By Cynthia Ayala

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents have invented the Firebird, a device that allows the wearer to travel to multiple universes. But when Marguerite’s father is suddenly murdered by their enigmatic assistant Paul, Marguerite’s life is turned upside down. Especially after Paul escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him. With her own Firebird, Marguerite goes after him, and before long, begins to question his guilt as a sinister secret comes to life, threatening everything she holds dear.

Published on November 4, 2014, by Harper Teen, A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray is the first in a new young adult science fiction by a New York Times bestselling author.

Probably the best aspect of the novel is how easy it is to follow, how detailed the novel is and beautiful it is. The novel follows the characters from one universe to another, where either everything is incredibly different, or there are minor differences. Considering the amount of travel that is going on within the novel, it would be easy for both the author and the reader to get lost, but the fluidity that Gray brings to the novel makes it so easy to follow while getting lost in the story. There are no questions of what is going on, how they got there, or where they are; the story holds together so well with strong details that it absorbs the reader into it. So much the characters, the reader is going into another universe and feelings those same sensations as the characters. It’s breathtaking how imaginative this story is and because of that it moves quickly with fluid movements. Gray is an artist, and she painted something quite breathtaking here.

However, it’s not just the story that is breathtaking; it is also the characters and how they grow through the story. These characters are traversing the universe and through this adventure, they are adapting to their surroundings, they are learning things about themselves and the people closest to them. They are forming attachments to other people in their lives, as well as deeper attachments to other individuals who exist in all their realities. It’s incredibly seeing how these characters grow, how their dynamics change and evolve by these unique set of circumstances where they are challenged by their belief system and that belief system of the world they are in at that moment. It’s undeniable that this sort of writing is a bit existential, reaching into other universes to find someone, only to discover deeper secrets of oneself, especially those people would rather ignore. That is also what makes the characters so relatable. They are flawed, imperfect, and very much human. They are strong characters that are driving the plot forward making it a gripping read.

Overall, this is just a fantastic novel not only because the characterization and dialogue were so strong, but because of the imaginative storytelling that was not only incredibly vibrant but also had jaw-dropping plot twists woven into it perfectly. (★★★★★ | A+)