School Library Journal
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Gr 9 Up—A fast-paced queer dystopian novel that will appeal to sci-fi lovers. In their authoritarian world, Zada knows that the Core's algorithm will match her with her soulmate. That is the promise of the Heartsong match. A former classmate's interference in a friend's wedding sparks the beginnings of recognition that something is not right in their society. Zada's own match seems completely wrong for her. In an attempt to discover the forces that influence their matches and the truth about the world outside of their city, Zada finds her own love story. This novel has twists and turns like to Jennifer Lynn Barnes's The Inheritance Games and the classic dystopian pull of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. The novel is well-paced and inventive. While some aspects of this concept are dark, the book balances these with a sapphic love story. The love interest is a rich and mysterious girl who is not particularly complex, and it is obvious to readers that the feelings are requited, even when Zada doesn't see it. However, this knowledge will not slow down teens, who will fully believe in this romance and root for the characters' happily ever after. Some background characters are not well fleshed out, but they all serve a purpose in the greater storyline. This is a complex narrative that is woven together incredibly well, and it has very little extraneous information. The ending will be a relief, as it ties together all the readers' questions. Race of the characters is not mentioned. VERDICT This fast-paced dystopian novel is a must have due to the complex plot, fantastic writing, and queer representation.—Veronika Parrone

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

In dystopian New Ionia, algorithms decide everything, like what a young person’s career should be and where they should go to school. An algorithm known as Heartsong determines the spouse of each person who chooses to enter their name, a system that seems, on the surface, to work precisely and correctly. For most New Ionians, finding their match is the highlight of a lifetime, along with the elaborate wedding festivities that follow. Zada Chambers has dreamed of finding her Heartsong match for as long as she can remember; disappointingly, that person ends up being the stuffy politician-in-training Buford Arnoth, and not Daphne, the ex–best friend she’s been secretly in love with for years. As cracks begin to appear for Zada in the facade of Heartsong’s perfection, it will take cunning and bravery to find a way to break free of the rigid societal expectations set for her and discover true happiness. A lively, spirited, and sapphic tale about the distance between algorithmic perfection and what the human heart wants.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Two girls confront the secrets of their futuristic world in this Sapphic love story. In the supposedly utopian civilization of New Ionia, people are matched by the government’s Heartsong program with their perfect soulmates. Jane Austen fan Zada Chambers, an 18-year-old cellist, has been dreaming of her match for years, but when she’s finally paired with her perfectly nice schoolmate Buford Arnoth, she doesn’t feel the passionate love that she expected from love stories. Those electric feelings are reserved solely for Daphne Fallow, the best friend she cut off once she realized how dangerous it was to be near her. As Zada spirals over her lack of affection for Buford, she rekindles her friendship with Daphne, and the two hatch a plan to get Zada out of her marriage—without accepting the only other option, joining the Sisters of Perpetual Reflection. At first, they try to prove that the soulmate system is fallible, but as they unravel the truth of New Ionia, their trust in its very foundation crumbles—and a budding romance develops. The worldbuilding is engaging and filled with pointed commentary on the city’s corrupt “corporate-fascist oligarchy,” which censors the media and education. Zada and Daphne, who present white, are a dynamic pair, with Zada’s quiet intellect complementing Daphne’s fiery recklessness. Their developing relationship integrates well with the overarching themes of freedom and defying societal expectations. An exciting, socially relevant tale that reminds readers that love can’t be controlled by society’s limitations.(Dystopian romance. 14-18) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.