Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent: Review

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....

Wow. 

The Awesome

The plot. After If I Die, I didn't think the plot could get any better. But it did. Before I Wake amped up the tension and the suspense, and the stakes are higher than ever. Nobody is now safe from the hellions, and they will stop at nothing to get Kaylee's soul. I'd elaborate more because the summary is a bit vague, but I wouldn't want to spoil it. But the plot, in a word? Brilliant. 

The drama. As if the creatures of the Netherwold after Kaylee was bad enough. No, Kaylee has to deal with the drama of everything- of going back to school, the pestering of her classmates, and worse of all, Nash. Oh gosh, the drama was written so well! There were such heartbreaking moments, and I couldn't help but sympathize for the characters that I used to dislike. 

The writing. This was my favorite of all. The way Rachel Vincent wrote the book- it was just so easy to get lost in the Soul Screamers world. Everything flowed so smoothly, and the way it was written utterly gripped me. I loved her voice as Kaylee, and it was so easy to relate to her, to sympathize with her, and just love her as a main character. 

The romance. Aah, the romance was just so unbelievably sweet! Tod and Kaylee are officially my favorite couple ever! Their chemistry was perfect, and every moment where they were together was absolute perfection. Tod was just so sweet! And it wasn't just their romance that I liked- weirdly enough, Sophie and Luca's was too! It was adorable just how protective Luca was of Sophie. And finally, Nash and Sabine. Those two seriously put the fun in their dysfunctional relationship! In a way, I almost feel sorry for Sabine, seeing as how messed up Nash is. 

That scene. I'm not saying what scene. But a little bit after halfway through the book, that scene happens. I'm not spoiling what happens, but if you've read it, you'll know what I'm talking about. It was such a huge shock to read about it, and I was seriously crushed because of what happened. 

The ending. Before I Wake had one hell of an explosive ending. It seriously blew me away- I did not see that coming at all! It was a serious jawdropping cliffhanger that left me all the more excited- in other words, desperate- for WAMS.

And for my favorite passage...

Tod was in my desk chair when I shuffled into my room in my Grinch slippers. "How much of that did you hear?" 

"Enough. You were cute." 

He scowled. "I am not cute. I am the dreaded Grim Reaper. People fear me, you know. There's a whole song about it." 

"Only because they don?t know about the dimples. People don't fear a man with dimples."

And cue the swooning!

The Bad

It had to end. ;)

The Rating

6 stars! But in my opinion, that doesn't even give the book half the credit. I absolutely loved every single moment of it, and it transported me to a whole different world. If I described in detail every single bit that I loved about the book, this review would never end. I'm just disappointed that it had to end!

Jen