by Sarah Zachrich Jeng

My overall opinion: 4.5 out of 5 stars

It caught my interest quickly, majoring on interpersonal politics and self image more than sci-fi explanations. That’s what I was looking for, and why I really enjoyed this book. The slow but steady unraveling of the mystery in the main character’s life provided a backdrop for the self discovery journey she was undertaking simultaneously. The ending was satisfying, but the resolution could have been a bit longer and in depth. That is what cost it that last half star.

In depth(*light spoilers*):

One of the things that really kept my attention is the 1st person perspective. It kept me at the same pace as the main character. Because this book has a mystery/thriller element to it, that was essential that I was discovering things one piece at a time as if I was living it alongside with the main character. The author expertly dropped hints just frequently enough to keep me interested in the overarching plot, while continuing to explore interpersonal dynamics and Kelly’s personal discovery. It bring us through regrets and triumphs over the decisions she has made, or thinks she has made, in her life. Most of which came across very convincingly and relatable. It discusses her inner war between practical and safe decisions, and ones made in order to please other people and pits against risk-taking and exploring her own passions and dreams. The author mixes this in with a mysterious phenomenon in which Kelly remembers living multiple different lives, and is trying to figure out if she is insane, or the victim of someone manipulating different potential outcomes for her life. The author was very honest about not trying to explain the EXACT science of what is happening, which I preferred to coming up with a BS explanation, because that is not what this book was about in my opinion. The mystery is eventually resolved, but in a perfect world I would have preferred a sequel in order to provide a more in-depth resolution. I think this was necessary to provide more detail beginning with the part where Kelly gets to the root of what is going on and talks to the person responsible for her pain. The journey should have been longer for her to resolve the crisis that her life was ever since that day at the art show. Really enjoyed this one!