Soul Machine
In Jordana Globerman’s ambitious graphic novel Soul Machine, a girl tries to protect a family business that supplies souls.
After the disappearance of their father, Chloe and Lacey continue the family trade, spinning souls from a substance called breth. With real breth difficult to acquire, MCorp introduces Digibreth, an artificial replacement. Chloe travels to find more breth and meets the Nuspiritualists, a group protesting MCorp. Then Chloe meets Maya, the CEO of MCorp, who wants to find Morris, Chloe’s father. Lacey and Chloe are transported to their father’s secret hideout, where Chloe finds a way to save the dying breth crops—at a steep cost.
The art uses a limited color palette to indicate moods and settings and powerful techniques to emphasize emotion, as with a page split down the middle showing Chloe and Lacey worrying about each other. Fantasy elements are evident, such as the giant flying insects that transport the Nuspiritualists.
The story has a dreamy quality; it’s surreal and surprising in pleasing ways. Chloe is exposed to contrary viewpoints that challenge her, and no one is without flaws. When asked to side with either the Nuspiritualists or Maya, Chloe replies with hard-won wisdom: “Neither of you care about souls … just your own ideologies.”
Soul Machine is a compelling graphic novel about a girl’s quest to save her family and the world.
Reviewed by
Peter Dabbene
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
