{Waiting on Wednesday} The Collector and With All My Soul

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we are dying to read but they haven't been released yet!

We included both the UK cover (left) and the US cover (right) because both are so beautiful.

 Synopsis:

What does it mean when your school is voted the most dangerous in America?

It's time to kick some hellion butt...

After not really surviving her junior year (after all, she did die), Kaylee Cavanaugh has vowed to take back her school from the hellions causing all the trouble. She's going to the find a way to turn the incarnations of Avarice, Envy and Vanity and the rest on each other. And so she–and her gang–make plans to protect her friends and finish this war, once and forever.

But then she meets Wrath. And Kaylee realizes that she's closer to the edge than she's ever been. Especially when one more person she loves is taken...

He makes good girls...bad. 

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence has made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple, weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big, red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal opportunity collector and doesn’t want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within 10 days.

Dante doesn’t know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky, Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect—he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector, and uncover emotions deeply buried.

{Book Review} Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent

Title: Before I Wake
Series: Soul Screamers #6
Author: Rachel Vincent
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Publishing Date: June 26, 2012

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Synopsis:

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! It's the fourth day of September and I haven't posted a single review. Oops! Not because I haven't read anything, or because I haven't written any reviews...I have, they're all scheduled though. 

Anyway, I just finished Before I Wake this afternoon. I love the Soul Screamer Series so so so much. And Tod...major swoon. I'm still not sure if anything can beat out the 5th book, If I Die. I mean what can top a starstruck lover giving up his afterlife for the girl he loved, then she turns around and bargains with the powers that be to bring Tod back as a Reaper and free Nash of all false murder charges. Kaylee is quite the bargainer...I want her on my side in the end.

The sixth installment had me giggling at Kaylee's and Tod's witty banter, Sabine's complete insanity, and Sophie's uncomfortable acceptance of her, now, not-crazy cousin. After all, Luca and Sofie visited the Netherworld in a little novella, Never to Sleep. But...tears also made an appearance while watching Kaylee struggle to "live," her dad learn to let go, and seeing Nash hurt. Regardless of the scenario, everyone in this little group has made their mistakes, from drug addiction to actually trying to auction off someone to the evil Avari so she can get to the boy she loves. What I admired most about this book, is Kaylee's refusal to leave a single one of her friends without protection, no matter how messed up they were. 

Kaylee is everything I wish I could be and, at the same time, everything I am. She's loyal, strong, and take charge. She's also scared, a tad bit depressed, and completely lost at times. I mean, I think about the next ten years and freak out, can you imagine looking forward to eternity? No thank you. She has also found her true love, someone that can remain by her side for all of eternity - assuming neither of them break any rules that will end their afterlives or get re-killed by Avari and his band of hellions.

Rachel is one of few authors who make you care about the side characters just as much as you care about Kaylee, Tod, and Nash. While there are times I would like to strangle Sabine, Before I Wake gives you some insight into her lover for Nash and her fears. Who knew the mara had fears, she's a living, breathing nightmare after all. She's waiting for Nash to get over Kaylee, which absolutely cannot be easy. Nash is struggling through his love and hatred for Kaylee - slowly and awkwardly. His dependence on mind-altering substances poses some major issues.

Emma's finally found a boyfriend, a human boyfriend. I love the way Emma's character is written because she's not the "weak little human" among her group of friends. She's strong in her own ways and a totally kick ass friend to Kaylee. She never runs screaming when Kaylee tells her about Avari's newest endeavor - the ability to physically cross over from the Netherworld to the human plane. Stealing souls from everyday normal humans and Reapers and Extractors. 

Avari's plan culminates at the end of the book, leaving us with another cliffhanger. I can't imagine waiting on the final story.

Many things are resolved in Before I Wake but others remain unknown and uncharted. My heart quickened with excitement, slowed with Kaylee's desperation, and stilled in terror. If you haven't started this series, I recommend you do so soon. And...never fear, the times Kaylee's story seems slow or uncomfortable all rebound, leaving readers wondering WTH?!

Teaser Tuesday - Never to Sleep by Rachel Vincent

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Title: If I Die
Series: Soul Screamers #5
Author: Rachel Vincent
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
September 27, 2011
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Synopsis:

Don't Close Your Eyes.

Sophie Cavanaugh is not going to let her freak of a cousin's strange psychiatric condition ruin high school for them both. Not after all the work she's put into cultivating the right look, and friends, and reputation. But then, Sophie sees something so frightening she lets out a blood-curdling scream—and finds herself stuck in a bizarre parallel world where nothing is safe and deadly creatures lurk just out of sight, waiting for her to close her eyes and sleep...forever.

