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Reincarnation

3.64 of 5 stars 3.64 · rating details · 2,069 ratings · 343 reviews

The ultimate historical romance: one love story unfolds over many centuries and many lives in this captivating page-turner from Suzanne Weyn.

From prehistory to the present, theirs was a love for the ages. It starts with a fight in a cave over an elusive green jewel . . . and then travels over time and lives to include Egyptian slaves, Greek temples, Massachusetts witch tri...more

Paperback, 304 pages

Published May 1st 2009 by Scholastic Inc.

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May 17, 2008 Anna Francesca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

For people who enjoy books set in historical times and romances, this one is for you. This book goes forward in time historically following two souls through their many lives. There are also secondary characters who accompany them and a few unifying themes to help readers follow which soul is in which body.
In a book where little could happen as destiny seems to be stronger than free-will, Weyn does a good job making the characters still seem in charge of elements of their lives. The book touch...more

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Apr 29, 2008 Rachael rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

From the moment they first meet, this young man and woman have a powerful connection. But circumstance will not allow them to stay together; a fight for a green jewel ends both of their lives. However, their bond is so strong that it surpasses the boundary between life and death and they continue to be born into new bodies until they can finally be together.

Reincarnation is quite a unique story, and I have never quite read anything like it. Each story of these two lovers connects back to the pre...more From the moment they first meet, this young man and woman have a powerful connection. But circumstance will not allow them to stay together; a fight for a green jewel ends both of their lives. However, their bond is so strong that it surpasses the boundary between life and death and they continue to be born into new bodies until they can finally be together.

Reincarnation is quite a unique story, and I have never quite read anything like it. Each story of these two lovers connects back to the previous ones in obvious ways, so it is easy to tell which character was reincarnated into which new character, although this was a little confusing when the girl became a guy. The easiest way for me to recognize who was who was with the details that carried over from setting to setting. For example, the main young woman always had a pet cat named Baby, a hurt ankle, and a great singing voice, and the main young man always had headaches and a skill in archery. I really enjoyed how all the characters were interconnected and also the various historical settings. A lot of research must have gone into this novel, and I am nearly positive that it is all accurate.

The idea behind Reincarnation is a philosophical question, and Suzanne Weyn attacks it head on. I really liked how she incorporated many major religions, according to their region, and their views on death and the afterlife. However, I found it kind of ironic how the two lovers were never reincarnated as people in India, which is where the two main religions believing in reincarnation, Buddhism and Hinduism, originated. But this can be forgiven since the characters read many books on Buddhism in the novel.

The ending of the story was bittersweet for me, because I did not feel that the story lived up to its full potential. Suzanne Weyn leaves a lot of the story up to interpretation, which is good for making the reader think about the concept of reincarnation, but it did not leave me with a sense that the young lovers would stay together in love for all of eternity. The one redeeming point was how the other two characters that are also reincarnated get together.

All in all, I was a little disappointed with Reincarnation, but it was a beautiful story nonetheless. I do recommend it, because it is a highly unique and thought-provoking read, and I hope that other readers will find it as sweet a love story as I did.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com (less)

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May 11, 2008 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

How long will it take you to hook up with your soul mate?

Samantha and Jake have been meeting each other throughout their whole lives -- starting from the Stone Age to Ancient Egypt and to Salem, Massachusetts, to Paris right before World War II.

Each time the two lovers connect something tears them apart. Will they finally overcome their obstacles in the present or are they doomed to repeat their mistakes and misfortunes forever?

Travel with Saman...more

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Mar 14, 2008 Leisl rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008_reads

Whether or not you believe in reincarnation, and even whether or not you are a teen, if you like historical fiction, romance, and maybe a touch of coincidence, this is a great read. I enjoyed it very much, and could not put it down.

