A Book Obsession..: If I Die

If I Die

, by Kt Clapsadl

If I Die by Rachel Vincent

Soul Screamers #5

The entire school's talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck. Everyone except Kaylee Cavanaugh. After all, Kaylee's no ordinary high-school junior. She's a banshee—she screams when someone dies.

But the next scream might be for Kaylee.

Yeah—it's a shock to her, too. So to distract herself, Kaylee's going to save every girl in school. Because that hot new teacher is really an incubus who feeds on the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend's needy 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 borrowed lifeline is nearing its end. And those who care about her will do anything to save her life.

Anything.

Kaylee knows better than most that when your time is up, there is nothing you can do to prevent it. So when she finds out her number is soon to be up, she faces it with a grim resolve. Of course everyone else has the opposite reaction as they all scramble to find a way to save her. While Kaylee is trying to keep everyone from sacrificing themselves, she's also determined to stop an incubus from preying on the young girls of her school. Before she goes, she wants to ensure everyone is safe, but that will mean swallowing her pride in order to team up with Sabine, as she is the only other one who can resist him. But even her determination may not be enough this time as the clock is ticking, and there won't be any extensions.

Most people would have gone into a downward tailspin knowing that they would very soon die, yet Kaylee doesn't. Of course she does have a few last things she wants to experience before she kicks the bucket, but that isn't her main focus. Being who she is, it shouldn't come as surprise to readers that she spends her last few days trying to ensure her loved ones will be okay without her. The biggest of tasks having to do with getting rid of the nasty incubus teacher, which requires her to team up with Sabine of all people. Surprisingly enough the two of them seem to have established a truce of sorts. (Of course that could have something to do with the fact that Kaylee won't be in Sabine's way much longer.) As time goes on, I find myself actually liking Sabine more and more. She's just determined to have Nash, as she really needs him, to the point of dependency, so I'm not sure I can be angry with her anymore. In fact, I'm leaning more towards feeling sorry for her, but shh! don't tell her that. I don't want my dreams invaded.

In the relationship department there is finally a change to the stasis and stagnancy that has been existing between Kaylee and Nash. To be honest, things were starting to drive me a little batty there. I was more than ready for change by the time it happened whether it be a real reconciliation, or a separation, just anything to ease the frustration. I'm not going to say what direction things took, only to say that I am incredibly happy. All I can say is, "Finally!" Take from that what you will :) I know I'm being a little cryptic, but trust me you want to read this book and experience it untainted.

Once again Rachel Vincent proves just how good she is at shaking things up, and leaving her books quite unpredictable. I never know which direction things will take, and each installment leaves me on the edge of my seat from cover to cover. I'm always trying to anticipate the next shocker, but they still wind up catching me off guard, which only makes things more entertaining in the end. Of course there was one shocker towards the end, that made me want to throw my book across the room. Luckily I held onto it and saw how things worked out, because the alternative was unimaginable. What should have been the end of things, turned out to be a new beginning of sorts, with a very unknown path ahead. Things will be rocky, and shaky at first, but I think everything turned out as it should have. I just can't wait to see the aftermath.

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