I’ve been a fan of C.B. Lee for a while now and Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe has to be my favorite! It’s this great mix of fantasy and contemporary, action and heart. For fans of alternate universes or DND this is for you! Keep reading this book review of Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe for my full thoughts.
Summary
When Brenda’s internet goes out right before an important scholarship deadline, she stumbles right into Kat’s family’s coffeeshop. Brenda is swept away by cool, confident Kat, who actually cares about Brenda’s 19-step plan to save the world through science. Meanwhile, Kat can’t stop thinking about Brenda, who is smart, passionate, and doesn’t seem to care that Kat is the prophesized Chosen One.
The only problem? Kat and Brenda are from different universes. Like need-to-find-a-portal-to-go-on-a-second-date different universes.
As their universes collide and things spiral out of control, can a girl who is determined to save the world find love with a girl determined to outrun her destiny?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
From the premise alone I was always going to love Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe. It’s not only about thin spaces between universes and a love of DND, but it’s also about friendship and powerful love. It’s about family, community, and what’s right and wrong. Lee packs a whole lot into this YA contemporary fantasy. This dual POV combination allows us to see the differences and similarities in the worlds of Brenda and Kat. Sure there may be literal dragons, but there’s also Chosen Ones, friendships, and community. Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe straddles this line between contemporary romance and also adventure story about the fate of their universes.
There are so many things I’m itching to talk about, which I cannot. But ultimately Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe has this beautiful zooming out. We see the characters, they’re the foundation of the story, but they also have to live in this world. Their struggles, the power differentials, and the fate of their worlds matter to them. And so it morphs into this story about sacrifice and people who see us for who we are and not what we can do. If you’re looking for a YA book that balances the big and the small, the tender love that blooms and also maybe saving our universe, this is for you!
Find Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, & Blackwells.
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