This book does a excellent job of world-building, immersing you in 1990s Chicago. It is well-written, with strong pacing, and takes you on an unexpected journey through Isaac’s world. The story blends deep character building, life lessons, and love all into one compelling story.

I was so excited to read this book based on the synopsis and the cover, but unfortunately I had to DNF @ 29%.

When we see Isaac interacting with others in this book it flows so well. His moments with his Grandma and Noa kept me wanting to keep going. Unfortunately, the writing style outside of this didn’t really work for me. There are several nods to PKD and I think the writing was supposed to be a nod to Dick’s writing, but I felt like I was drowning in the minutiae of the descriptions and at 29% there was no pay-off.

I’m ok with a slow burn, but for such a short book and with this level of tell not show detailing, I just had to accept that this book was not for me right now.

I originally picked it up because it seemed like a book my son or husband would love with the beginnings of the internet and the 90s vibe written into this intriguing sci-fi concept featuring this genuinely endearing character and a romance. Maybe I’ll circle back and read it with him in the future.

This was an engaging and well-written book that kept my interest throughout. The author delivered strong ideas and storytelling, with memorable moments that made it stand out. While there were a few areas that could have been expanded or polished further, overall it was an enjoyable and worthwhile read. I would recommend it to others looking for a thoughtful and rewarding experience.

When Isaac joins a conspiracy theory chatroom, he thinks he’s just there for fun… but instead, he finds love, grief, and a truth that unravels everything he thought he knew about himself, his past, and the strange threads tying his world together.

This book really shows what love and grief can push someone to do, and what it feels like to live bound by fate, by memories, by loss. The way it blends reality and illusion made me question everything right alongside Isaac.

I loved the nostalgic 90s details like the VHS shop, the dial-up internet noise, and the bulky computers. Also the way the story wove in internet rabbit holes at the beginning really set the tone for what’s to come. And then the ending tied it all together in a way I really loved.

Some parts dragged a little, like when Noa left and came back more than one time, but overall the atmosphere and the emotions hit hard. So I highly recommend you read it if you’re looking for a sci-fi story that is haunting, tender, and the kind that lingers long after you finish it.

A great romance! The MMC Issac is a sci-fi lover and he’s interested in all things that make him an old soul. He meets Noa on a chat room one day & they slowly fall in love. The setting of Chicago in the 90s made the story so vivid! I’m familiar with the areas mentioned.

I was excited about this book based on the cover and the description. I understand that this is a debut novel so I tried to give a bit more grace. Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish it. The book needed more editing before releasing. If an editor was used, I’d recommend going with a different editor next time. There were to many unnecessarily long and redundant sentences. For example, the amount of description used to describe getting the computer in the car was too much. Some words could have been cut out. There was also lingo used that didn’t match the vibe of the book. For example, “distant yonder”. I really wanted to get past the grammar, redundant and long sentences but for me it overshadowed the plot. I will try another book from this author if additional editing is done.

I want to thank Muse of the Moon Books and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An Old Soul drew me in immediately with its nostalgic premise. Set in the late 1990s — a time that holds a special place in my heart — the story follows a young protagonist who is saving up to buy his first computer. Along the way, he connects with a charming girl in a sci-fi chatroom, and the relationship that unfolds feels both innocent and emotionally resonant.

I absolutely loved how the author captured the era. The atmosphere, the cultural references, even the sound descriptions — everything felt immersive and authentic. It was as if I had been transported right back into that world.

That said, I did find the pacing quite slow for the first 60% of the book. There were several overly detailed passages, particularly regarding the artist’s animal rescue missions, that didn’t feel necessary to the story and occasionally pulled me out of the narrative.

Still, despite these criticisms, An Old Soul remains an interesting read — especially for readers who appreciate richly detailed descriptions and are fans of sci-fi themes. I’m genuinely curious to explore more of M. Kevin Hayden’s work in the future.

Thank you NetGalley for the DRC. The book had some problems with highlighting on my E-reader unfortunately.

I always like to mention the thing(s) I disliked first, so I can focus on all the things I loved afterwards. Approximately 50% of the book focuses on Isaac’s life and how he meets Noa. Noa is described as a 28/29-year old woman who is petite, but very curvy at the right places with perky cleavage. Her appearance is described as dainty and delicate. She behaves more or less the exact way I’ve heard men describing women behavior in my life. She tilts her head all the time, giggles instead of laughs and she does all this cutesy stuff that kind of infantalises this almost-30-year old woman. I 100% reckon I also see this the other way around in romance books written by women. I’ve never seen men snarl/growl, stroke their chin every time they think or have those stereotypical book boyfriend poses in doorways. I just really cringe at those descriptions, because it just doesn’t feel realistic to me. That being said. I think this book was a blast. The plot-twist was insane. Some things are repeated a lot, to which I’m not really sure whether it’s because the author thinks it’s otherwise unclear… or something else. But sometimes I thought: why is this repeated for the third time within the same chapter? I do think the author did a great job in writing beautiful sentences to describe the human experience. I see almost exclusively romantic stories written by women being promoted here, but this man is another example that shows that men are very good at describing love as well. I also enjoyed the nostalgic part and the fact that I was able to look through the eyes of a black young man living in Chicago in the 90s. It brought back memories of my walkman, VHS tapes and MSN. While it does give some attention to the ethical side of the things that happen it feels a bit rushed at the end. I wished the speculative aspect got more attention. I’d definitely recommend this if you love the romance or sci-fi genre. Though it was briefly mentioned I did love the conversation between Noa Gayle and Carolyn Faber. And the afterword is beautiful.

