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My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers #1)

by Rachel Vincent (Goodreads Author)

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 21,065 ratings · 1,834 reviews

She doesn’t see dead people, but...

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. An...more

Paperback, 368 pages

Published January 1st 2011 by Mira Books (first published July 25th 2009)

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Jan 03, 2011 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, read-in-2011, favorites

Okay, normally I really don't like books where a guy and a girl eye-hump each other for 5 minutes and then decide they're the ones that Kiss song was written for. This book is no different.

At first I was a bit suspicious, because well... it's not like Nash noticed Kaylee before, so I didn't really know where the sudden interest comes from. But my suspicion faded pretty quickly, ahem.

But of course, Kaylee is beautiful, but doesn't know it... And I can see where this thing with Tod is going... (...more

70 likes · like · see review

May 15, 2013 Sunny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Banshee...

Kaylee Cavanaugh is a bean sidhe (banshee) - she doesn't know it yet but she is. We kinda see it in the prequel but it is confirmed in this book.

Kaylee and her best friend Emma...

Meet Kaylee:

Then Emma:

They sneak into a bar called Taboo. They are hanging and then the hottest guy at school comes up to talk to Kaylee. It's one of those Pretty in Pink moments ya know. Anyway... Nash Hudson the most popular and beautiful boy in school shows Kaylee interest.

Meet Nash:

While Nash and Kaylee...more

9 likes · like · see review

May 25, 2013 Basuhi *misses Jonah and Taylor* rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: buddy-read, cover-girl-gorgeous, that-cover-makes-me-wanna-read, pnr, repetitive-hence-boring, okay-okay

Correction : 2.5 Stars.

It's difficult to explain but I attribute this disparaging sense to the fact that I had expectations from this one.
I'm currently trying to drown the monotony that NA has become, with YA fantasy and PNRs, so of course I'd be looking for something entertaining, in the least.

And you can as well imagine my disappointment when this one turned out to be yet another example of how unrealistic characters coupled with even more unrealistic and gratuitous situations and reactions a...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jul 30, 2009 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-arc, books-i-own

I have Rachel’s adult series sitting on my shelf, they still need to be read, but when the opportunity arose to read her debut YA novel, I knew I had to pounce! (That was totally a pun for her werecats novels, just in case you didn’t get that.)

This was an interesting start to a new series. The whole premise of soul screamers is very original and unique amongst the throng of ya paranormal novels. The beginning was slow, but with the amount of back story that Rachel had to do, it was almost inevit...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jun 15, 2012 Kayleigh {K-Books} rated it 5 of 5 stars

I had this book sat on my bookshelf for a while before finally picking it up. After reading the first book in Rachel Vincent's adult urban fantasy series, Blood Bound, I instantly wanted to read her other series so I finally picked up this one.

I loved this book, I thought it was amazing. I always enjoy original storylines and I thought the storyline of this book is definitely original and not something I have read before. I loved that we got to see the characters grow a lot in this book.
Kaylee,...more

11 likes · like · see review

Apr 19, 2013 Litchick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-uf, ya-pr, shocked-i-liked

Rachel Vincent, thoust hast redeemed thouself. Thyself? Thineself? Screw it. Look you’re off my shit list, okay lady?

I liked this book. I really liked it.

I’m not sure if that’s because I hated Stray so much (which I ATTEMPTED to read directly before this one—don’t do it, trust me) or if it’s because this book is really that good. Based on the glowing notes I took, I’m leaning towards the latter.

I recommend this book to readers who:

1. Are sick of hating main characters
2. Are sick of main chara...more

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Dec 11, 2011 Eunice rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: damn-gorgeous-males, death-tragedy-suicide, favourites, mythology, paranormal, urban-fantasy, ya-romance, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 4.5 of 5 stars

Reading this was sort of an accident. I wasn't really planning on reading this yet when I saw my copy and try to take a sneak peek. But that sneak peek turned into full time reading. And find my self enjoying and getting hooked up with the book.

My Soul to Take was a fun, entertaining, and thrilling read. The plot and concept was unique and original. I haven't read something like the concept of this book. The idea about the bean sidhe, grim reaper, soul screamers made this book ver...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jan 23, 2011 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

*note* In order to be fair, I won't be judging the love triangle upon my re-read because at the initial time I had read this book (end of 2010-ish?), I hadn't read 50 gajillion love triangle books already, so there was nothing about this situation that felt like an overdone or recycled plot. Because the series originated in early 2009, I give the books a pass for being on the early/starting end of the love triangle trend.

