Review of Worldlines
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Lisa Grimaldi
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Review of Worldlines
[Following is a volunteer review of "Worldlines" by Adam Guest.]
What if there were multiple universes (multiverses) and, when you dreamed, you could travel to another version of your world and influence it? What if making a different choice in a situation created another version of your life that you were unable to go back and alter? This is the premise of Worldlines by Adam Guest, and it is brilliant. The story centers around Gary Jackson and his two closest friends, Michelle and Sinead. One day, Gary’s professor of physics introduces the concept of Worldlines. This theory, in essence, states that many circumstances have to come together for a situation to happen, and that a change to any of those circumstances could alter the outcome of that situation. It further states that in the multiverse, some circumstances did in fact change, and the outcome was altered. One night, while dreaming, Gary enters an alternate version of his life (another Worldline) and commits a horrific crime that his alternate self is now being held responsible for. Guest’s fascinating story is about how to enter another Worldline while knowing you can’t undo your actions and help the “other” Gary.
This is one of the best books I have read this year. It is complicated and has a fascinating premise that is expertly executed. Dealing with multiple Worldlines adds complexity to the story, but the author beautifully simplifies it for the reader by color-coding each Worldline. In this book, there are the black, blue, green, and red lines. The color of the Worldline is stated at the beginning of the chapter, so the reader knows where they are at all times. I love that this book taps into something that everyone has thought about in their lifetime: how a situation could have been much worse or much better if only circumstances had changed. I am reminded of the story of a gentleman heading to work at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, who was late to work that morning because he had to drive his child to school. Because of that circumstance, he survived.
There was nothing to dislike in this story. I found it flawless in storyline, intensely interesting from a very human “what if?” perspective, and well-written.
This book has quickly become one of my favorites, and I am enthusiastically recommending to my fellow readers. I truly enjoyed everything about it, from the premise of the story to the character development to the flow of the story to the disturbing and intriguing ending. This is one of those rare finds for me where I did not want to put this book down and could not wait to pick it up again. There were a few instances of missing periods at the end of sentences, but this book was so mesmerizing that I could easily forgive those. I most fervently give this book 4 out of 4 stars and 5 out of 5 stars .
I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a bit of physics and philosophy mixed into their science fiction. This book would make for a great discussion starter and inspire personal tales among friends of their very own “what if” scenarios. It truly is one of the most original books I have read, and I most eagerly await the second book in the series. I cannot imagine a Worldline where this book does not exist!
******
Worldlines
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
What if there were multiple universes (multiverses) and, when you dreamed, you could travel to another version of your world and influence it? What if making a different choice in a situation created another version of your life that you were unable to go back and alter? This is the premise of Worldlines by Adam Guest, and it is brilliant. The story centers around Gary Jackson and his two closest friends, Michelle and Sinead. One day, Gary’s professor of physics introduces the concept of Worldlines. This theory, in essence, states that many circumstances have to come together for a situation to happen, and that a change to any of those circumstances could alter the outcome of that situation. It further states that in the multiverse, some circumstances did in fact change, and the outcome was altered. One night, while dreaming, Gary enters an alternate version of his life (another Worldline) and commits a horrific crime that his alternate self is now being held responsible for. Guest’s fascinating story is about how to enter another Worldline while knowing you can’t undo your actions and help the “other” Gary.
This is one of the best books I have read this year. It is complicated and has a fascinating premise that is expertly executed. Dealing with multiple Worldlines adds complexity to the story, but the author beautifully simplifies it for the reader by color-coding each Worldline. In this book, there are the black, blue, green, and red lines. The color of the Worldline is stated at the beginning of the chapter, so the reader knows where they are at all times. I love that this book taps into something that everyone has thought about in their lifetime: how a situation could have been much worse or much better if only circumstances had changed. I am reminded of the story of a gentleman heading to work at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, who was late to work that morning because he had to drive his child to school. Because of that circumstance, he survived.
There was nothing to dislike in this story. I found it flawless in storyline, intensely interesting from a very human “what if?” perspective, and well-written.
This book has quickly become one of my favorites, and I am enthusiastically recommending to my fellow readers. I truly enjoyed everything about it, from the premise of the story to the character development to the flow of the story to the disturbing and intriguing ending. This is one of those rare finds for me where I did not want to put this book down and could not wait to pick it up again. There were a few instances of missing periods at the end of sentences, but this book was so mesmerizing that I could easily forgive those. I most fervently give this book 4 out of 4 stars and 5 out of 5 stars .
I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a bit of physics and philosophy mixed into their science fiction. This book would make for a great discussion starter and inspire personal tales among friends of their very own “what if” scenarios. It truly is one of the most original books I have read, and I most eagerly await the second book in the series. I cannot imagine a Worldline where this book does not exist!
******
Worldlines
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Final Notice by Van Fleisher
