It's very hard to explain the plot of this book.
but I will try.

So, basically, we have (roughly) four characters. Since in the book their names keep changing, in this review, I'll call them: the Girl, the Boy, the Douche, and the Redhead.

so, we start out in prehistory and the Girl is going to be mated to the Douche. Except, she doesn't want to because hes--well, he's a douche. so she's in a cave looking at a statue she's seen a billion times before and finds and emerald in the middle, and thinks "if I can get that emerald, I won't have to be mated to the Douche!"
Meanwhile, the Boy (who is a neanderthal) is having problems of his own. he was on a hunt and apparently was disgraced and can't go back to his tribe.
he stumbles upon the cave where the Girl is singing and then HE sees the Emerald and thinks, "if I get that, I can go back to my tribe without disgrace!"
so they fight for it and end up tumbling over a cliff. and dying.

Next, we're in Egypt. the Girl has a job as a singer (this is major symbolism). the Boy comes in as a Nubian slave. ((He can't talk becuz of an injury to the throat. note that in his past life he didn't know how to speak at all))
the Douche is there, buy the Boy and the Girl fall in love anyway. I don't think the Redhead is redheaded in this life, but she's there and tries to convince the boy to steal something from the girl so he can escape slavery,
end comes to end, the Douche kills the Boy.

next life is in Greece. The girl still sings and has a bad foot (because in her past life she broke her foot). the Boy is an orphan of Egyptian descent and generally not accepted by everyone. The Douche is there and wants to win the Girl's hand in marriage. The Girl would much rather be a priestess of Athena, but that is not an option. so she asks the Boy to fight in the competition and win so she doesn't half to marry the Douche.
Stuff happens, and ends with the Girl dying.

After this, the lives get increasingly more amusing and confusing. The Boy and the Girl switch genders, and then there's one situation in which the Boy and the Girl met and the Boy died and was reincarnated before the Girl died so we had a 17-year-old and a (I actually don't know if this is an accurate number) 40-year-old.

Then, finally, in present day, the Girl and the Boy are in high school on a field trip to a museum where they see and exhibit of a neanderthal skeleton entangled with the skeleton of a Cro-Magnon female and scientist believe they died fighting over an emerald.
(That, of course, is the Boy and the Girl from about a bazillion lives ago) ( )

I've read The Bar Code Tattoo and The Bar Code Rebellion by author Suzanne Weyn a while back and really liked both. So when I saw a copy of her novel Reincarnation while on vacation in Manila, I immediately snatched it up. It was the last copy at Fullybooked Serendra so the cover is a bit bent, I don't mind though.

A beautifully written story about soulmates destined to meet over and over again until they get it right. The story begins in prehistoric times and ends in present day New York. Let me tell you, this book broke my heart into pieces but put it back together again in the end. Thought provoking, creative, tragic and haunting, this love story will stay with you long after you've finished the last page. I loved it! Do get a copy of this as well as Weyn's other books, she's definitely one of my favorite YA writers. ( )

A love story spanning many lifetimes. This story explores the romantic side of reincarnation -- of lovers lost and reunited, the feeling of having "known each other before." On account of this angle, the soul mate concept is depicted here solely as a lover, not fully in accordance to what reincarnation entails. So, if you are not overly pedantic over that slight, this makes a good and light read. ( )

Reincarnation is not your typical romance novel. Instead, it follows the souls of two star-crossed lovers as they find each other in incarnation after incarnation. Down through the ages they travel, their love doomed to fail again and again until, finally, they reach a time and place where they can be together.

Reminiscent of the tragedies of old, yet endowed with a happy ending, this book will have you questioning the values and beliefs you take for granted. ( )

This is a wonderful introduction to the concept of reincarnation, in story form. If you struggled through [b:Cloud Atlas|49628|Cloud Atlas|David Mitchell|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344305390s/49628.jpg|1871423], try this book for easier tracking of the characters from life to life.

Weyn is a bit short on explanations for the how and why (most are), but she captures the momentum of consecutive incarnations very well, and she makes it enjoyable to read. I plan to add it to my Resources page in my upcoming nonfiction book about reincarnation, especially for those who've not explored the subject much. It's also quick to read, being aimed at a younger audience.

If you do read it, place these characters in the category of younger souls, who therefore do not spend much time in the higher worlds before reincarnating. They demonstrate what I would term the "slow method" of working out karma and achieving personal growth, unlike the character in my novel, *Cosmic Dancer,* who exhibits the fast-moving traits of an older soul who's been through many such lives and spends a considerably longer period of study and preparation in beautiful spiritual worlds before reincarnating.

I missed that element in Weyn's book, but on the other hand, I admire her fortitude and attention to detail in "documenting" how the polarity relationship forms between her two main characters, using a clever visual/tangible link and an understanding of their magnetic, energetic connection, which brings them inevitably back together, along with others who've interacted in their lives. The story moves swiftly, so the pay-offs come sooner. I enjoyed it.

I was surprised to find grammatical errors in a book published by Scholastic, however, since their market has been traditionally school children. But sloppy editing is sadly not uncommon these days. (I always immediately make typos when I complain about others' poor editing, so bear with me if you've found them here. Humility.) ( )