Incarnate (Newsoul #1)

The book starts off with Ana leaving home and right away her troubles start. Actually I guess her troubles started at her birth when she became the first new soul to be born into a world where the same souls were recycled over and over. Her mother..grrrr....deliberately sends her into danger but she ends up rescued by Sam who chooses to befriend her. Her first friend ever. Ana is skeptical at first, who wouldn't be with the crazypants mom that she had, but eventually she comes to trust him.

Sam. Oh Sam. He is such a complete sweetheart. While he doesn't know why Ana is the first new soul in forever, he doesn't believe she is evil, and helps her to try and find her place in Heart.

Music plays a big part in Ana's self-discovery which I can totally relate to. Then there is the masquerade scene. LOVE! That's all I'm going to say about that.

But when Ana's mother shows up in Heart...man. Just get ready for a whirlwind of an ending. Also, there are dragons. Mean, people-eating dragons. Awesome.

So if you enjoy fantasy and a story-teller who can spin a good yarn, go pick up Incarnate before Asunder hits shelves.

First of all, let me clarify something: I'm giving this book 5 cheeses but, if I could I would put six or seven. That's how amazing it was.
And I'm afraid I won't be able to write coherent things in this review and that the only thing you are going to keep reading in every single line is that I LOVED this book.

But I promise I'm trying to take deep breaths to calm myself down.
I think it's working. Now I have to put order in my head (to many things I want to say, sorry).

Facts:
- Since I discovered how to highlight quotes in my readers I've been doing so a lot. But with this book I didn't highlight quotes, at all, I kept highlighting paragraphs, PAGES. Really. I was completely amazed too, they are 94 highlights in total!
- I started with Incarnate at 10:00pm and I went to sleep at 8:00am (after my hubby left). I had already finished the book at 6:00am but I couldn't stop myself, I needed to re-read the quotes, paragraphs and pages I had marked.
- I even had a dream about the book.
- I should be writing 3 reviews before this one but I had to share this book with you all.
- Jodi Meadow is now in my list of Amazing-Wonderful-Incredible Authors.
- Incarnate, the hardcover edition, will have a special place in my bookshelf.
- I can't believe I have to wait until 2013 for the next book. That's just wrong...

Proper review:
Everybody was expecting Ciana to be born. That how things worked: once you died you were reborn again, over and over again. No surprises, no new souls, everybody knew that after a lifetime they would gain another one remembering everything that had happened before (and if they couldn't remember something they had the diaries they always wrote).
Things had been like this for the last five thousand years.
That's why when Li gave birth to a baby no one could recognize their perfect world crumbled. Menehem, Li's husband, left the city ashamed of himself and Li had to take care of Ana, the new baby, the nosoul, even if she didn't want to.

And Ana always knew, thanks to Li, that her life was a mistake and that no one would ever love her. Li even assured her that she could never love because how could a nosoul feel love?! But she was wrong and Ana knew, deep down, that she loved music (she had once sneaked and listened to music. It had cost her Li's rage but it was worth it). Her favorite musician? Dossam, who could make her feel emotions she didn't even understand

As soon as Ana reached eighteen she left Li behind and marched to Heart, the city that held, hopefully, all the answers she sought.
But her trip to Heart almost cost her everything when sylphs cornered her: she coud die a horrible death with fire and pain with the sylphs or jump to the river and die of hypothermia.
She chose hypothermia (who wouldn't?!).

It was then that Sam saved her. A stranger that didn't look at her with disgust, a stranger that decided to help her get to Heart, a stranger that introduced her to new people who liked her. He shared his roof with her and always reassured her that she was a newsoul, not a nosoul.

But things in Heart weren't easy for her, of course. How could they be? A lot of the population blamed her for Ciana's death and were afraid that more "nosouls" would be born and replace some of them in the process.
And to make matters worst Li was back in town and the Council was considering gave Ana's custody to her again...

Personal opinion:
The way Jodi writes is mesmerizing, you won't be able to put the book down. The words will flow from the pages to your head and create the whole story for your eyes to see. When Ana struggled I struggled, when she discovered new things I discovered new things with her. Her feelings were one with mine and it felt incredibly good.

