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    Before I Wake
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    Before I Wake
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    Before I Wake
    Ebook393 pages5 hours

    Before I Wake

    By Rachel Vincent

    4.5/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook



    I died on a Thursdaykilled 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 .

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarlequin
    Release dateJul 1, 2012
    ISBN9781459233256
    Unavailable
    Before I Wake
    Author

    Rachel Vincent

    Rachel Vincent is the New York Times bestselling author of several pulse-pounding series for teens and adults. A former English teacher and a champion of the serial comma, Rachel has written more than twenty novels and remains convinced that writing about the things that scare her is the cheapest form of therapy. Rachel shares her home in Oklahoma with two cats, two teenagers, and her husband, who’s been her number one fan from the start. You can find her online at rachelvincent.com and on Twitter @rachelkvincent.

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    Reviews for Before I Wake

    4.5/5

    27 ratings12 reviews

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    • 4/5
      For more reviews, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.The Soul Screamers books remind me so heavily of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. It’s both the unevenness of quality along the narrative, with some of the episodes being silly and cheesy and some being dark and cruel and epic. The other thing is that, seriously, this town would not have people in it anymore. The body count for redshirts is high. Before I Wake continues the trend of soul-punching awesomeness that began in If I Die, where the series transitioned from individual episode mysteries into the end of story arc big boss battle of badassness.The plot in Before I Wake is totally creepytown. So, Avari, whose established himself as head evil dude becomes many times more evil, revealing a plan for worldwide domination, both in the Netherworld and the human world. The hellion has figured out how to cross over into the human world, and basically no one is safe ever. It’s a level of creepy that goes along with being attacked by zombiefied family members or the dogs with the eyes of the fallen tributes at the end of The Hunger Games. I’ve not really talked about Avari before, but he’s a decent villain. For some reason, he doesn’t give me the heebie jeebies unless he’s possessing someone though.Before I Wakes is brutal in a weird way. I’m a big proponent of main characters dying and, though Vincent doesn’t do too much of that, she still manages to really turn the knife in the heart of her characters, both literally and figuratively. See, the way things go down may not kill Kaylee, but they fuck her up big time. Basically Vincent shares Sabine’s nightmare powers and brings them to bear on Kaylee. ‘You hate seeing friends hurt because of your actions? HAHA, ENJOY THE PAIN, MY CREATION!” Or, at least, this is how I imagine it went down. I really don’t know though.The characters are all changing a lot in these last couple of books, Kaylee most of all. Even if she’s still alive, sort of, she’s not pure of heart or of body (YAY) the way she was before. What she has had to do will scar her mentally forever. Kaylee would prefer to sacrifice herself for others than to have to live through being culpable in their destruction, which is what makes this book so painful in such a good way.Also, for those who are interested, I declare myself happy with the ship, though I’m really over Nash and Sabine and their endless moping. I mean, it makes sense, but I super do not care. However, Sabine’s also sort of my spirit animal, minus her shaming. Her don’t give a fuck attitude, though, is perfection. Clearly, if I lived in this world, I would be a mara.Only one more book left in my binge read. BRING IT ON, VINCENT. I know some people weren’t thrilled, which I can only hope means that With All My Soul is incredibly brutal and too dark for most readers. That would be lovely. Find out next time!
    • 4/5
      This review is also posted on Mommy's Reading Break

      As seems to be Vincent’s pattern, we find out some new information very quickly in the book. When Kaylee goes on her first assignment for the reclamation department, she runs into an old foe that we may have assumed was gone. We know that Kaylee did. We also learn that this old foe has connections to another old foe and is going to be making trouble for Kaylee. Being dead doesn’t make her invincible, and she can die for real this time.

      This book was definitely the weirdest in the series for me. I don’t mean weird in a bad way, but as we’re now seeing an entire book about Kaylee being dead and struggling to fake her life, it just is a strange experience for the reader. As is typical with Vincent’s writing style, the book gives enough mystery and danger interspersed with love, friendship, and humorous moments to really keep it interesting. However, I would also say that this book is one of the creepier and scarier of the series, as we find out that Avari has obtained a new ability that is absolutely terrifying. Also, there is one scene that is just absolutely heartbreaking for Kaylee.

      While strange, it is very interesting to see how much Kaylee really struggles with her afterlife. She really thought that going through the motions of her life would feel normal, like nothing ever happened, but she is all too aware that she is dead and that the things that once mattered to her don’t as much anymore. We also get to see Tod like we’ve never seen him before. He seems happier with Kaylee in his life, but he also sometimes struggles with how to help her through her afterlife. Nash, Sabine, and Sophie are all a bit more likable in this book, and I just love Luca.

