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Incarnate
(Newsoul #1)
by
New soul
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.
No soul
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 seclus ...more
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.
No soul
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 seclus ...more
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Hardcover, 374 pages
Published
January 31st 2012
by Katherine Tegen Books
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Start your review of Incarnate (Newsoul, #1)

"You should have left me there. Everyone would have been happier to forget about me.” I collapsed over myself and wept. “I hate you. I hate everyone.”Good lord, would you like some cheese with your whine?
My quest to read all the popular books in the past few years continues. And I got yet another dud.
To be honest, I didn't have great expectations for this book. I was prejudiced against it from the beginning, why?
1. The cover is damned pretty. A pretty cover comes with a roughly 77.2% probabi ...more

I am extremely disappointed with this book. It held so much promise with the story of souls being reincarnated, dragons, sylphs, and a utopian society! Doesn't that sound awesome? And that cover! It's simply gorgeous! Well, you know that age old rule, "Don't judge a book by its cover?" I should have listened to it. -_-
Ana, our protagonist, lives in a world where once you die you come back reincarnated in another body. Everyone always comes back, except on one night when the Temple flashes black ...more

A gorgeous YA utopian tale! Nope, not dystopian. Do you know the difference?
This book blew me away with... a Masquerade Ball, reincarnation, slyph, dragons, music, souls, butterfly, slow burn romance, tension, laser pistols, massive library, war stories, dragon battles. Need I go on? I mean - Wow.
I read this in a flurry of addiction. I just couldn't get enough of the world and it's goings-ons. Completely entrancing.
The Rundown
Ana was born into a society of a million souls. A million souls wh ...more
This book blew me away with... a Masquerade Ball, reincarnation, slyph, dragons, music, souls, butterfly, slow burn romance, tension, laser pistols, massive library, war stories, dragon battles. Need I go on? I mean - Wow.
I read this in a flurry of addiction. I just couldn't get enough of the world and it's goings-ons. Completely entrancing.
The Rundown
Ana was born into a society of a million souls. A million souls wh ...more


With a cover as pretty as that you'd think this book would be more dramatic, but unfortunately very little seems to happen for the majority of the novel. The story consists of Ana attempting to discover why she is a Newsoul and managing to fall in love along the way. You see, in this utopian world every soul is reincarnated into a new body once they die, this has continued on and on for thousands of years. Each time a baby is born, they search for a match in the soul database to find out whi ...more

Incarnate had such an interesting premise that I rushed to request the ARC. The concept of a society of people constantly reincarnating and being reborn to each other was too good to pass up. Blue Bloods had a poor crack at it and I hoped Incarnate would fare better. Alas, no. What Incarnate had the opportunity of doing was taking philosophy by the horns and riding that bull like a cowboy at a rodeo. Instead, incarnate chose Philosophy!Bull's friend, Philosophy Show Pony and skipped along very s
...more

I'm lowering my rating down to 3 1/4
This book is so bad it's good.
Didn't make any sense right? My brain works in a weird way. If it was so horrible, THEN WHY DID I LIKE IT???
I liked it because the writing pulled me in. It's just a way Jodi Meadows wrote that sucked me in and made me forget how terrible everything else was. Everything else was shitty AND I LIKED IT. God damn it, I'm going to try to explain my weird ass thinking.
This book is about a world where, when someone dies their souls are ...more
This book is so bad it's good.
Didn't make any sense right? My brain works in a weird way. If it was so horrible, THEN WHY DID I LIKE IT???
I liked it because the writing pulled me in. It's just a way Jodi Meadows wrote that sucked me in and made me forget how terrible everything else was. Everything else was shitty AND I LIKED IT. God damn it, I'm going to try to explain my weird ass thinking.
This book is about a world where, when someone dies their souls are ...more

Can you say disappointment? I haven’t been this bummed by a book in ages. The cover was just too beautiful to resist and the premise was one of the most intriguing things I’ve seen all year. But, nope. It was all aesthetics and nothing else.
(On an aside note…) The cover totally reminds me of this:

And this:

ANYWAY. Let’s get on with the real review shall we?
By gods, this book was such a slow torturous read. I wanted some awesome worldbuilding with an astounding fresh twist on reincarnation and wha ...more
(On an aside note…) The cover totally reminds me of this:

And this:

ANYWAY. Let’s get on with the real review shall we?
By gods, this book was such a slow torturous read. I wanted some awesome worldbuilding with an astounding fresh twist on reincarnation and wha ...more