*original review*

My Soul to Take was a clever book. Much like my newfound f...more

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May 25, 2013 Nab rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rating: 2 out of 5.

This book wasn't very original when it came to paranormal YA. Most of the book was spent with the heroine asking questions. The heroine also asked the wrong questions, or unimportant questions first. The heroine needed to get her priorities straight. I could go on for pages and point out where the book failed me, but the points below are instances in the first half of the book that annoyed me:

• The hero is the hot/popular guy at school who is also coincidentally a man-whore.
•...more Rating: 2 out of 5.

This book wasn't very original when it came to paranormal YA. Most of the book was spent with the heroine asking questions. The heroine also asked the wrong questions, or unimportant questions first. The heroine needed to get her priorities straight. I could go on for pages and point out where the book failed me, but the points below are instances in the first half of the book that annoyed me:

• The hero is the hot/popular guy at school who is also coincidentally a man-whore.
• The heroine being not hideous but not beautiful either, does not know how she got the guy. She is truly average. She is not popular, smart, sporty or artistic. She just sort of blends into the cohort.
• But of course, she becomes more than average when the hero pays her attention. Popularity by association. Add in the usual gaggle of girls who are jealous of the heroine (most of whom are the hero’s exes).
• If that isn’t bad enough, add in the constant thoughts as to WHY the hero is hanging out with her, what could he possibly want? She is not anything special, is she?
• To which the hero replies “we’re different” at about 40% into the book. And of course, the heroine flushes at the thought. So I am sitting here smirking and thinking wow, someone’s very easy… Easy to impress that is. ;)
• Next, the hero and heroine are tied together in the ways of paranormal YAs. Yup! That’s what makes their relationship so special. (view spoiler). Kaylee’s and my ideas of being impressed obviously differ majorly. (view spoiler) She wasn’t even a blip on his radar for the past couple of years in high school and wouldn’t have been if it weren’t for that one fact.
• The heroine is overly clueless. Yes, I understand that this is paranormal and she obviously does not know what’s happening to her, but when the reader realises before she does, then there is something severely wrong with her thought process. She comes up with several hypotheticals that are just ridiculous. Like oh, do I have a tumour in my brain? Yes! That must be it. That must be why I know who is going to die, because a side-effect of tumour is premonition. She also can’t connect the dots that are staring her right in the face.
• This is how/when she comes to grasp her situation: (view spoiler) This just left me thinking: Are you serious?

I am almost in denial that Rachel Vincent wrote this novel/series. The only thing stopping me from being oblivious to this is that if I were to deny it, then I’d be on the same boat as the heroine who refuses to acknowledge the truth that's staring her right in the face.

Buddy read with BASUHI

Date: 23 MAY (less)

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Aug 06, 2011 LethalLovely~I'll Be Your River rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-ya, young-adult, smack-a-bitch-upside-the-head, reviews, this-about-to-be-some-shit

I read the first book in Rachel Vincent’s urban fantasy series, “Shifters” a few years ago. I was not impressed, nor did I feel the urge to give it another try. But when I found out she’d written an urban fantasy YA series from friends on Goodreads, I figured, why not?

Kaylee Cavanaugh is a junior in high school who has felt the urge to scream uncontrollably on a few occasions, which she believes are panic attacks. Living with her seemingly oblivious aunt and uncle and her popular cousin, she fee...more I read the first book in Rachel Vincent’s urban fantasy series, “Shifters” a few years ago. I was not impressed, nor did I feel the urge to give it another try. But when I found out she’d written an urban fantasy YA series from friends on Goodreads, I figured, why not?

Kaylee Cavanaugh is a junior in high school who has felt the urge to scream uncontrollably on a few occasions, which she believes are panic attacks. Living with her seemingly oblivious aunt and uncle and her popular cousin, she feels like a total outcast. That is, until she bumps into Nash Hudson during a night out with her friend Emma at a dance club. It is there, on possibly the best night of her life that she feels the urge to scream again. She knows the girl gyrating on the dance floor is going to die. She can feel it in her body, in her soul and most importantly, in her lungs. When she confesses this to Nash, he doesn’t freak out. He doesn’t call her a loser. He not only believes her but helps her keep her cool. What follows is Kaylee’s quest to find out what exactly she is and what that means for her future.

