A poetic love story about two teens who come together through the songs of a mysterious singer.

Evan Taft has plans for his future, until his dad abruptly leaves his family, ultimately leaving Evan to take care of his mother and younger brother.
Shosh has big dreams to head into a career of performing arts, until her sister is killed by a drunk driver.
As both teens are feeling lost, sad, unfulfilled and unmotivated for their futures, they hear a voice singing; one that no one else can hear. "You hear her too," I say. She looks around, quietly hums a now-familiar song..
Author David Arnold tells the story through an alternating POV from both Evan and Shosh and incorporates poems and song lyrics to connect the two souls together through time.

I will admit it took a few chapters for me to understand what was happening with the story, as it was confusing at first knowing how all these characters were related. But, once I understood the structure of the story, I fell in love with the plot. If you're struggling with it, I encourage you to keep going. Ultimately the book is about how souls connect through time, present, past and future.

I'm a sucker for love stories, and this one hit the spot. It was just the right amount of "sappy" but different. I have yet to read a book that's like this one.

A passage from the book that stuck with me (please note that I am quoting an ARC of the book and therefore I am quoting uncorrected text):
"Hot Take: if therapy were a universal mandate, the universe would be improved by orders of magnitude."

I love that author David Arnold allowed himself to be vulnerable in writing this book. So much of this book revolves around his personal life - I encourage you to read the acknowledgements and gain a new perspective on the book.

This was a beautifully done multi-time story, it had a great love story going on. I was hooked from the first page and am glad I was able to read this. The characters did everything that I was hoping for and were written perfectly. It does everything that I wanted and am glad I read this.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me this arc.

I really expected much because I loved the cover and the title of this book but oh my, I'm sorry but I don't really like it after reading it. First of all, I don't actually know what's going on, it's all like puzzle pieces here for me. Second, it takes too long (half way through the book) for the main characters to meet. Third, it's kinda boring so it takes me a lot of time to convince myself to finish this one.

Pub Date: 10/10/23
CW: panic attacks, alcoholism, cancer diagnosis

As always, thank you to NetGalley Viking Books for the approval and eARC. this was one I had been looking forward to reading, as anything with soulmates has me in a chokehold.

I anticipated this one hurting, as one usually does with anything soulmate related but I was honestly very confused throughout the entire book. It took me forever to get through it, the pacing was slow and unfortunately this book didn’t have me in a chokehold like some others have.

At 35%, the main characters still hadn’t met yet, which was mildly frustrating, to say the least. I didn’t really understand the concept or how the author was trying to convey it. I thought I did, and then something would happen and I’d be like “wut???” all over again. Evan would be “speaking” but he wasn’t really speaking (at least I don’t think he was), and another character would respond anyways and overall it just didn’t make much sense, which, again, was unfortunate cause this had the potential to be a great book and concept.

I was very excited to be picked for this arc but I had a hard time immersing myself in the world. I would pick it up but I struggled to finish. The characters needed more life to them. The pacing of the story was also hard because it was very slow in the beginning. The plot kind of dragged along and I needed more from the characters.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

“For fans of Matt Haig” doesn’t feel correct at all for me. He’s one of my favorite authors as me I’ve read most of his books. The writing is very different. Haig has a grasp on humanity that’s sharp, witty, and poignant, and he delves into what defines humanity with a force of emotion that’s unmatched in every single one of his books. This book’s writing is not at Haig’s caliber. The plot sounds reminiscent of the Midnight Library from the blurb, sure, but that’s a very different statement than “for fans of Matt Haig.” This is like… Midnight Library meets High School? The marketing team should reevaluate, as there will likely be a slew of disappointed Matt Haig fans and poor reviews. I stopped at 7%.

The cover is beautiful.

I do want to comment on the swearing. While I’m not opposed to it, I am one of those who at least question it (in adult and in YA), and the swear words in this book are being thrown for… well, they really aren’t necessary. They felt so misplaced, especially next to “I love my seven year old brother.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

Was excited to read this based off the synopsis, however I had a really hard time to finish this book. I would pick it up and try to immerse myself in the world, but found the characters to be quite lackluster, thus take a break from reading. It took me a few times of this to eventually finish the book. Overall, the biggest issue with this book was the pacing of the story. While the main characters don't need to meet right away, waiting till halfway through the book is very frustrating. Perhaps if this was part of longer series, it would make sense to delay the meeting, but otherwise it just makes the plot drag.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and David Arnold for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book evoked a myriad of complex emotions and stirred an emotional turmoil within me. I have always been drawn to the themes of endless love and the pursuit of one's soulmate across different timelines. The unfortunate nature of short-lived love stories has always fascinated me, and I was eager to delve deep into this philosophical plotline. The author's poetic and somewhat enigmatic storytelling style seemed to be a perfect fit for this unique fantasy world. However, I found myself not fully enjoying the overall execution of this original story. The pacing was slow, making it difficult to get immersed in the narrative from the beginning. The introduction of the main characters' storylines took longer than expected, leaving me feeling somewhat lost and requiring extra effort to find my place in the reading journey. It was a challenging experience that demanded considerable effort to connect with the characters and understand their different timelines.

Furthermore, the conclusion left me with lingering questions, which didn't fully satisfy my personal taste.

The plot revolves around Shosh and Even, the main characters who live separate lives but begin to uncover echoes from their past lives. Shosh is still mourning the loss of her sister, causing her dreams of attending college and pursuing a career in theater to be put on hold as her anger takes control of her present. During a blurry state of mind induced by excessive drinking, she starts hearing the haunting melody of a mysterious woman's song, which may lead her down a different path.