Could this world be real? Or does insanity run in the family...?

Teaser: "Okay, so what is a necromancer?" That word triggered something in my memory. Something too disgusting to be academic, despite the educational sound of the word I couldn't remember. "You, like, like the dead? Physically?"

Luca frowned in confusion. Then his eyes widened, and he laughed again, louder this time. "No. That's a necrophiliac. Same root word--completely different concept."


HeHeHe...I so wanted to leave the teaser off at the first paragraph but I just couldn't! I just read and reviewed If I Die and while messing around on Rachel Vincent's blog, I found out a neat piece of information. All Rachel's royalties for the first 6 month of sales of Never to Sleep go to St. Jude's.

Because I like to do my part for charity and St. Jude's is one of my favorite charities because they never turn a child away, here are the links to buy this awesome little novella. Go to Barnes and Noble ($1.29) or Amazon ($1.79) and download Never to Sleep a Soul Screamers Novella. Rachel is donating her royalties from this novella to St. Jude's. You can read more about it HERE.

{Review} If I Die by Rachel Vincent

Title: If I Die
Series: Soul Screamers #5
Author: Rachel Vincent
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
September 27, 2011
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Synopsis:

The entire school's talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck. Everyone except Kaylee Cavanaugh. After all, Kaylee's no ordinary high-school junior. She's a banshee—she screams when someone dies.

But the next scream might be for Kaylee.

Yeah—it's a shock to her, too. So to distract herself, Kaylee's going to save every girl in school. Because that hot new teacher is really an incubus who feeds on the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend's needy 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 borrowed lifeline is nearing its end. And those who care about her will do anything to save her life.

Anything.

Ah, If I Die, happens to be my favorite book of the Soul Screamer Series. If I were to die now, I could honestly say that I died after reading the absolute best book of the Soul Screamer Series to date. That being said...I am overjoyed that there is another book coming out in June. I am not sure When I Wake can top If I Die...ever, but we shall see.

Have you ever read a series where you thought you knew what you wanted to happen, only to realize your heart wanted the complete opposite? That is exactly how I felt about this book. I can tell you this because I haven't reviewed the others...so you don't know what I'm talking about. LOL.

So, what to tell that won't spoil everything. As you know from the blurb...Kaylee finds out her life is nearing the end and so many things are left undone. Kaylee, Emma, and Sabine (yes, her) will have time for just one last mission before Kaylee's time runs out. Kaylee makes it one of her dying wishes to save her classmates from the evil that is Mr. Beck. Not only is she doing something good for humanity but she is keeping her mind busy, focused on anything but her death.

Nash spends his time vying for Kaylee's love and attention that seems to be divided between him and his brother. Kaylee commits to give Nash the thing he has always wanted before she dies...oddly though, a certain Reaper keeps showing up just in the nick of time. I have always enjoyed the tension between Tod and Nash. This book takes it to a whole new level. We learn things about Tod's death that Nash doesn't even know. We see Tod make decisions that may cost him greatly.

Kaylee makes a deal with a nightmare that I never saw coming. If Nash is the epitome of selfish then Kaylee is the epitome of selflessness. Okay, maybe Nash isn't always selfish. He has been trying really hard to gain Kaylee's trust and doing a pretty good job of it...but if you have read this series, you know what I am talking about.

I loved Kaylee's I-don't-give-a-darn-attitude-about-anything-other-than-getting-rid-of-the-demon-sucking-the-souls-out-of-high-school-girls attitude. Homework? Um...no. Closing the door to her bedroom when Nash is there? Um...hell no. Curfew? WTH? But...she actually went to school and that is more than I would have done.

A spine-tingling, heart-pounding, tear-jerking, and fury-evoking read. Never under-estimate Rachel Vincent's power to twist the plot, pull the strings, and throw the curve balls like no other. Her characters are multidimensional and have their share of adversities. In If I Die, some characters rise to the challenge and others fall from grace but through it all, they have each other...for better or worse. So many things take place in this installment, making it difficult to stop reading.

Be sure to check out Rachel's blog to see the cover of When I Wake. It is beautiful. Also, Rachel has some really great discussions on her blog. From cliffhangers to love triangles and so much more. Also, if you look around...you will find interview questions with both Tod and Nash.

One last thing because I like to do my part for charity and St. Jude's is one of my favorite charities because they never turn a child away. Go to Barnes and Noble ($1.29) or Amazon ($1.79) and download Never to Sleep a Soul Screamers Novella. Rachel is donating her royalties from this novella to St. Judes. You can read more about it HERE.