My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers Book 1) (edition 2009)

The main character being, basically, a 'banshee' was an interesting change from the normal paranormal YA books out there. Didn't exactly grab me from the start, but was still interesting enough to finish. Will continue the series sometime. :) ( )

oh, i like this! ( )

WOW, this was a totally awesome book! I loved how Kaylee dealt with her new self, and how she grew and took charge of herself and her situation.

Nash is great - I really hope that they WILL be able to have a long and happy life, and that Kaylee's dad will be able to accept all that will come his way as well.

I really didn't appreciate Sophie, though, totally spoiled girl, with little emphaty for others. Val scared me - but at the same time, she incarnated the kind of woman that there actually are plenty of in the real world, not just in the soulscreamer world! Way to go in order to try to stay forever young.

Poor Tod! I feel bad for him, but I have a feeling he will be around in the next books to wreak some havoc, both on Kaylee and on Nash.

And I could totally see Kaylee's dad and Harmony hooking up in the future :D ( )

I was impressed with the flow and suspense. I Laughed, I cried, and I didn't put it down until it was done! Now on to #2! :)


http://beerensbaby.blogspot.com/2012/08/my-soul-to-take-by-rachel-vincent.html

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I was impressed with the flow and suspense. I Laughed, I cried, and I didn't put it down until it was done! Now on to #2! :)


http://beerensbaby.blogspot.com/2012/08/my-soul-to-take-by-rachel-vincent.html

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Story = 3.5 Writing = 2.5

This book was so-so. The writing was poor, somehow the narrator was all-knowing. I mean how does she know what everyones thinking??? I didn't know she was a telepath...
Also, I predicted (almost) everything, and that's never fun. But the story was okay.... The romance was entertaining. But the main character is annoying. ( )

The characters were a bit flat and the story could have been paced better. And I didn't need to know everytime the main couple touched each other. They started to sound like leeches after awhile. Yes, teens can be that way. Do I need to read it over, over, over...no. That does not make you a character. Just annoying. ( )

This book is the first book in the series Soul Screamers by Rachel Vincent. I immensely enjoyed this book a lot. I was hooked from the start. I really loved many of the characters but I do not know how I feel towards Nash. I don't find I like him. I really like Kaylee's Uncle and her dad. I find them really interesting characters who have a really deep personality. I absolutely despise Kaylee's aunt and her cousin *Sophie*. And I am not sure how I feel about Emma.

The interesting thing about this book was the concept of Bean- sidhes and death. How if one person is supposed to die but is saved someone else must die in exchange which then means that that person who lived is living on borrowed time. At first I thought I would hate this book because I am not a fan of books that involve either Angels, or half humans or robots as characters. Vampires are alright but anything else no. But I found I liked this book because she still looked Human and blended in with others. She just had like special abilities and although she looked human was not.

I also liked all of the surprises. Kaylee being a Bean- sidhe, Emma having supposed to die (well not really but still in a way they saved her and someone else Julie died in exchange). The end where Sophie practically died and was saved and then where Aunt Val died.

The one thing which annoyed me about this book was the length and the depth. To me it looked long because it looked thick when I borrowed it and there were a lot of words on each page. But literally it was not that long. Things happened to quickly and too fast that many things the reader could predict.
I practically predicted that Emma would die and then Kaylee and Nash would save her. I predicted it before it happened. And I also predicted the whole borrow time thing. I realised after a while before it was revealed in the book that Kaylee must have died when she was younger and that her mother and father must have saved her only for her mother to die.
Also other than that I felt the book was not in depth even though it WAS REALLY GOOD.
Things happened too fast.
EXAMPLE:
girl dies at club
Another girl dies at the cinema
(Nash and Kaylee technically become a couple)
Meredith Cole dies
She finds out she is a bean- sidhe
They visit the reaper
Save Emma only for Julie to die
dad comes home, Sophie dies they bring her back only for Aunt Val to die. You found out who the reaper that was poaching souls was.
Then you had the end bit with the conclusion etc.

The end.

For me I just felt everything was bunched up and happened to quickly. There wasn't a good time frame for this book in my opinion.

Though, I recommend all of you to read this book because it is amazing, brilliant and I really liked it. I only gave it 4/5 because of the last point I made.


