Soulmatch by Rebecca Danzenbaker
on July 29, 2025
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Dystopian, Young Adult Fiction / Romance / General, Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / General
Format: ARC
Pages: 496 
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Source: NetGalley and the PublisherIt’s been 200 years since World War III reshaped the world, and now... everyone gets judged not by what they’ve done in this life, but who they were in a past one. At 18, you get “kirled”, a unique political soul reveal where your fate is determined by the karma you’re carrying from your past lives. Reincarnated from a good person? Congrats, here’s a dream job, a soulmate match, and a lovely life. Reborn from someone criminal? You're arrested, punished, sometimes worse, sometimes even before you’ve done a thing.
When Sivon has her own kirling, everything starts unraveling. What should’ve been a rite of passage turns into a fight for her freedom, her future, and the truth buried in her past lives. What she discovers? It’s bigger, darker, and more dangerous than anyone wants to admit.
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What Worked (Like Whoa):
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The Concept: The soul judgment system is brilliant! Equal parts chilling and captivating. It hooked me from the jump.
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Sivon Herself: She's flawed, fiery, and easy to root for. You can feel the weight of the world on her shoulders... and the rebellion bubbling beneath.
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That Slow Burn Tension: While this is more YA in heat level, the romantic undercurrent sizzles. It’s angsty in the best way. I'd give this a spice rating of 🌶️ for kissing but no explicit scenes. Definitely a YA level.
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Themes That Linger: Redemption, injustice, free will... this story dives deep into moral gray areas, and it’s not afraid to make you uncomfortable. I respect the hell out of that.
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What Could’ve Hit Harder:
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World Building Gaps: The kirling process and society structure are fascinating, but sometimes felt more told than shown. I wanted to see the world breathe... feel its grit under my nails.
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Mid Book Lull: The pace drags in places, especially in the second act. It’s not boring, just meandering, like it forgot where it was sprinting to for a minute.
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Info Dump Finale: Those last chapters try to wrap up a lot. While the twists are juicy, it borders on overwhelming. A little more breathing room could’ve let the reveals truly hit.
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Final Thoughts:
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Soulmatch is a bold, thoughtful addition to the YA dystopian landscape. If you're a fan of stories that ask “what if the system is the real villain?”... this one’s for you. With echoes of Matched, Legend, and even The Giver, it blends high stakes drama with soul searching questions that linger long after the last page. I enjoyed it.
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Massive thanks to NetGalley, the Publisher, and Rebecca Danzenbaker for the ARC. I loved diving into this mind-bending world, and I’m already curious where the story might go next.Until next time,
🫶🏻 - Ali
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
I received this book for free from NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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