Evan, on the other hand, has his own share of burdens. He grapples with his mother's battle with cancer and his neglectful father's refusal to return home during this life-and-death struggle. He is also at a loss on how to help his 7-year-old brother, who often retreats into a fantasy world instead of facing the harsh realities of their dysfunctional family life. Suddenly, Evan too begins to hear the captivating lyrics of the same mysterious singer, which may ultimately change everything he thought he knew about himself and his entire existence.

Overall, I appreciated the intriguing plotline of this book; however, I struggled with its slow and somewhat monotonous pacing, as well as the complex execution. Despite this, I remain interested in reading the author's future works. I appreciate the author's poetic and original storytelling skills, and I am giving this book a solid three-star rating.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/Viking Books for Young Readers for providing me with a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank You, net galley for the arc of this book.

I had to DNF this book in chapter 2. The premise and the covers sound exciting but the content was disappointing.

I can barely rate this because of how boring it was.

The two main characters felt very flat and linear. It seemed like there was no plot or action going on and it felt so slow. I think that my biggest issue with the writing was so much description of the setting that I did not know where they were. The first chapter felt like a blur to me. It felt like I was reading a drunk dream.

My biggest issue with Shosh and Evan was that their stories intertwined so much that we didn't hear about their past life. It felt like the author was trying to fix something by chapter 2. I don't know what though.

The songs were an unnecessary subplot. It felt like the author was giving them a career focus because of adulthood. All in all, the first two chapters felt forced.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I really enjoyed this book, however to those that are impatient for the characters to meet, they might get frustrated that this doesn't happen until halfway through. Overall, I thought the story was very well executed, and I enjoyed both POV's immensely. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

Many thanks to Penguin Group for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. The pacing was just a little to slow for my ADHD mind. It didn't make me NEED to find out what was next. I also felt that this book was confusing.

The main characters don't meet until well after the halfway mark and that was just very slow burn for me.

I was very intrigued by the synopsis of the book, but just did not enjoy it in the way that I had hoped I would.

DNF. I felt like this book was just trying to be horny and edgey. The characters don't even meet till like the half way point. Didn't enjoy it.

This was deeply romantic and heart-felt. It's a story about two people who keep finding each other and falling in love in different lifetimes. I enjoyed the past glimpses of them falling in love, as well as the current lives they were living.
The characters were realistic and relatable. The story flowed nicely.

This is the kind of book that restores your faith in humanity and allows you to hope for a better world.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this ARC before it releases.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Oh, David. You always know just the right words to say to BREAK ME IN HALF. Shosh's backstory killed me and the way that Evan took care of Will warmed my cold, dead heart. The love and chemistry between them set me on fire. Also, the fact that he wrote ORIGINAL SONGS that were absolutely beautiful is the best thing I've ever seen in a book. If only I could hear them! This is a book that will stick with you for a long time. If you're a fan of his prose, star crossed lovers, and a beautiful story, don't miss this.

Poetic, dreamy, meandering prose takes the reader on a slow ride through these characters' lives.

This is a beautiful book, but it takes some work to get into it. I spent the first few pages confused on who the characters were and how they related to each other. Arnold doesn't introduce characters so much as throw the reader headlong into their stream of consciousness. The main characters take a while to meet, but everything's building towards that momentous moment.

Shosh's angry after her sister's death caused her to lose everything. Stevie was her moon: the person she centered her whole being on. She's floundering, having refused to follow her previous dream of going to college and pursuing theater in the aftermath of her grief. Through the haze of alcohol, she begins to hear a mysterious singer with lyrics that seem to be leading her to something.

Evan's struggling with his dad walking out on the family, especially after the mom's cancer diagnosis doesn't bring him back. Most of all, he's struggling with how to take care of William, his brilliant, sensitive seven-year-old brother, who does things like build a spaceship in his room, cover himself in Band-aids and watch ET every Tuesday night for years. I just wanted to give him a hug. Evan's prepared to sacrifice his own future to take care of them, but when he begins to hear a mysterious singer, his whole world's set off kilter.

The story of Shosh and Evan is interspersed with stories of them being brought together time and again in past lives, only for the romance to be short-lived due to tragedy. It leaves the reader rooting for their souls to finally find long-lasting happiness this time.

Arnold has a insightful, visionary way of stating things, crafting lines that stuck with me long after I'd finished the book.

An example of a passage that stuck out to me:
“Things have a way of taking on the lives of those around them, so when someone in the house betrays you, it's a betrayal multiplied in perpetuity: your favorite book turns to drivel; coffee in space-related paraphernalia, undrinkable; couches, unsittable. And when the betrayer walks out the front door for the last time, you'll have to dig a tunnel under the house, or exit through the chimney, because fuck that door.”

These beautiful, troubled characters find healing in each other. I loved the ways characters loved and supported each other wholeheartedly throughout this book: Evan has Ali and Shosh has Ms. Clark. It's Arnold's ability to draw out the human beauty in us all that made the ending of the book so touching.

EVERY character felt like a manic pixie dream girl. Unrealistically quirky, existing only to serve the author's ego which manifested itself in his bloated prose.
The pacing was HORRIBLE.
Minor spoilers, but the main characters...the center of this apparently incredible love story, the ones literally on the cover...don't even meet till like 60% through the book. WHAT?!

Also, I have a hard time believing a 17 year old boy would compare himself to the heart eyes emoji.



Thanks to penguin random house and netgalley for this arc.