While this book didn’t knock my socks off, I did enjoy it to a certain extent. It was fascinating discovering about Kaylee’s origins. I enjoyed reading about her aunt, uncle, cousin and father. In the beginning, they seem like the typical family but you quickly learn that there is a lot more beneath the surface. Kaylee and Nash’s investigation into how & why their classmates were dying had me on the edge of my seat. I do wish that there was more time spent on the Irish folklore & that Nash wasn’t always so quick to come to the rescue. I was also a little disconcerted by how quickly his and Kaylee’s relationship progressed. There was an explanation as to why but I still felt like I got whiplash from Insta-love.

Aside from that, my biggest issue was with Kaylee herself. She was not a character I liked being stuck in the head of. For someone to have gone through what she did-there’s a stay at a mental hospital in her past, among other things-she came off as a petulant child. It seemed like she was stuck on two settings: irate and confused. When she didn’t get her way, she had a fit, yelling and glaring all over the place. When the people who loved her warned her about things, she not only ignored their advice but accused them of hiding things from her and not caring enough about the innocent. To be honest, I’d hide things from her too since all she did was halfway listen and run off with the information like Super Girl Gone Emo. There were way too many times while reading this book that I wanted to smack the crap out of Kaylee for thinking she could handle things she had no real understanding of. She definitely brought this book down a few grades.

Overall, I thought this was a decent YA novel. The ending was amazing. I totally did not see those new developments coming. Kaylee has the potential to be a great heroine if she would just shut the hell up and listen. If she manages to accomplish that, the places her revelations about herself could take her could make this series very entertaining.

(less)

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May 30, 2012 Aa'Ishah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-fantasy, reviewed

2/3 stars

I read this at the insistence of two certain young ladies - you know who you are - and for that reason, I'm sorry I didn't enjoy this book - although I did warn beforehand that it wasn't quite my thing *pointed expression*. I might put the rating up to 3 stars, I haven't decided yet.

Kaylee Cavanaugh has the ability to sense when someone is about to die. If she sees someone who's death is imminent, something takes control of her and induces her to scream uncontrollably. Her boyfriend Nas...more 2/3 stars

I read this at the insistence of two certain young ladies - you know who you are - and for that reason, I'm sorry I didn't enjoy this book - although I did warn beforehand that it wasn't quite my thing *pointed expression*. I might put the rating up to 3 stars, I haven't decided yet.

Kaylee Cavanaugh has the ability to sense when someone is about to die. If she sees someone who's death is imminent, something takes control of her and induces her to scream uncontrollably. Her boyfriend Nash appears to know more than he first let on and eventually he tells her that she is a bean sidhe - a banshee. At the time of this discovery, teenage girls are dropping dead for no apparent reason. Nash and Kaylee set out to discover the truth and find that the blame for these deaths apparently lies on the shoulders of a rogue grim reaper - yet the ultimate truth is somewhat more shocking.

I had a few big issues with this book. One of them was Kaylee. What girl finds out she's not human and then barely freaks out? What girl learns the truth about herself and then instantly demands to know more? OK, I can understand it in one respect - she's always known she was different, and learning that she's a banshee might actually make sense. But to suddenly find out all of this - hasn't there got to be a point where it's a little too much and she needs time to fully absorb it? Maybe I'm reading too much into it, maybe there are people who could actually instantly cope with that sort of information. But I felt that her acceptance was a little too quick. Then there's the issue of her learning that her aunt and uncle have been lying to her her whole life. Not only that, they had her hospitalised after they couldn't get her to stop screaming one day in the past. Now if that was me, and I'd found out my aunt and uncle had done such a thing, I would have been furious. Outraged. Hurt. Betrayed. Yet Kaylee is angry for all of five seconds. And then when her dad arrives - could the author not have taken just a little time to focus on his appearance? To focus a little more on Kaylee's reaction at seeing him after all these years?

Another problem was the story-telling. For me it felt like there was too much dumping of information. Chunks of explanation. Some of it was OK - a bit of asking, a bit of answering, finding out more about bean sidhes. Yet some of it could have been spread out a bit more. And there were parts that were somewhat repetitive. I would have liked to see some more emotional scenes and a bit of variation in plot, things that would make me warm to Kaylee more than I did.

