Book Review: If I Die (Rachel Vincent)

Everyone else is talking about Eastlake High’s gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck, but Kaylee Cavanaugh has bigger things on her mind. Kaylee’s a banshee—her scream is a portent of death. But the next scream might hit too close to home. Kaylee’s borrowed lifeline has almost run out. Yeah—it’s a shock to her, too. So to distract herself from her own problems, Kaylee is determined to defend her school against the latest supernatural threat. That hot new teacher is really an incubus, who feeds from the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend’s delinquent ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr. Beck…before he discovers they aren’t quite human either. But Kaylee’s running out of time, and those who love her will do anything to save her life. 


Welcome to the 4th day of Rachel Vincent' IF I DIE blog tour! The 5th book in the Soul Screamers Series is a fantastic, fuel-filled rush of a book - so much so that my postman probably grabbed my copy for himself! Thank yo Lucy and MIRA for sending me a second copy, and I promise if the first one ever turns up I'll be giving it away for you guys to enjoy - watch out for it!

In the meantime, check out my review:

I've always been a fan of the Soul Screamers series, but I must admit - there is always a make or break book in every series and this is it. It is, in many case, a hit or miss, love it or hate it book. It's the book that completely changes the trajectory of the series, and although we readers have probably suspected this, Rachel Vincent still manages to surprise us with the twists in If I Die.

Luckily for me, I was one of the happy one after reading the book. It all begins in a rather awry way for Kaylee, and it seems that this time, she might not come out unscathe. Her relationship with Nash hangs in the balance, a very suspicious teacher is being rather unprofessional in his extra-curricular activities, and worse of all, Kaylee may not even have the time to correct all these and get her life back on track. Indeed, it was very possible she won't even have a life at the end of it.

Every book in the series is generally fast-paced, but If I Die was particularly. Because there were so many challenges for Kaylee in the book, it was inevitable that the book breezes through some of, in my opinion, the more important explanations. There were twists that I find were not of complete surprise - regardless, it didn't take the enjoyment out of it though, which was why, overall I still enjoyed it. I did still gape at some scenes and flickered through others like there was no tomorrow! 

Kaylee was undoubtedly under a lot of pressure in the book, and her resilience shines through quite spectacularly. While there were some actions of Kaylee that I found questionable, far be it for me to call it out; after all, unless you yourself have your days numbered, who are you to judge one who does? Having said that, Kaylee's maturity and her ability to act for the greater good even when she is in peril herself, really underscores everything admirable in her - not to mention it gives us readers some really good action scenes! Funny enough, I particularly liked the bloody scenes that I would usually otherwise have ignored. Rachel really does know her action scenes!

Of course, we learn more about the netherworld and the complexity of the creatures that inhabit it. For me, one thing that stood out was that the netherworld creatures that were featured in If I Die still had a heart. At times I even felt like perhaps Kaylee should not interfere with nature, because it was after all in the nature of these demons to act in their own interest and humans are, no matter how sad, the collateral damage in this case. Much like the animals are to provide for human needs. Only a very convincing character and a heartfelt speech from one does this to me, so kudos to Rachel for getting me all pro-demon in this case!

Last but not least, Tod (insert heart sign here).

That is all - and I, as always cannot wait for Kaylee's adventure in Before I Wake!

Four Stars!

*

Book courtesy of MIRA INK.


PS - Pop into Endlessly Bookish for more If I Die tomorrow and check out the banner for the rest of the tour stops:

Book Review: My Soul to Save (Rachel Vincent)

When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.

So when teen pop star Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn't wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can't cry for someone who has no soul.

The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad's ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend's loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld—a consequence they can't possibly understand.

Kaylee can't let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk…..

I am once again ensnared by Rachel Vincent's The Soul Screamers Series. There is just that extra oomph in this series that puts it above the many others I've read- I'm not going to deny how addicted I am to it. And in more ways than one, Kaylee Cavanaugh is my heroine of choice!

I was fascinated by the world of the bean sidhe in My Soul to Take and in its sequel Rachel Vincent does not let up in unleashing more of the horrors of the netherworld. Fortunately, I was fascinated by these too. I find it enchanting really, and Kaylee is a strong narrator who both satisfied and stirred my curiosity. I was continually surprised and horrified along with her; she's such a genuine character, one I consider as a reflection of myself in fiction. I think one of the characteristics that truly define her is what she gives the readers - the ability to see themselves in her.