Um. Yeah... I was rooting for the dragons to destroy everything by the end.
If you saw my status update or twitter thread, yes, there was one instance of unnecessary sizeism. But that was the only one I noticed. There were, however, a few knocks to Deafness, blindness, and mental illness. Things like "It was so loud even the Deaf could have heard it." It came across as ignorance about disabilities rather than intentional malice. But it was enough to notice.
The relationship between Ana and her ab ...more
If you saw my status update or twitter thread, yes, there was one instance of unnecessary sizeism. But that was the only one I noticed. There were, however, a few knocks to Deafness, blindness, and mental illness. Things like "It was so loud even the Deaf could have heard it." It came across as ignorance about disabilities rather than intentional malice. But it was enough to notice.
The relationship between Ana and her ab ...more

Gah. No no no no no NO!
What was this mess?

So there's this city, right? Every person in that city is a reincarnated soul, right? Except for this one girl, let's call her Bessie (I forget her name), who is a new soul - she was born in place of a to-be-reincarnated soul. So everybody hates her, including her own mother. So, the girl leaves home on her birthday to find out the truth behind her birth and what went wrong with the other soul, then runs into some shadow monster, then falls into a lake ...more
What was this mess?

So there's this city, right? Every person in that city is a reincarnated soul, right? Except for this one girl, let's call her Bessie (I forget her name), who is a new soul - she was born in place of a to-be-reincarnated soul. So everybody hates her, including her own mother. So, the girl leaves home on her birthday to find out the truth behind her birth and what went wrong with the other soul, then runs into some shadow monster, then falls into a lake ...more

Since I wrote this book, I admit my love of it is not an objective and unbiased love. I would feel weird giving it stars.
Since I did NOT make the cover, I have no qualms about telling you how much I adore it! *touches face* *looks dramatic*
People seem to really love the cover. (Yay!) If you were curious, I answered a few cover questions in an interview here. ...more
Since I did NOT make the cover, I have no qualms about telling you how much I adore it! *touches face* *looks dramatic*
People seem to really love the cover. (Yay!) If you were curious, I answered a few cover questions in an interview here. ...more

Incarnate deserves to be placed alongside His Dark Materials and The Lord of the Rings as one of the most inventive examples of world-building ever set to paper. Not only has Meadows created a rich and detailed world for her characters to inhabit, she's brave enough to let them ask difficult questions of themselves, their world, and what it would really mean to live in a perpetual cycle of birth and rebirth.
Very rarely, five stars doesn't seem to go far enough. This is one of those times. ...more
Very rarely, five stars doesn't seem to go far enough. This is one of those times. ...more

Oh, premise of Incarnate, you seemed a bit promising. You were tolerable.
What happened?
I'll tell you what happened.
Ana, the protagonist, is seriously one of the most naive, childish, and annoying girls I've ever read about. I don't care what she's gone through. I don't care how she was brought up. I don't care that I am insensitive. Sam is so utterly boring. I don't know how he attracts Ana. The whole time he was with Ana, I felt like he was an old man explaining his stupid daughter about life ...more
What happened?
I'll tell you what happened.
Ana, the protagonist, is seriously one of the most naive, childish, and annoying girls I've ever read about. I don't care what she's gone through. I don't care how she was brought up. I don't care that I am insensitive. Sam is so utterly boring. I don't know how he attracts Ana. The whole time he was with Ana, I felt like he was an old man explaining his stupid daughter about life ...more

Aug 10, 2011
Laurel
rated it
it was ok
Recommends it for:
Those who look for romance over plot
Recommended to Laurel by:
Cover+Blurb

You know what I really hate about jokes with a story to them? They can be very hit or miss like Family Guy (except McFarlane has way more misses than hits IMO). There is so much buildup to some of the storyline jokes, that the punch line has to be pretty damn brilliant to make up for all the time spent by the receiver of said joke. I hate when they flop so hard that I regret ever listening in the first place. My dad has some pretty fantastic story jokes, and some that miss completely, but to my ...more

