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cat1586's review against another edition
1.0
I didn't really love this book. I don't even know if "like" would be too strong to describe my feelings for it. It was diverse and I actually think I was a little shocked when Ida describes herself as fat. It was kind of refreshing reading though this party of characters.
The problem that I took with this story though wasn't the unexplained story line or how confusing it almost was. My biggest problem with this story was how lazy or apathetic Ida, Damaris and Adrastos seemed to be. Maybe I'm use to a faster pace and people actually reacting to whats going on around them, but only in the final pages of the book did one of them actually do anything. Up until that point, it didn't matter that Ida wasn't where she was suppose to be, 'ah well, I'm tired so I'm just going to sleep here....in this strange place....'. Just seemed to be her reaction. I get that going through what she was, it would be exhausting, but come on. There would still be more fuss kicked up by anyone else.
The story itself, while new, could use a lot of world building and more character development. I found myself just making a lot of assumptions through out the story, and I think with the diverse cast that we had, it was a missed opportunity not to expand upon what was actually happening with Ida, and then to not actually go into further character development with Frank and Daisy as well.
All in all, not a bad read. I didn't find it to be very developed world, but I didn't hate the story either. I just wish mostly, that the main players in this world would have been a little bit more responsive to what was going on around them. This book could have really moved like a completely different book then.
The problem that I took with this story though wasn't the unexplained story line or how confusing it almost was. My biggest problem with this story was how lazy or apathetic Ida, Damaris and Adrastos seemed to be. Maybe I'm use to a faster pace and people actually reacting to whats going on around them, but only in the final pages of the book did one of them actually do anything. Up until that point, it didn't matter that Ida wasn't where she was suppose to be, 'ah well, I'm tired so I'm just going to sleep here....in this strange place....'. Just seemed to be her reaction. I get that going through what she was, it would be exhausting, but come on. There would still be more fuss kicked up by anyone else.
The story itself, while new, could use a lot of world building and more character development. I found myself just making a lot of assumptions through out the story, and I think with the diverse cast that we had, it was a missed opportunity not to expand upon what was actually happening with Ida, and then to not actually go into further character development with Frank and Daisy as well.
All in all, not a bad read. I didn't find it to be very developed world, but I didn't hate the story either. I just wish mostly, that the main players in this world would have been a little bit more responsive to what was going on around them. This book could have really moved like a completely different book then.
staceeyt's review against another edition
2.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
"How do people decide on a path, and find the drive to pursue what they want?
Ida struggles more than other young people to work this out. She can shift between parallel universes, allowing her to follow alternative paths.
One day Ida sees a shadowy, see-through doppelganger of herself on the train. She starts to wonder if she’s actually in control of her ability, and whether there are effects far beyond what she’s considered.
How can she know, anyway, whether one universe is ultimately better than another? And what if the continual shifting causes her to lose what is most important to her, just as she’s discovering what that is, and she can never find her way back? "
In this book, you follow Ida who possesses the ability to switch between alternate universes and change her decisions. However, the constant use of this power means that she is creating millions of different timelines and eventually, they start to blur together. I thought the premise sounded so interesting and I was looking forward to learning more about this concept but the execution wasn't quite there. Ida was, let's say, complicated. The plotline was choppy and when you add in the time jumping, it became a bit confusing. I've been left with more questions than I started off with.
Evans writing style is a little jarring. It was vague and, at times, underdeveloped which disrupted the flow. This is a very short book, and I felt that it lacked much-needed details. With the introduction of Damaris and Adrastos, there are hints to a bigger world which is never explained. I would have liked to have seen a lot more information about the parallel universes and the power that Ida had. I just wanted more. On top of this, the ending felt very rushed.
Despite my general issues, this book did have incredible diverse representation. This is the first book I have read that has a genderqueer character, and while I would have liked more Daisy, it was a pleasant experience reading about them. We also have bisexual, bi-racial, trans and gender fluid characters thrown in too. At no point did this feel forced either, which I liked.
This book did really have potential. With a little more fleshing out and more attention, it could have been a fresh and interesting take on the Sci-Fi genre. It just fell a bit flat for me.
"How do people decide on a path, and find the drive to pursue what they want?
Ida struggles more than other young people to work this out. She can shift between parallel universes, allowing her to follow alternative paths.