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Dec 29, 2008 Reader17 Der rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: others-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 06, 2010 Nicole added it · review of another edition

At first, I really liked this book. I though it was great how the many love lives were weaved through history. I became fascinated by all the times and different scenarios the author put her characters through. A story about two lovers being reincarnated intrigued me, but unfortunately towards the end, I found the book to get repetitive. The same plot got played over and over again. The two star-crossed lovers are always just out of reach for one another and tragedy always strikes. Even the same...more

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Feb 18, 2008 Andrea rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-young-adult

Reincarnation was an interesting concept - it follows two people through centuries as they continually discover their never-ending love for each other only to be tragically separated. They are continually reincarnated - most of the times the story inter-twining with previous lifetimes - until they meet and successfully unite as true loves for a lifetime. Sounds like a great love story! Maybe I was expecting too much as this is a YA novel, however, it was dry. I was hoping for a powerful Twilight...more

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May 06, 2009 Ally rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: school-7th_08-09, at_library

cool book! I loved all the main historical parts, especially in Paris, ancient Greece, and when Jesus came!

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Apr 11, 2013 Cassy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reincarnation is about two spirits, or whatever, that meet again time after time, until eventually they can be together (because stuff, like death, usually keeps them apart).

Where to begin? First off, there was WAY too many stories in this book. We are barely introduced to the characters and circumstances before we are whisked away to another story. And in between each story is a vortex of confusion and shit, where the 'Wheel of Rebirth' is mentioned, and a whole bunch of seemingly meaningless P...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Courtney Tan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reincarnation Scholastic Inc., 2009, 293 pgs., $8.99
Suzanne Weyn ISBN: 978-0-545-01324-6

In this story, a young man and a young woman were from totally different worlds, totally different clans. Kye, the young man, was from The Ancient Ones and May, the young woman, were from The New Ones. They were originally from a period where nomads were still wandering around the world, searching for a good place to stay. They both had something that they didn’t want to do, but had to due to maintaining the...more Reincarnation Scholastic Inc., 2009, 293 pgs., $8.99
Suzanne Weyn ISBN: 978-0-545-01324-6

In this story, a young man and a young woman were from totally different worlds, totally different clans. Kye, the young man, was from The Ancient Ones and May, the young woman, were from The New Ones. They were originally from a period where nomads were still wandering around the world, searching for a good place to stay. They both had something that they didn’t want to do, but had to due to maintaining their reputation. That had led them to this mysterious green gem that they both needed to succeed in their clan, but instead had them tumbling down a cliff and through to the next life where they meet again, and again, and again.

In “Reincarnation” by Suzanne Weyn, these two people had their lives intertwined over a green important gem. That gem is what tore them apart life after life recently before meeting each other. In the other lives that they meet, they notice a strange attraction they have for the other, knowing that they are somehow connected to each other. At first, they were horrified of each other without knowing why but one day the young woman had decided to settle that down once and for all. I noticed that the author had clearly planned out how the couple meets and how their story slowly untangled. The two people are being drawn together by fate, life after life not knowing that their lives depend on a green gem from the very first lives that they had met each other.

I personally loved this book because the plot and the different lives that they meet each other are so carefully planned out without any confusions whatsoever. When I first looked at the cover, I thought it was going to be another book about two lovers being fated for each other. But what I didn’t know was that even though they were fated for each other, they were mysteriously connected by a green gem from the time of neanderthals. My feelings had changed dramatically throughout this book, happy to sad to angry to even disappointed. Young adults who are interested in fated romance would definitely fall head over heels for this book.

After reading this, I learned more about what fated love can be like and also a little bit about the past time periods. Readers wouldn’t be done with this book without a lesson learned!
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Mar 25, 2013 Lianne Downey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reincarnation-resources

This is a wonderful introduction to the concept of reincarnation, in story form. If you struggled through Cloud Atlas, try this book for easier tracking of the characters from life to life.

