Hoping For More: March 2012

Monday, March 12, 2012

My Soul to Lose - Soul Screamers Prequel #2

Title: My Soul to Lose
Author: Rachel Vincent
Series: Soul Screamers - Prequel #2
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Page Count: ebook, 87 pages

Published July 1st 2009 by Harlequin Teen

Rating: 5/5

It was supposed to be a fun day, shopping at the mall with her best friend. Then the panic attack started and Kaylee Cavanaugh finds herself screaming, unable to stop. Her secret fears are exposed and it's the worst day of her life.

Until she wakes up in the psychiatric unit.

She tries to convince everyone she's fine--despite the shadows she sees forming around another patient and the urge to scream which comes burbling up again and again. Everyone thinks she's crazy. Everyone except Lydia, that is. Another patient with some special abilities....

~ My Review ~

Can I just say that I LOVE it when authors love their characters (and their readers) so much that they write side stories and prequels in between books!? I already considered Rachel Vincent as one of my favourite authors on her writing alone, but she has encouraged my fandom by being so involved; with blogging, tweeting, emailing, touring, and these side stories...I feel like she knows these characters personally and wants us to know each of them too. A lot of people can write a book, but Rachel makes me want to buy them and then buy more to give them as gifts to friends, and that is a sign of a great author to me. Alright my gushing is over, now on to my review.

Granted, this is a short story - hence the "Soul Screamer Novella" on the cover - but it was so good that I forgot it was just a prequel. There was a complete story arc and a hook for the rest of the series.

I don't know how it would be for people who haven't read My Soul to Take, but for me it was gripping even knowing what was "wrong" with Kaylee. The poor girl is stuck in a mental health ward, wondering how she should act, where her aunt and uncle are, and whether or not she really is crazy.

I liked finding out what happened during her stay in the hospital (that Kaylee references later on in the series) and meeting the mysterious girl in the cafeteria gave just enough mystery for those of us that already know what's going on with her panic attacks.

Well written as always and a great teaser for the series!

My Rating: 5/5

Other books in this series (Click highlighted titles for my review)

1 - My Soul to Take
2 - My Soul to Save
3 - My Soul to Keep
4 - My Soul to Steal
5 - If I Die
6 - Before I Wake
7 - With All My Soul

Prequels and Short Stories:
0.1 - My Soul to Lose
0.2 - Reaper
0.3 - Fearless (Kiss Me Deadly - Anthology)
4.2 - Niederwald (Enthralled - Anthology)
5.1 - Never to Sleep

~ You'll like this book if you liked ~
Shifter series by Rachel Vincent, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong

~Links 4 More~
Author Website: here
Add to your Shelfari: here
Add to your Goodreads: here
Buy the ebook on Amazon: here
Or buy the omnibus of both prequels and book #1 at Bookdepository (Free Shipping): here

My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers # 2) 5/5

Title: My Soul to Save
Author: Rachel Vincent
Series: Soul Screamers - #2
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Page Count: Paperback, 288 pages

Published December 29th 2009 by Harlequin Teen

Rating: 5/5

When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.

So when teen pop star Eden croaks 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...

~ My Review ~

I'm loving this series. After My Soul to Take I didn't know where else Rachel Vincent was going to go with the story if Kaylee and Nash had these incredible abilities but couldn't use them, but I love where she went with their story. I felt like she gave Kaylee more power, and I found it funny how her father's over-protectiveness was her biggest hinderance.

I loved the intensity growing between Kay and Nash. Their relationship is growing, but Kaylee is still insecure, and a very real teenage girl (well as much as she can be) and I appreciated the honest tension and growth to their relationship.

The expansion of the Netherworld and introduction of Hellions was just the right blend of creepy and exciting for this story and it kept me hooked to the last page.

My Rating: 5/5