The way Sam and Ana's relationship develops is just perfect. No rushing at all, just what she needed and what he could give her in every step they took. I valued their friendship like a treasure and I'm sure you will feel the same.

The ending is just great, everything happens fast but well explained and the plot reaches the point where you feel at ease when your eyes read the last sentence.

Now, as I said, the next book comes out in 2013 but if it's any consolation this book doesn't leave you in a cliffhanger that could make you cry, it leaves the story in a good point making sure that you will want to read the next one.

I loved Incarnate. I love the whole idea of reincarnation and soul mates. Add to that dragons and sylph and other mythical creatures, and you’ve got a book that I would have read in one sitting, had work and sleep not interfered.

This is the kind of book you need an open mind for. The premise is very unique, which means the author has to explain A LOT. And, understandably, she doesn’t explain everything in this book since it’s only the first in a series. But the world that’s been built up to this point is phenomenal. One does have to make some assumptions about the setting of Incarnate, such as what planet, when, or what dimension this story takes place in – at least for the time being – but I think that those with a more active imagination will consider this a flight of fancy and can overlook the more minor details.

The cast of characters in Incarnate was well-fleshed out, and I think that they were described well enough that should I run across them on the street, I’d recognize them immediately. Ana is a newsoul, though she disparagingly refers to herself as a nosoul throughout the entirety of the book because she was raised by her crass and unloving mother to believe that she had no soul and would therefore not be reincarnated upon death. She is the first of her kind, and no one really knows what to do with her. For the most part, she is ostracized for being different, but there are some who either take pity on her or simply don’t feel that she should be made an example of, especially considering her birth and resulting newsoul status is through no fault of her own. Sam is her most strident supporter, and he quickly becomes her closest friend and companion, once she allows him to get close to her.

And, yes, as her closest companion, Ana ends up spending the majority of her time in Sam’s company, and as is the way with these things, feelings of more than friendship blossom. The love story is a familiar one in young adult novels: naïve girl falls for much, much older man-boy, and in order to protect the girl, the guy tries to keep his distance and keep his feelings in check...to no avail. The guy always ends up falling for the girl in the end. The romance in Incarnate is much the same, but it’s still unbelievably sweet, and it progresses gradually.

The reincarnation aspect of the book is fascinating. It’s been going on for 5000 years, but with the sudden appearance of Ana, everyone begins to wonder if she’s a fluke or if her birth means the beginning of the end of reincarnation. It’s also interesting how many times the citizens of this world have been reincarnated, and that they keep their memories from previous incarnations. Stranger still is the idea that soul mates can transcend individual lifetimes, and though they may be different sexes or ages, they are still inevitably drawn to each other in the next life. Essentially, they’re all building on previous lives, not starting over each time. Well, everyone except Ana.

I really wanted to give this one the full five stars because I really did enjoy every minute I was reading it. But there were a couple of things that bothered me. First off, I really dislike the word stupid. It just carries such a negative connotation, no matter the manner in which it is used. And the word was repeated a lot throughout Incarnate. I just feel there are many, better alternatives to this word. Also, I felt that it showed no faith in the reader that the origin of the book’s title had to be pointed out in the text, rather than leaving us to infer how the title came to be.

Aside from that, this story was simply lovely, and I am already counting the days till book two is released. Rarely have I read such an inventive and imaginative story, and I was blown away with how it was all executed. This novel was one of my top picks for 2012 debuts and deservedly so.

One million souls. That's how many souls are in existence. Five thousand years. The amount of time these same one million souls have been in existence. At least until 18 years ago when one suddenly disappeared and a new one showed up in its place. Incarnate centers around Ana who is classified as either a nosoul or a newsoul depending on who you ask.
Incarnate opens up just as Ana, who has celebrated her 18th birthday, is set to leave the only home she has ever known. Through a series of unfortunate events Ana is rescued by Sam, a stranger who is as mysterious to Ana as a newsoul is in a world of incarnates. Ana then travels to Heart, the epicenter of the incarnate world. In Heart we begin to learn more and more about this world that Meadows has skillfully crafted just as Ana learns about a world she has been kept away from so long.
When Ana discovers Sam's true identity it sent shock waves through the reader, but in a very good way! Once the reader knows who Sam truly is we can learn more about his character as Meadows continues to create a fully developed story. It is not often that we can learn so much about the other characters in a first person narrative but Meadows crafts the story perfectly!