      The ending was intense and sad. It also ends on more of a cliffhanger than most of the other books, making me very eager to read the last book! Bad news is it’s not released yet. Good news? It’s supposed to come out in March, so at least it’s not too long of a wait!

      While I really enjoyed this book, I didn’t find it as amazing as My Soul to Steal or If I Die, so I give it 4 stars.
    • 5/5
      In this, the sixth book of the Soul Screamers series, Rachel Vincent pulls off her most intense book yet. I’m not entirely sure I’m going to survive reading the next (and last) book! If I Die was an extremely compelling read because Kaylee knew she was going to die and everything she did had a tinge of desperation to it. After that book I wrongly thought things couldn’t any more captivating, but Before I Wake takes it all to a whole new level.In this book Kaylee, deceased, is trying to fit in with her friends again. It is difficult for her to go to school and act normal, especially since everyone at the school knows that her former Math teacher attempted to kill her. Under the spotlight, and trying desperately to act normal – you know keep breathing, staying corporal – Kaylee is understandably under incredible pressure. This book is riveting, partly because it’s so easy to sympathise with Kaylee and understand her dilemmas.Added to this is the danger her human friends are in as the hellion Avari redoubles his efforts to harm Kaylee – apparently she more valuable to him dead than alive (figures right?). But a constant source of support is Tod – Tod! – and I love how he absolutely steps up in this book and is everything to Kaylee that Nash wasn’t. I also found Kaylee’s fathers struggles to understand how his daughter has changed and attempt to work his parenting around it endearing. He really is a cool dad! I was surprised to find myself liking Sabine and Sofie – we finally get to know Sofie as something other than the mean cousin (maybe because of the perspective of the adorable new addition to the gang, Luca) and Sabine becomes Kaylee’s unlikely friend and ally in these dangerous times.Wonderful. Breathtaking. Irresistible. If you aren’t already reading this series, if you aren’t already hooked, then there is no describing the awesomeness you are missing out on!You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.
    • 5/5
      It has taken me a week to finally write this review. Not because the book was bad, but because it threw my for a loop. I've cried while reading books, but this one made me have big, ugly sobs. I'm telling you, it wasn't pretty. Thank goodness Rachel at Fiktshun warned me to grab the Kleenex and keep it close.

      I love how easily Rachel Vincent pulls me into the world she's created. I feel the characters emotions with such a raw intensity. Thank you, Rachel, for allowing us fans to be in the lives of your characters.

      Now for some character talk. Sophie still annoys the hell out of me. Instead of only we snarky, we got that plus crying at the drop of a hat. I know things are still new for her, but tears aren't going to fix anything. Oh geez, I think I'm starting to sound like Sabine. Sabine really grew on me in this book. I admired her blunt honesty, and willingness to help. I still want to slap her sometimes, but much less and not as hard. :P Things for Nash are starting to sink in, thank goodness. And Tod, well I don't think i could ever say anything bad about him. His love, loyalty, and determination are remarkable. Kaylee has grown up so much in this series. I'm excited to see what happens next.

      As far as plot, this is all I can say since i don't want to give too much away. You get a grasp on just how insane Avari is. Kaylee and her group of friends are once again determined to thwart his nefarious plans. Seriously, Avari has some deep issues.

