My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent

Paperback, 343 pages

Published January 4th 2011 by Harlequin

ISBN: 0373210272 (ISBN13: 9780373210275)

Primary Language: English

Soul Screamers #4

Source: Purchased

The Blurb (www.goodreads.com):

Trying to work things out with Nash—her maybe boyfriend—is hard enough for Kaylee Cavanaugh. She can't just pretend nothing happened. But "complicated" doesn't even begin to describe their relationship when his ex-girlfriend transfers to their school, determined to take Nash back.

See, Sabine isn't just an ordinary girl. She's a mara, the living personification of a nightmare. She can read people's fears—and craft them into nightmares while her victims sleep. Feeding from human fear is how she survives.

And Sabine isn't above scaring Kaylee and the entire school to death to get whatever—and whoever—she wants.

My Soul to Steal begins about 2 weeks after the end of My Soul to Take, with the high school coming back from Christmas vacation and dealing with the deaths and rumors of the events just prior to the school break. Kaylee hasn’t even spoken to Nash in all that time, and the first time she sees him, his creepy, socially inept ex-girlfriend shows up.

The whole story is very teen angst-ridden, and I usually get annoyed by that. I did while reading this book, too, but it turns out there is a plot-driven reason for all the angst, so I can forgive. And when the whole story is wrapped up in the end, I found myself sad that it was over. I really enjoyed this installment, overall. And I really liked Sabine, even if she was angry and belligerent.

I want to make a small comment on the cover art. The first 3 books were very ethereal, with a girl lost in a haze of color, and it was something I rather liked. It was, in fact, part of why I picked up the series in the first place. And now, this book comes along and we have a girl wrapped in some guys arms, with a much greater focus than on previous covers, I don’t think it fits this book. The first three books focus on Kaylee needing Nash to keep her grounded, and when we finally get a book where Kaylee can pretty much take care of herself and she realizes that she doesn’t need Nash, the cover shows her wrapped up in him. I know it’s nit-picky, but I don’t like it.