. After all, Kaylee's no ordinary high-school junior. She's a banshee—she screams when someone dies.

But the next scream might be for Kaylee.

Yeah—it's a shock to her, too. So to distract herself, Kaylee's going to save every girl in school. Because that hot new teacher is really an incubus who feeds on the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend's needy ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr. Beck…before he discovers they aren't quite human, either.

But Kaylee's borrowed lifeline is nearing its end. And those who care about her will do anything to save her life.

Anything.

 What I Have to Say

...


Just give me a moment. I can't even think how to put into words the epic-ness of this book. 


It was just so sad and funny and shocking! And it made me look mental for reading it on the train! I kept gasping at the book and trying not to cry xD No one said anything but I'm pretty sure they were backing away slowly. 


Trying not to give away too many spoilers, but I have to say that I still think that Todd and Emma should have gotten together. They would have been amazing together! 


Todd is still my favourite character, but I really like Sabine too. She's so sarky and bitchy. I love it! :P 


I can not wait for the next book to come out! I need it now! 


Slightly cryptic note for those who haven't read it, but I can't wait to see how it all develops after everything that's happened. Vincent has really shaken things up! 


Never read this book on a train. Ever. Just trust me. I'm pretty sure I screamed out "No!" at one point...

Fiktshun's Soul Screamers Reading Challenge: My Soul to Steal

 

 There will be spoilers in this post from My Soul to Take, My Soul to Save and My Soul to Keep. If you want to know more about the Soul Screamers books then check out my review of the first book in the series, My Soul to Take here! If you've already read My Soul to Take, then my review of My Soul to Steal is here! And my review for My Soul to Keep is here!

Synopsis (from the Waterstones Website) 

Pages: 304
Publisher: MIRA Ink
Published on: 21st of October 2011

Sometimes dreams do come true... and that's the last thing Kaylee needs working things out with Nash - her maybe boyfriend - is hard for Kaylee. She's already coping with being a teenage banshee. Worse, Nash's gorgeous ex-girlfriend just transferred to their school. Sabine's no ordinary girl. She's a mara, a real-life walking nightmare. Draining people's energy through their darkest dreams sustains Sabine...and makes her Kaylee's top suspect in a cluster of super-creepy deaths. To win back Nash, Kaylee's determined to unearth the truth. But Sabine knows the deathly secrets of Kaylee's subconscious - and she's not afraid to use them to get whatever and whoever she wants...

What I Have to Say

This book conjured up a few too many RL emotions for me, so I'll apologise in advance if this review isn't as good as usual. Still the plot was really good. I was great to see more of Tod. But the Nash/ Sabine/ Kaylee storyline was just too much for me right now.

I've decided that I really like Alec. I hope that we see more of him in the other books.

It's also really good to see Kaylee telling Emma a bit more about the Neverworld stuff. She really needed to know! 

That's all I can really say about this book. I'm sorry. Maybe in the future I'll reread it and put up a better review.

Fiktshun's Soul Screamers Reading Challenge: My Soul to Keep

 

 There will be spoilers in this post from My Soul to Take and My Soul to Save. If you want to know more about the Soul Screamers books then check out my review of the first book in the series, My Soul to Take here! If you've already read My Soul to Take, then my review of My Soul to Steal is here!

Synopsis (from the Waterstones Website)

KAYLEE HAS ONE ADDICTION:HER BOYFRIEND NASH Like Kaylee, Nash is a banshee. So he understands her like no one else. Nothing - supernatural or otherwise - can come between them. That is, until something does. Demon breath - a potent paranormal drug with the power to kill. Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. Kaylee and Nash need to cut off the source and protect their human friends - one of whom is already hooked. But Kaylee's plans are soon derailed when she uncovers another secret demon breath addict in their midst. Nash. Now she's ready to kick some serious Netherworld butt - but is it too late to save the boy who's stolen her heart?

What I Have to Say  

 I loved this book so much more than the other two! I was expecting something much the same, a stability in quality that doesn't make the series better or worse, but this was a real step up in quality. The emotions that she brings into her writing are just so touching.

