Review: My Soul to Lose

Title: My Soul to Lose (Soul Screamers #0.5)

Author:  Rachel Vincent

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: July 1, 2009

Reviewer: Elisa

Summary: It was supposed to be a fun day, shopping at the mall with her best friend. Then the panic attack started and Kaylee Cavanaugh finds herself screaming, unable to stop. Her secret fears are exposed and it's the worst day of her life.
Until she wakes up in the psychiatric unit.
She tries to convince everyone she's fine--despite the shadows she sees forming around another patient and the urge to scream which comes burbling up again and again. Everyone thinks she's crazy. Everyone except Lydia, that is. Another patient with some special abilities... (review from amazon)

Review:  This is a prequel novella to the Soul Screamer's series.  Kaylee has her first screaming episode in the mall, she thinks she has extreme panic attacks, and is taken to a psychiatric hospital because she won't stop screaming and thrashing - even while under heavy sedation.

Wow - I don't really understand what is happening to Kaylee or why, but waking up and being stuck in a psych ward is so well done I started to imagine myself stuck in one.  It was not a pretty scene and I fully empathized with her.  This story is only 50-60 pages and you are left wondering what happened to her parents.  She lives with her aunt, uncle and cousin and they don't seem very close.  It made me curious about whether one of her parents had this ability as well and how difficult this will be without them.  Are her guardians muggle-types that have no clue how to help her?

I will say that I am intrigued and excited to read the first book, My Soul to Take.  This novella really generated more questions than answers and a lot of interest on my part.  I am now ready for some answers dang it!!  My only worry about this series is that she seems a little young, so I am wondering what the teen angsty issues will be and hoping they don't dominate.  But, those weren't really an issue in this novella, so I don't know what I am talking about yet.  3.5 stars.