Weyn is a bit short on explanations for the how and why (most are), but she captures the momentum of consecutive incarnations very well, and she makes it enjoyable to read. I plan to add it to my Resources page in my upcoming nonfiction book about reincarnation, especially for those who've not explored the sub...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Sarah Belk rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book…..was interesting.
the main plot revolved around the 2 main protagonists, and I don’t say names, because throughout the book they change...a lot.
The 4 main characters, NEVER have the same name, so I it gets confusing if you try and explain the story to someone. the only way to tell the characters apart in story is when the author brings in the “tell signs”. the main girl character has a bad ankle, the main guy character always horrible headaches, the antagonist guy has a sore jaw and th...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Vannesa Pidmont rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Estaba extremadamente ansiosa por leer este libro, de hecho, detuve la lectura de un segundo para comenzar este porque me mataba la curiosidad.
No soy las que dejan un libro a medias, pero casi lo hice con Reincarnation.
Al principio, luego de leer el primer capítulo, me detuve y pensé: "Bien, muchos otros han empezado peor y terminado fantásticamente." Así que solamente me dispuse a seguir leyendo.
Luego de tres capítulos las cosas se pusieron complicadas, no entendía de que iba aquello o con que...more Estaba extremadamente ansiosa por leer este libro, de hecho, detuve la lectura de un segundo para comenzar este porque me mataba la curiosidad.
No soy las que dejan un libro a medias, pero casi lo hice con Reincarnation.
Al principio, luego de leer el primer capítulo, me detuve y pensé: "Bien, muchos otros han empezado peor y terminado fantásticamente." Así que solamente me dispuse a seguir leyendo.
Luego de tres capítulos las cosas se pusieron complicadas, no entendía de que iba aquello o con que concordaba. La historia-que tiene cuatro personajes principales-debía tener una lógica secuencial, pero lo que me encuentro es que luego de que pasaran algunas vidas no sé quien es quién; hay algunos factores que me ayudaron a relacionar: como el tobillo izquierdo de una o la habilidad del arco de otro, pero personalmente la única que siempre permaneció igual fue la chica del cabello rojo.
Lo personajes no están bien desarrollados, en primer lugar porque la autora no se detenía demasiado en cada vida sino que contaba solo algunos sucesos y los personajes terminaban siempre medio descritos y en segundo lugar porque siempre oscilaban de características específicas. Como había dicho anteriormente, había cosas que los diferenciaban, pero no era la línea de salida.
Debo decir que en algunos libros el problema es que van demasiado lentos, pero con este fue todo lo contrario: las historias sucedían muy rápido y no me pude tomar el tiempo de detenerme y saborear cada línea y momento.
La razón por la que estaba tan emocionada en un principio fue porque el tema de las vidas reencarnadas me llama muchísimo la atención, creo que se presta para muchas cosas, especialmente para un libro mas extenso y mas completo. Por esta razón mi calificación fue tan baja, me ha decepcionado enormemente.
Sin embargo, no me puedo quedar con el sabor amargo en la boca, tengo que decir que muy a pesar de la trama de la historia algunos detalles estuvieron bien fusionados; se notó el esfuerzo de la autora para conseguir algunos datos históricos y de gran ayuda para darle un poco de creatividad al libro.
No diré más pues a pesar de que es un tema muy fresco y muy poco frecuentado, no ha sido ni de cerca un libro que recomendaría a un amigo.(less)

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Aug 30, 2012 Parvathy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: another-triangle, books-that-drag, confused, expected-more, historicals, light-reads, past-lives, young-adult

This book is going in to my very own entry in to the list of "books with so much potential but only if some one was wise enough to uncover it". "Reincarnation" is the kind of book you could have loved but only ended up liking in the end. It is not so much that it lacked interesting ideas or innovative concepts but it is the lack of focus that damaged this book. Personally I believe that the author could have created a much more captivating book if she had reduced on the number of past lives and...more This book is going in to my very own entry in to the list of "books with so much potential but only if some one was wise enough to uncover it". "Reincarnation" is the kind of book you could have loved but only ended up liking in the end. It is not so much that it lacked interesting ideas or innovative concepts but it is the lack of focus that damaged this book. Personally I believe that the author could have created a much more captivating book if she had reduced on the number of past lives and increased on their length. Instead the number of past lives that the characters are put through leads to a very confusing read and gives the book the feel of a collection of short stories regardless of the fact that it is the very same characters that we are reading about.