That's not to say this book was totally bad. It definitely had its good points - like finding out the origins of the banshee in Irish folk tales, and the Netherworld. Nash was another, of course. Maybe not as intriguing or swoon-worthy as some other book boyfriends I could mention, but he was sweet, warm and never treated Kaylee like an idiot. He was concerned about overloading her with information, but he always respected her need to know more.

Overall, I didn't love this book, but I didn't hate it either. I might have rated this a little harshly; I think the problem is now that I've read some amazing, breath-taking books and so the bar is set a little higher. Who knows, I may end up re-thinking the number of stars it deserves. I am by no means telling anyone not to read this - I know there are people who love it to bits, and it's not completely riddled with flaws. It just wasn't my cup of tea. I am curious enough to read the second one, however.(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Jan 02, 2012 Elisandra Franzmann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-from-2009, reading-challenge-2011, audio-books-i-have, book-cover-i-really-really-like, book-where-scary-things-happen, books-about-ghosts, books-about-the-supernatural, books-that-make-u-think, e-books-i-have, books-reviwed

Reviewed on 01/02/2012

When I read the prequel My Soul To Lose I was so excited to read this series that I actually did a little squeal when I started to read this. But, let me tell you, this book is really good, but you can’t compare to the prequel, not at all.
As always I try to do my review without any spoilers, but some little secrets always escape trough the cracks. All I can say is that this will certainly not spoils the end; cose is really a great end. Really, really great. The whole book...more

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Dec 12, 2009 Mistress ~ ♠ Mistral's Kiss ♠ ~ (Mist) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-young-adult, speculative-fiction, favorites

(Mini review to avoid even the slightest bit of spoilage)

I couldn't put this book down, it was just the fix I needed to feed my YA addiction. I love how unique Kaylee's story is, it really pops in comparison to the hoard of para ya out there. Most importantly the world building was freaking brilliant, the characters were engaging and believable, and the romantic aspects were age appropriate.

And then there was Todd *sighs*, me likey Todd ; ).

17 likes · like · see review

Jan 18, 2010 Tatiana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of urban fantasy

Recommended to Tatiana by: Heather

Shelves: 2010, ya, urban-fantasy

"My Soul to Take" is, to my surprise, the first YA urban fantasy I've come across. Sort of a teen version of Kelley Armstrong's "Women of the Otherworld" series and Richelle Mead's Succubus books. The majority of the teen paranormal books on the market nowadays are straight romances, which means there is a lot of kissing, staring into each other's eyes, sleeping in the same bed (in a chaste way, naturally) and angst, and very little development of mythology or plot. "Hush, Hush," "Shiver" and "E...more "My Soul to Take" is, to my surprise, the first YA urban fantasy I've come across. Sort of a teen version of Kelley Armstrong's "Women of the Otherworld" series and Richelle Mead's Succubus books. The majority of the teen paranormal books on the market nowadays are straight romances, which means there is a lot of kissing, staring into each other's eyes, sleeping in the same bed (in a chaste way, naturally) and angst, and very little development of mythology or plot. "Hush, Hush," "Shiver" and "Evermore" are the perfect examples. Unlike these paranormal romances, "My Soul to Take" has a mystery at the core of the story, not romance, although there is plenty of very well done teen snogging, so don't fret, romance lovers.

Another positive thing about this book is the lore. I know next to nothing about banshees or reapers and reading a decently developed mythology based on these creatures is fairly entertaining.

Last, but not least, not even once was I irritated by any of the characters in the book. None of them are dumb or unreasonable, they have solid motivations and are not too stupid to live, like let's say Nora and Vee in "Hush, Hush" or Haven and Ever in "Evermore." I am so used to an array of dumb teen characters in YA books, that this certainly is a nice departure from the "standard."

