November 13, 2014: 'A Thousand Pieces of You'

A Thousand Pieces of You

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Date: November 13, 2014

Spoilers Ahead

Headline

A Thousand Pieces of You

Claudia Gray

Every Day meets Cloud Atlas in this heart-racing, space- and time-bending, epic new trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray.

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

City Calendar:

This is what happened during the week.

Paul supposedly kills Marguerite's father. He leaves their dimension. Marguerite and Theo jump the dimension to follow Paul. They end up in a futuristic London where Marguerite is an orphan. Theo finds Marguerite. They sneak into a conference where Wyatt Conley a genius in the tech world is speaking in hopes to find Paul. They see Paul and go into the conference. They confront Paul who makes them run to the Tube. They fight there, but Paul takes Marguerite and flee on a train. Paul leaves the dimension then, leaving Marguerite. She follows. 

They end up in Russia. Paul begs her to go home, but Marguerite refuses. Paul's Firebird is taken, and Marguerite's is damaged. Marguerite ends up being the daughter of the Russian tsar. Marguerite acts as the duchess. She dances with Paul who doesn't have the memories of the Paul she knows. She sees the real duchess's drawings of Paul and knows how much the duchess loves Paul. (Who is a lieutenant in this dimension.) Theo sends a letter to Marguerite, explaining where he is. Christmas comes. Balls happen. Paul and Marguerite exchange presents. The royal family go on a trip to Moscow, but their train is attacked by the tsar's brother. Marguerite and Paul escape unscathed. They confess love for each other and make love. Marguerite admits the truth to the lieutenant. They then go to an encampment where the tsar and the soldiers are. They find Marguerite's dad a royal tutor to see if Marguerite's Firebird is fixed. Marguerite tells her father the truth. She reveals that the deceased wife of the tsar her mother and her father the tutor are her parents. The tsar's brother is killed in battle. Paul is wounded. Marguerite goes to see him. He dies. Her father fixes the Firebird, and Marguerite leaves. 

She goes to a dimension almost exactly like her own. She and Theo go to find about Conley. Paul tells her to leave and meet him. She does. She learns the truth about Conley's motives and that Conley wants her. She learns that Conley killed her father. Paul and Marguerite escape.

Marguerite finds Theo and Paul on the science research boat. A storm comes. Marguerite realizes that this dimension's father is her own. She gives him a reminder that 'wakes up' Marguerite's real dad. Theo comes. Marguerite and Theo go to find a winch. Marguerite realizes that Theo is not her dimension's Theo but another dimension's Theo. They fight, and Marguerite escapes via escape pod. She is rescued by Paul and taken aboard. Paul goes back to rescue Theo. Marguerite and her father go back to her home dimension. Their family is reunited, and Paul and Marguerite get together and form a couple.

And that's what happened this week.

Personal Ads:

Marguerite Caine.

Brave. Cares a lot for her family. Chasing her father’s killer. Important in Conley’s eyes. Ordinary girl. Painter. Sketcher in Russian world. Daughter of geniuses in physics. More into art than physics.

Theo Beck.

Flirty. Smart. Graduate student. Assistant to the Dr. Caines. Deceptive. Liar. Cares for his ‘family’. A bit reckless.

Paul Markov.

Buff. Graduate student. Supposed ‘killer’ of Henry Caine. Assistant. Lieutenant in one world. Brilliant in physics. Genius. Shy. Quiet. Cares for his ‘family’. Determined to keep his ‘family’ safe.  

Opinions:

This book was one that I kept saying ‘You gotta read this book’ to everyone I met. Yes. I did that.

This is why.

The world building was nice. The author paid attention to some small details. The way the people spoke. Their outfits. It’s nice to have that. Of course, I wanted some Russian thrown in. But it’s fine without it too.

The romance was…okay. I think it could have been done better. While I’m no fan of love triangles, I do like Marguerite and Paul are good together. Well…good enough. I think Paul deserves someone else, but Marguerite works too. She’s kind. She understands him on a different level. I think there is chemistry there. But there are bad things to the romance.

The sex scene threw me off. I was screaming at my book, wondering why this book had to fall into the YA sex scene trap. Why does it seem like so many fantastic YA books are ruined with sex? I don’t get it. It’s not like teens are just randomly going into bedrooms and having at it. I know that teens are known for drugs, alcohol, and sex, but that doesn’t have to transfer to books. I’m sick of sex scenes. Sick of it.

The science fiction was good as well. It blended well. Marguerite was no Paul nor an Einstein, but she knew enough. I think that it is a possibility with this dimensional travel. My friend, a mad genius, says so. But he’s mad, so that is something to consider.

The fact that there are so many surprises is good. Not unwanted surprises like pregnancy or whatnot. Nice surprises that keep you on your toes. You gasp along with the characters.

The characters. Oh my. This is a tough one. I hate the other Theo. Annoying. Bratty. Goes to another level of flirty. And hitting on poor Marguerite? Oh my. But I do love Paul. In any form. He cares for his family. He really does. I like Paul. Tortured genius, in a way. I do like his character. I hope he ends up with a happy ending.

I also like the plot. It’s interesting while not being too annoying with the setting switches. I like the even balance of action and romance. (Even though our little Marguerite gets too…clingy with Paul after Russia.)

Weather:

Sunny with almost clear skies

4.5/5