Review: If I Die by Rachel Vincent

Title: If I Die

Author: Rachel Vincent

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: 9.27.2011

Pages: 342

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Yes (Soul Screamers #5)

Copy: ARC swapped from another blog

Rating: A+

Summary (from Goodreads):

No one wants to be this teacher’s pet . . .

Everyone else is talking about Eastlake High’s gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck, but Kaylee Cavanaugh has bigger things on her mind. Kaylee’s a banshee—her scream is a portent of death.

But the next scream might hit too close to home. Kaylee’s borrowed lifeline has almost run out.

Yeah—it’s a shock to her, too. So to distract herself from her own problems, Kaylee is determined to defend her school against the latest supernatural threat. That hot new teacher is really an incubus, who feeds from the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend’s delinquent 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 running out of time, and those who love her will do anything to save her life.

Anything.

Review:

I have been loving Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamers series since I got my hands on book 1 last year, and her most recent installment might just be my favorite book of the entire series. At the very least it’s a game changing book for Kaylee, Tod, Nash and company.

I love a book that can navigate two storylines at once. On the surface and in the forefront is Kaylee’s impending death as hinted at in the blurb above. One would think the entire book is a race to scramble and save Kaylee’s life (again), but beneath that, the brewing love triangle (or rectangle if you include Sabine) comes to a head.

For four books Kaylee has been devoted to Nash, even when he might not have deserved it. They’ve been through a lot together, and for four books I relished in their love. For some reason, I kind of saw Tod as Kaylee did—Nash’s brother who helps save the day at the last minute and is always there. It wasn’t until Kaylee started realizing how amazing Tod is that I also started to see it. Now, I know there is a ton of fans out there who are wondering why I wasn’t all aboard ship Kaylee/Tod until now, but at this point I’m ready to captain the damn boat.

I won’t get into the specifics or reveal who Kaylee ultimately chooses (nor will I tell you if Kaylee meets her untimely yet timed demise), but what I will say is that this book blew all the others out of the water. Well into this series, Vincent has created characters I love to love, and she gives each one time to shine. She has taken her time throughout this series to invest in her characters and make them grow, something that really pays off this time around.

Like I said before: this is book 5 of the series so you pretty much know what you’re getting yourself into: vivid imagery, lush details, well-thought our characters, and a plot that will keep you flipping the pages until the early morning hours. If you haven’t read the series … what are you waiting for? I think one of the biggest reasons I love this series is the originality of it all. In a world chock full of paranormal romance that is dominated by the all mighty vampire and werewolf (and faeries), this is a welcome breath of fresh air.

Buy: Amazon