Soulmatch - by Rebecca Danzenbaker (Paperback)

About the Book

"In a world where past lives determine your future, a sharp-witted girl confronts a major twist of destiny, embroiling her in a high-stakes game of danger, corruption, and heartbreak"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

In a world where past lives determine your future, a sharp-witted girl confronts a major twist of destiny, embroiling her in a high-stakes political game in this "clever, thrilling, and impossible to put down" (Kirkus Reviews) young adult speculative romance perfect for fans of Scythe and Matched.

Two hundred years after World War III, the world is at peace, all thanks to the soul-identification system. Every eighteen-year-old must report to the government to learn about their past lives, a terrifying process known as kirling. Good souls leave the institute with their inheritance, a career path, and if they're lucky, a soulmate. Bad souls leave in handcuffs.

It's a nerve-wracking ordeal for Sivon, who, given her uncanny ability to win every chess match, already suspects her soul isn't normal. Turns out, she was right to worry. Sivon's results stun not only her, but the entire world, making her the object of public scrutiny and anonymous threats.

Saddled with an infuriating and off-limits bodyguard, Sivon is thrust into a high-stakes game where souls are pawns and rules don't exist. As deaths mount, Sivon must decipher friend from foe while protecting her heart against impossible odds. One wrong move could destroy the future lives of everyone Sivon loves, and she can't let that happen, even if they'll never love her back.

Review Quotes

"In Soulmatch, Rebecca Danzenbaker has created an immersive futuristic world that feels as dangerous as it is intriguing. With a relatable protagonist that's easy to root for and a love story that keeps you on your toes, this book is a delicious combo of romance, mystery, and action that readers won't want to miss."--Mackenzie Reed, author of The Rosewood Hunt and The Wilde Trials

"Prepare to be dazzled! Soulmatch, Rebecca Danzenbaker's richly imagined dystopian tale, combines vivid world-building with heart-pounding suspense. Just as the future is unfolding for Sivon, the haunting idea that no one can ever truly escape their past sets the stage for an unforgettable thriller from a writer to watch!"--Constance Sayers author of A Witch in Time

"Soulmatch channeled everything I've been craving from a classic dystopian romance YA novel for years. It felt like I'd been transported back in time to corrupt governments and brave teens battling the odds. And yet, Danzenbaker adds her own fresh twist to the tale, bringing us a vivid world, a unique concept, and a perfectly swoony romance. I read it all in one sitting, and it kept me guessing until the end."--Nisha J. Tuli, International Bestselling author of Trial of the Sun Queen

"This intricately-plotted YA dystopian novel is clever, witty, and full of heart. Danzenbaker effortlessly steers readers through a futuristic world dictated by fate and life-altering technology, while anchoring us with universally relatable themes of teenagehood. Compelling and thought provoking--I absolutely flew through this!"--Keshe Chow, author of The Girl With No Reflection

"Wildly innovative, Soulmatch pulled me in on the very first page and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. With complex world building, forbidden romance, and twists at every turn, readers will find their souls thoroughly enthralled."
--Angela Montoya, author of Sinner's Isle and A Cruel Thirst

A futuristic society where souls are tracked and controlled across lifetimes forms the backdrop for this gripping debut.

In the America of 236 A.K., every 18-year-old is required to undergo kirling, a process of "matching of a soul from a former life (foli) to a current life (culi)," using a global database. Sivon hopes her kirling results will offer her a much-needed sense of direction--until she realizes exactly how dangerous the system can be. Her fears of facing the harsh fate of a bad soul intensify when Ziva, a girl she befriends at the Semyon Kirlian Institute, is revealed to be Flavinsky, a soul notorious for taking their own life after every kirling. Sivon's world is upended after the results of her kirling bring an unexpected outcome, and she soon finds herself fighting for survival when secrets come to light. Danzenbaker takes a fresh approach to the genre, blending classic themes with an innovative reincarnation-based premise. Sivon is a relatable protagonist who captures the uncertainty of youth while demonstrating remarkable resilience. The plot is fast-paced and suspenseful, though the final act, packed with revelations, risks overwhelming readers with its convoluted complexity. Still, the writing remains sharp, the twists are compelling, and the story delivers an engaging exploration of identity, resistance, and the question: Does our past define us? Following "centuries of international peace and merging cultures," Sivon lives in a multiracial society.

A thought-provoking and original addition to the genre; clever, thrilling, and impossible to put down. (Dystopian. 12-18)--Kirkus "05/15/2025"

During the 200 years following WWIII, the Global Coalition of Governments mandated a soul identification process called kirling, which matches people with their past lives, leading to unprecedented international peace and prosperity. Eighteen-year-old Sivon knows that there's something unusual about her soul and anxiously awaits her kirling, hoping for an explanation for her nervous tics and preternaturally gifted performance in games of strategy. Instead of the answers she seeks, though, Sivon is identified as a new soul with no previously recorded lives. Catapulted to instant celebrity, Sivon is recruited as spokesperson for the prime minister of North America in exchange for getting a security detail. She quickly discovers that the glamorous appearances of her new job, boss, and life belie a dark underbelly of corruption and deadly plots. But her investigations are complicated by her steamy yet antagonistic relationship with her 19-year-old bodyguard, Donovan. Debut author Danzenbaker conjures a futuristic dystopia that uses reincarnation to summarily explore ideas of criminal rehabilitation, predestination, and the perils of constant surveillance across a relatable first-person perspective that features ample dramatic intrigue and a forbidden, smoldering enemies-to-lovers romance. Characters are described as having "an array of bronze skin tones." Ages 12-up. Agents: Michelle Wolfson, Wolfson Literary. (July)--Publishers Weekly "4/28/2025"

Sivon will be kirled--learning her soul's past lives and what they left for her--in a few days at the age of 18. Since the discovery of photographing and creating models of soul IDs, souls are matched throughout their lives and bodies. What a soul has done in a past life will impact the next, whether for good or ill, leaving an inheritance, viable career path, criminal sentence, or even a soulmate. Sivon knows from the aura her mother sees that she is different, and her anxiety is high when she arrives at the kirling institute. There she encounters circumstances that only fuel her worries, followed by an unprecedented kirling result. Thrown into a life she did not anticipate with a disgruntled bodyguard, she may be more connected to the souls around her than she could have imagined. In her debut novel, ­Danzenbaker's concept hints at ethical issues, but they are not explored deeply, with the focus instead on the idea of soulmates and connection, resulting in a plot-driven ­romance. ­VERDICT A quick standalone read for teen fans of the "enemies to lovers" trope with some mystery and thriller set against the backdrop of dystopian science fiction. --School Library Journal "7/1/25"

About the Author

Rebecca Danzenbaker believes in trusting your gut and chasing your dreams. That probably explains her massive career jumps--from teaching elementary school music, to managing a team of twenty-five at Congressional Quarterly, to running an award-winning photography business, to writing young adult novels. When she's not editing words or photos, she's either reading, hiking, sending memes to friends, volunteering, planning incredibly detailed travel itineraries, being a goofball on social media, or cheering on her husband and two children as they chase their own dreams. Soulmatch is her debut novel, the culmination of five years of blood, sweat, and tears. She did it!