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emtees 's review for:
My Soul to Lose
by Rachel Vincent
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This story is a strong introduction to the Soul Screamers series. These kinds of short story prequels can be difficult to get right: the real first book in the series is going to introduce all the characters and world building, so a prequel runs the risk of either giving the characters too much information too soon or just treading water with foreshadowing, waiting for the “real” story to start. I don’t know if Vincent wrote My Soul to Lose first or if she went back to fill in a story that was only referenced in the main book, but either way she got the balance of a prequel right.
Kaylee Cavanaugh is an ordinary teenage girl with one major problem, or so she thinks: she has panic attacks. And not typical panic attacks; in Kaylee’s case, her attacks are triggered by seeing someone who she is sure, regardless of evidence, is going to die, and when she sees someone like that, all she can do is scream, uncontrolled, ear-piercing shrieks. After she has a very public episode at the mall, Kaylee finds herself locked in a psychiatric hospital and being evaluated for everything from anxiety to schizophrenia. Kaylee is sure she isn’t sick, but even the aunt and uncle who have raised her since her father left don’t seem to be fully on her side. And her ability to prove her own sanity and get back her freedom is challenged when she sees another patient who gives her that same feeling that someone is going to die.
My Soul to Lose plays the prequel game right by explaining absolutely nothing that is happening to Kaylee. This story is pure mystery, for both Kaylee and the audience, meant to get you intrigued enough to want to read the main series. And it works. If you are familiar with Soul Screamers, then there are clever little hints at future plot lines worked into the story, some more subtle than otherslike Kaylee’s uncle being sure he can convince the hospital to let her out , but if not you will feel only Kaylee’s confusion and frustration with her situation. Kaylee isn’t a wildly original character by any means, but this early in the story that’s kind of the point - she thinks she’s ordinary - and is a very sympathetic protagonist. The hinted-at magical system is unique and fascinating, being based on ideas that aren’t overplayed in the urban fantasy genre. Overall this is a really good beginning and a rare case of the prequel being the right place to start a series.
Kaylee Cavanaugh is an ordinary teenage girl with one major problem, or so she thinks: she has panic attacks. And not typical panic attacks; in Kaylee’s case, her attacks are triggered by seeing someone who she is sure, regardless of evidence, is going to die, and when she sees someone like that, all she can do is scream, uncontrolled, ear-piercing shrieks. After she has a very public episode at the mall, Kaylee finds herself locked in a psychiatric hospital and being evaluated for everything from anxiety to schizophrenia. Kaylee is sure she isn’t sick, but even the aunt and uncle who have raised her since her father left don’t seem to be fully on her side. And her ability to prove her own sanity and get back her freedom is challenged when she sees another patient who gives her that same feeling that someone is going to die.
My Soul to Lose plays the prequel game right by explaining absolutely nothing that is happening to Kaylee. This story is pure mystery, for both Kaylee and the audience, meant to get you intrigued enough to want to read the main series. And it works. If you are familiar with Soul Screamers, then there are clever little hints at future plot lines worked into the story, some more subtle than others
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Medical content, Medical trauma
Minor: Self harm, Suicide
The main plot takes place in a psychiatric hospital and the main character and supporting characters are subject to mental health and medical treatment, sometimes without consent. A minor character commits suicide.