Book Review: Reaper by Rachel Vincent

Title: Reaper
Author: Rachel Vincent
Series: Soul Screamers Novella 3.5
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Released: November 16, 2010
Website: http://rachelvincent.com/


Book Summary

Tod Hudson was a typical teenager. He liked girls, sports, food and tolerated his younger brother, Nash. In fact, he had his whole life in front of him--and due to his bean sidhe heritage, it was going to be a very long life indeed. And then the car accident occurred.
Suddenly Tod's future wasn't so sure, and he had to make a choice. Life... Death... or something Between....
An ebook exclusive Soul Screamers series novella.

I started reading the 5th book in The Soul Screamers series (If I Die). About 1/4 of the way in I had to stop and read this book. I had a sudden desire to learn more about Tod. I've always liked Tod but as he started to take a big role in I was compelled to learn more about him.

If you are a Soul Screamers fan this novella is a must read. It's a short read but provides so much vital information within its pages.  This fits in as book 3.5 in the series but I would recommend reading book 4 first and then going back and reading this one. Sabine is mentioned and I liked not knowing anything about her relationship with Nash when I started book 4.

Rating: 4 Stars - Great Book

Content: Similar to the others in the series - language, innuendo, crude comments, talk of sex

Source: Bought

Book Review: My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent

Title: My Soul to Steal
Author: Rachel Vincent
Series: Soul Screamers Book 4 of 7
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Released: December 21, 2010
Website: http://rachelvincent.com/

Book Summary:

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.

This series has sucked me in... I'm sleep deprived but can't seem to get enough.

How to write a review for Book #4 in the series without spoilers? Not really possible!

If you've read this series and made it through book 3 then you'll likely love this addition to the series. For some reason I'm just pulled into these books. They are NOT clean reads. The first book wasn't too bad but the heat just keeps increasing with each book. In this one Sabine oozes sex, she's sex personified and there is nothing subtle about her actions.

Despite the content which I wish was toned down a little, I haven't felt such emotion while reading a series in years. My emotions were in turmoil while reading this book. Sabine is so awful. I abhor her and yet somehow came to love her too - is such a thing possible? Nash - to love him or hate him? I keep flip-flopping back and forth and it's making me crazy. Add in an evil Netherworld element and it's one wild ride of a story.

Rating: 5 Stars - I Loved It

Content: Once again this book was another step up from the last one. More language, more sex talk, more innuendo.

Source: Audible.com download

Book Review: My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

Title: My Soul to Keep
Author: Rachel Vincent
Series: Soul Screamers Book 3 of 7
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Released: June 10, 2010
Website: http://rachelvincent.com/

Book Summary:

Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them.
Until something does.

Demon breath. No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends—one of whom is already hooked.

And so is someone else…

Wow did this book bring out the emotions in me. Seriously I was fuming mad when I got to the end of this book. This is what I wrote on goodreads as I finished the book:

Dear Nash,

You are lower than pond scum! Seriously - you suck! Some things should be unforgivable! I'm sure Kaylee will ultimately forgive you but I'm not sure how you can possibly redeem yourself in my eyes.

Make sure you have book #4 on hand so you can begin it as soon as you finish this one.  It was midnight when I finished but there was no way I was going to be able to sleep because I was so worked up by what was revealed at the end of this book.  I had to get 1/3 of the way into the next book before I finally fell asleep.  I think that is one of the things I like most about Rachel's writing - the emotions her books ellicit in me, I'm connected to the characters, I care about the characters, they seem so real to me.

My Soul to Keep took on some dark & heavy subject matter. Addiction and everything that comes with it is not a warm and fuzzy topic. However My Soul to Keep was original, fast paced and very well written. I loved this addition to the Soul Screamer Series.

Rating: 5 Stars - I Loved It simply for the amount of emotion I felt while reading it.

Content: everything was a step up from the last book - more language, more wandering hands, more innuendo, etc.

