Book Review: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Series: Newsoul #1
Genre: YA Fantasy Sci-Fi
Publication Date: January 31, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: ARC
Pages: 384
Source: Gifted by another blogger

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?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.  (goodreads.com)

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Take a second to gaze admiringly at that cover. I've been in love with that cover since the very first time I saw it. A stunning cover to accompany a stunning novel!

In the beginning, I was slightly confused. There was a lot of worldbuilding that I didn't understand. But obviously since it was only, like, the first 10 pages I knew things would be explained. And then BAM! The awesomesauce kicked in. We begin to see what Ana is really like: tough, intelligent, a tad prickly, bitter. Right off the bat it is easy to sympathize with her - if not exactly love her - because of her horrible circumstances. I very easily related to Ana, and I think others will, too. She has the unwavering need to discover who she really is and where she came from. She needs to get away from her horrible mother who has abused her emotionally and physically for years. She wants to find someone that loves her and cares for her, even though she believes that it is impossible. I felt for this girl sooo much. Her evil mother has damaged her so harcore, calling her a nosoul and claiming that Ana is incapable of loving anything or anyone. Some people may get annoyed because she's really defensive, but can you blame her? She's been nothing but beat down her entire life! I really ended up liking Ana and rooting for her.

Then Sam came along. And OMG SAM. For me, it kind of felt like instalove, but then I realized it wasn't. Sam only saves Ana from a big, scary sylph because he thinks it is someone he knows. (Though, I'm pretty sure he would have done it if it was his mortal enemy, because that's just the kind of guy he is.) He then notices her combination of fear and determination and decides to help her. He's a seriously great guy, not like the normal brooding bad boy, though he does have some weird moments. But really, he's sweet and smart and a MUSICIAN. Drool-worthy, certainly.

The plot and premise and world created in Incarnate are all so original that I seriously just want to, like, jump for joy. Add to that the sylph and the dragons and ZOMG HOW AMAZING. I didn't really know what a sylph was before starting this book because I had never read a novel where they played such a prominent role, but quite frankly, they are CREEPY CREATURES. They're just floating shadow creatures that have a searing touch and are nearly unstoppable. And Ana has been attacked by them multiple times. You go girl!

And I can't overlook the most fabulous thing of all: the writing. Jodi Meadows wowed me. She sucked me into her world and allowed me to see through Ana's eyes. I could feel my heart racing along with Ana's. I understood her decisions, even if I didn't always agree. AND THE ENDING. :OOOO Let's just say we discover some really important things. But what I love most is that there is no stupid cliffhanger that simultaneously annoys and intrigues you. Meadows leaves us with a satisfactory ending that will allow us to breathe easily while waiting for the next installment.

All in all, you need to read this book. Whether you're a fan of fantasy, dystopia, sci-fi, or any other genre in the world. You need to read this. Jodi Meadows is sweeping into debut authorhood with a resounding BANG.