bookishnicole's review against another edition
4.0
Ugh. I’m really struggling with how to rate this book because there were a lot of really great things that I adored about this book, and then there were some things that really made me want to scream. At first I was a little wary of the book, I didn’t really like Abby because things were told to us in the most roundabout way. For us to know that she was filming a movie in LA, we had to be told all about how her class was cancelled and then how the teacher called her into the office and then how it went from there. I know that I totally do this when telling a story, but to write that way, was a little rough because all the sudden she started to talk about what was going on in LA, and I forgot that was where it even started.
I really liked how original the idea was. I know that there have at least been times in my life where I have wondered where I would be if one little detail of my life had changed. I loved how Abby was able to take most of the things in stride, doing what she could to stay positive and net let what was happening to her get her down. Of course she wasn’t perfect, and she did have her moments, but for the most part she was a strong character with flaws that I could relate to and I liked that.
I got frustrated with her when things didn’t work or her life was changed by this other girl. I was concerned when I started the book that I wouldn’t be able to keep all the worlds straight, but surprisingly, it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. I was annoyed by some of the repitition in the book that I felt wasn’t necessary (I also read a book a day, so facts don’t really escape me). What I was annoyed by was the science talk, I am not the type of person that likes science and if I’m being honest it doesn’t like me much back, so when there were all of these complicated scientific explainations for what was happening and why, my eyes sort of glazed over, I got the gyst of it, but big science words almost put me to sleep on my morning commute.
I found all of the support characters were great from Caitlyn her super sciency best friend to the two boys who were vying for her love. I adored that this was based in my own graduation year, so that made me feel special, althoug I nitpicked about the fact that Words With Friends was not really a thing in 2008, but, fine, I’ll roll with it. I think that this book would make a great movie.
Right now you’re asking yourself, “Well Nicole, it sounds like you enjoyed it, why the low rating?” And for me to answer that, I would have to ruin the whole book for you and I would much rather not do that. At all. I want you to read it and form your own opinion on it, because it had some really great merrits. Its possible that down the line I will come back to it, and give it a higher rating.
I really liked how original the idea was. I know that there have at least been times in my life where I have wondered where I would be if one little detail of my life had changed. I loved how Abby was able to take most of the things in stride, doing what she could to stay positive and net let what was happening to her get her down. Of course she wasn’t perfect, and she did have her moments, but for the most part she was a strong character with flaws that I could relate to and I liked that.
I got frustrated with her when things didn’t work or her life was changed by this other girl. I was concerned when I started the book that I wouldn’t be able to keep all the worlds straight, but surprisingly, it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. I was annoyed by some of the repitition in the book that I felt wasn’t necessary (I also read a book a day, so facts don’t really escape me). What I was annoyed by was the science talk, I am not the type of person that likes science and if I’m being honest it doesn’t like me much back, so when there were all of these complicated scientific explainations for what was happening and why, my eyes sort of glazed over, I got the gyst of it, but big science words almost put me to sleep on my morning commute.
I found all of the support characters were great from Caitlyn her super sciency best friend to the two boys who were vying for her love. I adored that this was based in my own graduation year, so that made me feel special, althoug I nitpicked about the fact that Words With Friends was not really a thing in 2008, but, fine, I’ll roll with it. I think that this book would make a great movie.
Right now you’re asking yourself, “Well Nicole, it sounds like you enjoyed it, why the low rating?” And for me to answer that, I would have to ruin the whole book for you and I would much rather not do that. At all. I want you to read it and form your own opinion on it, because it had some really great merrits. Its possible that down the line I will come back to it, and give it a higher rating.
ilsemanouk's review against another edition
5.0
Absolute loved it! I am considering rereading it immediately.
novelheartbeat's review against another edition
4.0
“Often it is the choices that seem inconsequential that uproot us.”
