Marked By Books: Review of My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

I'm just going to start by saying that this was the first review I had ever written. This came out of the colossal mess that is my brain for a reading challenge hosted by the absolutely wonderful Rachel at Fiktshun. To her I owe the inspiration for even starting to review books. So, thank you, thank you, thank you.

That being said, I didn't have the slightest idea as to what I was doing at the time. Which means I sincerely apologize for my awful writing style and very cheesy thoughts on a book that COMPLETELY BLEW ME AWAY!

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.

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.