artsy musings of a bibliophile

Review: Parallel by Lauren Miller

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Parallel by Lauren Miller 
young adult contemporary science fiction published by HarperTeen on 14 May 2013

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.

THE RATING

THE REVIEW

Paths are never straight; the road always twists and turns making its way across the earth as it could best. That always bothered me. What’s the point of taking the longer all-the-way route when you can take a shorter, straighter one? Isn’t it upto us whether we choose to go around the mountain or make our way through it? In its own way, Parallel answered that question for me.

Abby Barnes is one of those people who’ve always been sure of what they want in life. Abby never strays far from her path, her life revolving around a single goal and she’s always working towards it. It is very difficult for a person like that to be controlled by someone else’s choices. That someone else who is you and not you at the same time. There’s nothing solid left in life. Not that she can see anyway at first.
It’s like the first time we find out that the universe is not limited to the Milky Way, that Abby learns about the multiverse theory. About the possibility that there is her parallel whose decisions are impacting her present a year and a day away. She has to come to terms with it and look at all her relationships in a different light. See herself in a different light. 
The relationship dynamics are done brilliantly. Abby and Caitlin are best friends who go through the best and worst of times together. They’re friends today but the past could change their friendship drastically and it does. Josh is aloof, swoonworthy and deep whereas Michael is cool, confident and also, swoonworthy.
Books with dual point-of-views provide a more insightful look with different perceptions of the same story. In Parallel, a new one comes up after a seemingly unimportant decision. But what parallel Abby or Abby does today can affect her path but never her destiny. This is what Parallel explores.
It is exciting and nerve-racking to see where would Abby find herself when she wakes up in the morning. Will it be Michael who she wants or Josh who her parallel wants. Life is unpredictable but Abby’s life is more so than usual. Parallel is beautifully intense and thought-provoking. I loved the elements of sci-fi thoroughly used in the book as a way of explanation. The way contemporary was mixed in with sci-fi makes Parallel a one of a kind book. I really wish this was a series. Alas, the ending was perfect so I wouldn’t want that to change.

THE QUOTES

‘The delicious, semiconscious, edge-of-wonderland kind of sleep, where I’m awake enough to control my dreams but asleep enough to forget that I’m doing it.’
‘That’s the funny thing about life. We’re rarely aware of the bullets we dodge. The just-misses. The almost-never-happeneds. We spend so much time worrying about how the future is going to play out and not nearly enough time admiring the precious perfection of the present.’

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I'm so glad you liked this one! I adored the relationship between Abby and Caitlin. We need more BFFs like these two in YA! Add to that the multiverse thing, and this was a hit with me. I lurrrrrrve parallel universe stuff.

  2. This book looks awesome and it poses such an interesting question. No doubt it's going on my TBR list ASAP. Thanks for a great review and recommendation! 🙂

  3. I didn't really know if I wanted to read this book or not, but after your review I'm need it asap! Going out tomorrow to go buy it! LOVE that there's a parallel universe concept and how the main character has always had her life planned out, but that things didn't go as she expected, very easy to relate to! Love that there's both Abby's POV's in the book, so awesome. Thank you SO much for this review, so excited to read this one now! 🙂

  4. MULTIVERSE THEORY!!!!!

    *GEEKY LOVE*

    ehehehe sorry I'm kind of crazy about all things cosmologically/astronomically related =P Heard amazing wonderful great things about Parallel and that cover is simple yet stunning at the same time! I can't wait to hear Parallel's explanation and handling of the issue on parallels and life choices! =)

    Alicia @ Summer Next Top Story

  5. This one sounds so great! My sister really liked it too. I love that the book focuses on a friendship between two girls. You don't see good friendships like that in YA books very often 😀