I love books that make you think. And Parallel was definitely one of those books! To be honest, my enjoyment of this book didn’t come from the characters, or the prose, but from the idea of it. The concept of a parallel universe is mind boggling – even more so when two realities collide and intertwine. The story was told from alternating points of view: Abby’s perspective in the present, and Parallel Abby’s perspective in the past. It took a few chapters to get used to it (and to be able to tell the boys apart…I had some trouble with that because they were very similar to me), but it was pulled off really well.
We’re all just a decision or two away from destroying the relationships that are most important to us and to the people we love.
It was really interesting to see how each tiny change that Parallel Abby made affected Abby’s life in the future. How even small decisions can change the outcome drastically. It was so fascinating! It really makes you stop to think about all the ‘what if’s’ – about choices you’ve made and what effect they’ve had, how even something that seems insignificant can snowball into something larger, much like the butterfly effect.
Abby kind of annoyed me. Present Abby and Parallel Abby both (because even though present Abby saw them as two different people, they were one and the same to me, just in different circumstances). She was a bit of a control freak, and there were times I was just thinking, Wow, calm your tits lady. It’s really not that serious. Plus she acted like too much of a female and I wanted to slap her. For instance, she went to pick up Josh and was freaking out because she thought she might have to meet his parents, but he came out to the car instead and she was all, ‘Wait, should I be offended that he didn’t want me to come to the door?’ Really?
“It’s too late,” I tell him. “He’s with Megan now.”
“Hot Megan?”
I glare at him.
“I meant, ‘Megan who looks like a troll?’”
The jealousy got on my nerves too. You’re pissed because a guy thinks she’s hot? So it’s wrong if you think another guy is attractive? The only reason she was pissed was because she basically set Josh and Megan up, even though she already liked the guy. Megan was even decent enough to ask her if she liked him and she pretty much lied about it and then agreed to talk to Josh for Megan. Um, whose fault is that? She had no right to be pissed. If you’re gonna be dumb enough to be like ‘Oh no, it’s okay, I don’t like him or anything…Yeah sure I can talk to him for you!’ then it’s your fault if you lose your chance with the guy. Idiot. And she got jealous because she saw her best friend talking to him and jumped to conclusions. Like a guy and a girl can’t talk without being interested in each other? God forbid they actually be friends! For crying out loud. Pull your panties outta your arse.
She lied quite a few times, and to her closest friends. I wanted to punch her! She meddled in things that she should have just left alone, then tried to cover it up with lies and things got way out of hand. She ended up screwing things up rather than helping. Not to mention the fact that she had to Google ‘permanent vegetative state’ – seriously? Are those words too big for you? How could you not figure out what that means?
I really liked Caitlin, though. She was practical and down to earth, and helped to anchor Abby and pull her back down when she started to float away into the clouds. Abby was going to quit her crew team because it was supposedly Parallel Abby’s decision and not hers, so Caitlin was the voice of reason:
“Oh yeah? If you quit just to spite her, then what’s changed? Her actions are still dictating yours.”
Thank you, Caitlin! That’s why I liked her. But I think my favorite character was Fiona. I loooved her!! She dressed like a rocker and her brain to mouth filter was a little damaged to say the least. She said crazy things off the top of her head (some rather inappropriate yet hilarious) and I loved her already from the first page she made an appearance. She made me giggle with her random comments! I would have liked to see more of her.
I didn’t really care about the romance, but it wasn’t annoying. Honestly, I had trouble telling Josh and Michael apart at times because they didn’t really stand apart from one another. And I feel like Abby was sticking with one guy and was sure he was right for her (and was happy to be with him), then suddenly switched to the other, claiming he was her soul mate (or something along those lines). Erm, you’re just now realizing this? Random epiphany, I guess?
I do have to admit that there was kind of a twist in there that I didn’t see coming. It added more drama to the story (mainly to the relationships), but not really in a bad way. Plus I liked the ending because it kinda left it open for you to fill in the blank (not like a cliffhanger, though, no worries).
Favorite Quotes:
“The sky is a storybook. Every constellation’s like its own fairy tale.”