This is a book about a guy who meets a girl and she’s gorgeous (almost impossibly so, really) and mysterious. And he also has this problem where he’s always kind of felt out of place and has episodes of deja vu and the world just kind of feels glitchy. The central conceit of the novel (which I can’t reveal as that would be a spoiler) is very smart and, in the end, well executed; but you’ll have to press through a really sappy first half of the novel and try not to roll your eyes too much. Don’t worry though, the payoff is really good!

This—the first half anyway—reminded me of the writing of Caleb Azumah Nelson: similar lyricism and equally deeply emotive about love. I was kind of amused, and more than a little exasperated, by the manic pixie dream girl/goddess girl because she really only existed to serve the NC’s romantic dreams. But thank goodness! that whole thing is subverted in the second part of the book, and that makes it all *so much* more interesting; that 180 is really very cleverly done. Also really impressed by the complete change of tone between the two sections of the book: Hayden is a real talent, and has a gift for creating atmosphere. Also, the best thing about the novel is how Hayden tidies up everything at the end and leaves no threads hanging.

Themes? The ghost in the machine. Artificial persons, and falling in love with a construct (a lot like the current discourse about falling in love with a chatbot but, thankfully, here it’s not an LLM but more like AGI). A super connected future reminiscent of that in E. M. Forster’s *The Machine Stops* (so, quite dystopian). A little bit on the ethics of cloning, although not deeply and only near the end. Death and bereavement, and virtual resurrection. All of this and a wonderfully realised late 1990s Chicago, reflecting Black life and also the early internet, which many of us will be nostalgic for now.

A super read, really well done, and one I’m happy to recommend. Many thanks to the author and NetGalley for DRC access.

I really enjoyed this book, it had several elements that made it a fantastic read. From sci-fi to slow burn. This book was truly a fun time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
ARC provided by NetGalley—a big thank you to them and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

An Old Soul by M. Kevin Hayden has a compelling concept that really drew me in, and for the most part, it delivered. I loved the 1990s nostalgia woven throughout the story, the incorporation of music, and the thoughtful nods to classic sci-fi books and authors. The love story at the heart of the book was another highlight—subtle but emotionally resonant.

However, the pacing was a bit uneven for me. The book took a while to get going, and while I initially appreciated the rich detail, it eventually became overwhelming and slowed the momentum. On the flip side, there were parts that felt too rushed or choppy, leaving me wanting more depth or smoother transitions. This imbalance made it a little hard to stay fully immersed.

That said, for a debut novel, this shows a lot of promise. Hayden clearly has an eye for story structure and a love for the genre. I’m curious to see where his writing goes next.

#netgalley #ARC

A big thank you to Muse of the Moon Books and Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book!

An Old Soul had me with the synopsis and premise. It's set in late 90s Chicago with our main character, Isaac, who saves up enough money to buy a computer and, on his first day, links up with a mysterious woman named Noa in a science fiction fan chat room. They quickly fall in love, but questions arise as Noa vanishes for weeks at a time, with no warning, and she is loathe to reply when asked.

I really liked the way M. Kevin Hayden describes 1990s Chicago, Illinois. He tells it with such warmth and realism that I couldn't help but be sucked in. There is also a lot of character and and earnestness with the way that Isaac interacts with his job, family, and his neighborhood. It feels lived in and charming, and I loved the beginning chapters for this reason. I wouldn't mind if this whole novella was about Isaac going about his day as a black 20-something nerdy male in 1990s Chicago.

I think where some of the issues lie for me is the pacing. Hayden's prose is great, and I love reading how he describes the world he creates, but I think there's some parts in the book that go on for way too long and are stuffed with detail, while cutting the more dramatic moments down to a page and a half. I also kind of wished there was more time dedicated to the early Internet Web 1.0 stuff - it was more relatable for me, and I think Noa and Isaac got together a little too quickly after talking a few times in a chat room. I was born in '95, so I can't speak entirely for that era, but the idea of meeting someone in real life after talking to them a handful of times in a sci-fi chatroom feels especially dangerous, ESPECIALLY if you're meeting up with a girl for a date.

However, the book won me back at the end with the last ten pages, as they were very touching, genuine and heartwarming. You can tell the author loves writing, and hopefully will continue to write more in the future!

In conclusion, and despite my criticisms, this is a solid debut novella. I will be reading more of this author's work in the future, and I'm glad I checked this book out!

