Review #32: My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

Hello my lovely literary comrades! Hope your weekends were fantastic :). Anyway lets get started!

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent is the first in the Soul Screamers series. It stars Kaylee Cavanaugh. She is a junior (I think) in high school. She has this ability to predict people's deaths, by sensing it if near the person and emitting their soul song. To humans, it just sounds like she is screaming bloody murder, which is not the case. She is a bean sidhe, aka a banshee. When young girls start dropping like flies, she and her crush Nash Hudson start investigating, and falling in love. 

I'll be honest, I almost gave up on this book. I didn't think it was interesting enough, but I'm glad I didn't listen to myself. This is a pretty good book. I love the plot that combines Irish mythology and a mystery, coupled with a bit of family drama and romance. It's not the greatest but it a good story and I loved the twists, especially the ones that came out of nowhere, which I like. 

Kaylee is a decent character. I admired her strength, well in some aspects. I did not like how quickly she gave into Nash. I feel like their romance happened too quickly. Granted, the story only takes place over the course of a week, but still, develop more of a connection will ya? As I said, Kaylee is a decent enough heroine. She's no Tris Prior, Katniss Everdeen, or Sabina Kane, but for this she was perfectly suited. Now onto Nash. Oh Nash. You weren't really that great of a love interest. I thought you were a bit flat as a character, although I loved your banter with Tod. I liked his backstory and how it was fleshed out, but I just didn't really like him. Granted, maybe I'll like him in the next book, but for now my opinion of him is shaky. Now Tod, THERE is a good male character. Man was he awesome. I loved his sarcasm and snark, but also that he could be sensitive and sweet. Again, I loved his verbal sparring with Nash, it was brilliant. I remember when a novella based on him was a Free Friday book on my Nook once. I got it not really knowing how much I would like him. Now that I've read My Soul to Take, I can't wait to read that novella. Emma was alright, you don't see her too much, the story mostly focuses on Kaylee and Nash and Kaylee's drama, but she comes back with a bit of importance in the end. I thought Aunt Val and Sophie were so shallow they would not even make a puddle. I just wanted to smack the sh-t out of them at first. But by the end I had some respect for Val and a sympathy for Sophie. I am glad for the bit of turnaround Vincent gave me, because if not I would have reached through the book and slapped them for being so shallow vain and self centered.

Ms. Vincent's style was alright. It's not the best prose but it works for this book. I loved her use of banshees and that mythology. I haven't read much about them and loved getting more knowledge about them. Plus she knows how to craft a twist and some good ole fashioned family drama. 

If you've got nothing to read and want something quick to read, pick this up. 

I'll be reviewing 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson next.

Until next time comrades. 

Viva la literature!