Review: Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent

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Title:  Before I Wake

Author:  Rachel Vincent

Series:  6th book in the Soul Screamers series

Publisher:  Harlequin Teen

Publication Date:  June 26, 2012
Source:  purchased

I died on a Thursday-killed by a monster intent on stealing my soul. The good news? He didn't get it. The bad news? Turns out not even death will get you out of high school...

Covering up her own murder was one thing, but faking life is much harder than Kaylee Cavanaugh expected. After weeks spent "recovering," she's back in school, fighting to stay visible to the human world, struggling to fit in with her friends and planning time alone with her new reaper boyfriend. But to earn her keep in the human world, Kaylee must reclaim stolen souls, and when her first assignment brings her face-to-face with an old foe, she knows the game has changed. Her immortal status won't keep her safe. And this time Kaylee isn't just gambling with her own life...

OH. MY. SWEET. TOD.  I lost count of how many times I exclaimed that while reading Before I Wake.  If you thought If I Die was full of revelations and earth-shattering changes, you haven’t seen anything yet!

I’m going to write this review assuming anyone reading it has read the rest of the series.  So, if you’ve haven’t, you might not want to read any further for fear of spoilage.

So, my first thought while reading was, “Why is the onus all on Kaylee?”  I love her character…out of all of Rachel Vincent’s books, she’s my favorite heroine.  She’s down-to-earth, honorable to a fault, and so selfless.  And with Before I Wake, we get to add completely tortured to the list.  Not only is Kaylee dealing with her death, as well as her newfound position with the reclamation department, but her arch-nemesis is still after her and he’s pulling out all the stops to get at Kaylee’s soul.  And, of course, she feels guilty for the way things ended with Nash and began with Tod.

But that Tod showed her she wasn’t alone in all of this.  Nash was the boy she fell for and deeply cared for, but Tod was the man who proved his devotion and undying love.  (Heh.)  Honestly, I don’t think I cared much one way or the other before If I Die, but man, that book changed things.  Tod was reckless and obstinate, but when it comes to Kaylee, he is a changed man.  He would risk life and limb for that girl.  If there was ever a question of which guy deserved Kaylee more, I think it’s definitely answered in Before I Wake — assuming it could even be questioned after Until I Die.

As always, Vincent kept me on my toes.  With some series, I find myself easily predicting where the current novel will end and where we’ll be left hanging until the next installment.  Not so with the Soul Screamers series.  My mouth was literally hanging opened when I turned the last page.  I love that feeling, but I also hate it.  At any rate, I’ll be eagerly awaiting the seventh and final novel in the Soul Screamers series, due out in April 2013.

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Labels: favorites, harlequin-teen, rachel vincent, reviews, soul screamers