Review: Before I Wake (Soul Screamers #6) by Rachel Vincent

This book series keeps on getting better and better!

Title: Before I Wake (Soul Screamers #6) by Rachel Vincent
Pages: 346
Release Date: July 6th 2012
Published by: Mira ink
Source: Midas PR
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

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…

I had to contain my excitement when I got the opportunity to read this book two weeks before it even hits the book stores. Why? Because after reading If I Die, I know the events in Before I Wake will be even better than the fifth book. Rachel Vincent just raises the ante little by little with each book, so my expectations for Before I Wake has skyrocketed. And guess what? It did not disappoint.

By now, readers should be used to the way Rachel Vincent brings so much torture and cause so much heartache to her readers, but it's not something one can get tired of. Before I Wake has a lot of those situations that makes me just want to scream, but all the frustrations and mixed emotions readers will feel is worth it. There's just so much to feel in this book, it takes a while to let it all sink in. With every book, every read becomes more intense, more gripping, more dramatic and a whole lot more addictive! I can't even begin to describe how emotional, shocked and sometimes horrified this book made me.

I'm Kaylee's character more and more as she gets stronger. With all the things she had gone through, she has always been there for those that needs her. That little bit of hero complex adds more to her charm, and how she can also be spunky and sarcastic when needed. She's selfless and very caring, and even when she had died, she stayed in school to protect her friends and her loved ones. It's not something a sixteen year old does, Bean Sidhe or not. Kaylee died, but gained a second chance: immortality. But being immortal is not all that it's cracked up to be. She might not be a reaper, but that doesn't mean being a collector of souls is easier. Being an immortal means there's no need to sleep, no need to eat, and eventually she'll be left alone because she wouldn't die, not anymore. Kaylee had to get used to being "there" but not really living anymore. And yet again, Kaylee transformed into a better version of herself.

Our favorite reaper is back! I loved the sarcastic, snarky, funny reaper that is Tod and now she and Kaylee are together! I loved him better than Nash, and like I said before, Tod has his charm hidden somewhere underneath the snark. My opinion of Nash drastically changed in the previous books, from anger to disappointment but I'm glad that he's gradually trying to build up some sort of friendship with Kaylee. Those romantic moments between Kaylee and Tod just makes me smile every single time.

Just when you thought this story wouldn't have anything more in store for its readers, Rachel Vincent managed to bring forth new conflicts, revive old foes with new frightening skills and bring bigger, more complicated mysteries to solve. A lot of anticipation and dread came with reading If I Die, and what made Before I Wake so much better is that it topped what If I Die made the readers feel. That feeling of riding in a roller coaster filled with countless twists and turns and surprises that blind sides everyone is consistently there, but it has more a whole lot more in store for the readers. It's like the story continually reinvents itself, even the characters. Another fantastic installment to the series! It makes me a little bit sad to think that it will end soon.

Does this deserve a five? Yes. Very much.

My rating:

Content (plot, story flow, character):

I was an emotional wreck after reading this!

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:

I do like the US cover better than this one though.

[Before I Wake blog tour] Rachel’s Top Five Book to Movie Conversions

As part of the blog tour for the latest installment of the addictive Soul Screamers series, Rachel Vincent is on the blog telling us her favorite book to movie adaptations!

Follow Rachel: Twitter | Facebook | Website

What are your top five favourite films that were originally books?

In no particular order…

The Shawshank Redemption. I’m a huge Stephen King fan, and I read this short story ages ago and loved it. But I loved the movie even better. The acting is phenomenal and the changes made between the story and the movie were not only understandable, they were also necessary and well-done.

The Green Mile. Again, I’m a huge fan of King. The Green Mile came out in serial form during my senior year in high school, if memory serves, and I read each part greedily, then moaned about having to wait for the next bit. I loved it. But again, the movie holds its own, whether or not you’ve read the book. That was hands-down my favourite role ever for Michael Clarke Duncan and one of my favourites for Tom Hanks. And the supporting roles were also incredibly well-cast and acted.

