Soulprint

Soulprint
Megan Miranda

My rating: ★★★

ISBN: 978-0802737748
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Date of publication: February 3, 2015
Age: Grades 8 to 11
Genre: Science Fiction

Themes: identity, justice, fugitives, reincarnation

Alina Chase has been imprisoned on a secluded island her whole life because of a crime committed in a previous lifetime. Her soul, printed and tracked in a massive database, has been pegged as guilty. And she's sick of it. She finally manages to escape with the help of three teens with their own ulterior motives. Can she trust any of them? And as she uncovers clues from her past life, will she be able to clear her name? Or is she fated to repeat history?

It's a pretty suspenseful read, with plenty of intrigue and a fast-paced plot. But I'm not sure Miranda is quite able to handle the rather weighty issue of reincarnation. It just doesn't come off as plausible. She makes attempts at gravitas—bringing in its affect on religion, fate, and perception—but it just didn't quite get there. Alina is a troubled character: can she make her own decisions or is her soul deciding her fate? It didn't feel real enough for me.

But that's more of my personal bias. Otherwise, you've got a pretty exciting read with a lot of action and whatnot. The characters are interesting, with their current pasts, as well as their soul's past to deal with and delve into. Miranda does a good job of revealing the depth of the characters piece by piece. And I do like how it ends. So you can decide for yourself.

Find it at your library or on Amazon