A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray is a multi-dimensional, YA love story. Marguerite Caine is an artist in a family of scientists. Her sister is studying for her PhD and her parents are famous physicists on the verge of a breakthrough. They have discovered a way to jump to alternate universes, changing science as we know it.
When Marguerite’s father is killed, she is determined to take her revenge on the man suspected of murdering him, Paul, one of her parent’s TAs and a member of the family in all but name. The problem is, no one can find him. Paul has jumped into the multiverse and Marguerite and Theo, another of her parent’s TAa, must follow him.
Can Marguerite cope with meeting alternate versions of herself and those she loves? What will she do when confronted with the man who supposedly killed her father? And when she discovers the truth, will she be able to come to terms with the consequences?
I’m really glad I read some of the reviews on this one before I started reading it. When I first read the synopsis, I was really excited to get this multi-dimensional revenge story with just a tinge of romance. And because I read the reviews, I was prepared for a love story that takes over the book about a quarter of the way through. As much as this book is about finding the truth and taking revenge, it is also about fate, destiny and soulmates.
As a concept, I really like this book. I thought the science and reasoning behind the multiverse and how Marguerite is able to travel through them, unique and well done. I would have liked to see more dimensions; I think Gray spent a little too much time in Russia, although I understand why she did. And I was glad that Marguerite is changed by each world she visits, that she learns something about herself and doesn’t just shrug off the other lives she’s lived.
I did struggle with the beginning of this book. I couldn’t get into the story until Marguerite was really in the first dimension she goes to. There was just a disconnect between the first few chapters and the rest of the book. I think it might have been the pace. Gray wanted to start off this book really fast and jump right in, but that didn’t really work for me. It’s hard to put my finger on exactly what was wrong but it just took a while for me to get into to.
Overall, this was a really quick read that I ended up enjoying. I’m not sure if the sequels are for me but I will keep them on my radar. This one gets a 3.5 from me because it was better than I though it would be.
That’s all for now!
-M-