If you love the idea of parallel worlds, of different lives, of multi-verses, then you have to read In Universes. It’s a story about friendships, relationships, and post-apocalyptic worlds. Incredibly unique, this SF debut is one to check out! Keep reading this book review of In Universes for my full thoughts.
Summary
Raffi works in an observational cosmology lab, searching for dark matter and trying to hide how little they understand their own research. Every chance they get, they escape to see Britt, a queer sculptor who fascinates them for reasons they also don’t—or won’t—understand. As Raffi’s carefully constructed life begins to collapse, they become increasingly fixated on the multiverse and the idea that somewhere, there might be a universe where they mean as much to Britt as she does to them…and just like that, Raffi and Britt are thirteen years old, best friends and maybe something more.
In Universes is a mind-bending tour across parallel worlds, each an answer to the question of what life would be like if events had played out just a little differently. The universes grow increasingly strange: women fracture into hordes of animals, alien-infested bears prowl apocalyptic landscapes. But across them all, Raffi—alongside their sometimes-friends, sometimes-lovers Britt, Kay, and Graham—reaches for a life that feels authentically their own.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Okay so for some reason when I started, I didn’t realize there’d be parallel lives. So you can imagine my confusion as I made it past the first few chapters. But then that confusion deepened into love. In Universes makes you think about nature and nurture. The things that stay the same in our lives, in us, throughout it all. And the things that take the right conditions to bloom, to develop, to emerge. And even more so, the things that we cannot put into words which has always been lurking.
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So on a thematic level, In Universes is a must read. It makes you think about not only how you’d survive these new lives, but also who you might become. There’s a bit of a learning curve in each new life – which makes things a bit confusing each time – but all together it creates a book that feels unique and thought provoking. Find In Universes on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.