The story begins in the prehistoric times when a Neanderthal man encounters a Cromagnon woman while they of trying to steal a green emerald ultimately leading to their death. Then the story moves to ancient Egypt where they are reborn as an Egyptian singer and a slave who find comfort in each other. The mysterious green emerald makes an appearance in this story also. From there on their tale takes us through ancient Greece, the Incas, Salem Witch trials, America during World war I, The Jazz age in France before World War II and many more life times in the end settling into the modern era with the characters being a couple of teenagers. Though the book takes up through different time periods it has not done justice to any of it. One of the reasons being the length, the stories are too short which makes a bit difficult to capture the essence of the time period. The second reason being you never feel any real love between the characters other that the fact that the writer keeps on insisting that they are soul mates. The characters don't fall in love in their first life. They fall in love in one of their later lives and after that in every other life they meet they fall for each other mainly due to the reason that they feel like they have known each other for ever. It kind of goes on to say what the characters feel in their past life becomes a part of their soul and is carried on to their next life. This was especially true for some of the secondary characters that gets reincarnated with the main characters. But special points have to be given to the author for not shying away from reversing the gender or colour of her main characters. The linking of the present life characters with their past life characters by blood was something that could have been avoided because it ultimately ended up making the story more complicated.

The high points in the story however is the changing mythological beliefs. From the great bird that come down to lead the souls to the after life to the Egyptian's pyramidal afterlife followed by the boat ride through River Styx ending up finally in the pearly gate of St Michel. Which each death the souls take a different path to the after life with the changing beliefs of the people which kind of feels that the like after life is a figment of one's belief. The changing ideology of the great mother from Isis to Athena to Virgin Mary all accounts for a compelling read. This book appeal to those interested in theology and spirituality, for those interested in history would not find this book to their taste. I would recommend this book to those who don't mind constantly changing view points with a little bit of philosophy thrown in to the midst, other better stay clear of it.

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Aug 27, 2012 Brittany rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: awesome-covers, in-love-with-the-love-interest, teen-romance, writing-inspiration, ya

Everything begins in prehistoric times when a Neanderthal and a Cro-Magnon meet and experience a connection so strong that they will forever be united in future lives. They, along with two other characters, are reincarnated repeatedly over time, as they seek to find the perfect ending and to finally get it right. However, it will not be easy. A lot stands in their way, including the reincarnated emerald stone, and they must gradually change in unforeseen ways over each lifetime in order to secur...more Everything begins in prehistoric times when a Neanderthal and a Cro-Magnon meet and experience a connection so strong that they will forever be united in future lives. They, along with two other characters, are reincarnated repeatedly over time, as they seek to find the perfect ending and to finally get it right. However, it will not be easy. A lot stands in their way, including the reincarnated emerald stone, and they must gradually change in unforeseen ways over each lifetime in order to secure their happy ending.

This book was absolutely fantastic! I loved it! :D

The historical context of each life is fascinating and adds layers of dimension. My personal favorite was the Greek past life, though it is hard to choose, as each offers something different.

Despite the repetition of lives in which the four characters meet up, never does the book become stilted or boring. In fact, the nature of the characters and of their relationships with one another is flexible and fluid through the course of time, directly changed by the actions and choices of each character. Little things--injuries, attitudes, perceptions of a past life's ending, cause of death--carry over to the next few lives, reminding the characters and readers of the connectedness of all people and all things.

I enjoyed the format of the book, with the "Then" chapter switching to the first-person perspective of a character that has died and the shorter sections about lives in which the characters do not directly meet or upon which the author chooses not to elaborate, though they are still significant to overarching character development.

It is amazing to see the ways in which each of the characters are intertwined and how each consecutive life is influenced--for better or worse--by the events and choices in their past lives. It is a little disheartening to witness each life end, as it must, in order to lead into the next, and yet, I loved every minute of it. I was captivated and couldn't stop reading until I reached the last page--the last chapter representing the culmination of all the past lives. (And I confess that the ending made me cry a bit, as great endings always do.)

Overall, I would recommend this book to everyone!

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Dec 26, 2011 Shreya Kishore rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow, It has blown me away completely. And I seldom bother with reviews, I am more interested in the reading part. Some stories are adorable, some are a one-time fling but some, mind you very rare ones, last a lifetime because only the best are memorable. This one was a subtle tale. It was a design which was spun with so much care. The author has done excellent word building drawing you into an intricate web. The story lasts several lifetimes and it has interwoven some real facts and history. It...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Katelynn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, ya, romance

So. I feel like I should hang a big disclaimer on this review. Because oh my god, reincarnation and past lives and destined love and shit is one of my biggest kinks ever. EVER.

So naturally, when I happened upon this book while at the library today, I HAD to check it out. I don't really know if, objectively, this is a good book, but MAN did it push my buttons in the right way. (Also, I liked it way better than Matched, but that's faint praise because Matched really drove me crazy sometimes.)