One day Ida sees a shadowy, see-through doppelganger of herself on the train. She starts to wonder if she’s actually in control of her ability, and whether there are effects far beyond what she’s considered.
How can she know, anyway, whether one universe is ultimately better than another? And what if the continual shifting causes her to lose what is most important to her, just as she’s discovering what that is, and she can never find her way back? "
In this book, you follow Ida who possesses the ability to switch between alternate universes and change her decisions. However, the constant use of this power means that she is creating millions of different timelines and eventually, they start to blur together. I thought the premise sounded so interesting and I was looking forward to learning more about this concept but the execution wasn't quite there. Ida was, let's say, complicated. The plotline was choppy and when you add in the time jumping, it became a bit confusing. I've been left with more questions than I started off with.
Evans writing style is a little jarring. It was vague and, at times, underdeveloped which disrupted the flow. This is a very short book, and I felt that it lacked much-needed details. With the introduction of Damaris and Adrastos, there are hints to a bigger world which is never explained. I would have liked to have seen a lot more information about the parallel universes and the power that Ida had. I just wanted more. On top of this, the ending felt very rushed.
Despite my general issues, this book did have incredible diverse representation. This is the first book I have read that has a genderqueer character, and while I would have liked more Daisy, it was a pleasant experience reading about them. We also have bisexual, bi-racial, trans and gender fluid characters thrown in too. At no point did this feel forced either, which I liked.
This book did really have potential. With a little more fleshing out and more attention, it could have been a fresh and interesting take on the Sci-Fi genre. It just fell a bit flat for me.
amerasuu's review against another edition
5.0
Breathtakingly beautiful, enjoyable characters, wonderful diversity. Alison is an author to watch out for! Magical Australian non binary writing superstar!
owlyreadsalot's review against another edition
3.0
I am an avid fan of sci-fi books, time travel and the sorts, but I wasn't able to get into this read as much as I had hoped I would. There were many great parts in Ida and various characters that kept me intrigued. Just found it wasn't enough to keep me coming back for a few more reads. There were many times in the earlier chapters I found to be moving along at a very slow pace. And yet when it picked up, many of it did really well. Her ability to "time travel" was interesting and the doppelgangers added a nice touch and tie in to the whole novel.
And even though parts of this was a hard take for me, many chapters kept me reading. I wanted Ida to succeed in finding her mom, to have that time with her, but also knowing that it would not bring her exactly a peaceful end to things. How she fought hard for those she loved and tried her hardest to come back to them even when it seemed their was no more chance of it being so. Ida is a very strong character in this, coping with everything thrown at her. When she finds out she might be at the center of something much bigger, she deals with it with grace and understanding.
"It's time, I tell myself, breathing in. The life I built that has no mother but has my father, Frank, Daisy, and Pilgrim. Even Georg. My job that I don't like, my boss I hate. Everything. I nod once and don't let the tears get out this time. My eyes are dust from tired and there are more doppelgangers in the night who try to take my body. I fight them all. The others try to force me out but I won't let them. I can barely feel my limbs. This is no time for crying. I close my eyes and focus on the tea stains."
As Ida comes to the truth about everything in her life and her ability, the readers are introduced to Adrastos and Damaris. They are meant to keep order when it comes to people like Ida. There was not a lot of information given about these two characters, which I had hoped as the book moved along that we would find out much more. They became likable right from the beginning, especially Damaris. It would have been nice to have a little bit more of a back story for her. They made things more interesting and it brought another element to the story that kept me reading.
Ida gets more appealing as the doppelgangers enter the scene. Creating an atmosphere that catches the readers attention even more. There are a few explanations as to how they have been brought into Ida's realm. And a bit of a confusing explanation on what happens to them once Ida chooses her path. There is not much detail in Ida's life either to let us know how she even came to possess her ability to create these ripples. It would have been nice to have gotten some sort of summary for that.
As we near the last pages and start getting more into this novel, an abrupt end makes it harder to love. I'm left wanting more, more answers, more of Adrastos and Damaris, clearer answers as to where the doppelgangers have ended up, what becomes of Ida, how she had these abilities, maybe her mom was at the center of it all (could have lost her life that way, somehow she was entangled in all of this?). So while I did enjoy many parts of this read, and loved some of the characters in here, there were too many bits that left me on the fence with this one.
