FTC Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from HarperCollins for review purposes. 
 Further disclaimer: Jodi Meadows is a friend of mine and I read bits of Incarnate in drafts, but I like to think this in no way influenced my utter adoration of this book. 
 This is a beautifully written book, rife with philosophical questions, descriptions that tear your heart out, and sympathetic characters. Ana begins as a child, uncertain of everything except her own worthlessness, and grows into a confident young woman who insists on being in charge of her own destiny. The constant reincarnation raises questions about the value of life--if you know you'll be back, is death an issue? Should you fear it? Welcome it? Why should anyone care if you die or attempt to save you from dying? The fact that people can be reborn into bodies of different genders creates a fascinating framework for the exploration of hetero- and homosexual relationships and asks whether bodies matter when souls are drawn to each other. 
 And did I mention the utterly gorgeous butterfly costume Ana wears to the masquerade? 
 Meadows writes lovely, fully-realized characters who invite emotional attachment, whether by rooting for Ana, feeling for Sam and his uncertainties, or hating Li (Ana's mother). The sense that the reincarnated ones are very old, much older than they appear, is palpable, and Meadows handles very well the difficulty of writing characters who have lived longer than most of our current history, and Ana's reaction to them is one that most people would likely have--fascination, fear, and a deep sense of inadequacy.