Soulprint by Megan Miranda

Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408855409
(Age 14+) Recommended. Thriller. Science fiction. In a future when soul fingerprinting has become a reality Alina Chase has been kept confined on an island because her soul is supposed to have done terrible things in a previous life, that of June Calahan a notorious criminal. When she finally escapes from her confinement, helped by Dominic and siblings Cameron and Casey, whose motives for rescuing her are unclear, she gradually begins to discover that June has left clues to what happened in the past. She desperately hopes that she can clear her name and that her soul is not imprinted with former mistakes. Secrets being to unravel as she treads in the footprints of June, seeking the truth.
This is an exciting thriller with a very interesting premise at its heart. The idea of having technology that would trace the origins of a baby in a previous life is fascinating, and even more fascinating is the question of whether the new soul would carry on the attributes of a past life. In this case Alina has been kept on an island for her own good as June reportedly had done bad things that the government and the people did not want repeated. Alina is understandably desperate to escape and grabs the chance when Cameron, Dom and Casey offer it even though it is dangerous and means that she is facing the unknown.
Alina is a strong, intelligent and resolute girl who struggles with the notion of repeating mistakes made in an earlier life and is determined to find out what really happened when June broke into a large database. It is very easy to become involved in her dreams and aspirations, her wish for a family, her memory of her mother singing her a lullaby and her growing feelings for Cameron. She begins to realise that not everything is black and white and that in the real world it is easy to struggle to do the right thing.
The action is fast paced as Alina, Cameron and Casey try to keep ahead of Dom and the government forces seeking them. Taking sanctuary in a series of hideouts and travelling in stolen cars, they manage to evade their pursuers while on the path of the strange clues that June had left. The final climax and conclusion is exciting and leaves the reader coming to grips with what really happened to June and the question of past lives leaving a print on a soul.
This is a compelling thriller that fans of Megan Miranda and those who want a good stand-alone read, will love .
Pat Pledger