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.

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.