***I received this copy from Echo Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***
And even though parts of this was a hard take for me, many chapters kept me reading. I wanted Ida to succeed in finding her mom, to have that time with her, but also knowing that it would not bring her exactly a peaceful end to things. How she fought hard for those she loved and tried her hardest to come back to them even when it seemed their was no more chance of it being so. Ida is a very strong character in this, coping with everything thrown at her. When she finds out she might be at the center of something much bigger, she deals with it with grace and understanding.
"It's time, I tell myself, breathing in. The life I built that has no mother but has my father, Frank, Daisy, and Pilgrim. Even Georg. My job that I don't like, my boss I hate. Everything. I nod once and don't let the tears get out this time. My eyes are dust from tired and there are more doppelgangers in the night who try to take my body. I fight them all. The others try to force me out but I won't let them. I can barely feel my limbs. This is no time for crying. I close my eyes and focus on the tea stains."
As Ida comes to the truth about everything in her life and her ability, the readers are introduced to Adrastos and Damaris. They are meant to keep order when it comes to people like Ida. There was not a lot of information given about these two characters, which I had hoped as the book moved along that we would find out much more. They became likable right from the beginning, especially Damaris. It would have been nice to have a little bit more of a back story for her. They made things more interesting and it brought another element to the story that kept me reading.
Ida gets more appealing as the doppelgangers enter the scene. Creating an atmosphere that catches the readers attention even more. There are a few explanations as to how they have been brought into Ida's realm. And a bit of a confusing explanation on what happens to them once Ida chooses her path. There is not much detail in Ida's life either to let us know how she even came to possess her ability to create these ripples. It would have been nice to have gotten some sort of summary for that.
As we near the last pages and start getting more into this novel, an abrupt end makes it harder to love. I'm left wanting more, more answers, more of Adrastos and Damaris, clearer answers as to where the doppelgangers have ended up, what becomes of Ida, how she had these abilities, maybe her mom was at the center of it all (could have lost her life that way, somehow she was entangled in all of this?). So while I did enjoy many parts of this read, and loved some of the characters in here, there were too many bits that left me on the fence with this one.
***I received this copy from Echo Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***
glitterkitter's review against another edition
5.0
(I put off reading this an embarrassingly long time because it was one of those things where you anticipate it so much it just doesn't feel right to actually read the thing. I don't know, it's weird, but that's how it worked.)
Anyway, Alison is a friend, so I am biased going into this and you should know that, but that just added to my enjoyment because I am so proud that they wrote something so good.
I loved the concept used here and it felt incredibly unique in how it all played and that it was for more personal emotional stakes and I'm very impressed with how easy it was to follow the plot considering it was something that could very easily get messy. (I love time travel and parallel universes but they regularly make my brain hurt in a lot of things if I think about them too much.)
Anyway, Alison is a friend, so I am biased going into this and you should know that, but that just added to my enjoyment because I am so proud that they wrote something so good.
I loved the concept used here and it felt incredibly unique in how it all played and that it was for more personal emotional stakes and I'm very impressed with how easy it was to follow the plot considering it was something that could very easily get messy. (I love time travel and parallel universes but they regularly make my brain hurt in a lot of things if I think about them too much.)
nenya_kanadka's review against another edition
4.0
Unputdownable. Possibly because it hit the sort of sci fi that I like. The ending was a little abrupt and I have MANY QUESTIONS that I still want answered about the worldbuilding (how does X happen and how does Ida know that Y is true, etc) but I really liked the central romance. I also want to know more about the lady from the art gallery (whose name escapes me at the moment, but I liked her) and I want Ida to take that job opportunity eventually.
Good stuff, will look for more by this author, especially if she continues to effortlessly combine science fiction with queer characters.
Good stuff, will look for more by this author, especially if she continues to effortlessly combine science fiction with queer characters.
chanteld's review against another edition
2.0
Narrative was way too choppy and difficult to follow for this to be deemed a good read. It is a brilliant idea but the way it was executed simply made it hard to enjoy.
theeclecticpageturner's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting story on time travel. That ends up not being about time travel at all. Ida is actually an escapiest that jumps from parallel universe to parallel universe.
Its interesting how her life is different yet the same in each.
Its interesting how her life is different yet the same in each.
snoutling's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Conceptually interesting, this had a good start and a great momentum which slowed about half way. The book then became a bit too repetative and drawn out for me. The author did a great job of writing genderqueer characters, and this was very informative for me.