REVIEW & CONTEST: Rachel Vincent's MY SOUL TO STEAL (Soul Screamers bk 4)

Title: MY SOUL TO STEAL (Soul Screamers bk4)
Author: Rachel Vincent
Release Date: January 1, 2011
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Harlequin
ISBN-10: 0373210272
ISBN-13: 978-0373210275



My Ratings

Plot: 5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Originality of Plot: 5/5
Characters Development: 5/5
Ending: 4.5/5
Cover Art: 5/5 (This may be one of my favorite covers of the year)

Overall: 33.5/35 = 95%

Synopsis

YOU WANT MY SOUL AND MY BOYFRIEND?

Trying to work things out with Nash—her maybe boyfriend—is hard enough for Kaylee Cavanaugh. She can’t just pretend nothing happened. But “complicated” doesn’t even begin to describe their relationship when his ex-girlfriend transfers to their school, determined to take Nash back.

See, Sabine isn’t just an ordinary girl. She’s a mara, the living personification of a nightmare. She can read people’s fears—and craft them into nightmares while her victims sleep. Feeding from human fear is how she survives.

And Sabine isn’t above scaring Kaylee and the entire school to death to get whatever—and whoever—she wants.

My Review

(Review contains minor spoilers for this book and previous books in this series)
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How can you start to forgive the one you love, when they have done something to violate your trust? That is the question that MY SOUL TO STEAL tries to answer. Was what Nash did to Kaylee in MY SOUL TO KEEP (Soul Screamers Bk3), so unforgivable that she could never get over it or get past it? I found myself thinking along those lines. I was pretty sure I was going to angry with Nash for a while after what he did, but soon as I started reading MY SOUL TO STEAL, I changed my mind. I saw what Nash was willing to go through, and what he was willing to do to regain Kaylee's love and trust. He knew he messed up big time. He admitted he had a problem, and he sought help. He allowed Kaylee to grieve on her own terms. He even let Kaylee behave erratically, and still forgiver her because he felt he deserved it.

I'm very proud that Kaylee is finally starting to stand on her own two feet. I was also extremely happy to see that she had grown and matured over these four books. She's learned to stand up for herself. She didn't just sit back and let Sabine walk all over her. She made better and smarter decisions. She’s stronger emotionally, physically, and she has better control of her abilities. I'm pretty sure the Kaylee from book one would have just backed off, hid in a corner, and let Sabine have Nash back. I do think that she needs to actively start trying to forgive Nash. Her passive behavior won’t help recover their relationship, nor will it helping Nash get better. I believe that she is partially to blame, for Nash’s need to confide in Sabine about his addiction. This may just be the biggest downfall in their relationship.

Speaking of Sabine, I'm still not sure I altogether like her. Unfortunately, I started reading MY SOUL TO STEAL, before I read the FEARLESS novella. After great pressure from two of my bookish besties (you know who you are), I stopped mid-book and read FEARLESS. It really gave me perspective into where Sabine came from and why she behaves the way she does. After that, I didn't hate her to the same degree. She's a creature that is stuck doing what she has to do to survive. I may think that her dream-weaving is absolutely dreadful, but it's what she has to do. I’m trying to hate what she did, not who she is as a person. I do, however, believe that a lot of her spiteful & malicious behaviors was explained in the end of the story. I think I want to hold out final judgment on Sabine for the next book.

As for Tod….I love Tod! I love Tod! I love Tod! My love for him is growing with every book. He's been there for Kaylee through a lot. Every time Kaylee needed someone to talk to or lean on, he was there for her no questions asked. Even though Kaylee’s yet to see it, Tod seems to really care for her. However, I momentarily despised him for his little speech to Kaylee towards the end of the book. (I think I hated him in that "the truth hurt" kind of way) His speech both broke my heart, and brought me to tears.

The only part of this book that kind of let me down was the end. Especially after Tod speech, I wanted some kind of confrontation or resolution for Kaylee and Nash, but we didn't get it. The end was a little to fluffy bunnies, or fluffy puppies in this case ; ). I'm pretty sure IF I DIE (the 5th Soul Screamers book) is going to break my heart all over again! Rachel Vincent has hinted that IF I DIE will be “a real game changer”. I think I should to start buying stock in Kleenex, that or stop reading Rachel's books. I'm pretty sure you guys know what I'm going to choose.


Other Books by This Author

Soul Screamers YA Series:
0.5) My Soul to Lose (2009) (click here to download the prequel for free)
1) My Soul to Take (2009)
2) My Soul To Save (2010)
3) My Soul To Keep (2010)
4) My Soul to Steal (Upcoming Release Date: 1/1/11)

Shifters Series:
1) Stray (2007)
2) Rogue (2008)
3) Pride (2009)
4) Prey (2009)
5) Shift (2010)
6) Alpha (2010)


Websites

Rachel Vincent's Website
Rachel's Discussion Board
Rachel's Twitter


Trailer




Soul Screamers Contest

I'm continuing my Soul Screamers contest from my Top Reads of 2010 post. Enter below for the chance to win one an eBook copy of Rachel Vincent's My Soul to Keep. The contest closes Saturday, January 8, 2010 at midnight. The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have FIVE days to respond & claim their prize! Since I'm gifting this eBook through Amazon.com, the winner must be have an amazon.com account set up to receive their prize.

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