I absolutely loved this book! Last year there were only a handful of books that I bestowed the five star rating to. If I love a book and talk about it to everyone that I meet I give it four stars. A book really has to move me in order for me to give it a five star rating. Usually I read these books with a heavy heart and feel the weight of the world on my shoulders, just like the characters, as I read them. That is how I determine the five stars. Does my heart feel like its being ripped out?
Incarnate pushed on me a totally different feeling, but one epic enough that I am rating it with five stars. This book made me happy. I was happy for a lot of the time reading it. Yes, there were sad moments. Yes, there were dangerous moments. Overall though this book made my heart swell with other emotions besides pain and suffering, even though Ana and Sam do experience that type of emotion. I found myself running back to this book every moment that I put it down. When I was at work I found myself talking to all of my co-workers about this book. I could not stop thinking about it, could not stop talking about it, and sadly I could not stop reading it. Its only sad because now I have to wait until next year to read the second one! That is way too long not to get an Ana and Sam fix. I guess I will just be rereading Incarnate over and over and over again until then.

I read this book a little while ago, when it first came out. But I still remember the story perfectly—and I cannot wait for the sequel. I had thought the book was a standalone novel, even though by the time I was done I was ready for more. Once I stumbled upon the knowledge that there was another on its way? I was ecstatic.

What I remember most about Ana was that I felt sorry for her. I wanted to smack her parents, and yell at everyone for treating her like she was a freak, and an outsider. Yes, technically she was an outsider but… it’s not like she could help it. She didn’t decide to suddenly show up, it just happened.

I loved watching Sam and Ana interact in this story—not only was Sam basically the only person who didn’t hate Ana, the two characters played off each other well. I loved that the story was all about reincarnation—personally I believe in reincarnation. Looking in on a society where reincarnation is not only normal, but simply the way it is was fun and… different. Good different. Learning about how Ana popped up in the first place was just plain fun.

I look forward to the sequel Asunder—though I will not wait patiently, I will wait eagerly.

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.

Absolutely one of the most unique books I've read this year! It's completely different from anything else I've ever read. I mean, it's a romantic dystopian fantasy!

The world building was wonderful. The world itself was very strange, but it was beautifully constructed. I found it kind of hard to see how dragons could fit into this universe, but it worked out rather nicely. I was somewhat creeped out by the white, pulsating tower and wall surrounding the city at first, but it mostly made sense by the end.

I wasn't sure what to think about all the whole reincarnation thing. Because of my personal beliefs I felt slightly uncomfortable with it, but overall I thought it was handled well. One thing I didn't understand is why and how these people found life worth living after 5000 years of it. I think there's magic when you experience a first anything--first steps, first kiss--and that magic is lost when you've already done it a thousand times, just with a new body each time.

I thought the character development was very evident. Ana starts out with no self esteem, treating herself like she's less than nothing, and grows into a strong, confident woman.

Sam was great. While this is most certainly Ana's story, Sam's role is just as important. I loved the way he respected her. He was so considerate and kind to her, when no one else was. And the romance grew into something lovely and real.

I loved the symbolism of the music and the butterflies and how they all tied together so well with the plot. I wish I had some examples of how poetically these symbols were drawn, because it really was beautiful. Jodi is one powerful writer!

Ana is a Newsoul. Unlike other people living in Range, she is completely new instead of having been reincarnated many times over the last 3500 years of so. Unsurprisingly, Ana is considered different, even a bad omen. Her mother hates her. Her father abandoned her as an infant. And everyone blames her for the disappearance of Ciana, the soul she has "replaced."

Of course, none of this is her fault. When Ana sets out to live her own life after 18 years of abuse from her mother, she only finds misfortunes. First, she realizes that her mother had given her a broken compass and she has traveled in the wrong direction. Then, in the middle of the night as she tries to sleep in the forest, she is attacked by sylph. As a last resort, she jumps off a cliff to avoid the sylph fire. But luck finds her, when Sam saves her from the cold water and brings her back to health.