This was my first book from this author and it will not be my last! For this to be the authors debut novel, they did a good job!

The cover art and the title is amazing and it made me immediately interested in finding out what it was about. This book was a quick read for me.
I enjoyed the writing style, it felt relatable. I liked the descriptive element, it felt poetic.
The storyline moved at a slow pace but it was worth the slow burn. The romance is entertaining as well as the sci-fi elements too.

This is a perfect recommendation for someone who enjoys literary fiction or sci-fi.

Someone else wrote that they never knew exactly what was happening in this book and I whole heartedly agree with that critique.

In the beginning the level of detail, while impressive, left nothing to be imagined and felt redundant in some places. It made the first more than half of the book hard to get into and made the chapters unnecessarily long. This book also contained quite a few twists and turns that made it hard to decide what was worth noting and what wasn’t. It didn’t feel like a gradual build.

I enjoyed the ending and hearing Noa’s rationale for why she did what she did. It was really thought provoking.

At its heart, this is a love story, set against a sci-fi backdrop. I really appreciated how the book captured the vibe of the 1990s, it added a fun layer to the setting. Isaac’s grandmother was a highlight for me, even though she remained more in the background.

The world-building is rich and immersive. The 90s atmosphere comes through clearly. That said, the early chapters felt a little slow to get moving. I can see why all the details were needed to lay the groundwork, but I would have preferred a better balance between pacing and perspective shifts.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

When your different worlds collide with a very talented author it makes for a great read. Rife with nostalgia and fond memories with a sci-fi and romance are all my favorite genre's.

Isaac and Noa's journey meets out many wonderful things. Isaac was so well fleshed out. I did wish there was more development with Noa and we got more information from their perspective.

I went into this book knowing very little about this book and I loved the story and concept. I think it was well executed and a unique presentation.

I would highly recommend this book for people who enjoy sci-fi, nostalgia, and mystery.

A quick and worthy read.
Isaac is a 25 yo who feels odd most of the time.
It is 1996. The internet is in its beginnings in terms of widespread use.
He meets Noa. She is enigmatic. Their relationship is - eerie.
Then we learn why.

The first part and the second part, although tied by the same thread, give different vibes, the first being more of a romantic mystery, the second part explaining the romance via sci-fi.
A curious concept, I liked Noa, Isaac and Isaac’s granny.

The 1996 part with references to sci-fi novels felt slightly less authentic in the beginning, but then caught up thanks to the writer’s meticulous writing. The structure fit the story. This could have worked as a short story too.

I would happily read more by Hayden.

An Old Soul is a short but dense novel that’s part sci-fi, part romance, and part mystery. It had a pretty slow build for me, but I was invested in Isaac and Noa’s journey - individually and together - and by the second half, I was cruising through it. I appreciated all of the little foreshadowing references tucked throughout the book, and the ways in which reality and surrealism, dreamlike consciousness and tangible identities were woven into the plot. It was a really interesting, genre-bending novel and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys a slow build with rich character development, sort of mild sci-fi rooted in the question of distinguishing reality from imagination, and a little romance at the center of it all.

I can’t wait to read more from this author! Thank you so much to M. Kevin Hayden and NetGalley. Congratulations!

An Old Soul by M. Kevin Hayden is a poignant and beautifully written debut that delves deep into themes of identity, love, and personal growth. The story is enriched by subtle yet powerful elements of synchronicity—recurring motifs like birds, music, and art—that mirror Isaac’s emotional journey and add a layer of surreal grace to the narrative.

What stood out most to me was the interplay between the spiritual and the grounded. Isaac’s search for authenticity and belonging is deeply human, and the backdrop of 1996 Chicago—with all its grit and complexity—grounds the story in a vivid, real-world context. The city is almost a character in itself.

The characters are incredibly well-developed. Isaac’s internal struggles and transformation are at the heart of the novel, and Noa’s presence brings warmth, hope, and contrast to his darker, more introspective path. Their dynamic is compelling and deeply moving.

An Old Soul resonates on an emotional and psychological level. It’s a novel that stays with you after you finish the last page. I would love to see a book subscription like Broken Binding pick this up and create a stunning collector’s edition—this book deserves it.

Thank you so much M. Kevin Hayden, Muse of the Moon Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this fantastic book!

An Old Soul is more than just a book title, but a play on words. A phrase that we've all heard before, is now a guiding light for our subconscious. This light helps us know where we are going as we enter Isaac's world. As we are exposed to 1996 Chicago, the vibes, the feels, the MUSIC, and the commercial jingles we all know - predicting a feeling of nostalgia for GenXer's. This book has it all, a budding love, exploration, angst, tenderness! Trust me, these characters learning to appreciate each other will have you 'kicking your feet like a school girl..' When the story shifts from "Save the Last Dance" to "Total Recall" the pace quickens, and you'll want to try and keep up. Emotions run high in the 2nd half so hang in there. Great first offering from this debut author. Extra star for the great music file that accommodates the book.