And f...more

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Nov 20, 2011 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So despite my dislike of the ultimate concept presented, I read this mostly to see how she went about writing this story, what time periods she would choose, how they would meet, how they would “die” or “move on” or whatever, and basically how she was going to make it all work.

Aside from the font choices, the attempt at fancy lettering came off looking rather amateur, I did kind of like this book. Until the end few “lives.”

So it all starts with them as “cavemen” or whatever and they get in a f...more So despite my dislike of the ultimate concept presented, I read this mostly to see how she went about writing this story, what time periods she would choose, how they would meet, how they would “die” or “move on” or whatever, and basically how she was going to make it all work.

Aside from the font choices, the attempt at fancy lettering came off looking rather amateur, I did kind of like this book. Until the end few “lives.”

So it all starts with them as “cavemen” or whatever and they get in a fight with each other and die. So from here they are sent around the world, through many time periods, they get close . . . and then are torn apart. It was rather depressing actually.

It was also very confusing.

The only way to tell who was who was to know their “trademarks” or whatever and then to associate that way. Throughout the novel, I learned certain things like a bad ankle, a beautiful singing voice, frequent headaches, jealousy of a certain character continuously, a hurting jaw, and other random stuff. The “guy” and the “girl” and the “sidekick jealous girl” and the “mean-ish jealous guy” were the main characters who were reincarnated through time.

While the author probably could have gotten a little more creative with her concept, she was already highly confusing. What mostly confused me was the whole “spirit phase” or whatever the characters would go into after they died. Actually, the whole rebirth cycle bugged me, because it was inconsistent and annoying. But what really got me was in one of the last stages, where the characters started figuring out what was going on and talked about the reincarnation and the religious elements of it. I would have rather read a story based on an abstract idea to make the romantic element more passionate, than have to deal with all the weird religion details.

The story does end nicely though. But when I got there I just wanted it to end, because it was getting on my nerves. Regardless, it was a nice concept that just dragged out a little too long for my taste.

Rating: Not wonderful, but I didn’t completely hate it.
Content Warnings: Possibly some mild language (I really don’t remember), and kissing.(less)

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Nov 11, 2010 Helena rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Reincarnation
304pgs The book, Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn, took me throughout time and many historical events around the world. It starts out in prehistoric times. A young women, May, is struggling to find a place in her tribe without having to marry Lenar. Lenar is strong and handsome and most likely to become chief after the current one dies, but he's shallow and cold hearted. May prays to her deity, The Great Mother, to help her escape Lenar and when she finds a precious stone embedded in...more Reincarnation
304pgs The book, Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn, took me throughout time and many historical events around the world. It starts out in prehistoric times. A young women, May, is struggling to find a place in her tribe without having to marry Lenar. Lenar is strong and handsome and most likely to become chief after the current one dies, but he's shallow and cold hearted. May prays to her deity, The Great Mother, to help her escape Lenar and when she finds a precious stone embedded into a cave wall, next to a cliff, she thinks her prayer's are answered. She digs it out in hope to bring it back to her tribe and earn status of her own, but when a young man, from an ancient tribe, sees her digging the rock out, he attacks her. He too wants to bring it back to his tribe. As they strugled they fell off the cliff to their death. Then, they are reborn into a different time and different places, and they are separated. However, fate brings them together and they come to love each other, but again they die and are reborn. Each time they are reborn they get separated again. From slavery in Egypt to ancient Greece. From the Salem Witch Trials to the Civil War. No matter how long it takes fate and their love will bring them together.
The theme of this book is undying love. Even when circumstances are hard the young women and young man are brought together. Each time they are haunted by their past and each time they are seperated before they can be truly together. If their hearts are not pure their love will not prevail. But at the end of the book they were finally able to let go of the past and be together.
I rate this book five stars because it was interesting and surprising. I could never guess what place, time, or social status the characters had each time they're reborn. At first I didn't like some characters, but as the book progressed I began to understand them more and the reasons for what they did and I came to like them as much as the others. Also there was a variety of different exotic settings in this wonderful book.(less)

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Feb 17, 2013 Maythavee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Aww.... This book was really sweet! I really enjoyed it!

