1 hour 48 minutes.
This is the novella prequel to Rachel Vincent's new young adult series called Soul Screamers. It is currently available as a FREE audiobook on audible.com and a FREE Kindle ebook at amazon.com that can be downloaded to your Kindle or to your iPhone Kindle App. (The iPhone Kindle App is available free at iTunes).
Book review:
Book blurb: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....
The book blurb accurately explains to what takes place in My Soul to Lose. The story is the prequel novella to the Soul Screamers series, and is best read if you intend on continuing with the series as it is akin to a several chapter prologue to the next novel.
My Soul to Lose is a story of the awakening of Kaylee's ability to sense death or the shadows that appear around someone before they die. It starts as a panic attack, but soon she feels despair and fear deep in her soul. And as much as she tries to resist the urge to scream, she can't fight it and its as though her vocal cords take over on their own and she can't help but scream.
My Soul to Lose is an introduction to Kaylee and her "curse" and has established a premise to what sounds like a very interesting series. I felt empathy for Kaylee--knowing what she experiences is very real, but also knowing no one would believe she sees and feels shadows of death. I hope that in the next book she finds some answers to what she experiences, is able to take command of it, and possibly use her ability to help people. I plan on continuing Kaylee's story with My Soul to Take, the first full length novel to the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent.
My Soul to Lose is an introduction to Kaylee and her "curse" and has established a premise to what sounds like a very interesting series. I felt empathy for Kaylee--knowing what she experiences is very real, but also knowing no one would believe she sees and feels shadows of death. I hope that in the next book she finds some answers to what she experiences, is able to take command of it, and possibly use her ability to help people. I plan on continuing Kaylee's story with My Soul to Take, the first full length novel to the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent.
My Soul to Take My Soul to Save
Published August 1, 2009. Available January, 1, 2010
AVAILABLE NOW.
Visit author Rachel Vincent at http://www.rachelvincent.com/
My first audiobook experience:
I downloaded the audiobook of My Soul to Lose about three weeks ago onto my iPhone from audible.com and finally listened to it this morning. As this was my first time listening to an audiobook, I wasn't really sure what to expect or if I'd even enjoy listening to a book when I could be reading it. I ended up listening to the first few minutes of the book three or four times. At first I found it disconcerting, I think in part because I had to get the character names straightened out in my head. I had to hear the names a couple of times and who was what character... the main character, the friend, the boyfriend, the cousin, and so on. It's not that the story is confusing at all, but rather I needed it repeated a couple of times so I got my bearings. It was entirely my own issue, I think, after being so used to reading names that get imprinted in my mind immediately as opposed to hearing them and them not sinking in.
Then once I repeated the first few minutes a couple of times, it took a few minutes for me to get used to the narrators voice and her rhythm. I don't think it was more than five minutes and the narrator successfully brought me into the story and I was listening with the same concentration and comprehension that I would have if I were reading it myself. I have to say, I really enjoyed my first audiobook experience and I'm definitely open to listening to more audiobooks in the future.
I'll also add that listening to an audiobook is really conducive to multitasking, too! I weeded my entire front and side yard landscaping while listening to the book. At one point I was so into the book, that one scene made my eyes tear up and it took me a second to realize I couldn't see the weeds at my finger tips. ;)
Then once I repeated the first few minutes a couple of times, it took a few minutes for me to get used to the narrators voice and her rhythm. I don't think it was more than five minutes and the narrator successfully brought me into the story and I was listening with the same concentration and comprehension that I would have if I were reading it myself. I have to say, I really enjoyed my first audiobook experience and I'm definitely open to listening to more audiobooks in the future.
I'll also add that listening to an audiobook is really conducive to multitasking, too! I weeded my entire front and side yard landscaping while listening to the book. At one point I was so into the book, that one scene made my eyes tear up and it took me a second to realize I couldn't see the weeds at my finger tips. ;)
Do you listen to audiobooks?
I haven't done an audiobook yet, but I've been dying to try one. I'm just not sure what genre to do. I asked for some recs a while back, and I think I need to go back to that post and look again.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you posted about some of the roadblocks and how you overcame them. Thanks! That was really helpful :)
Hi Christine,
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a very emotional and interesting series. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, as always, so well.
Unfortunately audiobooks and I don't get along. I've tried on a number of occasions but seem to tune them out for some reason. Maybe it's because I listen to my iPod all day at work or have music playing in the background at home I've hardwired my old brain that way. I'm not too sure. lol
However, I'm glad you enjoyed your first audiobook experience and accomplished your landscaping at the same time!