Not only do we learn more about the netherworld, we also see Kaylee beginning to realise the extent and limitation of her bean sidhe abilities. Having just recently discovered her heritage, she is still set to explore it; but as always, danger is connected to exploration and she is not exempt. Thus, Kaylee takes us into action-filled adventures in both realms, dodging both raging hellions and condescending human adults alike. Spurred by her moral compass, Kaylee once again dives heads first into danger, but who wouldn't in her place? Rachel has truly and effectively conveyed her character's motives and intent behind their actions in My Soul to Save.

Apart from the fascinating mythology, the action-adventure that makes you fly through the pages, we also see more romance. But not only of Nash and Kaylee, but of the reaper's also. Tod - despite his tendency to always appear aloof - shows his one weakness in this book, and I'm sure I'm not the only reader whose heart went out to him. Although Tod messes up a a little at the end, one can understand why. Despite his ungentlemanly actions, I think the jury's still out on Tod's behaviour; for the romantics at heart like me however, he did what did for love, and that says a hell of a lot of things. I admired his assertiveness, no matter how disillusioned he ended up

Rachel's mythology, plus her fantastic set of characters has fully cemented Soul Screamers on my favourite YA series list!

Five Stars!


* Thanks to Mira Ink for my beautiful review copy. I <3 it!

Book Review: My Soul to Take (Rachel Vincent)

She doesn't see dead people, but…

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…

Rachel Vincent should be a name readers should always, always categorise under 'bloody amazing'. Her shifters series is noteworthy in the Urban fantasy genre and her newly published (in the UK, at least) Soul Screamers series is just as fantastic! I love it! It has in its pages the exact reasons why I love YA - and why it is bound to be one of my favourite series!

My Soul to Take hooked me from the very beginning. Despite paranormal YA being very popular in the market today, I am drawn to the book even before it began introducing its paranormal element. Rachel's writing is magnetic - her no nonsense prose is witty, direct and thoroughly enigmatic. The way it delivers exactly what is just right - without taking the wit off the narrative voice - is truly captivating. It is a very comfortable read, smooth in both its prose and pace. Before I knew it, I was half-way thru it!

I don't think I've ever read a book about bean sidhes before. I have come across the notion of course, particularly in highland romances, but I have yet to read one which focuses entirely on it. The Soul Screamers series fits the bill entirely, and I have been completely enthralled by its mythology.  It is incredibly well-imagined, and so easy to drown in! It is not only rich and particularly exciting, it is also a joy to gather and discover more of it with Kaylee as I read along.

Kaylee Cavanaugh is one funny, sassy and witty heroine. At times even confused, as well as horrified by her abilities. She is the perfect complement to Nash's laidback, protective personality. While she is a risk-taker unaware of the consequences, Nash is a guarded and a careful assessor. This pair is - there is no other word for it - sexy. Yes, My Soul to Take is definitely more seductive than many YA books I've read - and I am not complaining!

Apart from the obvious pair, there are also a number of secondary characters that not only surprises you, but ones you know will play an increasingly important role in the succeeding books. One of those is Tod, who has a hugely surprising relationship to one of the characters - I will not ruin the surprise for you, but it has a completely huge twist I never would have guessed! The book has a whole lot of it on hand for the readers - brace yourselves! You're in for a definite treat! The fact that everything is well balanced with some very nerve wracking instances just adds to the general marvelousness of this series.

Fast-paced, engaging, enthralling, magnetic, seductive - My Soul to Take definitely has the best of YA!

Five Stars!


* Review copy courtesy of Mira Ink. Thank you!

Hot off the Press: Get yourself a free The Iron King e-book!

Some exciting news from the good folks of Mira Ink was just announced via their facebook page and I took the liberty to share it with you readers!

Mira Ink has teamed up with The Sunday Express to give away 1,000 FREE eBooks of The Iron King!!! All you need to do is find the code in Sunday 30th's edition of The Sunday Express (hint: near the fab review of The Iron King), go to the link provided, enter your code and The Iron King eBook will be all yours... absolutely free!