      I cannot recommend this book enough. Or the series for that matter. Just make sure to keep the tissue near because you will need it.
    • 5/5
      I can't recommend this series enough for YA readers or those who like paranormal romances/mystery but want something better than Twilight. Fans of the Morganville Vampires will like these.
    • 5/5
      This is another one of my favorite paranormal series, and the best part is that it's not the typical vampires or werewolves but other very different paranormal beings.There are some very interesting characters in this series. Older teens might like to read the author's adult series, Shifters, which starts with Stray. It's a very good series too, but has more sex and violence.A possible teen read-alike would be the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa.
    • 5/5
      I have never avoided a book like a plague. But this book, I avoided. Whenever I would walk into my library to choose book to read, I swear it would stare right at me, taunting me. I'm serious. I would intentionally ignore it and look away cause the minute I gave in, I was doomed. Finally, I gave in. And yes, I'm doomed now...It's not that this book is bad. It's the exact opposite. Freaking AWESOME! I avoided it for two reasons. The first being that if I read it right away, the longer I have to wait for the next book. And when it comes to Rachel Vincent books, I'm as impatient as a spoiled kid. I WANT THE NEXT BOOK NOW!The second, Sabine pisses me off! The chick can get under my skin by just the mention of her name and she is not even real! Do you know how insane that is? That a person who doesn't even exist ticks me off so badly. *SMH* Told you I was doomed....The plot is great! Just like her other books, it's filled with non-stop action, lots of plot twist and turns. I like how nicely the turn of events changes things. Kaylee has grown so much along with her father and friends. And of course once again, Kaylee has thrown herself into the fiery pits of hell to save the ones that she loves.The love interest is the best part of this book. Kaylee has found someone that she loves and trusts. You can really tell the difference of peace that floats around her when she is with him. He gives Kaylee just whats she needs when she needs it most. He always has her back and follows along with whatever trouble she finds herself in... Did I mention that this girl is a magnet for trouble?Before I Wake is an awesomely amazing book. I can see why I avoided it. Cause now that I am done with it and with the way that it ended, I now have to wait three tortuous months to read the conclusion. Am I happy about this? HELL NO! There's no denying a good book when you've read one. Rachel Vincent continues to awe her readers with her ambitious writing. Before I Wake is the beginning of the end in a series that I have fell in love with since book one. It's awesome. Relentless. A story like no other. Oh hell, just read the book!!
    • 5/5
      Oh Todd, you own my heart completely! The emotions I encountered throughout this book goes to show what an incredible author Rachel Vincent is. I cannot wait for the last book of the series. It will be bittersweet
    • 5/5
      Kaylee is now dead... or dead-ish to be more specific. When her Math teacher killed her Levi (Tod's boss) and Madeline brought her back so she could work for Madeline in the Reclamation Department.As a bean sidhe she was able to get back the stolen souls and help them reach their rightful destination. And the Reclamation Department needed her help badly after some humans had died and their souls disappeared.But in her first assignment she realizes that every rule she thought applied to herself is a lie, that she being immortal was of no importance and that her family and friends were in deep trouble... Worst of all, hell was breaking loose and so far it seemed that there was no way of stoping it.If that wasn't enough her life was beginning to crumble to pieces; nothing felt the same way nothing tasted the same and school, music and even friends were beginning to feel unreal... How could she feel like everybody else when she wasn't going to age anymore, or go to college?!At least one thing remained the same and that was her new reaper boyfriend, Tod. But what if being with her meant more troubles for him?Personal opinion:When I wrote my review of If I Die Rachel Vincent had surpassed everything I expected and had gone beyond my wildest dreams creating a book full of emotions, feelings and excitement that was too much to handle...This time she did the same thing but multiplied by 10, at least. You have no idea, guys, I'm serious here... Before I Wake was a rollercoaster of everything: I cried a lot, I laughed like crazy, I loved Tod even more, I wanted to confort Kaylee in every page and I was worried sick with what was going on.Oh my goodness, I know I can't tell you anything but... but... It is SO difficult to explain myself when all I want to do is re-read the book and then sit in a chair to wait for the next -and sadly- final book of the series coming out next year.Next year... oh man, this is going to be a looong wait.Anyway, if you have read the series so far I encourage you to buy this book, you won't regret it at all, you will love it and you will hate at the same time; too many things happen and some of them are so heartbreaking, so surreal that I HAD to go outside, take a walk and clear my mind so I could keep reading. Definitely things have changed and we will go with Kaylee through all the changes, all the fears and all the emotions.Without doubt the best book so far, it's darker than the others and way more thrilling. And the ending... All I'm going to say about it is that I would give everything to read With All My Soul tonight.
    • 5/5
      How would I describe Rachel Vincent’s Before I Wake? Wonderful…and heartbreaking.

      Kaylee is learning how to cope with her new existence after being murdered by her math teacher in If I Die. Helping her adjust is new boyfriend, Tod, whose love for Kaylee has helped him retain his humanity while fulfilling his grim reaper duties. His brother Nash, devastated by Kaylee’s choice of Tod over him, has turned for comfort to ex-girlfriend Sabine while trying to fight his addiction to Demon’s Breath. Kaylee’s cousin Sophie has been told all about her family’s ties to the paranormal, and is in a serious relationship with new student Luca. Even Kaylee’s best friend Emma appears to have finally found a young man who seems to be interested in more than just her body. Finally, everyone just may have a chance at happiness – until bodies start showing up all over town with missing souls. Kaylee’s investigation leads to an old foe who will stop at nothing to obtain her soul, which means no one close to her is safe.