However, in spite of these positives, I have to say that I simply can't give the book more than 3 stars. Yes, it is a fast and easy read, yes, the characters are likable and yet, the story left me cold. It must be the simplicity and straight-forwardness of it, or lack of excitement and suspense (not even once did I get excited by the plot), or maybe the "love" between the two main characters that comes out of nowhere and materializes in a matter of hours. I don't know what it is, but I am completely disinterested in continuing to read more about Kaylee and Nash and Tod. Maybe I will work up some taste for the sequels later on, but right now my opinion is that "My Soul to Take" is an OK read, albeit not a memorable one. There is simply much better developed and more exciting urban fantasy out there.(less)

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Nov 03, 2011 Skyla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: based-on-myth-legend, books-i-own, creepy, dark-subject-matter, ghost, sci-fi-fantasy, ya

I’ll start by saying I wasn’t all that interested in reading this series. I have Irish and Scottish blood running through my veins; I have heard the stories of the Bean Sidhe my entire life. I know my mythology and when things stray too far from the written mythology I tend to get annoyed, so I had firmly decided to stay away from the series at all costs…well I was until I read a snippet from a post made by one of my Goodreads friends about someone named Nash, someone named Sabine and someone na...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Zemira Warner rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy

After several months I have finally finished this book. I just checked. It's been 5 months. Okay... :/

I wanna make sweet looove with Tod. *sings like Chef*

I love that he is a smartass,angry and rude all the time.

5 likes · like · see review

Jun 06, 2013 Shoujo & YA Banter rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, romance-with-a-little-paranormal

Banshees??? In YA??? How cool does that sound???

Unfortunatly, the main character annoyed me.

pg. 18 "I'd completely lost it in front of Nash Hudson. My life was over; even my friendship with Emma wouldn't be enough to repair the damage from such a nasty wound.".

So...because you had a panic attack your life is officially over???

"I wanted to go hide in a hole, or stick my head in a bag, or change my name and move to Peru."

-.- No...DNF as of pg.38

Couldn't do it and didn't keep my interest.

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Jun 19, 2012 Lisa Howe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-with-cute-guys, made-me-laugh

The entire book was absolutely filled to the brim with surprises that continuously caught me off guard, and I loved the ever-present witty humour. :)

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Apr 14, 2011 Patricia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, review-on-old-blog, genre-urban-contemporary-fantasy, _young-adult, paranormal-banshees, paranormal-angels-demons-gods, paranormal-reapers

First Thoughts

Oh. Mein. Gott.
Ja, das war nicht mein eloquentester Moment gerade, aber Rachel Vincent hat es wieder geschafft. Ich werde heute noch die gesamte Serie lesen, ich schwör! ;)

Nach ihrer Shifters-Reihe, die mir wirklich das Herz gebrochen hat, konnte ich nicht sofort mit My Soul to Lose anfangen. Ambivalenz pur. (Was, wenn die nächste Reihe nicht genauso gut ist? Was wenn doch? Blabla.)

Glücklicherweise habe ich heute Vormittag mit Lesen begonnen, denn diese Serie hat Potential! Kaylee...more

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Jun 08, 2013 Ruth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-tbr-challenge, paranormal-urban-fantasy, fantasy, mystery, ya-pn-fantasy, ya-pn-ghosts, ya-pn-urban-fantasy, read-in-2013, 2013-prn-fantasy-challenge, book-boyfriends, favourites

This book and I have a bit of a history. I bought My Soul to Take and tried to read it when it first came out. After trying (and failing) a few times I decided that it just wasn’t for me and never really gave it much thought afterwards. Then I started hearing a lot of positive buzz about subsequent books in the series and my interest was piqued once more. I had read Rachel Vincent’s Shifter series and although I had found it enjoyable I had never really been caught up too much (I had difficulty...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Marked By Books rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For the original review and more, please visit Marked By Books.

Rachel Vincent, I tip my hat to you. With this being my second read of My Soul to Take, I had expected to glaze over the many twists and turns in this book that had once left me breathless and, at times, a little annoyed with some of the characters. While it is true that I remembered many of the surprises, I was left with an even greater understanding of how amazing of a writer she really is.

The character development in the Soul Scre...more For the original review and more, please visit Marked By Books.

Rachel Vincent, I tip my hat to you. With this being my second read of My Soul to Take, I had expected to glaze over the many twists and turns in this book that had once left me breathless and, at times, a little annoyed with some of the characters. While it is true that I remembered many of the surprises, I was left with an even greater understanding of how amazing of a writer she really is.

The character development in the Soul Screamers novels is outstanding. When you read through each of the books, very rarely do you notice any uncharacteristic traits appear out of anyone, but they all change just the same. Starting over from the beginning has shown me this. Each of the characters grew so much throughout the story, but it was so believable that I never questioned it. In fact I wouldn't have even noticed if I hadn't met them again from the start.

