oldemort's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
sparassidae's review
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
berls's review
4.0
My Initial Reaction...
I wish I'd known about Never to Sleep back when I first read the Soul Screamers Series. It was a really enjoyable quick read and gave a lot of background on Sophie, a character I always wished I'd known better.
Note: There are spoilers for book 1 in the series in this review.
The Good...
Getting into the head of Sophie, Kaylee's cousin, was great! She's not anyone's favorite character I imagine, because she's fairly shallow and really mean to Kaylee. But I know that by this point in the series, I also felt kind of bad for her. Her mother died extremely suspiciously and all kinds of crazy things are constantly happening around her and to her - but no one has deigned to explain to her why. She may not be a banshee, but she deserves to know what's going on IMHO!
Well, just like Kaylee - no one's going to tell Sophie until she gets herself into heaps of trouble and finds a cute boy to spill the beans. In this case it's necromancer Luca - who you'll get to know better in book 6. I found that Never to Sleep explained so much about their relationship and some of the changes you'll see in Sophie in upcoming books - I really think it's a must read for fans of the series. I loved seeing Sophie confront this world she's been teetering on discovering for so long, and to face it with the same kind of strength that I've come to admire in Kaylee. And she had a great sense of humor that made reading Never to Sleep lots of fun.
The Bad...
Well, the only thing I have a problem with in Never to Sleep, I had a problem with in the series in general. Sophie is not a Banshee. Her scream is not a Banshee's scream. This has been firmly established. She's not the first daughter of a Banshee and human ever - so why is she the first one we've ever heard of that can scream and end up in the Netherworld? It just doesn't work for me at all, even if I do like the changes it brings about in Sophie and the story. It just doesn't jive with the mythology already established in the series.
Concluding Sentiments...
I really enjoyed Never to Sleep and definitely recommend you read it if you're reading the Soul Screamers Series - or if you're a fan that missed it like I did the first time around!
kanha's review
2.0
Sophie has got to be one of the most annoying characters in the world. I couldn´t make myself enjoy reading this, due to her character.
bullfly7's review
3.0
2.5 stars
I hate to say it but I don't think this made Sophie look any better at all. She's still a bitch, she's still ignorant and after what she went through, you would think she'd understand her cousin Kaylee just a tad better. Instead she calls her crazy but she's clearly sane. Right
I hate to say it but I don't think this made Sophie look any better at all. She's still a bitch, she's still ignorant and after what she went through, you would think she'd understand her cousin Kaylee just a tad better. Instead she calls her crazy but she's clearly sane. Right
shadowmaster13's review
3.0
Uh, that's got to suck the whole
Spoiler
half-bean sidhe thing meaning she can accidentally cross over into the netherworld.forever_fantasy's review
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
michalice's review
4.0
I love the Soul Screamers series so was really happy to see this new novella from Rachel Vincent and jumped at the chance to buy a copy as soon as it became available.
Never To Sleep is a short novella set within If I Die time frame and is told from Sophie's point of view.
**SPOILER ALERT**
please be aware that this review may contain spoilers for If I Die so read at your own risk.
Sophie is helping collect dance uniforms for dance team and literally bumps into Luca. After making a detour to avoid Tod and Kaylee kissing in the school hallway they end up finding a dead walking body, with no soul.
This scares Sophie, which results in her screaming and being transported to the Netherworld.
Sophie meets a few familiar faces and creatures to us, and learns of other supernatural beings and unknowingly discovers a new talent of her own, which we have yet to learn more about how she copes with it. We are also introduced to Luca, who is a necromancer, and I am looking forward to what role he plays in the next book Before I Wake.
I could not put this book down once I had started it and I am glad I had If I Die to read as I don't think I would be able to wait for it to come out, but now I am waiting for Before I Wake to be released and it can't come any faster. Rachel has managed to write another amazing book that keeps you reading from start to finish and keeps you wanting more.
Never To Sleep is a short novella set within If I Die time frame and is told from Sophie's point of view.
**SPOILER ALERT**
please be aware that this review may contain spoilers for If I Die so read at your own risk.
Spoiler
Sophie is helping collect dance uniforms for dance team and literally bumps into Luca. After making a detour to avoid Tod and Kaylee kissing in the school hallway they end up finding a dead walking body, with no soul.
This scares Sophie, which results in her screaming and being transported to the Netherworld.
Sophie meets a few familiar faces and creatures to us, and learns of other supernatural beings and unknowingly discovers a new talent of her own, which we have yet to learn more about how she copes with it. We are also introduced to Luca, who is a necromancer, and I am looking forward to what role he plays in the next book Before I Wake.
I could not put this book down once I had started it and I am glad I had If I Die to read as I don't think I would be able to wait for it to come out, but now I am waiting for Before I Wake to be released and it can't come any faster. Rachel has managed to write another amazing book that keeps you reading from start to finish and keeps you wanting more.
cem_214's review
4.0
*happy sigh* Give me anything Soul Screamers related and I'm extremely happy. This novella from Sophie's POV is no exception. And although I know it's not intended, I do almost like her more now, as in I almost like her a tiny bit at all. I'm not gonna lie, Luca is super hot and I'm more than a little curious to see more of him. Bring on Before I Wake please!!