Review Detail

I’ve heard so many amazing things about Parallel, and going into reading it, I was worried that maybe I would be disappointed. But thankfully, I was 100% right to be super excited to read this book. Parallel somehow managed to grab me and never let go until the very end.

The characters were absolutely wonderful. Abby is unique, because she can remember the ‘real’ world – the world based on the choices only she has made. Everyone else seems to only remember the choices and consequences that were brought on by her parallel self. This tension between Abby and her parallel self was really interesting to read and explore. Her best friend Caitlin was so well-written too. It was so fascinating to see how little choices along the way could have such a huge impact on their friendship.

My favorite part about Parallel was how thoroughly thought out the science behind the parallel universes was. Caitlin is a total nerd, and so naturally, she knows exactly who to go to in order to help Abby figure out what’s happening. Dr. Mann does his best to explain the ideas behind parallel universes, and what might have happened that would cause Abby to now be affected by her parallel’s choices. And the crazy part was, it all made complete sense! Instead of the vague, watery science that most YA books will dish out on the subject, Parallel was rooted in true theories, and every aspect of the question was well-explored.

Initially, I wasn’t crazy about either of the romances. I don’t know if you can really call it a love-triangle, as the parallel universe piece makes it a bit unique. Michael and Josh are the two main interests, and they’re about as different as they come. I wasn’t a very big Michael fan at the start, but did eventually warm up to him. Though I will always have a soft spot for Josh no matter what!

I loved the exploration of the idea of destiny. Does Abby have a destiny? Can the parallel screw that up? Does the parallel have a different destiny? It was all so multi-layered and deep, and I loved how much it made me think about the entire concept. Overall, this was an incredible book, and you absolutely will not regret pushing it to the very top of your reading list!