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The Soul Up North
“If we were meant to be, why am I the only one fighting?”
When fate, death, and obsession comes into picture—each wrist tells a different story. Born and raised in a society where the S symbols represent soulmates, Jack Spade finds himself in a limbotic state. A glowing red mark on the left wrist means a soulmate has been found; a devotion burning into the world. But when the mark fades into black on the right wrist, Death claims the unbearable truth; a soulmate is gone, replaced by an aching void. In a series of unfortunate events, Jack has seven days before the symbol on his right wrist turns black when he meets Jade Hearts.
Only granted a week, Jack embraces his journey of grief, betrayal, and denial in the eyes of not only Jade but those she cherished. Through fleeting love, he holds onto the fragments of her existence. But when her secrets start to unfold, Jack finds himself barely holding onto his side of the universe.
The Soul Up North is a tale of acceptance, finding meaning in the reality of despair, and the fight to love even after loss.
“This story might break your heart at times, but it has a bittersweet ending that is surprisingly hopeful.” — Readers Favorite
When fate, death, and obsession comes into picture—each wrist tells a different story. Born and raised in a society where the S symbols represent soulmates, Jack Spade finds himself in a limbotic state. A glowing red mark on the left wrist means a soulmate has been found; a devotion burning into the world. But when the mark fades into black on the right wrist, Death claims the unbearable truth; a soulmate is gone, replaced by an aching void. In a series of unfortunate events, Jack has seven days before the symbol on his right wrist turns black when he meets Jade Hearts.
Only granted a week, Jack embraces his journey of grief, betrayal, and denial in the eyes of not only Jade but those she cherished. Through fleeting love, he holds onto the fragments of her existence. But when her secrets start to unfold, Jack finds himself barely holding onto his side of the universe.
The Soul Up North is a tale of acceptance, finding meaning in the reality of despair, and the fight to love even after loss.
“This story might break your heart at times, but it has a bittersweet ending that is surprisingly hopeful.” — Readers Favorite
224 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2025
4 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 26, 2025
A tragic and haunting tale of a young man who discovers his soulmate too late. The multiple POVs added interesting perspectives into who Jade was.
I enjoyed Jack’s journey and reflection on life, love, and acceptance.
I enjoyed Jack’s journey and reflection on life, love, and acceptance.
December 3, 2025
The Soul Up North by Eenam Vang immerses us into the lyrical and haunting world of a man whose belief in soulmates is both validated and shattered in a single devastating week. The book is structured as his obsessive pilgrimage to "collect" stories of an extraordinary woman, from those who knew her way before their paths fatally crossed.
Jack, who strongly believes in the concept of soulmates, cannot contain his joy when the symbolic "S" on Jade's left wrist glows vibrantly, signaling that she is "the one." However, little does he know the cruelty stitched into that revelation, that meeting her is a blessing that may have just arrived a lifetime too late, and the very symbol will become a permanent scar of loss and pain. A quiet, aching conversation with Jade's mother in the first chapter reveals her own tragic love story with her husband, whom she believed was her soulmate. Apart from casting a long shadow over Jack's hope, the conversation sets the stage for a journey marked by painful but insightful discoveries and a slow, deliberate earning of the right to hold onto Jade's memories.
As Jack's quest deepens, we are drawn into the intimate and often uncomfortable conversations that form the core of his mourning, compelling us to navigate together with him the same complex web of relationships that defined Jade's life. We see him learn of her troubled marriage to her former husband, a man who deliberately refused to see her as a destiny but as a mere convenience, setting the stage for a heated confrontation that burns away the last of Jack's naivety, and forcing him to accept that the woman he loved had been starved of the devotion, love and care that he would have given anything to provide. All through his journey, we are forced to confront the very system of soulmates that to many people, even in today's world, promises bliss and a "heaven-on-earth" experience, but ends up leaving devastating collateral damage, revealing the human fallibility hidden beneath its promises.
This book is saturated with a low hum of tension derived from unreliable narrators with different versions of Jade's story, forcing the reader to constantly revise their understanding of the truth. The book also pulls the reader to care for Jack's mental state, especially when he has a conversation with Jade's ghost, and when he encounters verbal battles that are filled with accusations, guilt, and raw emotion. It also employs shocking twists that are way outside of Jade's main storyline, such as when Jack wakes up only to find his roommate's girlfriend in his bed, in a bold act of resentment towards his supposed "innocence" and belief in soulmates. Most of the chapters build upon the previous ones with layered cliffhangers and suspenseful endings, which end up propelling the reader through a maze of revelations where each answered question unearths a more painful mystery.
Quill says: The Soul Up North by Eenam Vang takes pride in its messy, sometimes complicated characters who are a whole drama in themselves. It is a sad book for sure, but in a beautiful "staring out the rainy window" kind of way. It is not a predictable romance but a raw, poetic, and haunting book whose take on love and loss will break your heart a little bit, but also help you understand it a little better. Lastly, it won't offer you easy comfort, but a philosophical depth that will leave you asking yourself quietly whether destiny can sometimes be an agent of profound cruelty. Vang delivers a significant and standout work for the reader who loves stories that are more structurally complex and have an emotionally raw take on love and loss.
