"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." 

A fabulous fast read. Rachel Vincent brings an old concept of "Banshees" into a paranormal world full of romance, mystery, and 21st century technology. Where things are never what they seem, even if you're the only one screaming in a room full of strangers. Kaylee is a refreshing and delightfully smart heroine, who with the never ending support of her bodacious best friend Emma, and mysteriously dreamy new boyfriend Nash, she is able to unravel the mystery that has shrouded her life for 16 years.

“My Soul to Take” starts off in the thick of things where Emma and Kaylee get snuck into a club. There, Kaylee draws the attention of Nash (her soon to be boyfriend). Nash as described by Kaylee is “too bright to look at, too hot too touch, and at the center of his own solar system” which is how all popular kids look like in High School at one point or another. Although I was surprised Nash was introduced so quickly into Kaylee’s life, I adored his attitude, and how he has these eye’s Kaylee could not get enough of; hazel with swirls of deep green, just the thought makes my heart do a little pitter patter. Kaylee quickly draws even more attention to herself when one of her “panic attacks” occurs. It was an odd sensation reading what Vincent was trying to describe; black shadows surrounded and followed one of the drunk girls in the club, Kaylee couldn’t breath couldn’t move, all she could do was scream and that would draw too much attention to her. Luckily, Nash with his “white knight” personality steps in and carries Kaylee out the back and starts to calm her down, by singing to her! (Ugh can we say a keeper? Definitely!)

These “panic attacks” as Kaylee describes them brings Nash and her closer as they try and figure out why she has them, although Nash already knows. The story line is definitely fast paced for a first book in a series. The reader and Kaylee are soon thrown into the thick of things when young beautiful girls start dropping dead all over down, and somehow it is all connected to Kaylee and her mysterious new “life”. Now the story does have its problems, such as not explaining everything too much in detail; I would have liked to know more about Nash and his family, or even his social standing, but Vincent’s development of the characters really does make up for the lack of knowledge she arms her readers with.

If its one thing Vincent knows how to do though, is draw the attention to just the right characters at just the perfect time to really hook a girl. I applaud her at introducing Nash as quickly as she did, with him by Kaylee’s side throughout her first “panic attack” of the book, it was much easier and comforting when their relationship blossomed into something more. There was no awkward dates, or backstory of why a guy like Nash would like a simple girl like Kaylee. We can obviously deduce from the beginning that he knows much more about Kaylee than she does, and it draws the reader into how he knows, and why.

Kaylee and Nash’s relationship is one of my favourites out of many I’ve been reading about currently. I am a huge character person. I love everything the author does to make them unique and how they interact with one another, and with Kaylee and Nash it has teen love written all over it. One quote in particular does stand out to describe probably every popular boy in High School; Kaylee tells Nash “rumor has it you’ve conquered more territory than Genghis Khan,” that quote there caused a few seconds a laughter, although brought me back to thinking yeah high school is exactly like that in one way or another. But love does conquer Kaylee’s paranoia of Nash’s mysterious background (we still no hardly anything about) once she finds out what she is and what Nash is as well. Their relationship becomes electrified and I absolutely love the development that happens. It leaves their relationship open for anything to happen to them, but also leaves them vulnerable to each other’s problems, pain and more so Nash’s history with other girls.

Another relationship that I am looking forward to knowing more about in the second book is Kaylee and Aiden (her father). Gone for about 16 years of her life due to a tragic accident earlier in their lives, Kaylee’s father moves to Ireland leaving her with his brother and his brother’s wife. We don’t get a lot about her father, he is introduced about ¾ of the way through the book, but what we do find out is heartbreaking, I cried a little bit. Without going into too much detail, her father loves Kaylee very much and is exactly like her in so many ways, including being supernatural. He is proud of Kaylee, and of Nash’s ability to help her through the truth of what she is, and how to use her “powers”. You can tell that Kaylee and Aiden’s relationship is going to flourish through the next couple of books; there is much to learn there.

Vincent delivers everything this paranormal romance promised with never ending options to come in the other 3 books in the Soul Screamer series. Rachel has introduced the Young Adult world to Irish lore. Banshees, Grim Reapers, and unknown creatures lure the reader in, and does not let them go! Mixed in with the characters personality, development and the fact their all still in High School, and you get a fast paced, lust filled, paranormal read. I cannot wait to find out what is in store for Nash, Kaylee, and the unknown that is her life.