Harry Potter. The whole series. There are many, many changes/omissions made between the books and the movies, but it would have been impossible to include everything from the books on screen, and I thought that the film adaptations were brilliant. And for that nearly-last scene where Harry Potter is trapped in a mental version of the train station… I didn’t understand that AT ALL in the book, but the movie managed to make it make sense, so YAY!

The Hunger Games. I’d never heard of the books until the movie was already being filmed and people were ranting/raving over the actors chosen. I got curious, so I bought the book and DEVOURED it. Action heroine. Devoted love interests. Revolution. These are some of my favourite things in fiction (things I write about myself, over and over) and I thought Suzanne Collins did a fantastic job with them. Especially in that first book. So, naturally, I went to see The Hunger Games on opening day, even though I had to by my tickets weeks in advance. I loved the casting (ALL of it) and most of the changes from the book were minor and for the best. (An out-of-order shot of the district 11 revolt was particularly well-placed.) I loved the whole thing. It truly captured the spirit and feel of the books, both character and worldbuilding.

I Am Legend. I love Will Smith with an almost unhealthy passion. When I saw the ads for I Am Legend, I was terribly excited to find dangerous, unattractive, non-brooding vamps/zombies in a movie staring (almost exclusively) one of my favourite actors. So I bought the book and read it in anticipation of the movie. The book and movie were very different. Different time periods. Different back story. Different main character (except for the name, I think). Different ending. I Am Legend was more inspired by the book than based on it. But I loved them both. The film remains one of my very favourite horror/vamp movies ever.

If Soul Screamers was to make it on the big screen, have you got any preferences about who would play the main characters?


You know, I don’t. I used to, but I started writing Soul Screamers back in 2008, and since then, nearly all of the actors I pictured for the roles have outgrown the part. So, I don’t intend to start fantasy casting again until/when the books are actually optioned. ;)

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I loved this list! I've watched all five films and I have to say, Rachel's got awesome taste in movies!And if you were to make a cast for the Soul Screamers, who would you have as Kaylee? Tod? Nash?

Before I Wake (Soul Screamers #6) by Rachel Vincent
July 6th 2012, Published by Mira Ink

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….

Review: If I Die (Soul Screamers #5) by Rachel Vincent + Interview!

My goodness, Rachel Vincent has outdone herself in the fifth and latest installment of the Soul Screamers series.

This book just wowed me. Team Tod! Raise your banners!!!

Title: If I Die (Soul Screamers #5) by Rachel Vincent
Pages: 342
Release Date: September 27th 2011
Published by: Mira Ink
Source: Publisher (thanks Lucy!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

No one wants to be this teacher's pet…

The entire school’s talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr Beck. That is, 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.

I said in my previous review for My Soul to Steal that it was my favorite book. I'm taking it back, because If I Die has just topped my rankings of my favorite book in the series! If you think the first four book is good, then this one is great. It's more heart stopping, more emotional and just intense! I had to catch my breath and give myself a few minutes to wrap my head around all that has happened.

Kaylee's living on borrowed time and she doesn't have much of it, but before it all ends, she had one more thing to do: save every girl in school from an incubus. Kaylee's just reminded me why I loved her. She's got sass, she's strong, she's smart and very much selfless. Even knowing that death is virtually staring her in the face, she still manages to be brave and still thinks of others before herself.

And finally! Team Tod, put up your banners and wave them proudly! I've had issues with Nash after reading My Soul to Steal, starting with his Frost addiction and this book just established all the reasons I had why I'm on Team Tod. Trust me, there's A LOT of him in this book and we're finally seeing more developments in his relationship with Kaylee. Finally! I can't give away any more details without spoiling you but I knew I was on to something when I finally hated Nash in the fourth book.

