Soul Machine

A Wrinkle in Time meets Brave New World in this thought-provoking debut graphic novel about one girl’s quest to save her family's livelihood—and maybe existence itself.

Chloe, 14, and her 16-year-old sister, Lacey, make souls by hand in an empty old house in the countryside. When their supply of breth—the raw material needed to make souls—runs dry, the evil MCorp tries to force them to franchise and make synthetic souls instead. Chloe sets out to the big city in hopes of finding a new source. And maybe a way to modernize their business that Lacey is so determined to keep in the past.

On a journey to find a real breth crop, untouched by MCorp’s greedy hands, Chloe uncovers long-buried family secrets—and starts to question whom to trust and what reality even is.

A beautifully rendered debut, Soul Machine is at once a metaphysical science-fiction story and a nuanced exploration of big ideas: spirituality, family, consciousness, and connection, but also unscrupulous consumption, megacorporations, and how egomaniac entrepreneurs impact our lives.

• STEAM CONNECTION: Metaphysical science fiction, asks philosophical questions about the nature of reality and consciousness.
• NEW TAKE ON METAPHYSICS FOR KIDS: A modern A Wrinkle in Time meets Brave New World, but focused on contemporary issues and in a more accessible graphic novel format.
• INCREDIBLE ART: Captivating art with Belgian-influenced comic style stands out in the market, gives the book reverence.
• DEBUT: This is Jordana Globerman’s first book.
• SIMPLE BUT TOPICAL: The ideas are not overly complicated, but perfect for sparking questions in youth about how social media, mega corporations, and egomaniac entrepreneurs impact our lives.
• FOR FANS OF: A Wrinkle in Time and Tokyo Ghost
• ??LEVELING INFO: F-P Guided Code: Z - Grade Eight II. Lexile Code: High-Low 280 L