“We spend so much time worrying about how the future is going to play out, and not nearly enough time admiring the precious perfection of the present.”
“When you make sense of the chaos, the chaos disappears. Or maybe, what looked at first like chaos never was.”
ASSESSMENT
Plot: 5/5
Writing style: 4/5
Originality: 4/5
Characters: 3.5/5
World-building: 4/5
Pace: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
amarylissw's review against another edition
3.0
While I liked the parallel world aspect of this book and there were a few stand-out characters, the majority of it (mainly the protagonist and the two love interests) could've done with more work. Overall, they felt a bit . . . I don't know, maybe rushed or something? Like we never got to know them very much, which is maybe the point seeing as we are switching between two different parallel worlds.
samiism's review against another edition
3.0
Actually 3.5 stars.
So how does a book go from 4.5 stars 80% in and fall a point down so quick? The ending. I won't spoil it, but I'm still fuming. And I read this whole book within three hours last night in an attempt to lull myself to sleep (I was starting a new job this morning and had mad nerves). Unsuccessful attempt, because the story was actually engaging...until the end.
The science of the parallel worlds was, in my opinion, haphazardly explained. I've read so many stories of this nature (check my tags; I have an actual bookshelf for the genre). I've come to expect more from authors when they dive into alternative realities/worlds and such. I want jargon, not "anyway, long story short...." Nuh-uh. Explain it.
Abby Barnes' current life is being overtaken by her past/alternate life when somehow, the parallel lives intersect. There is a love triangle...or two. Maybe three. Slight slut shaming. BFFs breaking up and making up. Confusion. And that blasted ending.
So how does a book go from 4.5 stars 80% in and fall a point down so quick? The ending. I won't spoil it, but I'm still fuming. And I read this whole book within three hours last night in an attempt to lull myself to sleep (I was starting a new job this morning and had mad nerves). Unsuccessful attempt, because the story was actually engaging...until the end.
The science of the parallel worlds was, in my opinion, haphazardly explained. I've read so many stories of this nature (check my tags; I have an actual bookshelf for the genre). I've come to expect more from authors when they dive into alternative realities/worlds and such. I want jargon, not "anyway, long story short...." Nuh-uh. Explain it.
Abby Barnes' current life is being overtaken by her past/alternate life when somehow, the parallel lives intersect. There is a love triangle...or two. Maybe three. Slight slut shaming. BFFs breaking up and making up. Confusion. And that blasted ending.
ginnikin's review against another edition
2.0
It got off to a rough start, but I love stories that focus on what happens if you change just one thing. In the end, it was kind of reassuring, reinforcing the idea that one way or another, you'll meet and be close to the people you're meant to.
lestaslettering's review against another edition
1.0
DNF at 45%. Author tried a pivot point but it backfired. Unfortunately some of us actually like quantum physics so you can't bluff your way through it.
anniedelsignore's review against another edition
2.0
Review will be posted for Sci-Fi November. This was hard to rate for multiple reasons. For the most part, this was a solid 4/5 stars until the end (which I hated--explanation to come) when I had to change my rating to 2/5 stars. Maybe I just need some time to step back and cool down?
Review at Books, A Novel Idea
In honor of Sci-Fi November, I thought I'd start off the month long event by reviewing a book that I discovered thanks to last year's Sci-Fi month. This premise intrigued me so much, and while I was reading it, I was super into it. Like so super into it I finished it in a day and stayed up way too late reading. And, I really liked it...UNTIL THE FREAKING END! I didn't know that I was able to have this kind of reaction to a book: I had tears in my eyes because I was so mad at how it ended, and then proceeded to throw the book down. Hard.
What I liked: The science and astronomy behind this book was fascinating. I was nerding out in the extreme. The whole sci-fi aspect was handled really well without being cheesy--like something of this subject matter (parallel worlds) could be. The organization of the novel worked out well too, and I had my doubts at the beginning. It flowed and made logical sense. I loved seeing how the little details and decisions in Abby's parallel life affected her actual life--even if it did have me pulling at my hair at some points. It was a coming-of-age story without the normal contemporary coming-of-age scenes. The tropes were still there, but they had a cooler, sci-fi twist to them.
What I didn't like: Let's start with the smaller things. So, I wasn't a fan of the fact that I didn't care about either love interests until it was too late. To me, it hardly felt like a love story, I was too wrapped up in the Abby-has-no-idea-what's-going-on-in-her-life story. That being said, I was a big fan of Caitlin and Tyler and so I'm a little peeved at how that was handled (no spoilers, just passive aggressiveness). Now, can we talk about the end? Because I refuse to accept it as a legitimate ending. Without giving anything away, all I can just say is that 1) I feel like the whole book was a waste and 2) I'm pretending like it ended a page or two before it actually did. Anger--so much anger. I'm mostly so sad about the ending because it completely changed my view on the book. I almost feel like the author was trying to pull one over her readers, like it was supposed to be this monumental twist that was shocking and wow and stuff, but I wasn't a fan.
Edit: After having time to stew over this book, and believe me, I spent a lot of time thinking about it, I'm moving the rating up to 3 stars. I kind of get the point the author was trying to make at the end (kind of), but that doesn't change that it twisted my whole perspective of the book with only a couple sentences. I'm stilly annoyed, but whatever.
Review at Books, A Novel Idea
In honor of Sci-Fi November, I thought I'd start off the month long event by reviewing a book that I discovered thanks to last year's Sci-Fi month. This premise intrigued me so much, and while I was reading it, I was super into it. Like so super into it I finished it in a day and stayed up way too late reading. And, I really liked it...UNTIL THE FREAKING END! I didn't know that I was able to have this kind of reaction to a book: I had tears in my eyes because I was so mad at how it ended, and then proceeded to throw the book down. Hard.
What I liked: The science and astronomy behind this book was fascinating. I was nerding out in the extreme. The whole sci-fi aspect was handled really well without being cheesy--like something of this subject matter (parallel worlds) could be. The organization of the novel worked out well too, and I had my doubts at the beginning. It flowed and made logical sense. I loved seeing how the little details and decisions in Abby's parallel life affected her actual life--even if it did have me pulling at my hair at some points. It was a coming-of-age story without the normal contemporary coming-of-age scenes. The tropes were still there, but they had a cooler, sci-fi twist to them.
What I didn't like: Let's start with the smaller things. So, I wasn't a fan of the fact that I didn't care about either love interests until it was too late. To me, it hardly felt like a love story, I was too wrapped up in the Abby-has-no-idea-what's-going-on-in-her-life story. That being said, I was a big fan of Caitlin and Tyler and so I'm a little peeved at how that was handled (no spoilers, just passive aggressiveness). Now, can we talk about the end? Because I refuse to accept it as a legitimate ending. Without giving anything away, all I can just say is that 1) I feel like the whole book was a waste and 2) I'm pretending like it ended a page or two before it actually did. Anger--so much anger. I'm mostly so sad about the ending because it completely changed my view on the book. I almost feel like the author was trying to pull one over her readers, like it was supposed to be this monumental twist that was shocking and wow and stuff, but I wasn't a fan.
Edit: After having time to stew over this book, and believe me, I spent a lot of time thinking about it, I'm moving the rating up to 3 stars. I kind of get the point the author was trying to make at the end (kind of), but that doesn't change that it twisted my whole perspective of the book with only a couple sentences. I'm stilly annoyed, but whatever.
anneenichole's review against another edition
5.0
Can I give this like five thousand stars? because it was that freaking awesome. so flipping good.
cgoldenberg's review against another edition
3.0
"I smile. That's the funny thing about life. We're rarely aware of the bullets we dodge. The just-misses. The almost-never-happeneds. We spend so much time worrying about how the future is going to play out, and not nearly enough time admiring the precious perfection of the present." (p. 402)
3/5 stars
3/5 stars