Rachel Vincent just turned up the ante on this book. What a roller coaster of emotions I went through while reading. Rachel's style of writing is simple, but there's just something in it that's so addictive I couldn't stop reading this book. It's nerve wracking, it's sad, it's scary, it's frustrating, but overall it is one intense ride that is worth every moment. The twists and turns are enough to drive anyone insane after reading. Frankly speaking I did not see most of the developments in this book coming. It's the wonderful type of being blind sided. Rachel Vincent has given her readers a lot to think about with the wonderful twist at the end of this book. Is it the end for Kaylee or not? I don't know about any of you but I will be patiently waiting for Before I Wake!

My rating:

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Warning: May cause insanity because of intense emotions and countless twists in the story

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:

Gorgeous!

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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And as part of Mira Ink's Blog Tour, I was able to ask Rachel a few questions about a few of her favorites. Check it out:

Your most favorite quote in the book?

Most of my favourite If I Die quotes are spoilery, so I’ll pick one that isn’t. It’s from Kaylee’s dad: “I should have made something stronger than Coke floats.”

The most favorite song you listen to while writing If I Die? Or if you don't listen to music while you write, the most favorite thing you do while writing?


I rarely listen to music while writing, because the lyrics distract me. But I often listen to it while plotting.

Your most favorite moment/part of If I Die?

The part where Kaylee decides to fight back.

Do you have any favorite character this time in the book?

As always, I love writing Sabine and Tod. Tod gets to be funny, and Sabine gets to say whatever she’s thinking. That’s fun for an author.

Your most favorite cover of If I Die? (US, UK, French)

You know, I like them all, for different reasons. The US cover nicely reflects Nash and Kaylee’s changing relationship. But the dresses aren’t immediately relevant to the plot. The UK cover captures the tone of the book really well, I think. But the butterfly isn’t immediately relevant to the plot. The French cover uses the art from the UK cover of My Soul To Take, but with a slight adjustment in saturation and tone, they’ve managed to capture the intense feel of the last third of the book. So…I think they’re all great illustrations of various aspects of the story.

Interview: Rachel Vincent + Giveaway!

I am awfully excited about this! Thanks to Mira Ink, I got the opportunity to ask Rachel Vincent 5 questions, and I am now sharing her answers with you!

And did you see the ANIMATED book jacket for My Soul to Steal? No? Check it out below.

My Soul to Steal (Soul Screamers #4)
by Rachel Vincent
Trying to work things out with Nash—her maybe boyfriend—is hard enough for Kaylee Cavanaugh. She can’t just pretend nothing happened. But “complicated” doesn’t even begin to describe their relationship when his ex-girlfriend transfers to their school, determined to take Nash back.

See, Sabine isn’t just an ordinary girl. She’s a mara, the living personification of a nightmare. She can read people’s fears—and craft them into nightmares while her victims sleep. Feeding from human fear is how she survives.

And Sabine isn’t above scaring Kaylee and the entire school to death to get whatever—and whoever—she wants.

Which character is the most fun to write about in the whole series?

Sabine. I know, I know, but her dialogue just flows so easily. ;)

There are five books in the Soul Screamers series right now, but if there were to be a sixth Soul Screamers book, do you already have something written for it?

It’s already written and in revisions! It’s called Before I Wake.

What's the one thing you have to do, a ritual or a habit of some sort, before you start writing?

Make coffee. That’s it.

The Soul screamers series is a highly popular novel! What do you think is the reason for it to be so successful?

You think so? Thanks! But I have no idea what makes readers click with one novel and not another. If I knew that, I’d sell the secret and make my fortune. ;)

Aside from the Soul Screamers series, do you have any YA novels to be published in the future?

I have side projects, of course, but nothing I can talk about yet.

Any advice on writers who wants to be as successful as you?

Oh, you guys are sweet! The only advice I can give is to read and write as much as you can. Learn both from what you read and from what you write. Practice, practice, practice.

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COMPETITION TIME!

The fabulous people over at MIRA Ink are offering our blog readers a chance to WIN A COPY of My Soul to Steal!

