My Soul to Take

Kaylee has the unfortunate ability to see when a person is about to die, and then an almost uncontrollable urge to scream. But Nash, a heartthrob from school, seems to have a calming affect on her. When several young girls just drop dead without a visible cause, Kaylee believes that the deaths may have something to do with her. The last thing Kaylee wants is for everyone to think she's crazy, so choosing who to trust will be dangerous in more ways than one. Vincent has created a unique and captivating world for the Soul Screamer series. Kaylee is a likeable and sympathetic character. The mystery that surrounds her heritage is fascinating. The story kept me on the edge of my seat and kept me guessing. I don't want to get into too much detail and give away any spoilers. But the character of a young reaper was especially inspired. With a surprising twist, the climactic ending was one of the highlights of the book. Teens and adults alike should enjoy this urban fantasy with romance, suspense, mystery, and more. I can't recommend this series debut enough. Fast-paced and fun, it's novels like this that keep me reading YA, even as an adult.

My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent is a delicious telling of two creatures from Irish folklore. A book to catch not only your soul but your undivided attention as well. The writing I have come to love in Ms. Vincent's adult Urban Fantasy has most certainly been carried over into the Young Adult Genre with the same silky smoothness that we have all come to expect. Kaylee has felt different all her life but little does she know how much the truth is about to change her. Her mother died when she was young and her father pretty much abandoned her with his turning over of guardianship to his brother and sister-in-law. Kaylee has felt this keenly and along with strange things that have been occurring to her physically, she's not sure if she might be going crazy or has some fatal disease. All she does know is that things are far from normal. Along comes Nash, a hunky football jock, which not only gives Kaylee someone to hold onto while she is in the throws of her strange behaviour but also someone who can give her some explanation of what in the world is going on in her topsy turvy life. A sturdy anchor that she so desperately needs. What Nash and Kaylee don't know is who or what is killing vibrant young healthy girls for no apparent reason. What they do know is that they need to try and find out and see what the connection is to the deaths and Kaylee's strange outcries. Our author has given us a tasty Autumn Treat with this book. Granted it would be good anytime of the year but right now it is the perfect read along with a cup of hot cocoa. A story that makes your head snap up when things go bump just outside your line of vision. A story of the unexpected being accepted and of love so strong and true that even the ugliest evil cannot prevail. I for one am going to be biting my fingernails while waiting for the next book in the series.

In a genre that nearly anyone would describe as saturated Rachel Vincent has managed to pull off quite a feat. The introduction of a new type of character in a paranormal book. Although there is much about faerie in other books this one explores banshee (of the famous screaming like a banshee saying). I found it completely intriguing as a concept and one that leaves the door wide open for other types of paranormal or supernatural creatues previously non explored or with very limited exploration. The characters are interesting, multi-dimensional, with real emotions. I was worried that this might be a bit too much "OMG he's so, like, totally cute" and not enough of the parnormal pieces but I am extremely pleased to say that just ain't so. Kaylee and Nash take center stage and come across very well and are both very likable. The secondary characters (friends, relatives, etc) are well written, do not over shadow the main characters, and are developed enough for you to really see their relevance to the story. This was not really a romance per se although I know it is a Harlequin Teen book. It does read somewhat like other du jour paranormal teen books but you won't find here the excessive focus on materialism (makeup, clothes, and so on) and the endless prattle of (as Spike so aptly put it in Buffy) "Teenage Girly Feet". Rachel Vincent is already an accomplished paranormal author and it shows. This is no novice and I didn't find the book too formulaic. If you enjoy paranormal stories with strong characters, interesting mythos, and a plot that is excellently paced you should pick up My Soul To Take. It is thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended! I'm looking forward to the sequel due out in 2010!

What could be illness - neurological or otherwise - may be something much deadlier in Rachel Vincent's first young adult urban fantasy Soul Screamers novel, MY SOUL TO TAKE. Shadows blanket a girl who's about to die. Kaylee Cavanaugh wants to warn her, but can't. Withholding Kaylee's growing grief-stricken shriek is more than she can handle alone, so having Nash Hudson calm her is some relief. Except that he knows too much about Kaylee: not just WHO she is, but also WHAT she is. Together, they may be able to save potential victims of an unseen-to-the-human-eye serial killer, but there's always an exchange rate. If one person is saved, someone else will still die... I'd heard this was a good book, but didn't expect it to make me cry. Too personal to share why here, but it just goes to show that the most powerful fiction is that which strongly resembles real life. However, once 100 pages had gone and the story became more paranormal, I was fine. I could distance myself from it, and should be able to read the following novels in the series tear-free. The twists and turns are intriguing, and form an engrossing read. A truly outstanding novel, it'll be a hard act to follow but one to watch, come MY SOUL TO SAVE's release in January 2010.