I was drawn into Reincarnation from the start where they first fought over the green jewel which would lead to the many lives in which both the man and woman fell in love with each other but something tragic always tore them apart. (Not including the present time, of course) I like in how each lives, their story revolves around the green jewel which symbolises their love, I thought this was really sweet :)

The time periods that I really lik...more

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Nov 26, 2008 Diana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, romance, young-adult

It was an okay book.

While it bothers me that I can't call the characters by name since it changes and not by gender because it switched once, the fact that their past lives influenced their present life was good because without that I would just have assumed they never switched genders.

To me, it was basically a simple love story cut into pieces and each piece put in a different time period.

But the ending seemed a little too easy to me.

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Jan 04, 2012 Rosabella rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I first read the premise to this book, I thought: "This is such a good idea! Two lovers who find each other thorough history but are kept apart? I totally want to read this book!"
300 pages later, I still think the author had a good story, but what lacked was details. In those 300 pages, the author managed to cram in about 10 different lives, so much that one didn't even have enough time to care for the characters before being whisked away to a new time and place. This also made the book con...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Ivy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The actual rating on this book is a three and a half stars. Suzanne Weyn writes a story about two souls who first encounter each other at the dawn of recorded time. She is a woman from a hunter-gatherer tribe...strong, beautiful and betrothed to the future leader, a popular and fierce warrior. He comes from another, more ancient clan. He wishes to prove himself in battle and to regain his standing among his people. When the two encounter each other in a cave, they fight over a green stone which...more The actual rating on this book is a three and a half stars. Suzanne Weyn writes a story about two souls who first encounter each other at the dawn of recorded time. She is a woman from a hunter-gatherer tribe...strong, beautiful and betrothed to the future leader, a popular and fierce warrior. He comes from another, more ancient clan. He wishes to prove himself in battle and to regain his standing among his people. When the two encounter each other in a cave, they fight over a green stone which holds a different value for one another. The struggle for it brings about their tragic end but sets their souls on a journey of lifetimes to find each other once again.

From Ancient Egypt, to Classical Greece. From the Salem Witch Trials to the Civil Rights Movement, these two souls find their way to one another, trying to find the right moment to be together but their destinies are constantly interrupted by circumstance. With each passing life, they remember more of the past and work towards making amends with the souls that stand in the way of their happiness.

I found the subject matter of this novel quite interesting and unlike anything I have ever read before. I have mixed feeling about reincarnation. Certainly there are times I run into strangers and have a strong sense of having known that person, but memories...remembering the past? No. I may feel an affinity to a certain period in history, but there are no memories of what happened and whom I knew. This is why I have trouble believing that these two would know so much about each other the moment they see each other for the first time. Weyn has her female character uncover her past lives through hypnosis. This is something I know nothing about, so I am a little skeptical. Honestly, to enjoy this book you have to open yourself up to the possibility of reincarnation. I enjoyed the stories, especially how easily we can identify these two souls in their new lives. It was certainly entertaining, but I felt she could have gone further in explaining the reincarnation aspect and how it works. The ending fell a little flat and too quickly wrapped up. I was hoping for something a little more earth shattering after all those failed attempts at being together than what we got.

B+ read.(less)

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Feb 28, 2011 Devony rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While I do not personally believe in reincarnation, I was somewhat intrigued by the idea that two souls are meant to be together, so they are given mutliple chances in life. The history buff in me loved reading about all the different periods of history, from pre-history (Cavemen) to Ancient Egypt, Babylon, Israel, Ancient Greece, Civil War, to modern day. The problem I had was that with only 300 pages to tell a story about 4 different people that keep getting reincarnated, it was difficult to f...more

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Jan 23, 2011 A. added it · review of another edition

I really liked the idea of the book--a love that transcends time; two souls that will keep coming back till they have their happily ever after--and for the first couple chapters it held my interest. At the beginning, Weyn wove details from the previous life into the life currently being led by the characters. But 1/4 of the way through the book, it seems Weyn got bored with it and just let everything be to easy. Instead of the seperation of the lovers being traumatic (like a car accident) their...more

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May 07, 2011 Krista Basilio rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

From the moment they first meet, this young man and woman have a powerful connection. But circumstance will not allow them to stay together; a fight for a green jewel ends both of their lives. However, their bond is so strong that it surpasses the boundary between life and death and they continue to be born into new bodies until they can finally be together.

