review - Asunder

	Asunder by: Jodi Meadows | Website | Twitter Publication Date: January 29, 2013 Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books Series: Newsouls #2 Format: Hardcover Page Count: 406 Genre: YA, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Get your copy: Amazon | B&N
Summary: DARKSOULS Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place. SHADOWS Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves. LOVE Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection. In this second book in the Newsoul trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy. Summary and cover image from goodreads.
Asunder starts off in the aftermath of Templedark and the mourning of lost darksouls. The steady pulse of Heart's walls have Ana in a perpetual state of unease; which prompts a trip back to Purple Rose Cottage. She and Sam start their research into what caused Templedark and the mystery behind everyone's reincarnation. This early section had a Michael Crichton/Dan Brown feel, read: mystery/thriller, where the setting is far removed and there's a lab. So armed with Menehem's research and the Temple books in an unreadable language of symbols, Ana and Sam sift through experiment notes. I really enjoyed these scenes, although it did seem that Ana became a little repetitive with her questions and subsequent answers. Sylphs play an important role in Asunder. In Heart, they had always been accepted as just another creature of the world; but they start acting strangely, raising questions of what is going on. Specifically, Ana seems to be able to control them or at least sway them with music. And music in Asunder could be described as an actual setting, a place where Ana and Sam grow in their relationship. So much of the story is connected to music; emotions, backstory (Blue Rose Serenade), and fellowship. With the darksouls forever gone, newsoul births begin in Heart; which effectively splits society into divided factions. As the oldest newsoul, Ana feels it is her duty to protect the newsouls and to provide them with the love and caring that she missed out from Li. I definitely connected with Ana in this series. She's the new kid on the block, where everyone else has a 5,000 year old friendship. I think everyone can empathize with her sense of loneliness, where others have so much history and can convey so much with just one look or movement. Thank goodness she found comfort in Sam. With rising tensions and the uncertainty of reincarnation, Ana and company struggle to find the truth. Threats, missing persons, double crossings, explosions, sacrifices, a revisit into the Temple, and of course an unwavering romance await readers in this intense sequel. And talk about the twist concerning the Sylphs at the end.
I liked waking up across the tent from him; seeing his messy hear and sleepy smile first thing chased away my lingering fears and sadness. Why couldn't Sam really be a boy my age, with no more experience than I had? No past lives, past loves. Why couldn't he be only for me?
Stay by Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko I think Ana and Sam would approve of this duet backed by a piano. There was a scene where Ana just wants Sam to stay with her. But it also has hints of how Sam feels about Ana and her short lifespan. It's not much of a life you're living It's not just something you take – it's given And the chorus perfectly matches their feelings. Not really sure how to feel about it. Something in the way you move Makes me feel like I can't live without you. It takes me all the way. I want you to stay. Ana, because all these feelings are new for her; Sam, because he feels that their relationship isn't proper. But Ana's response to Sam's ethical dilemma is spot-on, that there's always going to be 5,000 years between them. When does this become a non-issue? Would it ever be a non-issue? I love that Ana fights for her and Sam.