      Since Rachel Vincent always ends up introducing a new character or two in each book, I’m going to start with our newbies this time around – Luca and Kaylee’s new boss, Madeline. We first met Luca in the novella Never To Sleep, but didn’t really know where he fit into the Soul Screamers world until now. It turns out that Luca has been recruited by the Reclamation Department that Kaylee works for due to his special ability to sense and communicate with the recently deceased. I liked what little I knew of him when he showed up in Never To Sleep, and after seeing his character more developed in Before I Wake I can say he is a great addition to the series. Tall, dark, gorgeous and with the strength to put up with Sophie as a girlfriend, Luca slid naturally into Kaylee’s group of Scoobies.

      I wasn’t too sure I would feel the same about Madeline, since at first she seemed cold and very by-the-book. She is more determined to find and apprehend the thief stealing souls from the recently deceased than to prevent the deaths in the first place, which has her butting heads with Kaylee (who wants to protect everyone). As things started disintegrating, though, and Madeline revealed more of the stresses she and her department have been under to reclaim stolen souls, I found a lot more sympathy for her character. This poor woman had no idea what she was getting into when she recruited Kaylee to reclaim souls before the thief can steal them, and did not realize that Kaylee came with her own team. Her bewilderment when this was explained was priceless.

      Relationships are very much at the forefront in this series, and here everyone is tentatively trying to repair what was damaged in the last book. Kaylee is settling in to her relationship with Tod while her father struggles with accepting them as a couple. His little girl is grown, and he is having a very rough time letting her go. One of the high points in the story for me was a small scene where Kaylee overhears a conversation between the two most important men in her life. I thought it was very poignant hearing Tod voice how he feels while Kaylee’s father explained his reservations. Kaylee and Tod also have to deal with the pain Nash is going through after losing Kaylee, and it was interesting to see them warily circle each other. When some major events occur in the stunning finale, Tod and Nash have to work together and we can see that if they are ever able to iron out their differences they will be a formidable team. With what goes down in Before I Wake, I believe this sibling relationship may be pivotal in the series finale next year.

      It is going to take a lot, though, for Nash to let go of his resentment. Sabine is standing by him, but I wasn’t impressed with the way Nash is treating her. Nash can be charming and caring, but he also has veins of stubbornness and selfishness running through him. Sabine probably understands him the best of everyone, and puts up with a lot from him. This time around, Nash appears to be using her to forget Kaylee. I found myself unexpectedly worried about Sabine, but if there is anyone who is able to hold their own it is her. I really hope Nash finally lets Kaylee go and realizes what he has right in front of him.

      As always, pacing is stellar and moves right along. Vincent is a master at keeping things moving swiftly and easily. Moments of humor are still present, but not as prevalent as in previous books. Things are getting steadily darker and more serious as we progress, and the second half of Before I Wake turned out to be some of the most emotional scenes yet in the series. This book has more deaths than we’ve had since book one, mostly strangers or minor characters – but a couple that are major and heartrending. A stunning twist in the final scene sets things up for an incredible showdown, and I have no idea how things will end for Kaylee and her friends.

      This review turned out to be much more difficult than I expected. I had such mixed emotions when I finished Before I Wake – shock, heartbreak, awe at Vincent’s fearlessness, and a driving need to know what will happen in Kaylee’s final adventure – that I didn’t even know where to start this review. What surprised me most, however, was my reaction to the loss of characters I have become so invested in. It hit me much harder in Before I Wake than Kaylee’s death did in If I Die, maybe because I knew there was no way Kaylee wasn’t coming back somehow. If I Die is, overall, still my favorite book in the series (so far), but I’m sure I’ll pull out Before I Wake many times in the future to revisit the quieter scenes involving Kaylee and Tod, Nash and Kaylee, and even the conversation between Tod and Kaylee’s father. Moments such as these have always resonated the most with me, and Before I Wake provides plenty of them to hold me over until With All My Soul completes the Soul Screamers series next year.
    • 4/5
      Okay, so I was extremely excited about Before I Wake (BIW), before I adore Rachel Vincent as a writer, and I'm a huge fan of the Soul Screamers series. And when I got my ARC from Mira Ink, I was super happy, almost jumping around with joy!

      But.

