SOUL DORM: An Afterlife Academy Romance

by Ezgi ERO

Genres: Romance

368 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 27, 2026

About the author

Ezgi Ero (formerly published as Ezgi Çağlar) builds unhinged fantasy worlds—and then lets love ruin them.

An award-winning author in Turkey, she has written 12 online novels and has 2 traditionally published books, earning multiple Wattpad accolades, including multiple Watty Awards and shortlist placements, with over 2 million reads.

Now writing in English, she is the creator of Soul Dorm and several upcoming fantasy projects where fate is inconvenient, death is rarely permanent, and romance is never safe.

Reviews

[RomanceReader29290 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got the chance to be an ARC reader for this and I could not be more thankful 💜
As someone who tends to mostly read dark romance with a lot of spice, I wasn’t quite sure how I would feel about this book going in. But all it took was the first 4 chapters and I was hooked.
This book has enemies to lovers, forced soulmates and found family. But on top of that it focuses on the fact that we can plan our life as much as we want, because there’s no guarantee that will happen so what we need to do is learn to enjoy every day.
I also got lucky to have the visiual companion for the book, which has made the reading experience much better as I’m one of the readers that can imagine places but not people.
This is a 5⭐️ book for me

[Debbie Nuchelmans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured Soul Dorm. From the first pages, it completely pulled me in and refused to let go. The atmosphere, the tension, the emotional depth… everything just worked. It’s one of those books where you tell yourself “just one more chapter” and suddenly it’s 2AM.

Ezgi created characters that felt raw and real, and the story balanced darkness, vulnerability, and intensity so well. I couldn’t put it away for a second and finished it far too quickly. Definitely one of those reads that lingers in your head long after the last page. Looking forward to book II 🫶🏻

[Tugba Kurkcu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I already can’t wait for the second part. The story pulled me in so much that I felt like I was part of this friendship.

[Ceren Caglar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ended up meaning so much more to me than I expected. What truly stayed with me were the characters. They feel so real in all their flaws. Messy, stubborn, funny… and somehow deeply human. I didn’t just read about them, I grew attached to them.

It was such a genuinely enjoyable read, and I honestly cannot wait for the second one.

I really loved this book 🤍

[star boekenkwast · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book because Soulmate stories often all resemble one another, and this book seemed different to me, and I was right; it was different. The story was truly perfect, and I liked all the characters. The ending completely captivated me. I can't forget the plot twist at the end. I can't wait for book 2. In short, it was a great book, definitely worth 5 stars, so what are you waiting for? Go read it!🤭💕

[Mikaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was unique, good, fun, and well a whole rollercoaster of emotions.


I really don’t know how to write this. I loved the characters, the story, it felt well written. And it was fun with something new, where you didn’t know what to expect next.

I can’t wait for book 2!

[Vera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminded me how it feels to be a teenager and the stories hidden behind young souls. Their troubles, their love stories, their adventures. It was so beautifully written it let me submerge into a world our heroine wanted to leave and would do anything to reach that goal, until she realised, she might be more alive in the afterlife rather than the world she left behind…

[GiorgianaBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A vibrant afterlife romance drenched in a gorgeous pink and purple aesthetic. 💜
Set in a school for souls with unfinished business. 👻

I instantly liked Olive and her fierce drive to get back to the living. 🏃‍♂️🧤

I absolutely love Mars , he is so deeply misunderstood and beautifully expresses his inner pain through his music. 🎸🎤

Love the frindship between the group.💕


I hate Pam and Bong with a burning passion, honestly, can they be any deader? 💀

I enjoyed reading this book from the first page. Couldn't put it down. 💜💜💜💜💜

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely adorable book with admirable characters. This world sounds super cute. This is such an amazing book that you absolutely should try.
It's a slow burn, found family, assigned soulmates situation. There's diversity among the characters and everyone is so sweet in each their way

[Geo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much for the opportunity to be an ARC reader for this

I loved the concept of soul dorm so much, an academy that sits in limbo between life and moving on, but with a 90s vibe and fashion. Olive finds herself in the dorm after a tragic accident and is desperate for a way back to her life. Mars is the resident rockstar with zero interest in returning to his life. One thing that is guaranteed in the dorm, is you being matched to a soulmate to help your complete your time at the academy and Olive finds out hers is Mars.

