Jodi Meadows

I have no idea if it is just me, but I felt strong undercurrents of "ism" in this book. Simply replace the word nosoul with black, Chinese, gay, etc. Ana is the Newsoul in heart, or the nosoul, depending on who is asked. She replaced someone and having had zero control over this; She is still hated, fiercely.

The people of heart remind me of certain of my own family members (distant family), who would never accept me were I certain things listed above. Some people completely shut down show more because as soon as they learn you are "Other" you are now an object to them, you don't matter.

These are the people of Heart. It is more than a little Ironic that a people Living in village called Heart possess such little compassion and caring. This book really made me think; It has been a while since that happened, I thank you [a:Jodi Meadows|4116488|Jodi Meadows|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1389713448p2/4116488.jpg]. show less

Honestly, if you haven't started this funny, unique and smart series of books by these authors, then I can't stress enough - PUT EVERYTHING DOWN AND START NOW!

The first book was just as fun, quirky and sassy as this one. This one has Mary Godwin, better known in our time as Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. It also has Ada Byron , loosely based on Ada Lovelace (who I didn't know before starting the story). Both are smart, spunky and just on the brink of needing to make their way in the show more world. Ada is an advanced mathematician and Mary wants to be an author and excels at thinking on her feet and having an elaborate imagination. I loved learning their world, how they work and how their lives are smashed together.

There is a bit of magic in this story. I loved how the magic transformed the story from one I thought I was getting to suddenly realizing I was getting another! It was so well done that I didn't even see it creeping up until suddenly I saw who everyone else could be, if I just looked at them a little different.

I love the silly references to songs and stories. I also always love the little comments from the narrator straight to the reader that were in both stories in this series. I loved the details and all the fun in the story. Honestly, this one was so enjoyable I just might read it again (and I never re-read!) I hope there are more in this series! I will absolutely read them!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. show less

This reading year has begun with several choices outside my usual genres, perhaps the most extreme being this one: a YA historical romantic comedy that replaces history with fantasy anytime it wishes. For example, Henry VIII was able to transform himself into a lion and devour anyone who ticked him off (thereby earning himself the nickname of Lion King). Oh, and Jane Grey's husband Gifford (historically Guildford) Dudley turns into a horse every morning and back into a man every evening. And show more Bloody Mary is all about purging England of anyone with an animal form.

Should any of this work? Well, not for me it shouldn't. It does, though, because the writers know exactly what they're trying to do. At five hundred pages, it feels a bit long by the end (really my only critique), but My Lady Jane delivers on all its promises. It's a joyride of pure romantic fun, with unpredictable turns and endearing characters--poor kids who are expected to run a country instead of chasing true love, who are threatened with beheading when all they ever wanted was freedom to live their lives. They are developed with consistent motivations and adorable details. The recipe for this sweet treat of a book would look something like this: blend wit, nonsense, and huggability; sprinkle with "aww" and humor. I look forward to the next in the collection. show less

First of all, let me clarify something: I'm giving this book 5 cheeses but, if I could I would put six or seven. That's how amazing it was.
And I'm afraid I won't be able to write coherent things in this review and that the only thing you are going to keep reading in every single line is that I LOVED this book.

But I promise I'm trying to take deep breaths to calm myself down.
I think it's working. Now I have to put order in my head (to many things I want to say, sorry).

Facts:
- Since I show more discovered how to highlight quotes in my readers I've been doing so a lot. But with this book I didn't highlight quotes, at all, I kept highlighting paragraphs, PAGES. Really. I was completely amazed too, they are 94 highlights in total!
- I started with Incarnate at 10:00pm and I went to sleep at 8:00am (after my hubby left). I had already finished the book at 6:00am but I couldn't stop myself, I needed to re-read the quotes, paragraphs and pages I had marked.
- I even had a dream about the book.
- I should be writing 3 reviews before this one but I had to share this book with you all.
- Jodi Meadow is now in my list of Amazing-Wonderful-Incredible Authors.
- Incarnate, the hardcover edition, will have a special place in my bookshelf.
- I can't believe I have to wait until 2013 for the next book. That's just wrong...

Proper review:
Everybody was expecting Ciana to be born. That how things worked: once you died you were reborn again, over and over again. No surprises, no new souls, everybody knew that after a lifetime they would gain another one remembering everything that had happened before (and if they couldn't remember something they had the diaries they always wrote).
Things had been like this for the last five thousand years.
That's why when Li gave birth to a baby no one could recognize their perfect world crumbled. Menehem, Li's husband, left the city ashamed of himself and Li had to take care of Ana, the new baby, the nosoul, even if she didn't want to.

And Ana always knew, thanks to Li, that her life was a mistake and that no one would ever love her. Li even assured her that she could never love because how could a nosoul feel love?! But she was wrong and Ana knew, deep down, that she loved music (she had once sneaked and listened to music. It had cost her Li's rage but it was worth it). Her favorite musician? Dossam, who could make her feel emotions she didn't even understand

As soon as Ana reached eighteen she left Li behind and marched to Heart, the city that held, hopefully, all the answers she sought.
But her trip to Heart almost cost her everything when sylphs cornered her: she coud die a horrible death with fire and pain with the sylphs or jump to the river and die of hypothermia.
She chose hypothermia (who wouldn't?!).

It was then that Sam saved her. A stranger that didn't look at her with disgust, a stranger that decided to help her get to Heart, a stranger that introduced her to new people who liked her. He shared his roof with her and always reassured her that she was a newsoul, not a nosoul.

But things in Heart weren't easy for her, of course. How could they be? A lot of the population blamed her for Ciana's death and were afraid that more "nosouls" would be born and replace some of them in the process.
And to make matters worst Li was back in town and the Council was considering gave Ana's custody to her again...

Personal opinion:
The way Jodi writes is mesmerizing, you won't be able to put the book down. The words will flow from the pages to your head and create the whole story for your eyes to see. When Ana struggled I struggled, when she discovered new things I discovered new things with her. Her feelings were one with mine and it felt incredibly good.

The way Sam and Ana's relationship develops is just perfect. No rushing at all, just what she needed and what he could give her in every step they took. I valued their friendship like a treasure and I'm sure you will feel the same.

The ending is just great, everything happens fast but well explained and the plot reaches the point where you feel at ease when your eyes read the last sentence.

Now, as I said, the next book comes out in 2013 but if it's any consolation this book doesn't leave you in a cliffhanger that could make you cry, it leaves the story in a good point making sure that you will want to read the next one. show less