There are ten copies available, and here is what you have to do in order to be entered to the competition:

- Go on to the MIRA Ink Facebook site- http://www.facebook.com/#!/miraink
- Click on either the animated or normal jacket image of My Soul to Steal
- Post a comment in the comment box below the picture.

MIRA Ink will then select the winners and post their names on their Facebook account.

Sounds good, right? GO ENTER NOW!

Review: My Soul to Steal (Soul Screamers #4) by Rachel Vincent

I love this series. I really do.

And the fourth book, My Soul to Steal, to me, felt like the turning point of the whole series. It left me feeling utterly frustrated but it's too late! I am terribly hooked in the series already!

Title: My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent
Pages: 368
Release Date: July 17th 2011
Published by: Mira
Source: Publicist (thanks Lucy!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary (from Goodreads):

Trying to work things out with Nash—her maybe boyfriend—is hard enough for Kaylee Cavanaugh. She can’t just pretend nothing happened. But “complicated” doesn’t even begin to describe their relationship when his ex-girlfriend transfers to their school, determined to take Nash back.

See, Sabine isn’t just an ordinary girl. She’s a mara, the living personification of a nightmare. She can read people’s fears—and craft them into nightmares while her victims sleep. Feeding from human fear is how she survives.

And Sabine isn’t above scaring Kaylee and the entire school to death to get whatever—and whoever—she wants.

The book opens up as Kaylee is still trying to figure out her relationship with Nash. It's hard to stay away from him when Kaylee loves Nash but she knows she can never live with herself if Nash's life is put in danger again. As if there wasn't enough on her plate, Nash's ex-girlfriend, Sabine comes back, and she's hell bent on getting Nash. And the bigger problem is? Sabine isn't just Nash's ex-girlfriend. She feeds on human fear, powerful and deadly. And she doesn't have problems getting rid of people in her way to get Nash.

When I first started reading this series, I already loved Kaylee. From My Soul to Lose, up to this book. Thank you Rachel Vincent for bringing in more depth to Kaylee's character. Even though there are moments where I feel exasperated with her character, and she sometimes make me feel frustrated with her craziness, she's still my favorite. She's sassy and she's feisty too! It's hard for me to decide how I feel about her relationship with Nash though, it's a mess! I hope it gets better in the next book.

I still haven't gotten over my irritation for Nash from the last book. The opening of My Soul to Steal makes me all the more frustrated because of the pending "limbo" status of his relationship with Kaylee. I did feel a bit of pity for him for wanting to see Kaylee while he recovers, and for thinking that after two weeks everything will just be fine, but Nash is a tad bit clueless when it comes to girls, especially with his relationship with Sabine! Again, along with Kaylee, he made me all the more frustrated.

And even though he doesn't have a lot of exposure on this book, I am loving Tod! Charming, snarky Tod. Like Sabine is to Kaylee, he's got competition. Maybe Tod was being selfish when he told Kaylee what he said (I can't tell you, spoiler!) but maybe he has his reasons for saying that. And speaking of Sabine, if it was her goal to make the readers hate her, then she's successful. I am awfully annoyed by her, but she gives the story a bit more life. She's an extra complication, a competition for Kaylee.

Let me tell you, the Soul Screamers series is highly addictive! I feared for Kaylee's life and the creepiness of the demon of greed just scared me. And the more scary part is it's not yet over. Now I need to get my hands on If I Die to find out what really happens!

There are a lot of interesting developments in this book, and I am so happy for that! If you loved the first three books, then you're in for a treat in My Soul to Steal! It's darker, edgier, more intense and a whole lot more enjoyable! Looks like it was time for the characters to grow up, and in terms of character development, they have improved leaps and bounds in this book! But be prepared, readers, because My Soul to Steal will leave you frustrated, irritated, and sometimes it will just drive you insane!

Content (plot, story flow, character):

.5

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:

Hey, that's a moving gif! Look!

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.