Aug 01, 2010
Jillian -always aspiring-
rated it
liked it
Recommends it for:
Readers who value characters and their journeys over world-building and grand overarching plots
(Actual Rating: 3.5 stars)
In the growing world of young adult dystopian literature, Incarnate is an odd beast, blending elements of dystopia, utopia, fantasy, and even science fiction. Instead of reading like a seamless story, however, Jodi Meadows's debut novel sends many mixed vibes, to the point that the whole package feels like a mish-mash of concepts where some could have been cut as "excess." The novel actually reminded me of The Host by Stephenie Meyer: I mean that in both good and bad wa ...more
In the growing world of young adult dystopian literature, Incarnate is an odd beast, blending elements of dystopia, utopia, fantasy, and even science fiction. Instead of reading like a seamless story, however, Jodi Meadows's debut novel sends many mixed vibes, to the point that the whole package feels like a mish-mash of concepts where some could have been cut as "excess." The novel actually reminded me of The Host by Stephenie Meyer: I mean that in both good and bad wa ...more

Jul 18, 2011
Arlene
rated it
liked it
Recommended to Arlene by:
Street Corner Booker - ARC Tour Lyndsey
Overall, I have mixed feelings about Incarnate by Jodi Meadows. There were definitely aspects of the story I found creative and the narrative flowed quite well, but I think Meadows’s take on reincarnation was difficult for me to embrace. Putting it frankly, it goes against my belief system and at times I did feel Meadows was pushing some sort of agenda that I wasn’t quite willing to accept.
Now, I don’t know if I would classify this story as YA Utopian . To me, there were elements of the story t ...more
Now, I don’t know if I would classify this story as YA Utopian . To me, there were elements of the story t ...more

NEWSOUL
Incarnate gives us a fresh, new soul in YA. Originality at its core, Jodi Meadows has written an incredible world with dragons, sylphs, laser pistols, temple with heartbeats; really- how much more imaginative can it get? I was blown away with the imagery that formed in my mind while reading this book. It's a gorgeous, but notably frightening world. I did have a bit of difficulty swallowing the fact that, since everyone is always being reincarnated, they give birth to people they already k ...more
Incarnate gives us a fresh, new soul in YA. Originality at its core, Jodi Meadows has written an incredible world with dragons, sylphs, laser pistols, temple with heartbeats; really- how much more imaginative can it get? I was blown away with the imagery that formed in my mind while reading this book. It's a gorgeous, but notably frightening world. I did have a bit of difficulty swallowing the fact that, since everyone is always being reincarnated, they give birth to people they already k ...more

As beautiful as the cover!
These days I’m a bit out of sync when it comes to the books I read.. I like some books that others don’t, and I don’t like the books the others love, I feel like I’m missing something.
This books is one of the books I loved, while some of my book fellows didn’t.. I don’t know what’s the element that really made me like it so much, but I know that from the very beginning I was hooked and couldn’t put it d ...more

“If I only get one life, I don’t want to waste it by hesitating”
These days I’m a bit out of sync when it comes to the books I read.. I like some books that others don’t, and I don’t like the books the others love, I feel like I’m missing something.
This books is one of the books I loved, while some of my book fellows didn’t.. I don’t know what’s the element that really made me like it so much, but I know that from the very beginning I was hooked and couldn’t put it d ...more

I don't know what it is, you guys, but I just can't explain how much I click with this book. I love the concept, I love the world and how aesthetically pleasing it is for me personally, with its mix of fantasy and sci-fi. I love how the writing feels so yummy to me and only amps up the overall visualization of Range. Heck, I even have an intense love for not only the covers of this series but the overall design aesthetic. It's just. So. Me.
I don't know how else to explain it. xD I've read this ...more
I don't know how else to explain it. xD I've read this ...more

3.5 stars really but i'm feeling generous!
this book was so absorbing for me. despite the synopsis, this book is mainly a romance between the main characters, ana and sam, and i was 100% okay with that because i loved the pair together. they had great chemistry. their relationship developed slowly from a nice friendship with mutual offers of comfort.
ana was frustrating in the beginning. she lashed out so gratuitously, and although i admit it aligns with her childhood, it was still uncalled for i ...more
this book was so absorbing for me. despite the synopsis, this book is mainly a romance between the main characters, ana and sam, and i was 100% okay with that because i loved the pair together. they had great chemistry. their relationship developed slowly from a nice friendship with mutual offers of comfort.
ana was frustrating in the beginning. she lashed out so gratuitously, and although i admit it aligns with her childhood, it was still uncalled for i ...more

