laurenbaggy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Pregnancy
k_underthestars's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
This was a ride. Cool concept. Blazing fast pace. I liked it.
I had a few problems mostly around how the women were kinda plot props. But really all secondary characters only served the plot so /shrug
I had a few problems mostly around how the women were kinda plot props. But really all secondary characters only served the plot so /shrug
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Murder
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic
schnaucl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I really appreciated that POV Jason (Jason Prime?) was happy with his life and knew it. This wasn't one of those stories where the main character goes through a bunch of alternate realities only to realize they place they started in was their best version of reality all along. Looking at you,
The way the machine works was interesting. It's hard to know how the options would be shaped with multiple people.
While I appreciated that Jason started out being happy with his reality, it seems from the few POV chapters we get from Daniela that she wasn't as content. It's hard to say from just a few short glimpses, but she seemed to wonder more about the road not taken and feel like her life has stagnated whereas Jason had some mild curiosity about it but was generally content.
Compounding the problem, Jason really did treat his original life as a sort of prize to be won. Daniela even calls him out on it once he comes up with the lottery idea. It's good that she gets to make a decision at the end, but it does feel like she doesn't have much agency. It's not like she gets to really meet the other Jasons (other than the one who took the place of her husband, that is). Neither did their son.
I'll admit, it didn't occur to me that there would be other non POV Jasons who made it back to his original reality, although it makes perfect sense that would be true.
Fleeing to somewhere new probably was the only solution, though it would have to be some kind of pristine world because otherwise they'd have to explain duplicates of people and figure out how to obtain legal ID. Of course, if some world without people they'd have to figure out how to provide for themselves.
Spoiler
The Midnight Library.The way the machine works was interesting. It's hard to know how the options would be shaped with multiple people.
While I appreciated that Jason started out being happy with his reality, it seems from the few POV chapters we get from Daniela that she wasn't as content. It's hard to say from just a few short glimpses, but she seemed to wonder more about the road not taken and feel like her life has stagnated whereas Jason had some mild curiosity about it but was generally content.
Compounding the problem, Jason really did treat his original life as a sort of prize to be won. Daniela even calls him out on it once he comes up with the lottery idea. It's good that she gets to make a decision at the end, but it does feel like she doesn't have much agency. It's not like she gets to really meet the other Jasons (other than the one who took the place of her husband, that is). Neither did their son.
I'll admit, it didn't occur to me that there would be other non POV Jasons who made it back to his original reality, although it makes perfect sense that would be true.
Fleeing to somewhere new probably was the only solution, though it would have to be some kind of pristine world because otherwise they'd have to explain duplicates of people and figure out how to obtain legal ID. Of course, if some world without people they'd have to figure out how to provide for themselves.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, Violence, and Gun violence
Minor: Abortion, Medical content, and Pandemic/Epidemic
eatingbrains's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
The good: I enjoyed the UberChat. I felt that right when that was introduced a different ending could have spawned that turned into a lighthearted rom-com and I like to imagine that.
The bad: I knew pretty early on that this was not going to be a favorite. I don't read a lot of thrillers in general but I enjoy sci-fi so I figured I would give it a shot. I couldn't stand the main character. And thus, the book was doomed in my eyes. The pacing was jumpy, and the plot was predictable (as in, I guessed what really happened in the first chapter and the main character didn't figure it out until the ~50% mark). There was some promise for some thoughtful introspection but the approach was heavy-handed at best. Some of the descriptions were vivid and others were flat out whacky.
I don't know if I will try another book by the author, but I don't think I was the intended audience for this work so who knows what the future holds.
The bad: I knew pretty early on that this was not going to be a favorite. I don't read a lot of thrillers in general but I enjoy sci-fi so I figured I would give it a shot. I couldn't stand the main character. And thus, the book was doomed in my eyes. The pacing was jumpy, and the plot was predictable (as in, I guessed what really happened in the first chapter and the main character didn't figure it out until the ~50% mark). There was some promise for some thoughtful introspection but the approach was heavy-handed at best. Some of the descriptions were vivid and others were flat out whacky.
