Review: A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

A Thousand Pieces of You

Author: Claudia Gray
Series: Firebird #1
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Format: ebook
Release Date: November 4, 2014
Source: egalley received from publisher via Edelweiss
Rating: 3.5 Stars
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***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way changed my opinion of the book. The review below is my open and honest opinion.***

Synopsis from Goodreads:

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.

My Review:

Science is so cool, don't you think? Well if you don't think science is cool, this book will change your mind. I loved all the physics and other sciences woven into this story of parallel worlds. This was my first Claudia Gray book and it definitely won't be my last. She does such an amazing job of world-building. There's a lot of information in this book, so be prepared for that, but it never really felt like info-dumping to me. That being said, there were times when I was pretty lost. Confused not only about the science behind the Firebirds that allow the characters to jump between worlds, but also about the rules that governed them. So just be prepared to read carefully if you want to understand every single aspect of it. For me, it didn't really affect my reading experience. If it was due to the science, I just shrugged and went with it. I'm not the type of reader that has to make sense of everything, especially when it comes to science fiction. 

The characters in this book were really what grabbed me. I loved the main character. Her bravery and strength was incredible. I would never be able to jump into a different world not being 100% sure of the outcome, but she does and she does it to avenge her father. The family in this book was so amazing. Close and just filled with love. I enjoyed not having the typical absentee parents because even though her dad was obviously not around and her mom wasn't in the book much, we got all these flashbacks throughout that showed what a close-knit family they are. 

The boys. Everybody has been talking about the love triangle in this one and saying how epically awesome it is. I didn't think it was all that. I mean, I was okay with the triangle because there was a clear and solid winner the entire time. The chemistry on the one side of the triangle is simply amazing. I swooned hardcore over one of these boys. But the author will definitely keep you guessing about loyalty and true motives with each guy and really with each character. 

The different parallel worlds in this book also completely sucked me in. There are worlds that are wildly different from the one Marguerite lives in, and then there are worlds that are quite similar, with only a few key details out of place. My favorite was definitely a world where Marguerite is Russian royalty, a world where technology advanced much more slowly and the Romanovs still ruled. Awesome!!

There are so many twists and turns in this book, some you might see coming and some you might not. I guessed some and was shocked by others. The action is nonstop and you will race through the pages to the end to find out who the bad guy really is and how they plan on defeating him or her. The ending is open enough for another book, but tied up enough that you can breathe and not feel like you're hanging off a cliff for the next year. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait for more from this series and from this author. 

Have you read this book yet? What did you think of the different parallel worlds? Which one was your favorite? What about the love triangle? Thoughts/feelings on the boys?