Review: My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

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.

I heard about the Soul Screamers series long ago, and the first volume had been on my Kindle for several months. Why didn't I open it up sooner, you ask? To be honest, I haven't been reading much paranormal YA as of late. Typically dystopians, contemporaries, and fantasies consume most of my time, but then out of nowhere last week, I got tired of my usual routine. On a whim, I decided to give this series a shot, and boy am I glad that I did.

Protagonist Kaylee Cavanaugh feels like an average girl, especially next to her gorgeous best friend Emma. So when jock Nash Hudson starts showing interest in her, Kaylee is flattered but surprised. There has to be an explanation for it, and sure enough, Nash seems to be the key to unlocking the one secret that Kaylee holds--she feels the need to scream bloody murder in the presence of someone close to death.

Above everything else, I have to give this book points for originality. Not only am I fascinated by Kaylee's ability, but I also love that the bean sidhe (banshee) history stems directly from Irish folklore/mythology. It was easy to tell that the entire concept was well researched and thought out. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the specialities of male and female bean sidhes as well as the correlation to reapers. The plot itself was fast-paced and full of twists that kept me on the edge of my seat, just the way I like it.

While abundantly clear that Nash is the love interest, I had more fun getting to know a certain reaper named Tod. I adored Nash and Kaylee's relationship, but Tod's wit and sarcasm added another layer of dynamic that I greatly appreciated. In a way, Nash and Kaylee were sort of predictable, but Tod was always around somewhere to keep me on my toes. I'm so excited to find out more about him in the future Soul Screamers novels.

If you have yet to start reading this series, I strongly recommend it. I hope the rest of the books in the series live up to this one!

Rating: 5/5 stars