Review - My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

Goodreads summary: 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.

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I’ve had my eye on this series for a while, but it took me a while to pick up the first book. There have been quite a few YA novels in recent years which use the concept of someone being able to predict others’ deaths, but Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamers series does something different with the idea. My Soul to Take introduces us to Kaylee, a teen with the unnerving ability to sense when someone nearby is about to die. This gives her the urge to scream uncontrollably – a reaction which made her aunt and uncle think she’s crazy. But when she meets Nash, a surprisingly understanding guy who doesn’t think she’s mad, she starts to uncover the secrets surrounding her life. However, teens are randomly dropping dead around her, and she suspects foul play. Someone is playing games with death, and only Kaylee knows who will be the next victim…

This was a highly engaging YA novel with a refreshingly original concept. Vincent rewrites the banshee for a YA audience in the same way that Amanda Hocking re-invented trolls in the Trylle series. Kaylee is a likeable protagonist, and her relationship with Nash was sweet and believable, not like some YA romances I could mention! This is a fantastic start to the series, with an original storyline and a unique concept. I’ll definitely be picking up the next book!

Rating: ****1/2*