A review by musingswithmiranda
The Space Between Worlds, by Micaiah Johnson
5.0
One day I will promptly read books as soon I buy them, but for the most part, I suck at it. I will buy a book and then let it set on my shelves for months before I finally make time for it. This is exactly what happened with this book, but considering how much I loved it, I wish I read it sooner. I may be late to the hype, but I will now be recommending this nonstop. As soon as I finished reading this book, I felt like I needed 3-5 business days just to process and recover.
Micaiah Johnson’s The Space Between Worlds is set in a world where multiverse travel is possible thanks to Adam Bosch and the Eldridge Institute. The catch is that no one can travel to another Earth where their doppelgänger counterpart is still alive. This means that Eldridge relies on people they think are “worthless” or who have had hard lives since their survival rates are way lower. The story itself follows Cara, a perfect candidate for being a traverser because her counterparts have died on 372 out of the 380 Earths. On Earth Zero, Cara works hard for Eldridge and her handler Dell to collect intel and data from the other worlds, which is putting her on the path for citizenship. All of this is threatened when one of Cara’s doppelgängers dies under mysterious circumstances and she is determined to uncover her past and other secrets.
The first thing that stood out to me about this book was the writing. Johnson is incredibly skilled. From the very start of this book, the writing had my attention. I was completely amazed at the way Johnson crafted her narrative. The style, voice, and pacing were all incredible. I loved the writing so much that it continuously shocked me because I could not believe how much I was enjoying it. Sometimes the first chapter, page, or even line of book makes me know that I am going to absolutely be captivated by it. Reading this book was a whole experience, and I loved every second of it.
I appreciate how well the author sets up worldbuiling as well. With 380 Earths, I was worried things might be confusing. I was not sure how many things I would need to remember about the universe itself or different characters and doppelgängers, so it was intimidating to think about at first. Johnson tells her story in a way that has complete focus and structure. I never felt lost or confused. Everything was explained in a way that made sense and was entertaining.
I absolutely loved how well-written Cara’s character was. She is flawed and believable. I was rooting for her the whole time even if she does not always think things through or make the best decisions. I really appreciated how she came into her own by the end of the story though. Cara and Dell’s interactions were another one of my favorite things about this book. Johnson does an amazing job developing their slow-burn relationship as a coworkers to lovers.
Johnson also uses this narrative to tackle really important concepts and social issues like classism, race, poverty, privilege, greed, power, identity, and belonging. The divide between Ashtown and Wiley City highlighted these issues on more than one Earth. Ashtown is not seen as a good place, so the people are often not given much thought. Places like Wiley City ignore their hardships and struggles. They pick and choose who they want only when it is convenient for them. Their need for traverses is all that matters. Cara talks about them a lot as well in a way that expands on her background and shows how she is conflicted over where she belongs.
As soon as I finished reading The Space Between Worlds, I added it to my favorites shelf. I did not even have to think about it because it was just that good. I am beyond glad that I liked this book as much as I did because I somehow accumulated three different editions before I even read it. Micaiah Johnson’s work is something that I know I will not be able to stop thinking about. I loved the story, characters, and world itself. While everything does feel complete as a standalone, I absolutely would not say no to a sequel or novella. I will gladly read anything and everything Micaiah Johnson writes!
*Content warning: abusive relationship/domestic abuse (physical and emotional), violence, death, child abuse, drug abuse, addiction, death of a parent, murder, trauma, grief, body horror/graphic injury, racism, classism, reference to miscarriage, suicidal thoughts*
Micaiah Johnson’s The Space Between Worlds is set in a world where multiverse travel is possible thanks to Adam Bosch and the Eldridge Institute. The catch is that no one can travel to another Earth where their doppelgänger counterpart is still alive. This means that Eldridge relies on people they think are “worthless” or who have had hard lives since their survival rates are way lower. The story itself follows Cara, a perfect candidate for being a traverser because her counterparts have died on 372 out of the 380 Earths. On Earth Zero, Cara works hard for Eldridge and her handler Dell to collect intel and data from the other worlds, which is putting her on the path for citizenship. All of this is threatened when one of Cara’s doppelgängers dies under mysterious circumstances and she is determined to uncover her past and other secrets.
The first thing that stood out to me about this book was the writing. Johnson is incredibly skilled. From the very start of this book, the writing had my attention. I was completely amazed at the way Johnson crafted her narrative. The style, voice, and pacing were all incredible. I loved the writing so much that it continuously shocked me because I could not believe how much I was enjoying it. Sometimes the first chapter, page, or even line of book makes me know that I am going to absolutely be captivated by it. Reading this book was a whole experience, and I loved every second of it.
I appreciate how well the author sets up worldbuiling as well. With 380 Earths, I was worried things might be confusing. I was not sure how many things I would need to remember about the universe itself or different characters and doppelgängers, so it was intimidating to think about at first. Johnson tells her story in a way that has complete focus and structure. I never felt lost or confused. Everything was explained in a way that made sense and was entertaining.
I absolutely loved how well-written Cara’s character was. She is flawed and believable. I was rooting for her the whole time even if she does not always think things through or make the best decisions. I really appreciated how she came into her own by the end of the story though. Cara and Dell’s interactions were another one of my favorite things about this book. Johnson does an amazing job developing their slow-burn relationship as a coworkers to lovers.
Johnson also uses this narrative to tackle really important concepts and social issues like classism, race, poverty, privilege, greed, power, identity, and belonging. The divide between Ashtown and Wiley City highlighted these issues on more than one Earth. Ashtown is not seen as a good place, so the people are often not given much thought. Places like Wiley City ignore their hardships and struggles. They pick and choose who they want only when it is convenient for them. Their need for traverses is all that matters. Cara talks about them a lot as well in a way that expands on her background and shows how she is conflicted over where she belongs.
As soon as I finished reading The Space Between Worlds, I added it to my favorites shelf. I did not even have to think about it because it was just that good. I am beyond glad that I liked this book as much as I did because I somehow accumulated three different editions before I even read it. Micaiah Johnson’s work is something that I know I will not be able to stop thinking about. I loved the story, characters, and world itself. While everything does feel complete as a standalone, I absolutely would not say no to a sequel or novella. I will gladly read anything and everything Micaiah Johnson writes!
*Content warning: abusive relationship/domestic abuse (physical and emotional), violence, death, child abuse, drug abuse, addiction, death of a parent, murder, trauma, grief, body horror/graphic injury, racism, classism, reference to miscarriage, suicidal thoughts*