Review of Parallel by Lauren Miller

HarperTeen

Parallel
by Lauren Miller
3 Scribbles

Some seniors have a dream of where they want to attend school and what they want to do in life from a very young age--so much so that any other school doesn't seem to be a viable option. This is this case with Abby Barnes. Yet, Abby ends up being scouted and and cast in a movie opposite Bret Woodward (after a scheduling fluke forces her to take Drama Methods instead of music history) so she puts her dreams of attending Northwestern as a journalism student on hold. Who wouldn't right?  But when a strange earthquake rocks the world and Abby wakes in a dorm room at Yale, she has no memory of how she got there. Suddenly, Abby wonders if she has any control over her destiny whatsoever.

This book will blow the mind of all but the most curious and science-savvy. You see, according to a theory of quantum physics, there are parallel universes.  And since there are parallel universes that sort of mirror our own, then there are parellel people that mirror us? Right? Now, stay with me here...it stands to reason then that there are individuals living parallel lives, and in Abby’s case, she is aware of it while those around her are not.  In Abby's world, everyone else wakes up the morning after the earthquake with a headache—a sign that the memories they had of the year they just lived have been erased and replaced by their parallel self’s memories—but Abby keeps her memories of Hollywood, of before, and her parallel’s memories begin to emerge as they are formed (since apparently the parallel lives are actually lived in different times since time is not linear in the parallel universe). If you are still with me, and still interested in blowing your mind with this book...then here's the skinny on the rest of the content. While the content is quite sophisticated, Miller deals with tried and true themes. Do we have free will, or are we destined to reach the same outcome no matter what path we choose? Are our actions determined by our biological makeup or our circumstances? Abby's character is down-to-earth, relatable and well-drawn, and quirky secondary characters prove that a real best friend sticks by you no matter how out of your mind you may sound! Lastly, a few hotties add just a touch of romantic angst to keep those of us who aren't hard core sci-fi fans in our comfort zone. Fans of time travel or scientific theory will enjoy this novel, and fans of romance may like it too, even if they don't get the science.