So beautiful! This book is so so beautiful. I can't even describe the feelings I got during this book. The plot was amazing.

'In order to make discoveries, there has to be sacrifices.'

Bay Lilly is soon to turn 18, and about to face the biggest test of her life. Her brother, Ash, is dying from an incurable disease and it is time for Bay to take her spiritual test. She's not ready for this, struggling with her thoughts and emotions, especially when it comes to her brother. When her brother's death goes badly, Bay takes up a quest to free her brother's soul.

This book was a very different premise to a lot of novels I've read. The ideas of reincarnation and what it means to be spiritual were well explored, but I did have a little issue with the world building at times. There was a lot going on, and I felt like I was struggling to keep up with what was happening. I feel like the themes of the novel could have been a bit punchier if there was less going on in the world of the book to keep track of.

That being said, the descriptions of the relationship between Bay and her brother Ash really tugged at my heartstrings, and I could feel her anguish as I was reading. Bay's fear in losing those she loved most was so real, and I really wanted to reach out and give this character a hug at times.

I loved Bay's relationship with her little rag tag crew of friends, and her journey to be more accepting of herself and her feelings, while still being the spiritual person she longed to be.

If you like Sci Fi or fantasy novels, do give this one a go. I think it absolutely had its strengths as I haven't read anything like it before, and I did enjoy Bay's character very much and liked following her journey.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Sara Jane Triglia for this Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

So I originally saw a piece about this book on Facebook from the author and the description sounded very interesting. I was not disappointed I would highly recommend this book to any fantasy fan. Pleas read it you won’t regret it

Firstly, huge thanks to Snowfire Publishing, author Sarah Jane Triglia, and NetGalley for letting me dive into this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say, this story really got to me and is certainly one I will not forget. I was moved to tears multiple times.

It had everything—adventure, romance, grief, hypocrisy, spirituality, and some seriously cool sci-fi tech. The "Hunger Games meets Avatar" pitch is delivered upon, but the stakes are totally different, making it a story all its own.

While it's definitely accessible for high-school-aged readers, the themes and impact of the relationships give it a crossover appeal similar to the Hunger Games.

I really connected to Bay’s struggle with perfectionism, and her journey to self-acceptance and letting go of things beyond her control hit me hard. The dialogue even called me out a bit, reminding me that sometimes I just need to have faith, even as someone who leans more toward science than spirituality.

Ash's character was so lovable, and his passing hit me hard, right alongside Bay. The line, "having him in my life, even if only for eight years, was better than not having him at all," stuck with me long after finishing the book.

As someone who wants to get the quote "We are all stardust" tattooed, the overall message really resonated with me. It's ultimately about accepting that sentiment, no matter where you fall on the belief spectrum. The story touched on grieving someone who's still alive, how grief affects relationships, and the universal desire to be seen for who we truly are.

The world-building was solid. It was a bit confusing at times, albeit adding to the story's uniqueness. Much of the confusion is intentional and made clear by the ending though, so stick with it! The storytelling was immersive, painting vivid images that pulled me into the setting, the action, and the characters' dynamics.

And that ending! Easily my favorite part. It was totally unexpected but made perfect sense with the hints dropped along the way. It tied up loose ends while leaving me with new questions to ponder long after finishing.

While the amount of things I enjoyed about this book far outweighs the things I didn’t, there were a few things I didn’t love:

• Some references, like the significance of being barefoot versus wearing shoes, felt unresolved.
• Gemma, a mother-like figure, also felt underdeveloped, leaving me wanting more from her character.
• There were also some subtle digs at "millennial culture" and the "wokeness" trend that some were funny and others didn't land, but I didn't see exactly how it connected to the themes
• The use of modern slang like "vibes" and "fire" seemed forced and added little to the overall message. Perhaps the intention was to annoy the reader for the sake of it, but I didn't understand the purpose.

Overall, this is a strong debut novel, and I'm already telling my friends to keep an eye out for it when it's published!

Rating: 4.5 Stars!

Wow, wow, wow. This was just the book I needed. The perfect combo of science fiction and spirituality. I love how that’s even reflected in the title. This book is an adventure book that explores a lush island jungle and in a world where reincarnation is proven real. There aren’t too many current YA fiction books that explore reincarnation, and not in the way this book has.

