Review by
Heather
Saving Pop Stars, One Soul at a Time
Do you love supernatural fantasy but want to read a plotline that doesn’t involve vampires? Then I present to you Rachel Vincent’s second Soul Screamers book, My Soul to Save (sequel to My Soul to Take). In case you missed the first book, Soul Screamers is about 16-year-old Kaylee Cavanaugh who isn’t as normal as she appears. No, Kaylee does not drink blood or “sparkle like diamonds.” She screams.
A little back-story for readers new to the series: As it turns out, Kaylee is a bean sidhe, what most people know as a banshee. When in close proximity to death, Kaylee lets out a piercing wail that can suspend a person’s soul. With the help of her bean sidhe boyfriend, Nash, Kaylee can prevent death, but at the cost of another’s life.
In My Soul to Save, Kaylee, Nash, and Nash’s reaper (yes, as in grim-reaper) brother Tod get mixed up in a rescue mission to save a pop star’s soul from eternal torture. The superstar Addison Page—who is also Tod’s ex-girlfriend—is blackmailed into selling her soul for fame and fortune, but Kaylee and the gang are determined to save her.
Those of you who like Twilight will enjoy My Soul to Save for the similarities Nash bears to Edward Cullen. Nash is a hunk who is super-protective of Kaylee in a way that bears resemblance to Edward’s protectiveness of Bella. However, while Kaylee and Nash’s relationship is important to the story, it is not the story’s focus. The mission to save Addy’s soul makes up most of the book, and Vincent’s pacing is impeccable; the book flies by in no time.
While the story reads quickly, parts of the narrative were somewhat repetitive and overly explanatory. In the first Soul Screamers book, Kaylee fails to save the souls of four girls. As Kaylee laments, “Heidi, and Alyson, and Meredith and Julie are going to be tortured forever, because I couldn’t save them.” Kaylee understandably feels responsible for their deaths and as a result is determined to save Addison. However, she unnecessarily tells the reader this many, many times.
Despite Kaylee’s occasional repetitive remark, the story flowed well and kept me invested. Overall, My Soul to Save is a fast read that takes the reader for an interesting ride into the realm of the Netherworld. Read this book if you are interested in: banshees, cute football players, pop music, bad drivers, or creative supernatural lit.