I don't know if I will try another book by the author, but I don't think I was the intended audience for this work so who knows what the future holds.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Body horror, Classism, Confinement, Torture, Pandemic/Epidemic, Rape, Self harm, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gore, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexism, Violence, Alcoholism, Cancer, Car accident, Child death, Infidelity, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
sweetsimplenothing's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Minor: Blood, Child death, Stalking, Violence, Death, Gun violence, Medical content, Murder, and Sexual content
moonlightreads007's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Yet another book that stood out to me and had me thinking about the underlying themes long after I finished reading it! This book delves deep into the realm of regrets, and asks readers the question, "Is the grass really greener on the other side?" What does that question even mean anyway? Measuring success and happiness in life is indeed relative to each individual, after all. All of the action happens really fast, and as a reader you're left breathless and terrified of the imminent danger the characters constantly face. Thematically, the book empowers readers to escape the victim mentality essentially through making the point that everything in life is a choice on some level (be it conscious or unconscious), and this in turn encourages readers to consider how to make more conscious decisions in their everyday lives. Furthermore, the book reminds readers to count their blessings and appreciate the good things they have going for them, since everything can change at a moment's notice. All that to say, I learned a lot from this book and I'm sure many others did too. It's a 5/5 from me, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading thrillers, enjoys thinking deeply about the universe and has a sense of adventure.
Spoiler
I love how the author dared to explore the controversial theory of parallel/multiple universes and what the implications would be if they did in fact exist. I especially enjoyed how the author further elaborated this idea by exploring the ethical implications of tampering with the multiverse in such a way that people can explore it and roam freely, and how this fundamental breakthrough would affect all the universes involved. I wonder, would there even be a universe immune to such a discovery? Let's hope to not find out, because the way the characters travel seems really dangerous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, and Death
Moderate: Murder, Blood, and Sexual content
Minor: Abortion
bibliochica's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Grief
keen's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Murder, Sexual content, Stalking, Terminal illness, and Kidnapping
Minor: Abortion
megan_wy's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Spoiler
Wow wow wow!!!! Just finished this book and I flew through it. That’s saying a lot too because I’m a very slow reader. I was really wanting to try a different genre of book after reading a few too many cheesy romance novels. This book easily hooked me and has me wanting to read more thriller / sci-fi novels. The story of Jason and the endless underlying meanings and interpretations of this book will keep you up at night questioning life. I had to stop and think a few times throughout the book to try and make logical sense out of some of the things that were happening. That’s part of the beauty of this novel I think, you really don’t know if the end is real Jason? Considering there’s a new version of Jason for every single choice he makes even AFTER the initial switch in the beginning, who’s to prove that the Jason in the end is the “real” Jason 🤯🤯🤯This story is just so different. It’s so intensely unique that it opened up so many new frames of mind for me in an amazing and analytical way. Although some parts are deeply confusing if you try to think to understand all the science and logistics behind it, the overall meaning and plot can still be easily followed. Each version of Jason wanted one thing, a happy life with someone he loved. That someone, even in the version where he left her for his career, was Daniela. He essentially had the “perfect” life in Jason2’s world, but we know that isn’t true. Jason2 was unhappy dreaming about a perfect life with Daniela and a family. I am so speechless over this book. I would highly recommend it!! Just be prepared to do lots of deep thinking and questioning of our reality that is “life.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Mental illness, Blood, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, and Death
katiefurms's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Not only is this an incredible concept for a story, but it is so phenomenally well written that i could not put it down. Absolutely incredible book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Cursing, Death, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Drug use, Gun violence, Grief, Gore, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Murder
Minor: Gun violence, Infidelity, Pandemic/Epidemic, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Addiction, Body horror, Car accident, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Mental illness, Medical content, Pregnancy, Vomit, Dysphoria, Gore, Suicide, and Violence