Source: Audible.com Download

Book Review: My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

Title: My Soul to Save
Author: Rachel Vincent
Series: Soul Screamers Book #2 of 7
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Released: December 29, 2009
Website: http://rachelvincent.com/


Book Summary:

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….

This novel enlightened me on what is actually going on with all the Disney Channel & Disney Movie Stars. Thank you Rachel for finally clearing up exactly what Disney is doing to these young child stars. Oh wait Disney wasn't even mentioned in this book?  Could have fooled me!

I have the worst time writing reviews on sequels. It's so hard! I hate spoilers. I prefer to pick up a book not even having read the back cover. I don't want to know where I'm going until I get there.

So all I am going to say is that I really enjoyed My Soul to Save.  It's a great addition to the Soul Screamers Series which is unique, well written and very entertaining.

The first book got a full 5 Stars, this one comes close with 4.5. A little too much content for my liking and not quite as good as the first book.  But having already read books 3 & 4 in this series I can say that it's been a long time since I've been pulled into a series and felt such emotion while reading.

Rating: 4.5 Stars Highly Recommend (as long as you have read the content warning first).

Content: language, innuendo and sexual content. There was always an "interruption" (Tod or the phone) before things went all the way but there was definitely desire, passion, making out and wandering hands. (Please note that with each new book in this series the level of sexual content has escalated, book one is fairly mild but by book four the heat was quite high for a young adult book).

Source: Download from Audible.com

This book is part of Soul Screamer Volume One:

Book Review: My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent

Title: My Soul to Lose
Author: Rachel Vincent
Series: Prequel to Soul Screamers Series (novella)
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Released: July 1, 2009
Source: Read Online
Website: http://rachelvincent.com/


Book Summary:

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....

"An eBook exclusive prequel to Rachel Vincent's SOUL SCREAMERS series."

Read it for FREE Here: http://soulscreamers.com/soulscreamers/sites/all/themes/harlequin/mysoultolose.pdf

My Soul to Lose is a short Prequel to My Soul to Take.

I'm actually glad I read My Soul to Take first. This could have been a prologue to that book but I liked not knowing what was in this book when I read My Soul to Take. I think you can honestly go either way, read this first or the book first but I would recommend reading My Soul to Take first.

There is really nothing more I can say that won't be a spoiler.  A must read for Soul Screamers fans.

Rating: 4 Stars - Great Book

Content: language, innuendo and some crude comments

Source: Read Online on the Soul Screamers website

Soul Screamers Volume One: My Soul to Lose, My Soul to Take & My Soul to Save

Book Review: My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

Title: My Soul to Take
Author: Rachel Vincent
Series: Soul Screamers Book #1 of 7
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Released: July 29, 2009
Website: http://rachelvincent.com/


Book Summary

She doesn't see dead people. 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.

I probably should have reviewed this book as soon as I finished it earlier this week. Instead I found and read its prequel, then picked up the 2nd book in the series, and then the 3rd. I started the 4th book at midnight last night and have already finished it and just bought book number 5. As soon as I'm done with that I'm planning to buy the 2 novellas I've not yet read. I'm sleep deprived but just can't seem to get enough of this series.

It's been way too long since as series of books kept me up because I couldn't put them down.  I'm sure it helps that the first five books in the series are already out.  I've loved being able to finish one and jump right into the next one.  In fact part of me wishes I'd waited to start this series until all the books were out. I have a feeling the wait for the last two books in the series is going to be excruciating.

So did I like the first book My Soul to Take? Most definitely.  It is original and full of twists and turns and some amazing characters.  I loved both the story line and the characters.  My knowledge of folklore is obviously lacking because I didn't even know what a bean sidhe was prior to starting this book. Rachel Vincent's version of banshees & grim reapers is both creative and entertaining.

Content: language, making out, innuendo, sexual tension. (Having now finished the first 4 books of the series I should note that the intensity of the content has increased with each book).

Rating: 4.5 Stars - Highly Recommend to Older Teens & Adults

Source: Audible.com Download