      This book was nothing like the rest of the series. The plot was confusing from the very beginning; no resolution (even a momentary one) was provided; there was too much murder and blood spilling; and because of all that I felt very very disappointed.

      To be fair, I might have had very high expectations about BIW, because the previous installment, If I Die, was simply smashing! But I believe that Rachel should've known that she raised the bar, and that she had to exceed that bar in BIW. Unfortunately, in my opinion, she didn't manage it.

      Now, don't get me wrong, I did like the writing, as usual. It was flawless, so no problem there. It was the plot that disturbed me, as it appeared to be confusing and somewhat pointless. I didn't really comprehend the whole deal with what was going on and why, and there was a moment of time where I actually wanted to just leave the book and never finish it.

      Still though, I pushed on, and I was slightly gratified. The last 100 pages or so was where the interesting things happened, and where the third star in my rating came from. I won't say more because I don't want to spoil the book for you. In fact, you may end up totally loving it, so don't take my word for it.

      Anywho, let's discuss the characters.

      *Kaylee - I can't say I liked her here at all. I truly adored her in the previous books, was fascinated by her character, but now... not really. In my eyes, she wasn't Kaylee anymore. And perhaps it was somewhat right for her to be so, since she was dead and all. I guess her personality couldn't remain the same in some areas. Still, to me it felt too much of a change, and it was sort of unrealistic. Those things she did... well I don't think that Kaylee would've done them. And yet, I read of her doing them. It was just... it didn't feel right.

      *Tod - I got to like Tod in If I Die. Here he sort of lost me. He acted strange, said weird things, took nothing seriously, and I felt like he wasn't dependable anymore. It honestly felt like all he wanted to do with Kay was make out. Not that I have anything against that, but seriously, I didn't see any depth. Disappointed.

      *Nash though is a totally different story. He came back! I loved him! Every bit of him! From his misery, to his love, to his very existence. His personality, how it changed, was completely realistic. I couldn't have explained his turmoil and pain better. For him is that forth star. And to be honest, he's better off with Sabine. She's much more versatile and real, and you know, honest.

      *Sabine - she totally rocked the boat this time. She was as straight forward and honest as ever. Only now there's a thin string of insecurity around her, which to me made her even more realistic. I loved how devoted she was to Nash, and even to Kaylee (who, in my opinion, didn't deserve it.)

      *Sophie - even she has grown some backbone and some positive qualities here. I honestly don't hate her anymore (though I did in the first 50 pages or so).

      *Emma - she's still the sweet girl, and best friend and I loved her for it.

      So, in conclusion I can say that everyone should form their own opinion about Before I Wake. I was pretty disappointed by it, and I really truly hope that the final installment doesn't sink the series even more.

      NOTE: I received this book for review from MIRA INK. Thanks for the opportunity to read BIW!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Review courtesy of All Things Urban FantasyThe Soul Screamers series is not one that knocked me off my feet initially. The first two books were solid, fun stories with great mythology, but not especially memorable. That all changed with book 3, MY SOUL TO SAVE. The last three books have been increasingly excellent as Rachel Vincent started taking more and more risks with her characters and spinning her story into unexpected and completely unforgettable directions.BEFORE I WAKE is the book after. By that I mean it’s the book that has to deal with all the shocking, tragic, and also unexpectedly wonderful things that happened in IF I DIE. There is an endearing fragility about Kaylee and all the various relationships this time. New love, rekindled love, love that tries to overcome the deepest kind of betrayal. Nothing feels certain, and that’s part of what made reading this book so engaging. One false move (and there were several scenes that terrified me because I was sure someone was going to do something that irrevocably damaged one of these new relationships) and everything would be broken.One of the real highlights of BEFORE I WAKE was Tod. Seeing him get to explore his relationship with Kaylee was just beautiful. I think he had given up on any kind of happy ending for himself, and Rachel Vincent has written him in such a heartbreakingly lovable way, that it’s impossible not to cheer for every smile he gets…even when they comes at the expense of someone I’ve also grown to love through the course of this series. The balance is near perfect.As the next to last book, BEFORE I WAKE does feel at times like a big set up for the end in terms of plot, but the character and relationship developments are huge. WITH ALL MY SOUL comes out on April 1, 2013 from Harlequin Teen. It is currently the last book under contract for the Soul Screamers series, so it very well may be the swan song to the series. I can’t wait to see what Rachel has in store for us.Sexual Content:Kissing. Scenes of sensuality. Implied sex.