How very generous - and yes, you'd want to own this book :) In case that's not quite enough, also check out their newly launched website, www.miraink.co.uk to find out how to win one of five copies of exclusive, not-available-in shops editions of The Iron King!

Author Interview: Maria V. Snyder

Maria V. Snyder, lovely author of one of the most intriguing dystopian books I have ever read - Inside Out (soon to be followed by Outside In) is gracing us with an author interview today! After indulging in Inside Out, I of course bombarded her with several questions and here's what she has to say!

Welcome Maria!

1. Inside Out has a very claustrophobic feel - Inside, the pipes, the air shafts. Was there any particular reason why you chose such a setting?

The story idea came to me in a dream, but I think the idea took root when I was little and used to help my father. He was an air conditioning and heating repair man, and I used to tag along when he had a call on the weekend. I'd help him, and, at some of the industrial sites, I have memories of climbing though tight spaces for him.

2. Our heroine, Trella, is cynical and a bit of a recluse, but also independent, reliable and brave. In what ways are you similar and different to her?

We're similar in a couple ways. I've always been independent and quite capable of doing things on my own. I frequently travel all over for book events and have no problem finding my way on my own. It is nicer when my husband is with me, two sets of eyes and all that, but I'm not going to stay at home because he can't come along. I believe I'm reliable as well – at least I try to follow up on things I've promised and readers will always get an email reply from me...eventually :)

As far as differences, I'm not as brave as her. I don't like heights and I'm not comfortable breaking rules. But I do enjoy being around other people and I think I'm more of a glass half full type of person.

3. Who is your favourite literary heroine?

I have to admit, I'm a big Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan (the TV show – not the movie). She could hold her own against the big bad, while making some snarky comment at the same time. Gotto love Buffy!

4. Which of the characters are you most similar to?

I wish I was more like Yelena and Trella, but I'm more like Opal. Especially when I was in middle and high school – I had no self-confidence, and I worried too much about what other's thought.

5. In retrospect, is there part of the book, plot or characters you wish you wrote differently?

No. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. I'm not one to lament over what's in the past – no point in wasting the energy or time because you can't go back and fix things :)

6. Was there any research you had to do before you wrote Inside Out?

Yes. Research for Inside Out wasn't as exciting as for my other books – I read about waste-water treatment plants, recycling, hydroponics – all of it found either in a book or online. I did climb a rock wall to get an idea for how my leg and arms muscles would feel to climb up an air shaft – like jelly!

7. Did you in any way aim for the structure of Inside to reflect our society's?

No. As I said before, the idea came to me in a dream—the plot, the characters, the world, and the twists so it was all my unconsciousness' doing :) In general, I never aim for any theme or moral or comment on society when I write. I focus on the characters and what they want or need and everything else just falls into place.

8. What was the most difficult part of writing this novel?

Keeping track of time! I had so much going on and Trella still needed to sleep and work her shifts, that I had a big time line hanging over my computer so I could keep track. Also the base 10 numbering system with 100 hours per week and 100 weeks per year was another aspect I had to stay on top of.

9. Outside In, the sequel is out April 2011. Was Inside Out initially written as a stand-alone or was it designed to be a part of a series?

I only dreamt about Inside Out, so I had been thinking stand alone. However, like my other books, it expanded into another.

10. What can we expect from Outside In? Any extracts you can perhaps share with us?

Another wonderful book ;) Outside In begins about twelve weeks after the events in Inside Out. The world is trying to recover from all the changes that has happened and not everyone is happy about the new state of affairs. Trouble starts soon after and Trella has to deal with a whole laundry list of problems: sabotage, the new Committee, and her mother. If that wasn't bad enough, there is something from Outside and it wants in! I do have the first chapter of the book up on my website, but I would strongly suggest you DO NOT read it unless you finished Inside Out. Here's the link: http://www.mariavsnyder.com/books/OutsideIn.php

Thank you Maria! I can hardly wait for Outside In, truly! :)

Thanks so much for inviting me onto your blog! If your readers would like more info about me and my books, I have the first chapter of all my books on my website as well as a number of free short stories they can read. I also have a page full of writing advice for any aspiring writers out there :) Here’s the link: http://www.mariavsnyder.com And my blog is: http://officialmariavsnyder.blogspot.com

Book Review: Inside Out (Maria V Snyder)

Keep Your Head Down. Don't Get Noticed. Or Else.

