Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent

Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent
Series: Soul Screamers #6
Publisher: Mira Ink
Publication Date: June 26th 2012
Source: Library

I died on a Thursday - killed by a monster intent on stealing my soul. The good news? He didn’t get it. The bad news? Turns out not even death will get you out of high school...

Covering up her own murder was one thing, but faking life is much harder than Kaylee Cavanaugh expected. After weeks spent “recovering,” she’s back in school, fighting to stay visible to the human world, struggling to fit in with her friends and planning time alone with her new reaper boyfriend.

But to earn her keep in the human world, Kaylee must reclaim stolen souls, and when her first assignment brings her face-to-face with an old foe, she knows the game has changed. Her immortal status won’t keep her safe. And this time Kaylee isn’t just gambling with her own life...

After the emotional roller-coaster that If I Die was, I just had to dive straight into this book as soon as I'd finished If I Die. There was no way I could wait to read the next one, and Before I Wake didn't disappoint. I couldn't wait to see what was next for Kaylee, plus I wanted to see more Tod & Kaylee <3.

Although Before I Wake didn't make me bawl my eyes out, it was still a fantastic sequel! After Kaylee's death she was recruited by the reclamation department to reclaim stolen souls. And on Kaylee's first day back at school, she starts her first job.

Kaylee was just as fantastic dead as she was alive (probably more because she had awesome abilities). Kaylee is coming to terms with being dead and with the fact that she has to force herself to be visible (which is a lot harder than she thought). I really felt for Kaylee in this one. She feels so alone and like she doesn't exist half the time. She's not the same person that she was before. She manages to stay strong though, and finds things to focus her attention on - like the fact that Thane is back and stealing souls, Avari is on the loose in the human world and Tod. Tod is a major part of helping Kaylee adjust to her newly dead life. He's the only thing keeping her sane/making her feel alive. Kaylee's just as badass and awesome in this one as she has been in the previous books.

Tod is just a sweetheart! I honestly can't believe I didn't want him and Kaylee together (although I suppose that was before Nash went off the rails and started acting like an ass). But I love Tod so much. Tod would do anything to protect Kaylee and it makes my heart melt. He's always looking out for her and he's helping her adjust to her new life. Plus, Tod and Kaylee are such a fantastic couple. They're just perfect for each other!

Nash yet again managed to annoy me in this one. He's taking this really badly and for some reason, he's still convinced that he and Kaylee have a chance together. He's deluded and is starting to really piss me off. Plus, he's hurting Sabine with all his useless pining after Kaylee and I don't like that.

Sabine has quickly became one of my favourite characters. She's sarcastic, snarky and just downright badass. Sabine doesn't need anyone to protect her, she's perfectly capable of protecting herself. Her and Kaylee sort of become friends in this one and I'm hoping that in the last book they will be friends. I feel bad for Sabine because it's clear how much she loves Nash, but Nash doesn't seem to want to cement their relationship and it's hurting her.

Yet again, this was another action packed sequel. With the Thane on the loose again and Avari running around the human world, they definitely had a lot on their hands. And yet again, things ran deeper than we originally thought. There were times when I was shocked and parts that almost had me in tears (especially that one part with Alec </3), I just couldn't put this book down! I was so desperate to know what Avari was up to this time that I couldn't wait to get to the end!
And holy crap what a fantastic and heartbreaking ending it was! They definitely should have seen it coming though. But still, I was so shocked to find out what Avari had planned and then the things he did tore out my heart and made me feel so bad for Kaylee. Like she hasn't suffered enough in the past 5 books because of Avari. Then he had to go and do that. It was horrible. I am, however, intrigued to see how that's all going to play out in the next book. It'll be confusing probably, but I am looking forward to seeing what's going to happen. Avari will definitely have something major planned next, so I'm excited to see his next move and I'm hoping they'll finally be able to take him down for good.

Overall, this was another fantastic and action packed sequel that kept me on my toes. I'm absolutely loving this series and I can't wait to see how it all ends!