Goodreads Blurb
Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.
With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.
As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.
With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.
As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.
Oh my God. That ending.
Parallel really surprised me with it's...thoroughness I guess. The worldbuilding/science of this was absolutely wonderful and well thought out. Miller obviously did her research, making this book so much more real, an added bonus with the contemporary feel this book had! And while it was confusing at times, it definitely helped explain a lot and the book so much more interesting, knowing why this or that was happening.
I really did love how we would switch between Parallel Abby and "Real" Abby throughout chapters, though I think it would've been just as amazing without the Parallel Abby parts! They were obviously completely different people, yet so similar. I was always guessing what Parallel Abby's actions were going to affect and my gut clenched every time she did something I knew would do something! It was really like reading two different scenarios, all stemming from one point--it was fascinating and completely well done.
The romance was definitely...interesting. While our love interests were decidedly different, they were also...similar...yeah, I don't make sense. But I definitely chose a team and did not like who Abby picked. Sure, he was sweet, but I liked the other guy so much better!
One of the other major romances was Caitlin (the BFF) and Tyler (the other BFF!). I felt like they were way too adorable with each other and honestly would love to get a story on their relationship!
And I loved our characters too--okay, maybe not Parallel Abby. She was so different from "Real" Abby , though it may just have been the situation. "Real" Abby was so headstrong and honest, and I loved how much she trusted Caitlin and how she wasn't dumb enough to figure it out on her own, like some YA characters. She knew she needed help, and she knew where to go--something that will always score brownie points.
Caitlin was an amazing BFF and absolutely lovable, in my opinion. Smart girls? Totally kickass. Like, seriously. She was kickass.
The plot was absolutely mindblowing. While it's a bit slow at first, it quickly speeds up and, strangely, made me tear up. I don't even know! There were so many things that made me cringe in expectation and honestly, scared me a bit! And the ending. Don't even get me started. That was...oh my GOD. I can't even. Just leave me alone in a corner to cry bittersweetly.
Dealing with the universal question of "What if" and touching on topics like soulmates and parallel worlds, Parallel is an absolute must read that I
Pages: 419
Genre: Sci-fi
Series: Standalone
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Rating: 5 stars
I'm so glad that you loved this one. I thought it was really great too. I thought I would be really confused, but I wasn't too much, and I liked seeing how things changed from something she did. Great review babe!!
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