Soul Machine
by Jordana Globerman; illus. by the author
Middle School, High School    Annick    228 pp.
6/25    9781773219585    $24.99
Paper ed.  9781773219592    $17.99

This story of fifteen-year-old Chloe, an aspiring soul weaver in a dystopian world run by the megacorporation MCorp, makes for a maximalist graphic novel: dense yet ambiguous, grounded in both fantasy and science, earnest and at times a parody of capitalist society. When the supply of breth (a mysterious plant used by weavers to make souls) grows short, older sister Lacey reluctantly sends the eager and naive Chloe to the big city of M-tropolis to secure more. Guided by her missing father’s archives, Chloe is quickly entranced by the futuristic city and two persuasive figures: MCorp’s authoritative Maya and rebellious “Nuspiritalist” Persie. Chloe soon discovers that MCorp’s nefarious product, Digibreth, is to blame for the decimation of the breth crop. Family secrets, hard truths, and personal sacrifice culminate in the demise of Digibreth, which gives the sisters a renewed sense of commitment to their collective work as soul weavers. Globerman’s show-not-tell narrative relies on panel-packed pages, figurative illustrations of metaphysical concepts (such as the interconnectivity of life, or “chain energy”), and shifting monochromatic hues to signify setting and tone. While the mechanics and lore of Chloe’s reality remain vague, many dystopian tropes (a fascist police state, over-the-top consumerism, and speculative tech) feel familiar; however, the book’s greatest strength lies in Globerman’s multifaceted, empathetic characters, with their complex motivations in a complicated world. Discussion questions “with no wrong answers” are appended.

From the September/October 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.