The dangers of drug use (a very human issue) combined with the element of the Neverworld was really well written and led to a good story.

I did miss Todd though. There really wasn't enough of him in this book. Still when he did show up it was great. And I really want him and Emma to get together! They'd be a great couple and he clearly likes her!

Fiktshun's Soul Screamers Reading Challenge: My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

 

 There will be spoilers in this post from My Soul to Take. If you want to know more about the Soul Screamers books then check out my review of My Soul to Take here!

  Synopsis (From the Waterstones Website)

When teenager Kaylee screams, someone dies...So when teen pop star Eden dies onstage and Kaylee doesn't wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can't cry for someone who has no soul. The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad's ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend's loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld - a consequence they can't possibly understand. Kaylee can't let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk.



What I Have to Say

I didn't think My Soul to Save was any better than My Soul to Take, but I didn't think it was any worse either. They're both really great books, so this isn't a bad thing at all. Too many books try to escalate the drama until it becomes unrealistic - sustainable quality is a really good thing in a series and Rachel Vincent really pulls it off.


I liked seeing more of Tod and exploring other sides of his character. It made him more of a main character and less of just someone who's there.  I also really love the relationship between Nash and Tod. It works so well because it's both funny and realistic. 

Another good thing about this book is that we get to see Kaylee develop and start to learn about what she can do as a Bean Sidhe. She's getting more integrated into the supernatural world. 

Also we get to learn more about the Netherworld! Which is always cool and Vincent shows that she can be just as imaginative in creating faery worlds/ demon dimensions as the other writers around her. 

It's completely worth reading more of this series and I can't wait to read the next book (which I will do much sooner than I did this one!!! >< you can blame the reading I've had to do for uni for that xD). 
 
 

Fiktshun's Soul Screamers Reading Challenge: My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

 

 Synopsis (From the Waterstone's Website)

Being a teenager just got much more complicated. There is something very wrong with Kaylee Cavanaugh: 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 the need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next.



What I Have To Say

 The thing I think I love most about this book is how realistic the characters are. I like how damaged Kaylee is. Here's a main character who's been struggling with a  condition which she doesn't know anything about and as a result is being treated for mental health issues. She doesn't just live out a normal existence until one day she finds out that she has special powers. No, Kaylee has known that there's something different about her for her entire life and has suffered the consequences of this, with noticeable side affects. 

And what's more, she doesn't hide that much of her problems from those around her. Although, there aren't many people to hide if from and she does have to conceal some stuff once she finds out what is actually different about her. But mostly this is something that can't be hidden from those close to her (the screaming is a bit too much of a loud reaction to be able to hide). And because of this Kaylee has suffered. She's been institutionalised and strapped down with padded straps and she has the scars to prove it! 


It's just too common these days for characters to go through hell and then just walk away unscathed. Not that it's that much of a bad thing in a book. I think most people can enjoy books that don't have realistic features of trauma. But it's really good to get a book where there are characters who do have that kind of depth and reaction. 

Another thing I like is that all of this has happened in the past. I think a lot of authors feel that if something dramatic happens it has to be included in the book. It's good to have a story where they refer to it when we haven't seen it happen. And in such little ways too. Ways like just having the character shaken and afraid from someone holding her wrist. 


So I think this is the thing that I'm taking away from this book. The characters. It's really good depth. Rachel Vincent is an amazing writer and she writes Kaylee well. 

Next month I'll mention whether or not My Soul to Save keeps up this realism. Don't let me forget! 

Fiktshun's Soul Screamers Reading Challenge

 

So just another quick update to let you guys know that I'm going to be doing the Soul Screamers reading challenge. I read the first book a while back and really liked it but haven't gotten around to reading the rest so now I'm going to.

I need to reread get the first book from my parents house so it'll be a couple of weeks until the review of it comes up. When I start doing the reviews I'm going to post them up separately to my normal reviews so there will still be a weekly review alongside the reviews of the Soul Screamers books.