I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. One of thousands who work in the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. The Trava family who rules our world from their spacious Upper levels wants us to be docile and obedient, like sheep. To insure we behave, they send the Pop Cops to police us.

So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? Not like it's all that dangerous--the only neck at risk is my own.

Until a lower level prophet claims a Gateway to Outside exists. And guess who he wants to steal into the Upper levels to get the proof? You’re right. Me. I alone know every single duct, pipe, corridor, shortcut, hole and ladder of Inside. It’s suicide plain and simple. But guess who can’t let a challenge like that go unanswered? Right again. Me.

I should have just said no...

I'm a new lover of everything dystopian, so when I was offered the chance to read Inside Out in advance, I jumped at the chance. Apart from Spy Glass, I was not at all familiar with Maria Snyder's work, so this was technically a new venture for me.

I loved it.

At first, it took me quite a while to get into the book. The first few pages establishes the setting and introduces our heroine, Trella. The book does this very efficiently, so despite the fact that I had to draw the basic cubic structure of the levels of Inside to aid me as I follow Trella along, soon you actually get used to the idea. I never since had any difficulties in following our heroine as she takes us readers on a very thrilling adventure.

The setting plays a huge role in how the plot progresses - and it is very claustrophobic. Pipes, air shafts, hidden rooms, cubes - you name it. The whole plot is executed in a very enclosed environment, but interestingly, as one finishes reading, it becomes clear that it is one of those book that comes from 'out of the box'. It is very, very cleverly imagined - it surprised me in exactly the way how I'd want a dystopian novel to.

I also feel like mentioning that I adored the way the social structure of Inside appears to be a reflection of the totalitarianism that modern governments seem to trudge towards. It establishes a sense of possibility in the plot.

I loved Trella as a heroine. She's fiercely independent, head-strong and daring, all of which makes her the perfect revolutionary icon. But she has many flaws, and all throughout the plot we see her being hindered by these flaws. She is cynical and distrusting and can be terribly stubborn. While secondary characters were not quite given enough focus and development, their backgrounds and back stories are not only criss-crossing, but also packed with jaw-dropping surprises and twists. I found it very clever how the author manages to surprise me again and again and again with her characters.

There is also a sprinkle of romance in this book, which was another surprise. At first I wasn't sure if there will a romance angle at all, and then I wasn't sure who Trella's mate will be (because there were quite a few to choose from) and when it all became clear...well, it was fun guessing! There was just enough romance to spice it all up and not change the flavour of the book, which I found very well done indeed!

If there were to be nit-picking the only thing I'd say would be that the high-tension scenes could have been built up better. Although there were several heart-pounding moments, I often found myself surprised that the climatic part is suddenly over. At points it felt like it was missing altogether, however that did not seem to bother me that much. Apart from that, nothing can be said about the action and sense of dread that Trella's adventures incites in the reader.

Inside Out will be appreciated by readers from across the board as there is a lot in this book to delight in -

A definite page-turner, complete with heart-pounding action and a cleverly thought-out plot. A near perfect dystopian novel!

Five Stars.


* Thank you to the lovely people at MIRA Ink for my lovely review copy.

Soul Screamer (Rachel Vincent) Blog Tour!

Rachel Vincent’s hotly anticipated Soul Screamers series will be hitting UK shores in early January. The first book in the series, My Soul to Take, is being published by an exciting new book imprint, MIRA Ink - and today I have with me a guest post from Rachel about the research she did on banshees for this exciting new series:

I did a lot of research into what I could find of the original Irish bean sidhe lore, and similar Scottish and Manx folklore, and I used most of what I found in the books, in one way or another. Kaylee’s last name, Cavanaugh, for example, comes from the Kavanaugh family, one of the five great families whose deaths are said to be mourned by the bean sidhe in Ireland.

