REVIEW: Parallel by Lauren Miller

Parallel by Lauren Miller
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: May 14, 2013
Source: Edelweiss* via publisher
Rating: 5/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

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.

My Review

There are a few books that truly rock my world and Parallel by Lauren Miller was one of those books. Even now, I’m still a little stunned by what I read in this incredible book! What I do know for sure is that I found Parallel to be one unique, well thought out, and creative book. I have never been so engaged by a single book in so long! 

I’m not really sure how to describe Abby. She was kind of hard to put into words, but it didn't mean that I didn’t like her because I truly did. I could totally relate to her trying her hardest in school and following that set plan she wanted to fulfill. I’ve been there, done that and like in this book, some things happen to change that plan. I understood why Abby freaked out over deviating from her plan or even when things slightly or drastically changed because the unknown is scary. Abby was sort of a perfectionist who wanted things to go her way and who was still trying to figure out what she truly wanted even with the plan she already set her mind to. She was smart, determined, very hard working and no where near perfect, but Abby continued to make questionable decisions that made her real and genuinely human, someone you could place in the here and now. 

Parallel was really well written, completely complex and intricate. I was hooked and continually mind blown by each chapter. What I really loved about this book was how it made me think non-stop. My mind raced to catch up to comprehend everything and it was half part aggravating and half part exhilarating. Though I was confused some of the time and no where near in love with astrophysics, I really loved this book and all the layers and twists it had. I loved being able to read about the parallel Abby and how one decision she made affected and changed so much a year later. The whole book was so enthralling. I kept wanting to find out what was going to happen next, what new change was Abby going to face, and how was she going to face it. Everything was just crazy and eye opening. It just made me shake my head and question what if I did this different? What if I chose to do this than that? Honestly, this book was like Inception, only in book form through parallel worlds. Basically for a lack of a better term, Parallel was mind-fucking me all the way through and I was deeply thrilled by the intensity. There was even a shocking plot twist in the book that totally took me by surprise. I swear, I never saw that one coming at all! I think I was going through some serious emotional whiplash because of this book and I loved every single moment even when I was pissed as hell. 

The romance in Parallel was the oh so sweet and slowly blooming kind. It was the heart pounding, cheek flushing, butterfly feeling of young love. It wasn’t the main part of the book, but a part of the many elements that made this book exceptional. It definitely tied in the whole aspect of destiny and soul-mates that Miller played on to bring this book to a hair-pulling, but lovely close.

Overall, I was just impressed and awed by Miller’s ability to weave such a complicated story. She really brought all the pieces together very well and totally had my brain shifting gears at every turn. 

*Thanks to Harper Teen for sending a copy for review purposes

I was not compensated for my opinion