Review: My Soul To Keep by Rachel Vincent (SSRC)

Well, I'm running really late on this because my library's only copy of My Soul to Keep was checked out until yesterday, but luckily I'm a fast reader and finished today!

I reread MSTK for the Soul Screamers Reading Challenge being hosted by Fiktshun! It's super awesome and super fun, and if you haven't joined yet you most definitely should!!

My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent
Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them.

Until something does.

Demon breath. No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends—one of whom is already hooked.

And so is someone else…

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At the beginning of MSTK, Kaylee is finally free of the grounding she received for all the crazy stuff that went down in the last book. But she hasn't been free very long before she discovers the Netherworld is still leaking into the human work and threatening the lives of everyone she knows.

Of course, Kaylee being Kaylee, she can't possibly take that lying down, or leave it up to those older and stronger than her. Kay always wants to protect others, which is what simultaneously makes her one of the stupidest and most admirable heroines around these days.

When she discovers humans are getting addicted to Demon's Breath (remember that nasty crap from the last book?) she knows she has to stop it. And THAT is when things start to go downhill again.


Ok, so, like the last few months, I'll finish up by talking about character development! This stuff will be spoilery! Read at your own risk!

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So first we have Kaylee. As I mentioned above, in MSTK she's still just as selfless and brave as she was in the first two books. But she's also becoming more realistic, and realizing that she can't save everyone. But at the same time, this knowledge only makes her more determined to save those she can. She can accept that there's nothing more she can do for Addison, but she wants to save others from that same fate.

Then there's Nash. Anyone who's already read all the books knows that this is the one where the Nash-hate really starts. Nash has made PLENTY of mistakes. And while some of them are understandable, that's never been enough for me to really love him past the second book. Yes, going back to the first book, I loved him again and remembered why I had loved him before, but reaching this book, those feelings are gone again. Which really is tragic, because he was such an awesome guy. And now he's acting like a total butthead.

Emma. Kaylee's best friend has to go through a lot again in this book. Yet she stays strong, and doesn't abandon Kay. I think that's really all that has to be said about her character.

Sophie. Oh, man, Sophie's so obnoxious. Yet as I've said before, I can't bring myself to hate her. I've said it six zillion times, she's just so CLUELESS. But in this book, you start to see behind the mask, that behind her Ice Queen appearance she's still capable of being hurt.

Alec. He only makes a brief appearance in MSTK, but there's something interesting about him, isn't there? Of course, I've already read past this book, but even the first time I was intrigued by him.

Addison. She's only briefly in this one, but she was brave and selfless, too. She gave up the only good thing left in her existence to help Kaylee and Tod and Nash, which is pretty incredible.

And I've saved the best for last: TOD. Oh, Tod! I love that guy so much there aren't even words to express it. And just like last time, he's even better in this book. He's still grieving Addy, but at the same time he's finally recovering. This is the book where we really start to see that he'll be there for Kay when she needs him. In the first book, Tod was pretty much...well...dead. He wasn't very human anymore. In the second book, he's getting better, and Addy being in danger really jump started that, but really it's Kaylee who's bringing him back. He's alive again, and a sarcastic and obnoxious and awesome. But more than that, he's loyal, and protective, and GOOD. And also, I love him. But that's mostly irrelevant.

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Altogether, I looooved it (again!) and it gets <*><*><*><*><*>

(:D)
~Mag