Packed with shocking plot twists, You Pierce My Soul is a romantic and thrilling queer dystopian YA novel from a writer to watch. "Snappy banter...

Packed with shocking plot twists, You Pierce My Soul is a romantic and thrilling queer dystopian YA novel from a writer to watch.

"Snappy banter and heartfelt sapphic romance, wrapped in the sleek mystery of a Black Mirror episode."--Natalie Naudus, award-winning audiobook narrator and author of Gay the Pray Away

In the utopian city of New Ionia, everyone gets a soulmate and Zada can't wait for hers. Now that she's eighteen, it's her turn to meet her destiny with the help of Heartsong, an algorithm that chooses your perfect match for you.

Then Zada crashes into her soulmate, setting off their shared Heartsong, and the unthinkable happens: She feels nothing for him. But the program doesn't make mistakes, and by the end of the night, Zada is engaged to a man she doesn't love.

Desperate, Zada turns to a surprising ally: her daringly beautiful former best friend, Daphne. Despite their estrangement, Daphne may be the only person who can help Zada uncover the truth about Heartsong. But can she trust her after all this time? And if what they find upends everything, can Zada find the courage to choose what she believes--and who she loves?

Author: Jessica Mary Best
Publisher: Quirk Books
Published: 05/05/2026
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 7.90h x 5.20w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9781683695004
Audience: Young Adult


Review Citation(s):
School Library Journal 02/01/2026 pg. 55
Kirkus Reviews 03/01/2026
Booklist 12/01/2025

About the Author
Jessica Mary Best is a multi-award-winning freelance writer and editor and an amateur singer-songwriter. Her work includes the audio drama The Strange Case of Starship Iris and the YA novel Stars, Hide Your Fires (Quirk Books, 2023). She is based out of the Midwest.