Rating - 5 out of 5 stars
Worldlines by Adam Guest is the first book in the Many Worlds series, and it does a riveting job of introducing us to the concept of parallel universes. This first book tells the story of Gary Jackson or the multiple Gary Jacksons that live simultaneously in different worldlines. In this science-fiction novel infused with a little bit of crime & psychological thrill, Adam Guest takes us on a ride through the different realities of Gary that exist. It portrays almost a perfect exhibition of the ‘domino effect’, especially how events & decisions can lead to completely contrasting outcomes. The only difference is that in this novel, all those numerous outcomes exist in multiple realities.
Guest begins the story with two Worldlines – the Blue Line and the Black Line. The event that causes the formation of these two lines is Gary’s encounter with a speeding lorry. In one line he gets hit; in the other one, he doesn’t. This single variation results in Gary living two entirely different lives. Then we discover that while lucid dreaming a person can access another one of his worldlines, and this twist adds a bit more spice to the story. Further into the story, we are introduced to a third worldline - the Red Line. These three worldlines are masterfully woven together to present the reader with an intense & ornate tale.
The book is a ten out of ten for me. The thing that impressed me the most about this book was how it was clear that the author was thorough in his research and visualization of the main idea of this story. Firstly, the concept of multiple worldlines and lucid dreaming is interesting in itself, and then it’s meticulously described using real-world science concepts which make it seem logical & tangible. This makes the reader believe in the fictional notion, hence having them invested in the story. The distinct lives of the multiple Gary Jacksons have also been well thought-off and written. One of the major perks of numerous worldlines is that the reader gets to have the satisfaction of reading alternate endings, and on top of that, Guest adds some smart foreshadowing moments throughout the book.
Another one of the book’s best components is the author’s writing style and his remarkable ability to set the scene as if it were a play. The reader can picture the surroundings the character is in, making them even more invested in the story. The characters and their relationships with each other are well-written and grounded in reality. None of them is purely black or white, they have grey areas and make mistakes. The romantic chemistry between Gary & Sinead and Gary & Michelle is breath-taking and these love stories never feel cliched. The emotional responses of the characters, Gary especially, to the events that take place throughout the story are written as realistically as possible. This results in the reader building an emotional connection with him and starting to feel all the emotions the character is feeling. You feel happy when the character is happy; you might even start to cry when the character is in despair.
Additionally, Guest has been smart with his writing skills and components. The vocabulary used is simple but effective, apt for the British locations that the plot is set in. The dialogues are eloquently scripted and their tones reflect the informal or formal relationship between two characters. The writing tones also reflect the character’s emotions, be it frustration or joy. Dialogues are also used to explain the science-heavy ideas, which result in the reader being able to understand them better instead of getting lost in long-winded narrations. The story is told from only the first point of view and therefore, it is easy to grasp. Some readers might think that the story is slow-paced in the few chapters at the beginning, but the plot soon starts to escalate and builds towards the climax at a quick pace. The book also seems to be exceptionally edited, since I wasn’t able to find any major grammatical errors.
Since there was nothing that I personally disliked about this book, I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars. The outstanding writing style, beautiful love stories and the highly appealing parallel universe plot impressed me a lot and ensured that I would read the upcoming books of the series. As for recommendations, I believe that this book will appeal to readers of all ages, ranging from the youth to elders. Avid readers of romance, fantasy and sci-fi genres will surely enjoy this read. Trust me, it won’t disappoint.
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