Review: Incarnate (New Soul #1) by Jodi Meadows

Synopsis:
NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Review:
I'm on a role here with the books I've read lately. This is another great one. This may be my first Fantasy-ish YA novel. I love the Fantasy genre in general, but since I've read so many good ones it takes a lot to impress me. Incarnate is really unique and memorable. The idea of having souls that carry on from generation to generation is done just right in this novel. The ins and outs of it all make sense and are believable (which is a must for me). I was intrigued from the first page and was not disappointed after all was said and done.

Ana is the leading lady of this novel. She has grown up with the world's worst mother and has a lot of issues because of this. When you first meet her she is leaving and striking out on her own to find answers to a list of questions that she's had for years. While she's getting into trouble on her journey she is rescued by Sam (ahhhhhh...Sam...) and that starts the beginning of their relationship.

Ana and Sam have a deep connection. It's not electric or immediate from the start, and their attraction to each other is real. While their budding relationship is a large portion of the story, the actual plot is hugely important and it all weaves together perfectly. Whether or not you believe in reincarnation is a non-issue. The book isn't trying to persuade anybody, it's just telling an amazing story.

Incarnate strikes a great balance and is such a fresh idea. It's another one that will keep you reading late at night. Worth the trip to your bookstore, for sure!

Publication Date: January 31, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: Thanks to Harper Collins for making this novel available at ALA.