Soulmatch
By Rebecca Danzenbaker
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for
Young Readers
Two hundred years after World War III, the world is at
peace, all thanks to the soul-identification system. Every eighteen-year-old
must report to the government to learn about their past lives, a terrifying
process known as kirling. Good souls leave the institute with their
inheritance, a career path, and if they’re lucky, a soulmate. Bad souls leave
in handcuffs.
It’s a nerve-wracking ordeal for Sivon, who, given her
uncanny ability to win every chess match, already suspects her soul isn’t
normal. Turns out, she was right to worry. Sivon’s results stun not only her,
but the entire world, making her the object of public scrutiny and anonymous
threats.
Saddled with an infuriating and off-limits bodyguard, Sivon is thrust into a
high-stakes game where souls are pawns and rules don’t exist. As deaths mount,
Sivon must decipher friend from foe while protecting her heart against
impossible odds. One wrong move could destroy the future lives of everyone
Sivon loves, and she can’t let that happen, even if they’ll never love her
back.
My Thoughts:
This book hinges on the idea that reincarnation is
real, as well as that some people have true soulmates.
Imagine that each soul has a specific vibration or
frequency, and that it can be measured, identified, and catalogued. That is the
premise here. Sivon has turned 18 and it is time for her to be kirled, the
process by which her soul is identified. She is terrified that she has a bad
soul, one that still owes society for crimes committed in past incarnations.
Instead, she finds out that her soul has never been
catalogued—a New Soul. This gets her involved in her time’s equivalent of a
presidential race, in order to provide protection for her mother from all the
people who feel strongly (both positively and negatively) about New Souls.
Along the way, she meets two boys: one infuriating,
and one who claims to be her soulmate. She must unravel the realities of who
really has her best interests at heart and who is using her.
Although I don’t believe in reincarnation, I found the
base premise of this story to be interesting and well-handled. Although it wasn’t
particularly difficult to figure out who the true bad guy of the story was, watching
Sivon figure things out was only mildly frustrating. I’ve definitely had worse
reads.
Possible objectionable material:
Reincarnation. Swearing, including multiple F-words.
Same gender relationships. Nonbinary characters. Souls can be born into bodies
of either gender in future lives. Kissing. Physical danger. Possible suicide.
Who might like this book:
Fans of YA dystopian fiction. Anyone who enjoys a love
triangle.
Thank you to the publisher and
NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
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