Jack, who strongly believes in the concept of soulmates, cannot contain his joy when the symbolic "S" on Jade's left wrist glows vibrantly, signaling that she is "the one." However, little does he know the cruelty stitched into that revelation, that meeting her is a blessing that may have just arrived a lifetime too late, and the very symbol will become a permanent scar of loss and pain. A quiet, aching conversation with Jade's mother in the first chapter reveals her own tragic love story with her husband, whom she believed was her soulmate. Apart from casting a long shadow over Jack's hope, the conversation sets the stage for a journey marked by painful but insightful discoveries and a slow, deliberate earning of the right to hold onto Jade's memories.
As Jack's quest deepens, we are drawn into the intimate and often uncomfortable conversations that form the core of his mourning, compelling us to navigate together with him the same complex web of relationships that defined Jade's life. We see him learn of her troubled marriage to her former husband, a man who deliberately refused to see her as a destiny but as a mere convenience, setting the stage for a heated confrontation that burns away the last of Jack's naivety, and forcing him to accept that the woman he loved had been starved of the devotion, love and care that he would have given anything to provide. All through his journey, we are forced to confront the very system of soulmates that to many people, even in today's world, promises bliss and a "heaven-on-earth" experience, but ends up leaving devastating collateral damage, revealing the human fallibility hidden beneath its promises.
This book is saturated with a low hum of tension derived from unreliable narrators with different versions of Jade's story, forcing the reader to constantly revise their understanding of the truth. The book also pulls the reader to care for Jack's mental state, especially when he has a conversation with Jade's ghost, and when he encounters verbal battles that are filled with accusations, guilt, and raw emotion. It also employs shocking twists that are way outside of Jade's main storyline, such as when Jack wakes up only to find his roommate's girlfriend in his bed, in a bold act of resentment towards his supposed "innocence" and belief in soulmates. Most of the chapters build upon the previous ones with layered cliffhangers and suspenseful endings, which end up propelling the reader through a maze of revelations where each answered question unearths a more painful mystery.
Quill says: The Soul Up North by Eenam Vang takes pride in its messy, sometimes complicated characters who are a whole drama in themselves. It is a sad book for sure, but in a beautiful "staring out the rainy window" kind of way. It is not a predictable romance but a raw, poetic, and haunting book whose take on love and loss will break your heart a little bit, but also help you understand it a little better. Lastly, it won't offer you easy comfort, but a philosophical depth that will leave you asking yourself quietly whether destiny can sometimes be an agent of profound cruelty. Vang delivers a significant and standout work for the reader who loves stories that are more structurally complex and have an emotionally raw take on love and loss.
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November 27, 2025🫶 {DM to Get Featured} 🫶
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Post Description: A haunting, poetic, and emotionally charged tale of soulmates, fate, and the ache of loving someone you’re destined to lose.
The Soul Up North pulls readers into a beautifully tragic world where soulmate bonds are etched into the skin, and every wrist carries a story of devotion, loss, or destiny deferred. Vang’s storytelling is atmospheric and intimate, weaving grief, love, and longing into a narrative that feels both dreamy and devastating. Through Jack Spade’s voice, we explore the fragile connection between two souls given only seven days—days filled with tenderness, revelation, and the unbearable weight of knowing time is slipping away.
The emotional depth of this book is astonishing. Themes of mourning, acceptance, identity, and the struggle to hold onto love when fate is cruel are portrayed with lyrical sensitivity. Vang’s writing style is raw yet delicate, capturing heartbreak in a way that lingers with the reader. This isn’t merely a story—it’s an experience, one that sits heavy on the heart but shines with meaning.
If you enjoy character-driven stories filled with poetic grief, soulful romance, and layered world-building, The Soul Up North is an unforgettable journey worth taking. ✨
.
👉 Follow: @eenamvang
🫶 {DM to Get Featured} 🫶
.
✨ #bookstagram, #booklover, #bookish, #reading, and #bookrecommendations
.
Post Description: A haunting, poetic, and emotionally charged tale of soulmates, fate, and the ache of loving someone you’re destined to lose.
The Soul Up North pulls readers into a beautifully tragic world where soulmate bonds are etched into the skin, and every wrist carries a story of devotion, loss, or destiny deferred. Vang’s storytelling is atmospheric and intimate, weaving grief, love, and longing into a narrative that feels both dreamy and devastating. Through Jack Spade’s voice, we explore the fragile connection between two souls given only seven days—days filled with tenderness, revelation, and the unbearable weight of knowing time is slipping away.
The emotional depth of this book is astonishing. Themes of mourning, acceptance, identity, and the struggle to hold onto love when fate is cruel are portrayed with lyrical sensitivity. Vang’s writing style is raw yet delicate, capturing heartbreak in a way that lingers with the reader. This isn’t merely a story—it’s an experience, one that sits heavy on the heart but shines with meaning.
If you enjoy character-driven stories filled with poetic grief, soulful romance, and layered world-building, The Soul Up North is an unforgettable journey worth taking. ✨
.
👉 Follow: @eenamvang
🫶 {DM to Get Featured} 🫶
.
✨ #bookstagram, #booklover, #bookish, #reading, and #bookrecommendations
January 16, 2026
This book was interesting, and its themes were exactly the mood I was looking for this winter season. I really wanted to love it more, and was sad that I didn’t. For me, the biggest thing was that Jack and Jade's love story didn't unfold until the last 10% of the book. I found myself wishing the book were longer so we could fully sit in the seven days they had together in a more meaningful way. Being able to see and feel that process more deeply would have made their story more impactful—and that’s what I felt was missing, and what would have made me love this book more.
Full review on my IG - @itsreader.k
Full review on my IG - @itsreader.k
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews