REVIEW: Never to Sleep by Rachel Vincent

Title: Never to Sleep
Author:   Rachel Vincent
Series:  Soul Screamers Novella (#5.5)
Pages:  56
Publisher:  Harlequin Teen
Format:  eBook
Source:  Bought

Don't Close Your Eyes.  Sophie Cavanaugh is not going to let her freak of a cousin's strange psychiatric condition ruin high school for them both. Not after all the work she's put into cultivating the right look, and friends, and reputation. But then, Sophie sees something so frightening she lets out a blood-curdling scream—and finds herself stuck in a bizarre parallel world where nothing is safe and deadly creatures lurk just out of sight, waiting for her to close her eyes and sleep...forever.  Could this world be real? Or does insanity run in the family...?

Favorite Quote:

"You want me to walk into a dark hole in the wall, where some horrible Netherworld creature is probably waiting to eat me alive.  Obviously you've mistaken me for Lora Croft."

"Apologies, Your Highness, I meant to mistake you for someone who wants to survive."

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As a huge fan of the Soul Screamers Series I was excited to see another novella released.  Since I knew a short story would only make me crave more I put off reading it until Before I Wake was released.  I love how Rachel Vincent uses her novellas to tell a story from a different character's point-of-view.  In Never to Sleep we get to see a little more of the person Sofie really is.  I've always wondered if she really was as vapid and hateful as Kaylee sees her to be, and this novella shows us that a lot of her personality may just be a front.  When Sophie sees a soulless Reaper in the school hallway she runs away screaming and ends up in the Netherworld with the new guy at school, Luca.  At first she thinks she's gone crazy like Kaylee, but Luca finally convinces her that everything she sees is real...and they are real danger.  This was a really great addition to the Soul Screamers Series.  Sophie is definitely a character that is hard to like, but in Never to Sleep we get to see that she's not necessarily as hard as she makes herself out to be.  I really like Luca!  He takes Sophie's snark in stride and even bounces it back to her.  This novella sets up what I hope will be Sophie's introduction to her family heritage in Before I Wake.  I recommend this story to any and all Soul Screamers fans, but be sure you don't read it before If I Die or you'll have some serious spoilers.

5 Stars * * * * *