The art in Soul Machine is absolutely breath taking. I love how it was constantly changing between singular color palettes - not only did this keep my attention but it also felt really intentional and pertinent to the story that was being told. However, the story felt like it got away from the author and was told in large info dumps instead of being developed and moving organically.

Soul Machine weaves the nervousness of climate change with a magical idea of souls being grown vs. genetically modified. Globerman seamlessly shows the real threat of companies monetizing on everything in our lives, including souls as well as the sadness that comes with abandonment by a power-hungry family member. I really enjoyed the color scheme and artwork.

A really interesting take on community, power, good vs bad, and sisterhood. Loved the art style, the color changes based on setting helped orient me in the story. MC could be annoying at times, but in the way that all of us are naive as kids, and her character growth was believable. Definitely recommend this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this story. I loved how there were difficult themes discussed in a gentle way. It allows readers to explore these intense themes without pushing an agenda or a right answer onto them. It allows readers to think about their own thoughts and feelings regarding these topics. I absolutely love that and would love to see this more in all books.

I was really able to connect and emphasize with the main character, Chloe. During the course of the book she goes on this journey both physically and emotionally that reveals things about her family she didn't know. Now she has to decide how to proceed and move on.

I have zero critic for this book. I absolutely love it and think the creator did an amazing job with everything from the pictures, to the story, right down to the use of color. Absolutely fantastic book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Annick Press for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I was excited about the premise of this graphic novel, but I was disappointed with how it was carried out. You want to root for the main character, but she doesn't feel like a real person. Then every adult in this story sucks. They all want to take advantage of the main character, without a thought-out reason for it. The world-building needed help and the characters needed depth.

Soul Machine definitely took me on a thought provoking journey. The message is strong, highlighting the clash between small businesses and the threat of big, money hungry corporations like MCorp. It also critiques consumerism while exploring deeper themes of familial legacy and the tension between tradition and modernization. The relationship between Chloe and Lacey highlights this struggle between old-world craftsmanship and the lure of modernization.

The metaphysical elements of soul-making and the elusive breth crop intrigued me, though I would have loved more explanation around how these concepts work, especially regarding the souls themselves.
The illustrations are cutesy and the shifting of colors add a nice touch, though the art style is not for me. Overall, this is a solid debut. Thank you @netgalley and @annick_press

It is just Chloe and her sister, Lacey, toiling away to make souls. Their father has disappeared without a trace. When there is no choice but for Chloe to go to the big city to purchase more “breth” at the marketplace, she finds herself pulled in multiple directions. She comes across communities from both sides of the spectrum, one that leans more towards capitalism and another that is more socialistic. Chloe is stuck between a rock and a hard place in the battle for the soul. Will she make the right decision or lose her way?
The message was interesting because it was portrayin both extremes of both capitalism and socialism. I’m not sure how this will play out with younger crowds, but it was a thinker for someone older.

#ThxNetGalley

What's anything all about anyway? The forward of this book really sets the tone for the overall experience, letting readers know this story aims to tackle big ideas without needing a complete or serious answer for all of them.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Annick Press for providing me with a copy of #SoulMachine in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.

Soul Machine really reminds me most of Repo! The Genetic Opera meets Idiocracy. A future where crops are being help by mega-corporations and a young girl learns just how much her family ties into the greater narrative being the focus should really drive that point home.

I think it's interesting to watch the story unfold through a young girl, but her characterization makes it really unclear how old she was meant to be. I truly thought she was around 10 for much of this story (likely because I had finished Sentient last night, and that's about how old the oldest characters were). I think that, overall the themes of the book or what it's "about" as brought up in the aforementioned forward are worth digging into, especially mid-TikTok court cases. We're increasingly connected to our devices and social media and continue to try to make the programs and choices work without stopping to ask if maybe there is a better more sustainable way.

Overall though, there's always room for corruption, or people just wanting to take the moral high ground. The weaving of Souls is truly the only part that gives me pause, as I still do not understand why it is that members of society craft souls for new lives. I wish there was just a smidge more world building there to explain, but it doesn't detract from the overall narrative.

If you have a younger reader in your life who is ready to tackle big themes and loves a bit of magical realism and sci-fi, I suggest giving this a shot. I was able to finish it in one sitting and the story does a great job of keeping people engaged.

