Review Detail

When I picked this book up initially I was under the impression that it was a fairy book because of the cover. When I got it home and took the dust jacket off to discover that the book is a lavender color, I was positive it was going to be really girly. Goes to show sometimes you really can't judge a book by its cover (even though now after reading it I think the cover works perfectly).

Incarnate is the story of a world where there are a finite number of people--of souls. There are one million souls, and when they die, they are reincarnated with all their memories intact. So everyone in this world has lived and remembered for 5000 or more years. Then one day, when a soul is supposed to be reborn, a new soul is born instead and the old soul never returns. Ana is born into a world that does not want her. Her mother abuses her and then abandons her to the world at 18. Ana sets off to find out who she is and why she was born. Along the way she meets Sam, an old soul, but a friend. Together they journey to the great city of Heart, where Ana learns that there is more standing in her way than an abusive mother, and more at risk than she ever could have imagined.

This was a fantastic story about a girl trying to find her place in a hostile world. Ana is a great character to follow. She is stubborn and strong, but also incredibly insecure and unsure of herself. This book was the journey of her growth into a real and full person. When the book starts she has been so stunted by her mother and the society around her that she doesn't even believe that she is capable of true emotions. But with friendship and a little romance she discovers that she is more than capable of love, and anger, and so much more.

The world built by Jodi was amazing, and full of great details, philosophy, and revelations. She really dug into what a world with 5000-year-old people would really be like, and made it come to life on the page. Her inclusion of fantasy with science and dystopia was great, making this book feel so different than anything I've read before. Alongside an ancient civilization with great advances in technology and society, you also have dragons and centaurs and killer sylphs.

What I loved most about this book was the mystery, both of Ana's birth and of what she means for her society. Jodi litters her story with little mysteries and foreshadowings that all lead up to the ending.

You'll want to keep reading this book to follow Ana's journey and growing love, and to find out what exactly is going on in this shrouded and secret society. A stunning debut, and a great start to a new series.