Soulmatch

All the thrills of big name YA dystopian series, wrapped up in a single book.

Somewhere in the murky future, science has determined how to identify souls…and realized that the same souls are born again from one life to the next. Sivon awaits her eighteenth birthday, when her soul will be matched to past lives and any inheritance, last testaments, or past punishments will be made hers. Some souls come with praise, others infamy, and a rare few discover they have a soulmate - another soul who resonates with them and inevitably crosses their path from one life to the next. Both dreading the possible outcomes and desperate to receive direction in her life from her past identities, Sivon doesn’t know quite what to expect - but everything that happens that day is beyond unexpected.

All in all, it’s a dramatic YA romp, featuring a definitely-not-suspicious-government, celebrity crushes, a grumpy bodyguard, and childhood friends who’ve always got your back. There’s lots to explore in regards to the kirling, or soul identification, and how society promotes the message that one is not defined by past lives while also implicitly asserting the opposite by mandating the process for every child when they come of age. I’d rate this somewhere in the middle of a sliding scale between Scythe and The Selection - Sivon encounters existential questions at practically every turn, but as the story evolves, it clearly leans into a romance that affirms the world’s systems rather subvert, and political intrigue that’s full of action and jet-setting, rather than the earlier dread.

I found Sivon’s initial anxiety over her impending kirling to be very relatable. All of her friends have clear ambitions and goals, while Sivon’s one skill is playing strategic board games, and so she’s hung all of her hope on her past lives guiding her future. I’ve definitely felt similarly, that if there was a Roadmap to Life to follow, it’d be easier than making decisions. Although, this topic (among others) doesn’t really resurface as the plot progresses, which is a shame, because it could’ve grounded the later action in a weighty thematic through line.

Other things to love include twists on modern nations and landmarks, a love triangle, teens being impulsive and dramatic but also saving the world, and an emphasis on the importance of data security (alright, maybe not a snazzy topic, but very relevant).

Soulmatch is a unique exploration of a future where souls can be tracked from one life to the next. In this standalone, the author constructs the world and the logic of a society built on the cataloging of souls, known as Kirling. It is a requirement to get Kirled, and once your soul is known, you can receive letters from your past lives, inheritance that might be waiting for you, ready job offers, and rare, but if you have any soulmates. If you were a bad soul and committed past crimes, then you also immediately go to jail to finish up any debt your past soul owes. There are also fines and jail time for committing suicide to discourage the practice. The concept of this version of reincarnation is thought-provoking and would make a great book club discussion.
You must understand that society revolves around the Kirling process to understand what our character, Sivon, will go through. The foundation of this story is solid, but it takes a bit of time to get to the action and mystery that makes the book hard to put down. Once all the pieces are in place, Sivon finds herself in a game of cat and mouse that has taken lifetimes to reach checkmate.
There are elements of the story that you can figure will happen, but the way they get there is unexpected and suspenseful. There is clean romance, mystery, and spy action, all wrapped within this unique societal construct, making for an intriguing and complex read. If you are a fan of Divergent by Veronica Roth and Matched by Ally Condie, then this is a good choice to add to your TBR.

Oh no. I can feel it. My old YA dystopian phase is slowly sinking back in. This is it. This is the end for me. Goodbye.

Soulmatch by Rebecca Danzenbaker is a YA dystopian novel that revolves around the idea that souls are reincarnated with each death and birth, and at the age of eighteen people get rated on how good or bad their soul was in it's past lives. Two-hundred years after World War III, the world is at peace, all thanks to the soul-identification system. Every 18-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.

Soulmatch gave me Divergent mixed with Delirium vibes, and I was all here for it. Though I am quickly realizing that I am not the biggest fan of dystopians after reading so many in the early 2010s. Regardless, Soulmatch brings a breath of fresh air to the genre with it being dystopian driven with the tiniest dash of romance instead of the other way around (I'm looking at you, Shatter Me, Matched, Uglies and The Selection). Overall I really liked this book, the characters were strong enough to root for and the plot was easy to follow.

Though the one thing I find the most lacking in Soulmatch is the world building. Yes, we're introduced the dystopian society and the concept of soul reincarnation fairly early, but it's never quite explained in a depth that truly conveys the very core of it. I just wish we had some more time to get used to the world before the book ended. Though don't get me wrong, I am quite appreciative that this is a standalone and not multiple books.

Overall, this is a solid dystopian novel that I will highly recommend to anyone feeling that nostalgia for the popular YA books of the 2010s.