Reincarnation is quite a unique story, and I have never quite read anything like it. Each story of these two lovers connects back to the pr...more From the moment they first meet, this young man and woman have a powerful connection. But circumstance will not allow them to stay together; a fight for a green jewel ends both of their lives. However, their bond is so strong that it surpasses the boundary between life and death and they continue to be born into new bodies until they can finally be together.

Reincarnation is quite a unique story, and I have never quite read anything like it. Each story of these two lovers connects back to the previous ones in obvious ways, so it is easy to tell which character was reincarnated into which new character, although this was a little confusing when the girl became a guy. The easiest way for me to recognize who was who was with the details that carried over from setting to setting. For example, the main young woman always had a pet cat named Baby, a hurt ankle, and a great singing voice, and the main young man always had headaches and a skill in archery. I really enjoyed how all the characters were interconnected and also the various historical settings. A lot of research must have gone into this novel, and I am nearly positive that it is all accurate.

The idea behind Reincarnation is a philosophical question, and Suzanne Weyn attacks it head on. I really liked how she incorporated many major religions, according to their region, and their views on death and the afterlife. However, I found it kind of ironic how the two lovers were never reincarnated as people in India, which is where the two main religions believing in reincarnation, Buddhism and Hinduism, originated. But this can be forgiven since the characters read many books on Buddhism in the novel.

The ending of the story was bittersweet for me, because I did not feel that the story lived up to its full potential. Suzanne Weyn leaves a lot of the story up to interpretation, which is good for making the reader think about the concept of reincarnation, but it did not leave me with a sense that the young lovers would stay together in love for all of eternity. The one redeeming point was how the other two characters that are also reincarnated get together.

All in all, I was a little disappointed with Reincarnation, but it was a beautiful story nonetheless. I do recommend it, because it is a highly unique and thought-provoking read, and I hope that other readers will find it as sweet a love story as I did. (less)

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Apr 29, 2010 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A young boy and girl are destined to be together. Different factors tear them apart and fate continues to pull them back together, each time in a different place and era. Their time together lengthens with every time they meet. Eventually they begin to remember their pasts and try harder to make their future together. That however involves resisting the problems working against them.
I found Reincarnation keeping me on the edge of my seat. Each time period was a riviting different storyline. It...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Historical fiction fans, chick lit, romantics :)

I normaly would not rate a book that I didn't really like so high, but as the only reason I didn't like it was the genre, I felt it would be stupid not too.
Reincarnation follows two people through centruies of reincarnaiton, where their souls meet and mingle, but are always torn apart, sometimes abrubtly and sometimes over a long period, but in the end the two souls will find what they have always looked for and get what they need.

The scenes in this book were vivid, and realistic. History, so a...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: coming-of-age, girly, romance, teen-read

A good book, with a love that spans the centuries. My favorite is the time period in Greece and the very last one with Samantha.

I thought this book was going to be dull, but I was rather thrilled to continue with it after I started. I started this book over twice. The first time I just didn't get into it at all. Something just didn't feel right, but after a while I went back to it. I found that I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was that made me hesitate at the beginning. But, I suppose that i...more

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Mar 08, 2011 Melissa Wright rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 11-20

It all starts in the prehistory when a young girl and boy fight over this green stone. Their time together is short but the attraction that they felt transcends their deaths. "The affinity they feel is eternal". Years pass, centuries pass, and the girl and guy must find each other and find the real meaning of love no matter how long it takes. this book takes you from the prehistoric time to ancient egypt to the salem witch trials.

I really liked this book. It was very interesting to read and thi...more

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About Suzanne Weyn

Suzanne Weyn grew up in Williston Park, Long Island, New York. She has three sisters and a brother. As a girl she was very interested in theater and in reading. Louisa May Alcott was her favorite author, but she also read every Sherlock Holmes story. Suzanne lived pretty close to the ocean and going to Jones Beach was one of her favorite activities Even today, if she goes too long without seeing t...more

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Books by Suzanne Weyn

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Water Song: A Retelling of "The Frog Prince" (Once Upon a Time)

The Diamond Secret: A Retelling of "Anastasia" (Once Upon a Time)

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