Jan 28, 2018
Alaina
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
romance,
sci-fi,
kindle-unlimited,
dystopia,
fantasy,
favorites,
fiction,
young-adult,
paranormal,
supernatural
This cover is freaking amazing!
I read this book so freaking quickly that I really want to get the next book from my library, right now. Even though it isn't even open until 10am tomorrow. I want to go all mission impossible on my library and find all of the books within this series and walk out of there like a boss. Yup, that's what I really want to do right now. Or just call out of work "sick" tomorrow and spend my day at the library or at barnes and noble and just READ. All day. In my happy pl ...more
I read this book so freaking quickly that I really want to get the next book from my library, right now. Even though it isn't even open until 10am tomorrow. I want to go all mission impossible on my library and find all of the books within this series and walk out of there like a boss. Yup, that's what I really want to do right now. Or just call out of work "sick" tomorrow and spend my day at the library or at barnes and noble and just READ. All day. In my happy pl ...more

With a spectacular concept and a beautiful cover, Incarnate fell short for my taste and interest.
In my opinion, the story became less and less interesting as story progresses since the main plot or goal became blurry along the way. Yes, there are revelations and sometimes twists in the plot but they didn't help to redeem the lost attention.
The story was too focused on building the romance and friendship between the two main characters, Ana and Sam, that events about incarnation and finding out ...more
In my opinion, the story became less and less interesting as story progresses since the main plot or goal became blurry along the way. Yes, there are revelations and sometimes twists in the plot but they didn't help to redeem the lost attention.
The story was too focused on building the romance and friendship between the two main characters, Ana and Sam, that events about incarnation and finding out ...more

“Music overwhelmed me, soaked into my skin like water. I didn’t have words for the squiggles and dashes across the pages, or the way his fingers stretched across the keys to make my heart race. If I could hear only one thing for the rest of my life, this was what I wanted.”
You know, I read Incarnate by Jodi Meadows three years go. And to this day I still have no idea how I should rate this book. I keep on bouncing between two stars to four. Why? Because there are some things that I really do ...more

For all the hype and publicity that publishers and bloggers have thrown behind the dystopian YA craze that I'm convinced never really happened, few books released during this period exceeded expectations, or even met them. Many had strong initial premises that quickly fell apart or began to rely on well worn tropes to keep momentum. With Jodi Meadows's debut, the first in a planned trilogy, we are given a glimpse into a slightly different world, a utopia, with another promising premise. Does she
...more

There's always the option of deciding for yourself who you are and what you'll become.
Do you believe in Reincarnation? I do. This is the first reason why I chose this book. Of course the cover is Epic, most beautiful cover I have ever seen. The complete theme of reincarnation of souls was innovative and refreshing. This book is definitely a page turner.
A Vague Indication
The story was set in a dystopian world where souls reincarnate million times, each time in a new body. The body may change bu ...more
Do you believe in Reincarnation? I do. This is the first reason why I chose this book. Of course the cover is Epic, most beautiful cover I have ever seen. The complete theme of reincarnation of souls was innovative and refreshing. This book is definitely a page turner.
A Vague Indication
The story was set in a dystopian world where souls reincarnate million times, each time in a new body. The body may change bu ...more

So what is Incarnate?
An unforgettable journey through the fabric of human space and time? A sweet and sensitive storybook romance dramatically altered by earth-shattering events? A fresh and creative young adult sci-fi with eternal themes at its core?

Yes! Incarnate, by Jodi Meadows, book one of the Newsouls series, is difficult to review in some ways, but still so easy to compliment. The world is a fascinating one, reminding me of the mountainous heart of America, complete with an ancient templ ...more
An unforgettable journey through the fabric of human space and time? A sweet and sensitive storybook romance dramatically altered by earth-shattering events? A fresh and creative young adult sci-fi with eternal themes at its core?

Yes! Incarnate, by Jodi Meadows, book one of the Newsouls series, is difficult to review in some ways, but still so easy to compliment. The world is a fascinating one, reminding me of the mountainous heart of America, complete with an ancient templ ...more

An Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the publisher for review. Quotes have been pulled from an ARC and may be subject to change.
Range is full of souls being re-incarnated over and over and over again. How many souls are being re-incarnated? About a million. These souls live their lives as a man or even a woman. Imagine having the ability to learn all that you can again. The people write journals to document their life which is set in the library to keep safe where anyone can read it.
In comes ...more
Range is full of souls being re-incarnated over and over and over again. How many souls are being re-incarnated? About a million. These souls live their lives as a man or even a woman. Imagine having the ability to learn all that you can again. The people write journals to document their life which is set in the library to keep safe where anyone can read it.
In comes ...more