And it does feel like I know these characters. Each of them are so settled into their own person that I can count on them to be true to themselves without falling into the cookie cutter snare that so many succumb to.

Kaylee is as strong of a heroine as they come. So much has been thrown at her in these past few days: she's met a grim reaper, seen people drop dead right in front of her eyes, learned the truth about what happened the night her mother died, and on top of all of that, she isn't even human. How's that for a surprise?

Even though she's had to deal with more than should ever be expected of anyone, she handles it all like a pro. Only once or twice does she break down under the weight that has been placed on her shoulders, but even then, she recovers to deal with the matter at hand. Kaylee may not be your average kick-butt, demon slaying, paranormal heroine, but her strength as a person gives her much more to offer.

If you're looking for a book to steal you away and bring you into a world to fall in love with, go read this right now. Otherwise, dig yourself out of your hole and embrace the light because this book will pick you up and never let you go.

Taylor

For the original review and more, please visit Marked By Books.(less)

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Jul 12, 2012 Nitzan Schwarz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: to-buy, favorites

To read more reviews and fun things go to my blog; Drugs Called Books!

Kaylee is just a normal teenager... or is she? Apparently not, if the screams wailing in her throat--the ones that she can't stop, which come side by side with the sight of certain people surrounded by shadows and the morbid but absolute knowledge they are going to die, and soon--are any indication.
She is bent on keeping her abilities--or insanity?--hidden, shutting and never letting the screams - but fate has something else i...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Lily rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

http://eldesvandelosuenos.blogspot.co...

La portada y el título me trasmitieron buenísimas vibraciones desde el momento en que conocí la novela. La imagen y la combinación de colores me parece una preciosidad. La sinopsis también parecía interesante y contaba con elementos novedosos a mi parecer. Y, si bien el conjunto final me ha gustado, ha habido aspectos de la novela que han resultado demasiado descafeinados para mi gusto.

Los personajes principales son Nash, el chico más popular del instituto...more http://eldesvandelosuenos.blogspot.co...

La portada y el título me trasmitieron buenísimas vibraciones desde el momento en que conocí la novela. La imagen y la combinación de colores me parece una preciosidad. La sinopsis también parecía interesante y contaba con elementos novedosos a mi parecer. Y, si bien el conjunto final me ha gustado, ha habido aspectos de la novela que han resultado demasiado descafeinados para mi gusto.

Los personajes principales son Nash, el chico más popular del instituto, y Kaylee, una joven bastante normalita con una única amiga inseparable y una prima odiosa opuesta a ella. La relación entre ellos surge de manera natural y, contra todo pronóstico, no hay nada imposible en lo suyo, hecho que resulta un soplo de aire fresco entre los romance juveniles. Sin embargo, y exceptuando algunos momentos puntuales, son protagonistas que pasan bastante desapercibidos, tanto por separado como juntos. Se funden con fondo de los hechos y a veces llegan a desaparecer. He echado de menos esa química que me revoluciona completa y me arranca sonrisillas de vez en cuando, o esa tensión entre dos personajes que quieren y no pueden. De todas formas, espero que su relación suba de temperatura en los próximos libros. Como contrapunto, hay historias y personajes secundarios mucho más atractivos y, quizá, mejor definidos.

Toma mi alma es una novela de argumento sencillo y que sigue el patrón de las obras del género juvenil y paranormal. Es decir, la trama sigue una línea de desarrollo parecida a otras novelas, no hay grandes descubrimientos ni giros argumentales, pero nos introduce a un interesante nuevo Submundo con criaturas que sí me han parecido originales. Este es el punto fuerte de Toma mi alma: la adaptación de algunos elementos y seres de cierta mitología para crear un nuevo universo sobrenatural en los pasillos de un instituto estadounidense.

Tiene un ritmo bastante pausado y con poco sobresaltos, aunque se disfruta si se busca una lectura sin pretensiones. Además, según se va acercando el desenlace, el argumento se vuelve más retorcido y se amplían los horizontes de lo que creíamos saber. Los acontecimientos y descubrimientos se precipitan en una carrera trepidante contra la misma Muerte.