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Ugh...I hate to do this.

Despite the high ratings, I just couldn't get into this book. I found it very slow paced and uneventful overall. The idea of a banshee character was unique but not exciting enough to keep me reading.

I gave it a good try....read the first 100 pages...but I just couldn't go any further. ( )

Fantastic paranormal teen read on a subject not often explored - banshees! ( )

4.5 Stars. I loved these characters from the very beginning; Kaylee, Emma and Nash are all very real and I wanted to know more about them. However, I did wish there had been a little more of Emma considering she was Kaylee's best friend, and I did feel like Kaylee's relationship with Nash came about a little too easily. However, they had known each other for some time, even though not well, before the novel started. I also wish we had been told a little more about why Nash likes Kaylee. He falls for her rather quickly but they don't have a lot in common, at least other than one big thing.

Kaylee has had a huge secret kept from her, her entire life and at sixteen she's forced to face it before her father or aunt and uncle were really prepared to talk to her about it. Kaylee is a Banshee and she knows when someone around her is about to die, then she lets out a terrible scream once they pass which can suspend their soul for a short time. It's a frightening ability but one that Kaylee is able to get a handle on, until she realizes that there's someone out there that's taking people before their time and Kaylee can't stand to let girls die for no reason.

This starts out with action and there's something going on throughout the entire book. It was an exciting read and there were surprises up through the very end. But, I didn't completely believe that Kaylee's aunt would make the choices she did at the end of the novel, it just didn't feel like that ending had been set up as well as it could have been. The plot overall is exciting and different and I truly enjoyed this book. I just wished a few parts had been fleshed out a little more. Overall I enjoyed this read and will continue on with the next book in this series.

For more reviews by Lauryn April go to http://laurynapril.blogspot.com ( )

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. ( )

I've seen this book pop up now and then for a while now, and finally decided to see what it was all about.

I was really interested in the whole banshee thing and the other world that lived around them.

The relationship between Nash and Kaylee definitely moved very fast. I appreciate the fact that Kaylee didn't freak out and refuse to acknowledge the fact that she was a banshee and basically got to the point of the story, but for some reason, the fact that their relationship moved so quickly bothered me.

Overall, this was a solid good read for me, but I don't know if I'm interested enough to move to the next book. ( )

This book has started my love affair with Todd. One of the greatest literary loves of my life! ( )

Great read. Great new concept in Paranormal YA! ( )

I really liked My Soul to Take! It was interesting and fun as well as pretty suspenseful. I liked Kaylee a lot and thought that the paranormal aspect was really unique. At least I've never read about Banshee's before. ;)

Some parts were extremely touching and well written. I almost cried during one particular scene. I had figured out one of the "secrets" pretty early on, but I definitely didn't see the ending coming.

Overall, I really enjoyed both the prequel and this first full-sized novel, and I'll definitely be reading the rest of the Soul Screamers books.

Additionally, I thought the narrator did a great job on this book. (Amanda Ronconi) I've heard her read a few other books as well and almost couldn't believe she was the same person. She is a very talented reader. ( )

RATING: 3.5 stars.Aside from the whole hot teen love, I liked this book. It has a heroine with "refreshing" powers... :/ ( )

I am still dumbfounded over My Soul to Take, so if my review comes out in rambles, sorry ahead of time. I first have to say thank you to Katrina for recommending this book. I probably wouldn’t have picked it up if she hadn’t highly suggested I read it.

Kaylee was a great main character. I kind of wished though she had more individualism. It seemed like she was constantly wrapped in Nash or trying to figure out who she was or what was the reason of the deaths. Her character was strong and I liked that no matter what happened she took it in strides. She might have had a tiny freak out, but that is understandable. I guessed right off the bat what Kaylee was and I’m not really sure how I did. I remember hearing that phrase before and her actions made me think of that. I am very surprised how easy she took the news though. Kaylee was just kind of like “oh ok, could have been worse.” Which the way she was thinking about what could have been wrong, I guess it was easy for her to be okay with it.

The reason for the sudden deaths was insane. I know it goes back to the ending, in that I never saw it coming. I also can’t believe that Kaylee’s family lied to her this whole time and her father just abandoned her. Her aunt and uncle did some things I don’t think were necessary and I think everything could have been handled better by just begin truthful. It was hard to see what really happened to Kaylee’s mom. It was good to see though that she learned she couldn’t take her life for granted.