Sep 16, 2011
A.G. Howard
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
Anyone looking for a unique and clean YA romantic fantasy.
Why I gave Incarnate five stars:
1. Unique premise, deftly executed. There's no other story quite like this out there, at least none that I've found.
2. A heroine that actually has a character arc and a spine. Not only does she have to learn to trust and love (others and herself), but she has to find a way to forgive the very society who spurns her.
3. A sweet, realistic romance that blossoms and grows and takes a little work along the way.
...more
1. Unique premise, deftly executed. There's no other story quite like this out there, at least none that I've found.
2. A heroine that actually has a character arc and a spine. Not only does she have to learn to trust and love (others and herself), but she has to find a way to forgive the very society who spurns her.
3. A sweet, realistic romance that blossoms and grows and takes a little work along the way.
...more

*Updated review based on my April 2015 re-read: I STILL LOVE IT PEOPLE. LOVE IT!!!!
INTERVIEW WITH JODY MEADOW HERE!
*December 25, 2011 review:*
Incarnate blew me away. Seriously my favorite book in its genre so far. It was that good. And the cover is amazing! Now onto to the review:
I’m usually not a big fan of fantasy, since often times they tend to lack lack in depth, so the fact that Incarnate has the best female character I have read ever is astonishing. From the summary you know that Anna ...more
INTERVIEW WITH JODY MEADOW HERE!
*December 25, 2011 review:*
Incarnate blew me away. Seriously my favorite book in its genre so far. It was that good. And the cover is amazing! Now onto to the review:
I’m usually not a big fan of fantasy, since often times they tend to lack lack in depth, so the fact that Incarnate has the best female character I have read ever is astonishing. From the summary you know that Anna ...more

MORE? MORE! @ P.S. I love that book!
THE WORLD: Okay so the world in this series in unique. Basically you have souls who have been around since day one and they just incarnate with every birth. Therefore, people are intelligent and have hundreds of years worth of memories. But one day one of these souls dies and does not incarnate anymore. Instead a new soul is born. And here the story takes off...
CHARACTERS: So the new soul is called Ana. A girl raised by one of old souls in isolation because of ...more
THE WORLD: Okay so the world in this series in unique. Basically you have souls who have been around since day one and they just incarnate with every birth. Therefore, people are intelligent and have hundreds of years worth of memories. But one day one of these souls dies and does not incarnate anymore. Instead a new soul is born. And here the story takes off...
CHARACTERS: So the new soul is called Ana. A girl raised by one of old souls in isolation because of ...more

Jun 09, 2011
tonya.
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
2012,
favorites,
ya,
dystopian-utopian-post-apocalyptic,
swoons,
music-centric,
arcs,
favorities-of-2012
It's rare for me to become sucked into a book immediately. Typically I need time to feel comfortable with the narrator's voice and get my bearings within the story's world--but not so with Incarnate. I was immersed from the very first page, intrigued with a storyline I'd only glimpsed on the very surface, and immediately sympathetic to Ana.
In a world populated only by Reincarnates--those who have died and been reborn since the beginning of time--Ana is a nosoul. A newsoul. From birth she has bee ...more
In a world populated only by Reincarnates--those who have died and been reborn since the beginning of time--Ana is a nosoul. A newsoul. From birth she has bee ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
YA Buddy Readers'...: Incarnate (Newsoul #1) by Jodi Meadows - Restarting May 14th 2018 | 34 | 188 | May 05, 2018 02:21AM | |
Crazy for Young A...: Incarnate (Newsoul #1) by Jodi Meadows → Start Date: February 26th, 2016 | 47 | 19 | Mar 13, 2016 06:03PM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...: Incarnate (Newsoul #1) by Jodi Meadows - Start Date: August 4, 2014 | 7 | 29 | Aug 23, 2014 05:34AM | |
Is This Book Clean? | 4 | 83 | Mar 09, 2014 09:50AM | |
David Estes Fans ...: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows Buddy Read! | 88 | 61 | Feb 09, 2014 02:45AM |
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Other books in the series
Newsoul
(3 books)
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2 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“There's always the option of deciding for yourself who you are and what you'll become.”
—
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“Did you have friend?"
"I've read about them, but I don't believe they exist."
"Your cynicism is amazing.”
—
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More quotes…
"I've read about them, but I don't believe they exist."
"Your cynicism is amazing.”