I love how we learn about the city of Heart and this world through Ana's eyes. Everything is new to her, since she has lived a sheltered life. Jodi Meadows is a genius for having created this world and I love how she has depicted it. She added so many enticing things to her world: Dragons, Masquerade, Butterfly, Music, Mitts... just to name a few.

Although, it would be great to be reincarnated over and over again, I can't imagine how hard it would be to always try to surpass your previous self. Like Sam, I think I would get bored with some things and try to learn more, every reincarnations.

Wonderful debut novel. I can only expect things to get better in this series. A must read YA book.

I truly think anyone could enjoy this book and I will be recommending it to my family and friends. I am so excited for the sequel Asunder to be out this January and will anxiously be counting down the days. Overall I give this book a resounding A!

While I was reading Incarnate, I just kept thinking: "This is a beautiful story." I flipping LOVED it. Incarnate has been chilling in my to-read pile for a while now. I had fallen in love with the synopsis and the cover, but I hadn't had time to read the book due to school or work or other books popping up in the way. I recently picked it up and just decided that it was the day that I was going to start reading Incarnate. I read half the book in one day, shoving homework and house work to the side in my haste to read Incarnate. I had to stop for a few days to catch back up with homework, but the instant I had time again, I was back to powering my way through Incarnate, loving basically every moment of it. The plot is great, the writing style is engaging, and I could just eat this book up, I love it so!

Ana is a newsoul, a new person in a world where the people who live there are reincarnated. Over and over and over again. Before Ana was born, the Temple went dark and one soul was lost; it has never returned and some people think that Ana took that soul's place. To them, she is a nosoul, and her mentally abusive mother Li is ardent believer that Ana is a nosoul; she keeps Ana away from almost all other people for her entire childhood. One of her only respites from Li's hatred is the comfort she finds in music. Ana leaves Li's house, heading for the city of Heart, and quickly finds herself in danger, but she's rescued by Sam, who eventually becomes her guardian. Ana must navigate through her new life, one where she learns to make friends and join society but also one where she must appease the Council who rules her life and decides what's best for her. Not to mention that there may or may not be people out to kill her. There are dragon attacks, music lessons, market days, library ventures (yay!), and a masquerade, all leading up to a major battle and the answer to some huge questions.

Range is a very different world from ours, and Meadows takes her time fleshing out its details, giving the reader bits and pieces of the world as it becomes a whole entity. I liked the combination of fantasy and technology elements, and I didn't really see a clash between the two. For me, it was believable to have dragons flying ahead while people shot at them with lasers and tried to contact each other on devices akin to cell phones. It's another world, one where humans are reincarnated over and over again, so it doesn't have to play by our rules. It almost seems like Range is a playground for Janan, the possible creator entity, where he created certain beings and left them to run their course. It reminds me of the watchmaker scenario, where the creator of a world would create everything in the world, give it life and then leave it alone. I found Range and the city of Heart fascinating, and I would love to learn more about why this world works the way it does in later books.

I'm big on characters, and I seriously enjoyed the ones that populate this book. Ana was a perfect protagonist for this kind of scenario; since she is a newsoul, she's still learning about the world around her, which helps us as readers to be introduced to the world. I felt sympathetic toward Ana as she tried to figure out how to interact with people who had been alive for centuries upon centuries and who all knew each other intimately. Worst small town type of problem EVER. I liked Sam as her gentle and relatively understanding guide through the world, and their joint love of music was a great touch. Oh, and I love the relationship between Sam and Ana. ADORED IT. Granted, for a good chunk of the book, I was gripping the edges and yelling, "Kiss her already, you ancient idiot!" but it was only because the feelings and connection between them were so palpable and real. The scene at the masquerade was awesome (not saying more to avoid spoilers), and I was just so pleased with it, I almost went over in my lunch break because I just wanted to keep reading. The side characters like Stef were also fun to get to know!

Again, I just have to say how beautiful I thought this story was. I loved every inch of it, and I hated to see it end. I just want more! LOTS MORE. I cannot WAIT until Asunder comes out. Until then, I'll just attempt to be patient...