Tod seems like a great character, but I am not sure of why there is an obsession surrounding him. I only got a glimpse of him in the first book, so I haven’t decided how I feel about him. I am still Team Nash and I love his character. I want my own Nash. I hope later on he doesn’t make me regret saying that. At first I thought it was going to be the typical popular guy trying to get an extra notch in his belt, but it wasn’t that way at all. He is sweet, nice, and caring to Kaylee. The connection between them was undeniable. I loved how sensual he could be and the chemistry was amazing. Also he is the only person that seems to want to be honest with her. I know Nash made a point of saying why he wanted to be around Kaylee, but I mean wouldn’t he have done it sooner. Was he really clueless about her or did he just wait?

The ending was incredible. It was something I had no idea was coming. I was speechless when I read it and still shocked about it. It is definitely an ending that will stick with you for awhile. This is a book you should give a chance if you haven’t. My Soul to Take is full of twists and turns. So many things happen you don’t see coming and the ending will leave you wanting to run out and go get the second book to see what happens next. ( )

Originally posted at The Wandering Fangirl.

My Soul to Take is a nice twist on the myth of banshees, and a surprisingly enjoyable YA paranormal romance read. I’ve grown tired of many tropes in the genre recently, and while My Soul to Take has some of them, the writing moves quickly and the plot is interesting enough that I could forgive them and enjoy it.

Kaylee is a pretty nice heroine to follow; she’s sensible, she isn’t incredibly dumb, and she understandably thinks she’s going insane when she realizes she can predict people’s deaths – and ends up screaming like a banshee when near them. It didn’t feel like there was any actual character development with Kaylee, apart from her learning her true heritage as a banshee, and I didn’t enjoy the instant love she develops with Nash. Honestly, that trope is what knocked this down a star for me. But the book was enjoyable enough that I think I’ll continue on with the series. I still hold out hope that there isn’t a love triangle, even though I can see it coming a mile away. ( )

I didn't expect myself to like this, but I really did. I am not a fan of romances, but this was really good. Rachel Vincent has taken a well worn genre, and made it something very new and interesting. I loved all the weirdness and strange plot twists. ( )

I absolutely loved this book. I love the storyline, I love the characters and I absolutely LOVED the fact that I never saw the twist at the end coming. I can usually see what's coming, but I did not see this coming at all.I love Nash and Kaylee. I don't really care for Tod. I also did not see Tod being Nash's brother, either. I was stunned by a lot of the plot twists and I could not wait to start the next book. I was quite glad that I had it on my Kindle already. That's a sign of a great series and I think this is going to be one of them. ( )

I don’t usually read books bordering on horror, so I was unsure about reading about a girl who senses when people are about to die. I shouldn’t have worried: I enjoyed My Soul to Take a lot and am glad there’s plenty more where that came from!

The mythology used in the book is interesting - I think it is fresh and engaging. Kaylee’s discovery of her supernaturally inclined side and her acceptance of it is a little too quick and glossy for me, but otherwise I really enjoyed the pacing and premise of the book.

I enjoyed reading about the characters immensely, especially Kaylee, who is great and relatable. And Nash, the love interest is awesome (and hot). I didn’t trust him initially but he’s definitely my favourite character now! Kaylee’s best friend Emma is the only character I didn’t like, because she didn’t act how I think a best friend should act. She is jealous and controlling of her friend when she be concerned about all the changes in Kaylee’s life.

I liked this book a lot and will recommend it to anyone who wants a quick, enjoyable read to distract them. I plan to read the rest of the series as soon as I can.

You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic. ( )

The Soul Screamers series approaches supernatural beings that I haven't yet encountered before in my reading. The concept of Banshees (Bean Sidhes) is new to me and so it was definitely a refreshing subject to read about. I absolutely love the world Rachel Vincent crafts here. I was initially drawn to this series by the prequel, My Soul to Lose, and if I'm being honest, I enjoyed the prequel even more than I enjoyed this first book in the series. The prequel introduced us to Kayleigh's need to wail when someone near her was about to die. I was fascinated and excited to pick up the first book. Unfortunately, as I kind of expected, the first book was bogged down by an instant romance, taking away from the world that Rachel Vincent was building, which is a shame since the mythology only gets even more involved and interesting here.

The Grim Reapers and Tod as a character were really great additions to this story. I love the explorations into death and learning about the details of the involvement of the Grim Reapers and the different parts male and female bean sidhes can play. The plot was fast moving and the ending was satisfying. It did not feel like a cliffhanger but a complete story, which is very important for a series, but it still managed to leave me wanting more.

The one thing that I really didn't like about this novel was a prominent enough part of the book to affect my rating. The romance between Nash and Kayleigh was formed too quickly to be believable. Kayleigh found herself wondering if Nash only had feelings for her because of what they have in common, and I did too, because what else was there? Kayleigh spends much of the story getting distracted by Nash's arms, hands, mouth and the swirling depths in his eyes and it caused me to roll my own non-swirly eyes on several occasions. She also frequently wonders what he could possibly see in her because of course he is ~beautiful~ and the most popular guy in school. Do we really have to keep writing heroines this way? Heroines who spend the entire day thinking about a boy and wondering how they could possibly deserve him? Can't our supernatural heroine have a little more confidence and focus on the much more important things she has going on without constantly thinking about a boy's "gravelly chuckle" and how it sent a "bolt of heat" blazing through her? At this point when it comes to a lot of YA romance I am hoping someone does a follow up. Can we look in on these romances a few years down the line when she's had to listen to him snoring at all hours and watched him forget to wash his hands after pooping a few times? Because I think the inner monologues would really align with reality then.

I will definitely be continuing on with this series. Romance aside, the story is one of the most original I've come across in the paranormal genre lately. I hope that future books focus more on everyone's abilities and the Reapers instead of pretty boys.

Recommendation: Anyone in the mood for some paranormal candy that ventures away from the usual vampires/werewolves. You can check out the prequel for free if you go to its Goodreads page. ( )

I LOVED this book. To be honest, I am actually pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it. Based on the synopsis, I was expecting something about a girl hung up on the “hottest guy in school,” with some awkward standard paranormal elements added in to make a typical YA paranormal+romance story concoction. However, this book had none of that, for which I am very grateful. My Soul to Take is refreshingly original, beautifully written, and something you should not miss out on.

My favorite thing about this book was the paranormal/mythology components present. This is my first time reading a book about banshees, and it proved to be a very enlightening and entertaining read. I liked learning the mythology behind banshees (view spoiler), and it is nice to have some deviation from the typical vampire/werewolf/faerie/[insert any other common fantastical being here] stories found in abundance nowadays. The characters were well-crafted, and for what feels like the first time in a long time, none of them annoyed me. Kaylee is definitely one of the better female leads out there, and she is smart and quick on her feet. I am partially in love with Tod and his snarky demeanor, and I hope we get to see more of him in the next book. Nash was a little too one-dimensional for my tastes, but I did not mind him so much. The romance between Nash and Kaylee suffers from insta-love, and it was my least favorite part of the book. I am actually hoping for something to happen between Tod and Kaylee myself, since Tod actually has some (interesting) depth to him and I loved the interactions between the two of them. However, this book does not focus on the romance that much, so Kaylee and Nash’s relationship was bearable. Maybe I am just over the whole ‘popular playboy who falls for the unnoticed one’ dynamic, but nonetheless, I am hoping something to develop between Kaylee and Tod. *crosses fingers* Maybe I should just be happy with what I get and be appreciative of the fact that there is no love triangle. A bad romance trumps a love triangle any day.

This book has become one of my new guilty pleasures. I am almost embarrassed to admit how much I am looking forward to reading the second book! My Soul to Take was SO GOOD, and if the next book, My Soul to Save, is even half as good as this one, then I am sure I will love it. This story is imaginative and rather unprecedented, and I cannot wait for more. Here’s to finding a new series to obsess over. ( )

So I kind of lurved this book, mostly. Except WHY ARE TEENAGERS ALWAYS FALLING IN LOVE IN LIKE, TWELVE MINUTES?! Seriously, go on a date or do something other than have a nervous breakdown first, yeah? ( )