Best to you Christine
L
I heard a piecee of Moning's Dreamfever on audio and I don't think it is something for me. the female narrator gave a very hawt scene between Mac and a man, it was not the way I "hear" Mac's voice in my head though. It clashed. I will never say never but right now audio books are not my forte.
ReplyDeleteWell, not to state the obvious, but I LOVE audiobooks.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the heads up about the free audible download! I just ordered book 1 in the series from Harlequin, and had had My Soul to Lose (in pdf) sitting on my computer desktop for a while. I will definitely get to the audio version much quicker.
Your experience of weeding while listening is my very favorite thing about audiobooks! Didn't the weeding go by much quicker and much more enjoyably?
It does take a bit to adjust, and I'm glad you stuck through it. It also takes a bit to figure out when you can and can't listen. For example, I can listen while doing repetitive, mindless, formatting stuff for the websites I work on. I can't listen when doing any kind of reading or writing on the websites. It sounds obvious, but when jumping back and forth between tasks, I've had do learn to switch the audiobooks on and off, accordingly! :-)
I hope you get a chance to try some more audiobooks. Let me know if you're interested in any recs!
I've tried listening to audiobook excerpts, but it never really worked for me. I'm like Lea, I tend to tune out after a bit.
ReplyDeleteI also found it interesting that the book was 1 hr 48 mins long. I can't remember how long I took to read the novella, but I'm sure it was less than 30 mins.
Hi Lori! Let me know when you get around to listening to your first audiobook. I'd be interested in what you think of the experience.
ReplyDeleteHi Lea! I can see how you would be prone to tuning out an audiobook considering you're a background music kind of person.
Hi Leontine! I actually downloaded Moning's BloodFever last summer, I believe, but only tried once or twice to listen to it. I read the book and was planning on listening to the audiobook as a refresher before reading the next books in the series. I'm curious now if Mac's "voice" will clash for me, too since already have my own version of her voice in my head. Interesting....
Hi Renee! I thought of you when I wrote this post since you are one of two reading buddies I have who are avid audiobook listeners. I figured I'd make you proud with my foray into audiobooks. ;) And yes! Two hours weeding never went by so quickly before!
I'll definitely seek recs from you if I find myself listening to more audiobooks. I actually subscribe to a handful of podcasts and am never good at listening to them regularly. Maybe I'll try to get into them first before I commit to purchasing a full length audiobook. I'll let you know!
Hi Li! That's an interesting point about the audiobook length for an audiobook. It does sound long for a novella, doesn't it? But then again, I do know that I read much slower when I read aloud (like reading Harry Potter to my children) than when I read to myself. Not counting the time we stop reading to discuss, of course.
I can see why one might not want to bother with listening to an audiobook for two hours when they can read the text version in 30 minutes. But if you have a lot of menial chores to get done, an audiobook can at least take your mind somewhere more entertaining! ;)
I haven't tried an audiobook either, but I often listen to the cricket (in summer) while gardening, so it shouldn't (she said hopefully :) be too much of a stretch. The question is...what should I pick :)
ReplyDeleteHey Christine,
ReplyDeleteI've only done one audio book, one of KMM Hihlander books. I'd already read the book but wanted to try something to listen to when I'm driving. I loved it! A man narrates and I loved his voice. I already new the story so it was very interesting hearing vs. reading it!
I'd like to get more, but don't know if I will :).
LOL! I love listening to the crickets, too. Really, it's one of my all time favorite sounds.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't think you're interested in the Soul Screamers series, don't download My Soul to Lose, because it ends in such a way that you're just going to want to read or listen to the full length novel that follows.
How about the audiobook to Karen Marie Moning's first Fever book, DarkFever? I just checked and it is still available to listen to for free on iTunes. Search in podcasts for either Karen Marie Moning or DarkFever. The entire book is over 9 1/2 hours. Imagine how awesome my yard will look then! ;)
Hi Amy! I have had DarkFever downloaded on my iPod for over a year already and still haven't listened to it. Like you, I have already read the book, so was going to listen to at as a refresher before reading the next book in the series. I should do that soon since I just bought FaeFever (book 3) in paperback last week. :)
I noticed I made a mistake in my comment to Leontine the other day. I have Moning's DarkFever on my iPod, not BloodFever. Oops. :)
ReplyDeleteI just bought Soul Screamer but haven't read it yet. I'm not normally an audiobook girl but have been looking into it so I can listen to books while I'm exercising.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to download this one and see what I think. :) Thanks for the heads up.
I've tried audio books while I at work but end up tuning out the audio. The Dresden Files, you'd think James Marster's voice could keep anyone captivated. I love his voice. I haven't given up, I'm going to try it again.
ReplyDeleteYou have a point about getting the names straight when listening, I have problems remember peoples' names in real life. I never forget a face but names are so elusive for me.