Just a warning, these books have adult content. This review should be spoiler free though.
The Soul Screamers series is really good. It actually took me a while to pick them up though. I saw them in the backs of a bunch of books I read and was like "Nah, I don't want to read that." I finally picked up the first book from the library and loved it. Seriously, it was awesome. I read the next couple books but then stopped reading them. The fifth book If I Die came out and I was really excited to read it. In the process, I realized that I had skipped the previous book. Whoops. I still haven't read it, but the plot wasn't confusing because I hadn't. I eventually figured out what I missed. The last three books (If I Die, Before I Wake, and With All My Soul) are infinitely better than the first three (remember, haven't read the fourth). I struggled through the first three, but plowed right through the rest. I've lost count how many times I've read Before I Wake, it's that good. Maybe it has something to do with the love interest...
The main character is named Kaylee. She's pretty cool. Kaylee is a bean sidhe, AKA banshee. She screams when someone dies, which makes for some awkward situations. And as each book continues, she grows stronger, better, and more awesomesauce. If you compare her in book one to book seven, she's grown up tremendously. Kaylee has to deal with lots of things normal teenagers don't. For example, hellions, vengeful hellions, death (lots of it), and heartbreak. She keeps going strong despite all of that. Kaylee shows again and again that she'd do and give up anything for the people she loves. Her loyalty is fierce, and seems to have no end. She doesn't give up on people, no matter how deep they dig their holes. And trust me, some of those holes are pretty deep. While she holds grudges and sometimes acts petty, that's normal. Nothing bad sticks with her for long. She has learned to make the best of many situations. Many characters are introduced as the series goes on. You meet Nash, who has his eye on Kaylee from page one. Nash is also a bean sidhe. Then there's Sophie, Kaylee's younger cousin who's more than a tad mean, but truly does come around (love really does have the power to change people). There's Tod, Nash's older brother, who not so secretly has a crush on Kaylee (this creates problems later). Tod also happens to be dead. His sense of humor is hilarious though. Tod is easily my favorite character in the books. There's Sabine, Nash's ex-girlfriend who hates Kaylee with a vengeance.
Sabine is a mara, she feeds of nightmares. She also happens to know your deepest fears. You don't want her as an enemy to say the least. Kaylee's best friend Emma is awesome! She is the best human out there, and isn't afraid to admit when she's messed up. There's also Luca. Luca joins the books in Never to Sleep, the novella between If I Die and Before I Wake. Luca is pretty cool. He's a necromancer and is able to put up with Sophie. There are some pretty bad villains too. Avari, the hellion of greed, is introduced in book one. He is the main antagonist. There are lots of bad guys, but every one of them ties back to Avari and his evil schemes that are revealed in the final books. Mr. Beck is Kaylee's new math teacher in If I Die. Just a warning, never trust a math teacher. Turns out, they're just as evil and unforgiving as the subject (at least in fiction).
The Soul Screamer novels are filled to the brink with humor. I find myself laughing at everything Tod and Sabine say. For example, in With All My Soul, Sabine says something along the lines of "Here's what we've learned today. Nash and Kaylee are like the rocks cavemen used. Bang them together, and you get sparks." Easily one of the funniest lines in the book. The plot in these books is well done. The first few don't really seem to connect, but as you delve farther into the series, it becomes apparent just what is going on. So far, there also happen to be three volumes. Volume one has the prequel My Soul to Lose, My Soul to Take, and My Soul to Save. Volume two has the prequel Reaper, My Soul to Keep, and My Soul to Steal. Volume three contains If I Die, Never to Sleep (novella), and Before I Wake. I love these books so much and look forward to rereading them for years to come. The ending is a bit of a tearjerker, but don't worry too much. You won't regret reading these books. They get a full five stars!Author Info:
Rachel Vincent is the author of the Shifters series, about a werecat named Faythe Sanders, who is learning to define her own role in her family and fighting to claim a place in her Pride.
Rachel's young adult series, Soul Screamers, debuted on August 1, 2009. My SOUL TO TAKE is the first in the series, about a teenage bean sidhe (banshee) trying to balance a normal high school experience with the terrifying, hidden world she's just discovered. Soul Screamers Book 5, IF I DIE, will be available on October 1, 2011.
BLOOD BOUND (Unbound, book 1), the first in Rachel's new adult paranormal series, will debut September 1, 2011.
A new resident of San Antonio, Rachel Vincent has a BA in English and an overactive imagination, and she consistently finds the latter to be more practical. She shares her workspace with two black cats (Kaci and Nyx) and her # 1 fan.
Rachel is older than she looks-seriously-and younger than she feels, but remains convinced that for every day she spends writing, one more day will be added to her lifespan.
Rachel is older than she looks-seriously-and younger than she feels, but remains convinced that for every day she spends writing, one more day will be added to her lifespan.
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Synopsis:
She doesn't see dead people, but...
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...
Titles: My Soul to Lose (prequel), Reaper (prequel), My Soul to Take, My Soul to Save, My Soul to Keep, My Soul to Steal, If I Die, Never to Sleep (5.5), Before I Wake, With All My Soul
Author: Rachel Vincent
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Number of Books: Seven Books, Three Novellas, Three Volumes
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