This was such a fun read for me and I had a great time getting to know the characters, an added bonus of this was having an illustrated guide!! I loved the world, the characters and following the allegiances of the characters. I’m so excited for book 2 💜

[Ezgi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars because I wrote it :)
But also because I wanted an afterlife academy that felt inconvenient, emotional, and slightly unhinged.

Soul Dorm is about second chances you don’t want, soulmates you didn’t ask for, and systems that underestimate stubborn girls.

If that’s your thing, welcome to the Dorm ;)

[A.P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the initial pages, I was hooked. The concept was so out of this world (literally), that I just had to keep reading. Let’s see: waking up after dying, a mysterious train to the afterlife, and everything rendered in 200% over-the-top girly-girl style - pink and purple colours, tiny hearts and daisies. Brilliant!

Soul Dorm hits all the tropes hard: high school setting, boyfriends, enemies to lovers, unwilling soulmates and the unusually clever pets. But it does this in a deliciously over-the-top way. And although aimed at a teenage or young adult audience, I can easily see it drawing in older readers as well. At times it reminded me a little of Sabrina the Teenage Witch TV-series with its bubbly, colourful and upbeat atmosphere - while also having drama, darkness and danger to keep things exciting.

The Dorm itself is an intriguing waystation between life and the afterlife: welcoming, pretty, mostly pink and purple, and seemingly designed to cater to every need. In theory, it is meant to help souls decide whether to move on or possibly return back to life. But it also carries its own quiet seduction... and the possibility of simply staying there forever might be too tempting for some.

The prose flows fast, it’s a quick and easy read, and things keep happening. Well done by the author! Definitely worth picking up for some light entertainment, even by people not usually into romance. A word of warning, though: you will likely want to read the next book after finishing it! The story is a bit addictive like that...

[Dominique Gartsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — 4/5 stars

Soul Dorm I is a wonderfully imaginative and emotional read. The premise immediately drew me in: Olive wakes up after a tragic accident to find herself at a colorful, surreal dormitory for souls who are caught between life and death. The blend of grief, second chances, school-life drama, and an almost dreamlike afterlife setting made the story feel unique and full of potential.

I especially loved the heart of the story. Olive’s situation is genuinely painful, and seeing her try to understand what happened to her while holding on to the life she may have lost made her easy to sympathize with. The Dorm itself is such a fun concept, strange, whimsical, and a little unsettling beneath all the pink, purple, and bubblegum sweetness. The other characters and the promise of secrets, friendships, and drama kept me interested and made me want to continue with the series.

That said, the pacing felt slow at times. Because the story takes its time introducing the Dorm, its rules, and the characters, some sections felt longer than they needed to be. The structure also threw me off a little; with the slower pace, I occasionally found it hard to see where the story was heading or how certain moments connected to the bigger plot.

Still, I really enjoyed the overall story and its emotional core. This is a creative, heartfelt beginning to a series, and I’m curious to see where Olive’s journey goes next.

[Agnes Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll admit—I wasn't sure about this one at first. The abundance of pink and purple made me wonder if it simply wasn't going to be my kind of book.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

Before long, I was completely hooked. I found myself ugly laughing, swooning, mentally yelling at certain characters, and thoroughly enjoying every page. It's an effortless, addictive read that manages to be whimsical and playful while quietly making you reflect on much bigger questions about life.

As an author myself, I especially appreciated the pacing. It never dragged, never lost my attention, and never gave me a reason to put the book down. I was all in—reading during the day, late into the night, and even sneaking in a few pages during work breaks.

I can't wait to get my hands on book two.

[Kelly k · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, I loved how you could picture everything in detail with how Ezgi described it all! I loved the friendships, the characters, i havnt read any books with the afterlife /limbo like this so it was a nice change of genre ! But my god that ending !! Need book 2 yesterday haha I can’t wait to see where the rest of the story goes!! I love a book like this where I can just sit down and read it with ease, definitely recommend