Esto, unido a los elementos mitológicos, le ha subido muchos puntos a la novela y me ha motivado para leer la siguiente entrega en cuanto salga. Creo que esta primera parte es, quizá, demasiado introductoria, como todo principio de saga, pero tengo la sensación de que las próximas prometen más acción.

(less)

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Dec 18, 2011 Karen LOVESREADING rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-stars, i-heart-favourites, series, ghosts, young-adult, paranormal, fantasy, role-model-worthy-heroines

I’m very excited to have started reading this series, it’s fantastic and even I couldn’t put it down! I was immersed until the very last word.

Everything was very original and I really liked the fantasy and romance element. This series takes on a very unique concept that you don’t find quite often in the YA genre; developed from mythology and folklore. The writing was superb, it was very engrossing.

The characters were well developed. I liked Kaylee, she’s an awesome protagonist and so was Nash. K...more

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Jun 24, 2012 D.G. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, paranormal, reviewed

**3.5 stars**

I had some problems with the PNR plot so usually I would have bitched non stop in the review (fear not, it will still happen below.) However, I liked the characters so much that I really enjoyed the book and the plot issues didn't bother me as much as they probably should have.

I really liked Kaylee. She's used to living in the shadows of her gorgeous best friend but she doesn't mind; in fact, she's happy not have caught people's attentions. You see, Kaylee has 'panic attacks' for un...more **3.5 stars**

I had some problems with the PNR plot so usually I would have bitched non stop in the review (fear not, it will still happen below.) However, I liked the characters so much that I really enjoyed the book and the plot issues didn't bother me as much as they probably should have.

I really liked Kaylee. She's used to living in the shadows of her gorgeous best friend but she doesn't mind; in fact, she's happy not have caught people's attentions. You see, Kaylee has 'panic attacks' for unexplained reasons and her friend has helped conceal the fact from others. She definitely doesn't want the whole school to think she's crazy!

Kaylee came across a typical teenager, one that is devastated by the desertion of her father but doesn't feel sorry for herself. She's brave, caring, a bit too impulsive and willing to do much to protect those she loves. Definitely a person that I want to read more about.

I thought the romance was a bit rushed but liked how they behaved like normal teenagers (constantly making out.) I also liked how the adults played an important role - YA with no adults always seem fake to me.

Now, the issues with the plot. I really don't see the point of the whole bean sidhe business. Whatever good they do doesn't seem all that important (giving people closure! give me a break!) and it's not like they could do it for everybody. And I didn't understand how could they keep screaming while a soul says the goodbyes. Also, the whole thing is so noticeable you would think that their kind would have gone extinct during the Inquisition.

Kaylee's desire to try out her 'powers' without really understanding the consequences seemed pretty dangerous to me. It's like a teenager wanting to drive her pregnant mother to the hospital without knowing how to drive (yes, she can help but she can cause more problems than she can solve.) She should have been more reluctant but I guess the author didn't see another way to advance the plot.

I was surprised by the villain responsible for the deaths but I didn't understand how the deal was struck and why the (view spoiler)And the business of the lists! So you mean to tell me that Death needs a spreadsheet to keep track of who should die? C'mon!

I'll definitely continue the series but I really hope we get to know more about the role of bean sidhes and we don't have more jarring plot points like Death and the lists.(less)

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May 29, 2012 Heather (hungrycookiemonster) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, young-adult, reviewed, supernatural

Original review posted on: heathersworldofbooks

When I began his novel, I was already prepared for the, often described, “player” and “jerk” love interest. The “player” part I got. It seems that Nash has indeed a bit more experience with relationships versus Kaylee (and other than a few casual relationships, Kaylee’s experience is like very minimum). The “jerk” description throws me off. I kept waiting for Nash to start acting like the “jerk” I was expecting but it never came. Instead, I was ove...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Donna {Book Passion for Life} rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, from-publishers, ya-paranormal-romance

The Soul Screamers series is a series I’ve wanted to try for some time now mainly because I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. Admittedly, I did try the prequel a few years ago and didn’t really give it much of a chance but now, after reading My Soul to Take I’m more than excited to continue this series.

This story follows the life of Kaylee Cavanaugh, a young girl who lives with her aunt and uncle after the death of her mother. Kaylee isn’t like normal girls though. Sometimes she knows w...more The Soul Screamers series is a series I’ve wanted to try for some time now mainly because I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. Admittedly, I did try the prequel a few years ago and didn’t really give it much of a chance but now, after reading My Soul to Take I’m more than excited to continue this series.

