Parallel Review

Parallel
by Lauren Miller
Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Format: ARC received through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for my honest review.
Midnight Minute: Abby goes to bed one night as an actress in LA and wakes up the next morning as a Ivy League student due to parallel worlds colliding. 
Expected Publication: 05.14.13
From Goodreads:

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.

As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.

Midnight Thoughts:

~ Abby knows exactly what she wants out of life, right down to the school she wants to attend and the newspaper she wants to write for until:
~ A seemingly innocent class change lands her in Hollywood making a major motion film.
~ Abby is not in love with being an actress, and realizes that it most people would kill to be in her place, and yes, she did annoy me with her self-pity.  Oh poor me, I'm making a movie with hot actors and getting paid good money, but since I want to be a journalist and have wealthy parents none of this matters to me. But I give her points for being aware that she's being ridiculous and ungrateful. 
~A point I would like to make, what is up with YA characters only going to big name schools?  Seriously, to any of my college bound readers- it's okay to get you basic courses finished at your local community college, then go ahead and sell your kidneys to pay for the big name school of your dreams.  Your future debt-free self with thank you. 
~ This book really makes you think about fate and destiny- how sleeping through your alarm clock, or arriving early to work can literally change your life. 
~ When Abby awakens on her 18th birthday she finds her life has changed completely. And literally. 
~ Suddenly Abby has a new, dual memory of what happened the day she had to choose between taking drama and astronomy at the beginning of senior year, and how that one small thing landed her in Yale. 
~ This is just a little side note- my friend Steph has  a feature where she does looks from books, and Abby's use of her pajama top as a dress would work great in it! 
~ I'm really not smart enough for the theory and science behind parallel worlds, but I understood enough, or was able to accept enough, to just go with it. 
~ Caitlin has dyslexia, which still affects her but doesn't stop her from being brilliant.  It's nice to see learning disabilities featured in a YA book, especially something that affects so many people. 
~ Abby has a trick where if she's trying not to cry, she starts coughing.  I'm going to give it a try!
~ Abby starts off kind of spoiled, but having to deal with waking up each day to big changes in her life forces Abby to grow up.
~ I think having a parallel you make decisions that change your whole life should be the equivalent of the Evil Twin. Let's make this trend happen!
~ Oh, please, parallel Kate, learn to love vegetables and exercise so I can wake up tomorrow with the body of Jennifer Garner during her Alias days.  
~ I love the date Michael takes Abby on to the church- from C.S. Lewis inscription to the invisible choir- it gave me goosebumps. 
~ At one point Abby says that we're only a decision or two away from losing valuable friendships and relationships. It bothers me, how true that is. 
~ Just to warn you, Lauren Miller throws in a few mind-effers that will just mess you up.  In a good way.  Or bad, depending on your point of view. 
~ This book stressed me the hell out, but that's why I liked it.  The ending was wonderful!  

Timeless Characters:

Abby Barnes- parallel Abby is messing up her life.
Caitlin- Abby's supermodel pretty genius bff.
Tyler- friend to Abby and Caitlin.
Illana- drama girl, dates Tyler.
Bret Woodward- hottie actor.
Kirby- actress on Abby and Bret's film.
Dr. Gustav P. Mann- ex-Yale prof, comes to Abby's high school to teach, published a controversial book on parallel lives.
Josh- Astronomy boy, parallel Abby meets him.
Marissa- Yale roommate.
Ben- Marissa's boyfriend.
Michael- cute upperclassman at Yale. 
Megan- on the Yale rowing team.
Fiona- Yale drama major. 

Midnight Moment:

I can't tell you what my midnight moment was because it'd be a major spoiler.  But you'll know the scene when you get to it, because you'll be shocked.

Stop The Clock:

You don't have to like science, or understand it, to enjoy this book.  It was a real page-turner!


Lauren Miller — Website |Lauren Miller Writes

Parallel gets a Midnight Book Rating of: