A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

(4.5/5 stars)

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

I had heard a lot about this book before it was published, and the premise itself intrigued me to the extreme. I mean, who doesn't want to read a book about jumping through parallel universes?! And since I've always been a fan of all things Claudia Gray, I knew (or at least I seriously hoped) I could add this to my list of favorites. After reading, I can definitely say I'm staying a fan!

What I liked: So, I touched a little on the premise, but it's so much more complicated than you could anticipate. After the murder of her father, Marguerite teams up with her friend Theo to find her father's killer. All while bouncing around different universes. The parallel universes thing was the most fascinating because it's explained in a way that actually makes sense. I mean, I'm no physicist, but I believed it. The worlds that Marguerite visits are for the most part so different from our own, and they are fascinating to read about. It's so vivid and the writing is absolutely stunning. Now, the romance is also really well done. Especially since it revolves around the question of soulmates and whether or not that idea exists. And science is kind of involved in the theory of soulmates and that was fun! Anyway, the romance is gushy and cutesy, and will make you feel all warm inside. 

What I didn't like: Okay, so plot line wise, it was a bit predictable. A few chapters in, I already could figure out what actually happened and what was going to happen: betrayals, death, bad guy stuff. I also had a bit of a hard time relating to Marguerite. There were a lot of things about her that I loved but I couldn't get past how easily she trusted and believed people. Like so and so says something that contradicts everything she's learned thus far and she's all, "yeah, okay, you're right". No questions asked really. That bothered me a bit. Especially since she's risking her life and jumping through dimensions, I wanted her to be tougher and less trusting of everyone, even herself. 

Overall though, I loved this book and had such a hard time putting it down. I can't wait for the sequel and I definitely recommend it if you're a big scifi fan!

-Annie