Review Detail

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.