This story follows the life of Kaylee Cavanaugh, a young girl who lives with her aunt and uncle after the death of her mother. Kaylee isn’t like normal girls though. Sometimes she knows when a person is going to die because she has the urge to scream. She doesn’t know why this happens until she meets Nash Hudson, one of the hottest guys at her High School. Kaylee soon finds out that Nash knows things that can help her finally figure out what she is. Soon though, several girls drop dead within a few days apart and Kaylee and Nash go on a dangerous journey to try and solve the murders.

My Soul to Take was a completely unique story, one that I’ve never read anything about before. Bean Sidhe aka Banshee’s are from Irish Legends and I really enjoyed getting to know about a different legend which I thought was a refreshing story line. It kept me gripped all the way through and had so many different avenue’s the story could take but what Rachel did with this storyline was awesome. It was exciting, dangerous and a great page turner.

Our characters were fantastic and I really enjoyed Kaylee as a character. She became very realistic to me and I connected with her quite well. Through-out her struggles to contain her wail, she was actually very strong and determined. I love qualities like that in our heroine. Then there’s Nash; who wouldn’t love him? I immediately fell for him and I can totally see why Kaylee loves him. He was her rock through out this book and it even though Kaylee was strong enough on her own, it was nice that he could help her in ways you wouldn’t even expect. And also I can’t forget Tod. He was a bit of an odd one for me, I liked him and I didn’t like him…I’ve heard a few rumours about the next few books that involve Tod and that we get to see him in a different light, so I’ll look forward to that.

Overall, My Soul to Take was a great start to a refreshing series and I will look forward to seeing what will come next for our characters.

Thank you Mira for giving me the opportunity to review this book.(less)

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Nov 03, 2011 Michelle novelsontherun rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

RATING: 4 SCREAMING STARS!!!

I had heard a lot of buzz about the Soul Screamers series, so I thought I would give it a try. What a wonderfully original character a bean sidhe.

This first instalment was a lot of world building , but I understand why. There was the mystery of beautiful girls dropping dead, there was getting to know the main characters, discovering who they were, how they fit into Kaylee’s life.

I liked Kaylee’s character, I really felt for her when she was going through her moments....more

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Dec 18, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-teen-book-reviews, audiobook-reviews-2012, read-in-2012, teen-mystery, teen-paranormal-fiction, with-reviews

Summary:
Kaylee just wants to be a normal girl and date a normal attractive guy, but it is hard to get a guy when you are a freak. At least that is what Kaylee believes she is, because every time she is around someone who is about to die, she starts screaming and can't stop. When classmates start dying, Kaylee can't help but scream, literally.

Review:
I put off reading this series for quite a while. Mostly because I don't have much interest in bean sidhe (banshees). Still, I purchased the audio fro...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 11, 2010 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of the Wake Trilogy

Recommended to Heather by: Melissa Marr

Shelves: 2010, ya, urban-fantasy, paranormal-romance

I picked this book up on a whim, thinking it sounded mildly entertaining and hoping I wouldn't regret spending ten bucks on an author I knew nothing about. Three and a half hours later I went back out into the cold to buy the sequel. I loved this book!

As a lover of mythology, I was somewhat familiar with Banshees’ but the lore in this book was entirely new and surprisingly entertaining. Kaylee is 16 and a bit of a wreck. Her mother died when she was three and her father has flittered in and out...more

6 likes · like · see review

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♪ YA Obsessed ♫: Last One to Post Wins:)	222	29	3 hours, 3 min ago
YA Buddy Readers'...: Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent --> Start Date: June 4	67	23	Jun 18, 2013 03:31am
The YA Book Club: Team Nash or Tod	1	7	Jun 09, 2013 04:54am
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Crazy for Young A...: My Soul To Take (Soul Screamers #1) → Start Date April 22, 2013	49	32	Apr 26, 2013 10:01am
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[Note: Though Rachel's blog entries are cross posted here, she does not frequent Goodreads. The best ways to contact her are FB, Twitter, or her Wordpress blog. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HER MESSAGES HERE. SHE DOES NOT CHECK THEM.]

A resident of San Antonio, Rachel Vincent has a BA in English and an overactive imagination, and consistently finds the latter to be more practical. She shares her workspace wi...more

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