CW: death, implied (metaphysical) drug use, self sacrifice

Soul Machine by Jordana Globerman is a graphic novel best geared for late middle school/early high school readers. It follows Chloe and her older sister who spin breth, a raw material that her family grew that is used to make souls. Both of the girls' parents are gone, and they are doing their best to hold the family business together. Meanwhile, in the city, the evil McCorp is creating synthetic souls. Chloe takes a chance and goes to the city to see if she can help save her family's business, and there she meets both Maya, the leader of McCorp and Persie, who believes a more spiritual path. Chloe works her way through both extremes and fantastical worlds to come to her own beliefs about souls, her family's business, and her family's relationships. The colors and panels are engaging for middle schoolers; the language isn't too hard to understand. It's a little heavy handed at times, but it works for the author's purpose and the audience. A good purchase for middle school libraries. Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for this ARC.

There is no doubt that this YA graphic novel is well illustrated and thought-provoking. I just wish for a fantasy/sci-fi world there was as much world building as character building. The segments felt choppy as Chloe traveled from her home to the city to investigate the depleting of Breth. With this the progress all felt stiff moving forward in the story. I'm glad I read it and saw value in discussing technology, consumption, consumerism and world value. I enjoyed the relationship between Chloe and her sister and how she maneuvered adults who entered their lives.

Trippy but overall a fun read. Not what I was expecting but I throughly enjoyed myself. Would definitely read more of their work.

Soul Machine is a good example of a book of well trodden ground with a charming art style that I want to like, but despite my efforts, I just couldn't finish. It wants to address important issues with non too subtle allegory, but it suffers from a lagging pace and paper thin characters you've no doubt seen in a hundred other narratives. It's not terrible, but it's neat engaging either.

ARC provided by NetGally & Annick Press

A unique graphic novel experience mainly due to the color shifts woven into the story telling. At its heart it’s about a girl figuring out the world around her and her place in it. I thought the font was a little hard to read and found my eyes more interested in the art.

Thanks to netgalley and annick press for an eARC

Let's start with what I liked - the art work. I loved the transition of color depending on who the MMF was talking to. Things that I think would have improved the story - a bit more explanation about Breth. I was very confused - are people in this universe born without souls and then they are supplied by weavers? Is having a soul optional? Are new beings not birthed? I think all of this would have aided me in better understanding and enjoying the story. All in all I think the main themes explored - capitalism, philosophy, family relationships - were interesting.

This Brave New World-esque graphic novel is equally beautiful and eerie at the same time. The world is set in a dystopian alternate reality where organic matter is spun into souls. A corporation comes in to "modernize" the process, which brings a whole host of problems along for the people and the society in which they live. The takeaways from this graphic novel are very relatable to real life, from the influence of technology and corporate greed on the world, to young adults searching to find themselves in the bustle of life. Beautifully written and even more beautifully illustrated.

Thank you to Annick Press and netgalley for an advance copy of this graphic novel.

Soul Machine is an interesting take on technology and what makes us human. There are "soul weavers" who use an organic plant to create souls, that then people buy. But there is a company creating "digital" versions, which are not as good and deteriorate over time. It is an interesting idea, but I found the world building confusing.

A graphic novel about a girl's quest to save her family's livelihood and possibly the entirety of existence itself. Chloe and her sister make souls by by their hands... but when their material to make souls runs low, they are forced to franchise by an evil corporation and now Chloe is determined to find a new source and a way to get back to what is true. This is a metaphysical science-fiction story about family, spirituality and megacorporation ideas. This was definitely an interesting story that deals with a lot of unique points and connections.The artwork was interesting too and I do think it's a fun read that makes you consider and think about things.

Release Date: June 3,2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Annick Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

In this dystopian graphic novel, Chloe embarks on a journey to find the now rare breth crop, which has been replaced by a synthetic alternative called digitbreth. The story explores how digitbreth fails to live up to the qualities of the original, sparking a deeper reflection on the consequences of technological advancements. Set in the world of Mcorp, the novel features characters who are controlled by Maya, a powerful yet morally ambiguous girlboss figure. Driven by capitalism, Maya's quest for success through the sale of digitbreth comes at any cost, even if it means exploiting those around her.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read an advanced copy of this.

I sadly had to dnf this at 30%

While I was enjoying the structure of this, I had to drop it very shortly in with the context of a dead parent. But for the most part this was enjoyable, I just couldn't get into it.

Me: 4/5 stars I love a good sibling relationship and the strain between Chloe and Lacey’s relationship made my heart hurt. Chloe is dedicated to saving their soul weaving business and finding their missing dad. The focus of human connection being tied to souls was a really beautiful concept.

11 year old: Early DNF, it was a little too creepy

8 year old: 5 bajillion/5 stars. I like when she goes with the group and Persie. I like when they went through a portal basically. I didn’t think the dad needed to die.