Honestly, though, I wound up with more questions than answers after reading the folklore. But in fiction, that’s a good thing. Unanswered questions are an opportunity for me to make things up and expand upon what I found. Which is where most of the worldbuilding in the Soul Screamers series comes from.

I made up answers for why bean sidhe wail, what their wail is actually doing, why there’s no male of the species (in my world, there is!), how they inherit their abilities, and how being saddled with abilities like Kaylee’s can shape a girl’s adolescence.

Why do I think bean sidhes are cooler than other creatures, like vampires? Well, I don’t know that I think any one creature is cooler than any other. (Except for reapers. I think my reapers are pretty cool.) But for me, the advantage bean sidhes have over your typical vampires and werewolves is they’re largely unknown. You go into a vampire book knowing what to expect. Biting. Drinking blood. Lots of night-dates. And probably an older (waaaay older) man. But most people go into the Soul Screamers books not knowing what to expect. And in case you’re one of those, here’s a hint:

Mysterious deaths. Scary abilities. Kissing. Evil soul-stealing hellions. Sarcastic reapers. Kissing. Netherworld addictive substances. Lies and secrets. Kissing. Insanity. Things crawling through the shadows. And did I mention the kissing? ;)

Thanks Rachel! :)

Rachel Vincent is a New York times best selling author. The Soul Screamers series is her first series for teenagers. Rachel is also the author of the successful Shifters series about a pride of werecats which are written for adults. Rachel lives in Texas with her husband who she met when she worked in Subway. When she’s not writing paranormal fiction Rachel spends time catching up on her favourite TV shows, she is addicted to Dexter and True Blood! For more info visit www.rachelvincent.com

Have you heard of the newly launched MIRA INK?

I'm sure fellow bloggers received this news as part of MIRA INK's Christmas stocking, but I thought I'd share the news with the rest of you.

This is an exciting news for UK YA bloggers in particular, as well as to book enthusiasts in the country. Let's hear it from the editor at MIRA INK!

My name is Maddie West and I am obsessed with YA books. Luckily for me, I’m the editor atMIRA INK, a new imprint devoted to all things YA.

We’re launching MIRA INKat the start of 2011 with some amazingly exciting books! We’ve got completely thrilling stories of forbidden love and dark secrets. Banshees, faeries, vampires, werewolves and zombies have battled for my attention and I’m still struggling to pick a favourite.

For starters, we have Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamers. A normal, everyday, fade-into-the-
background high school girl discovers that she isn’t exactly human. She’s a banshee, forced to sing in the presence of death. Of course, her singing isn’t exactly pleasant to hear. And everyone thinks that she’s going mad. Everyone, that is, apart from gorgeous hunk (and captain of the school football team) Nash.

Don’t fancy banshees? How do you feel about a future in which society divides into Uppers and Lowers? In which the Uppers have acres of space and all the technology, while the Lowers resentfully wait on them, policed by the Pop Cops. Until the day when one of the Lowers inadvertently starts a revolution...All this is in Maria Snyder’s Inside Out.

Then there’s Meghan Chase. She thinks she’s an ordinary fifteen year old – until her little brother goes missing, and Meghan is forced into the world of the Fey to find him. She’s soon torn between her best friend, Puck, who turns out to be a lot more than he seems, and a mysterious dark prince, who may want her dead – or may just want her. Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series is seriously one of the best things I’ve read this year!

Last but not least, Gena Showalter’s Intertwined books are bursting with Others – vampires, werewolves, witches, zombies and one possessed teenage boy. Aden is somehow going to have to save a world full of people who think that he’s a troubled bad boy. I hope I’ve whetted your appetite for some of the great things coming from MIRA Ink this year. I know I’ve had the best time ever reading them! If you want to know any more – or just want to discuss YA books generally – you can email me on maddie.west@hmb.co.uk.

Maddie

Watch out for the following books on the shelves of your local bookstore - they are bound to be fantastic!

Hot off the Press: Outside In UK cover!

Mira Ink has unveiled the UK cover for Maria Snyder's Outside In, to be published 18th March 2011. This is the sequel to dystopian fiction Inside Out, which is a fabulous book by the way. I love the way the pipes are exactly like how I imagined it - although I thought the space in between would be a little smaller. I cannot wait to get my hands on it - what do you guys think?