This is one of those books that is going to stay with me. I could relate to Bay from the start. That pull to be perfect in an imperfect world. The characters were a nice blend of personalities that were fun to follow. I loved the foreshadowing that took place in her dreams. After the ending, I went back and browsed the book for the parts I remembered pointed to the end. Very well-written.

Once the initial conflict (her brother’s soul being stuck in a pod) was over, the action slowed down while Bay gathered her bearings in the new place she landed in. I found it interesting to explore this new place with her. I also enjoyed the character development and romance that happened in this portion of the book. I can see how this change in pace might be a shift some readers don't like but the action picked back up towards the end.

The end! Okay, this is one of those endings that people are either going to love or hate. And I fall in the love category. Predictable endings are boring, and this one was quite the twist. But once you go back and read through the book you can see all the subtle clues leading to it. I don’t want to give too much away but the ending was my favorite part.

5/5 for this book. I’ll be getting myself a hardcopy for my bookshelf. Thank you to Snowfire and Netgalley for my advanced e-copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

First of all, thank you to Snowfire Publishing, author Sarah Jane Triglia, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Since NetGalley doesn’t separate fantasy from sci-fi, let me add that this is a YA sci-fi book.

The book follows Bay Lily, soon to turn 18, in the Sub Rosa island. Her life is tough, living on the edge of poverty with what feels like a neglectful mother. To add to her misery, her 8-year-old brother, Ash, suffers from an incurable disease. It’s the same disease that killed the father. Both Bay and their mother are immune to this disease (no one knows why a few are immune). The half of the book grapples with Bay’s feelings regarding her brother’s looming death. She loves him and wishes she could find a cure. But when the time comes, scientists arrive with a strange machine, a soul tracer. Grief-stricken, their mother tries to follow Ash’s soul as it leaves his body to see what form it will take next. The experiment goes awry, and Bay almost dies while trying to correct it. With Ash’s soul caught in the in-between, she sets out on a trek across the island’s jungle, determined to free her brother’s soul.

Target audience: Appropriate for 16 and older.

Observations: Great writing. Great dialogue. Good crew of characters. Amazing world-building. The pacing dragged at times.

The ending…was not what I expected. I won’t disclose it to avoid spoilers, but I suggest sticking with this book all the way to the end.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this book but, man, did it deliver.

Bay has a lot to face in her life, but the thing that upsets her the most is her grapple with her brother’s form-death. On her eighteenth birthday, her spiritual test begins and this forces her on her path. As she is doubting her spirituality, her brother’s death goes badly, and she must confront her doubts or otherwise her brother will never be free.

This book had me turning the pages, and I loved how different it was, and yet still familiar in its tropes. I found myself completely immersed in this world and the way it was weaved had me asking questions and the answer were revealed at the right time. I love when this happens, it’s so satisfying. This book had the perfect balance of romance, action/adventure, and mind boggling sci fi!

The ending was not what I expected, but in the best way. It had me thinking all night. If you loved Divergent or any sci fi that makes you think, you will dig this book. Pick it up!

Thanks to Sarah Jane Triglia and NetGalley for my ARC copy. I wrote this review of my own free will with my own opinions.

First of all, thank you to Snowfire Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The first half of the book follows Bay Lily’s journey as she tries to save what she believes is her brother’s soul. At 8 years old, her younger brother died due to an incurable illness- and due to grief, their mother tries to follow his soul as it leaves his body to see what form it will take next. The experiment goes wrong and Bay almost dies while trying to correct it. This portion of the book was fast-paced and well-written, but the second half of the book shifted to a different plot entirely and lost its momentum. Bay discovers her gift and must use it to halt a war before casualties begin. It felt like this portion of the book was supposed to be reflective and illuminating, but it felt rushed and like the plot was too heavily focused on an attempt to be inspiring to actually achieve its goal. The ending made very little sense to me and came out of no where compared to how previous events unfolded.

Overall, it was an okay book. I think it was a good debut YA novel, and it definitely had its strengths and its likable moments and characters. I think the premise was sound, but just fell short by the end.