Reviewed by: Rabid Reads. 
 Religion is always a slippery slope in fiction, but Rachel Vincent used it well in THE STARS NEVER RISE, and in doing so created a compelling dystopian world that I'm sure to want to visit again and again. There was a steady flow of twists which was good because although none of them were stumpers, they kept things interesting, and other than the bizarre love interest, I thought that this was a smashing kickoff. Definitely recommended! 
 I've read the majority of this author's books, and as a general rule I prefer her adult stories; however this series debut has left me eyeing the remainder of the untapped SOUL SCREAMERS installments that are sitting on my Kindle. I loved how dark the universe was from the very public executions of sinners, to the shortage of souls for newborns. Vincent painted an extremely dire picture that only continued to darken as the plot advanced. 
 There is little room for error in New Temperance because if the Church doesn't burn you at the stake, the hellspawn will devour you. And, survival just so happens to be one of the best cures for naive Young Adult characters which bolstered Nina, Devi, Reese, Maddock, and Finn's likability immensely. The only one that I had an issue with was Mellie, but she's in tenth grade, and not really part of Kane's band of rogue exorcists. 
 Now, what to say about 'the boy'; I knew that there would be a romantic thread, and quite possibly a triangle, so I was prepared for both, and while there was insta-love, Finn's nature came with its own unique set of complications. I'm sure that his backstory is cool, I can't wait to read about his exploits, and doubtless his skill set will come in handy; however his special circumstances make relationships... challenging 
 Guy trouble notwithstanding, the YA genre needs more books like THE STARS NEVER RISE.