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desiree930 's review for:
A Thousand Pieces of You
by Claudia Gray
3.75 stars I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I picked up this book. I read a couple of reviews that said this was a Twilight-era book (it came out 8 years *after* Twilight, but sure.) that was full of tropes and insta-love. It actually kept me from picking it up for quite a while. Reading this book was a good reminder that just because something may seem trope-filled to one person, doesn't mean I will agree.
Did this book have a lot of tropes? It had some. But did I still enjoy it? Yes. Thoroughly.
What I liked:
1. Originality of concept. I thought the idea of being able to travel inter-dimensionally was really intriguing. I thought the author did a decent job explaining the rules to the world and following them. And the different universes were interesting, both in their similarities and their differences.
2. Pacing. There were a couple of times the pacing slowed down a bit too much for my liking (during the Russian universe is one example) but I felt like the book's pacing was actually pretty good. The book had a decent amount of action and I never felt bored listening to it (I listened to the audiobook)
What I didn't like:
1. It tended to get a little repetitive each time Meg would jump into a new universe.
2. The plot 'twist' near the end. I didn't hate it, but it was predictable. I had figured it out back near the beginning of the book.
3. The audiobook narrator's Russian accent. For the most part, I felt like the voice actor did a fine job with this book. However, I thought her Russian accent was a little cringey. The fact that we spent so much time in that universe didn't help.
Other odds and ends
1. Reviews I read mentioned the tropey nature of the book. They specifically named two: Insta-love, and the love triangle. I want to say, I usually dislike both of these tropes as well, because I don't think insta-love is realistic, and I don't think love triangles are usually well-written.
However, I would dispute the idea that insta-love exists in this book. These characters have known each other before the book begins, and we are told from the beginning that Meg has had romantic thoughts about both Theo and Paul in the past. We even get flashbacks to moments she spent with each of them that had a lot of impact on her.
As far as the love triangle goes, yes, there is a love triangle in this book. HOWEVER, I will say that, as much as I don't care for them, this love triangle actually makes sense to me. In most triangles, two men will love one woman (it's almost never the other way around) and she will love one of them, but not the other, and it's never in doubt which one she would pick. In this book, she has feelings for both of them, and throughout the course of the book feels torn between her feelings for them. There is ultimately one she prefers, but I could've seen it go either way, which is the way it should be. Otherwise, it's totally unnecessary manufactured drama. Again, I'm not a proponent for love triangles, and I don't know if we needed one here, but at least it felt a little more triangly (I know that's not a word...just go with it.) here.
Did this book have a lot of tropes? It had some. But did I still enjoy it? Yes. Thoroughly.
What I liked:
1. Originality of concept. I thought the idea of being able to travel inter-dimensionally was really intriguing. I thought the author did a decent job explaining the rules to the world and following them. And the different universes were interesting, both in their similarities and their differences.
2. Pacing. There were a couple of times the pacing slowed down a bit too much for my liking (during the Russian universe is one example) but I felt like the book's pacing was actually pretty good. The book had a decent amount of action and I never felt bored listening to it (I listened to the audiobook)
What I didn't like:
1. It tended to get a little repetitive each time Meg would jump into a new universe.
2. The plot 'twist' near the end. I didn't hate it, but it was predictable. I had figured it out back near the beginning of the book.
3. The audiobook narrator's Russian accent. For the most part, I felt like the voice actor did a fine job with this book. However, I thought her Russian accent was a little cringey. The fact that we spent so much time in that universe didn't help.
Other odds and ends
1. Reviews I read mentioned the tropey nature of the book. They specifically named two: Insta-love, and the love triangle. I want to say, I usually dislike both of these tropes as well, because I don't think insta-love is realistic, and I don't think love triangles are usually well-written.
However, I would dispute the idea that insta-love exists in this book. These characters have known each other before the book begins, and we are told from the beginning that Meg has had romantic thoughts about both Theo and Paul in the past. We even get flashbacks to moments she spent with each of them that had a lot of impact on her.
As far as the love triangle goes, yes, there is a love triangle in this book. HOWEVER, I will say that, as much as I don't care for them, this love triangle actually makes sense to me. In most triangles, two men will love one woman (it's almost never the other way around) and she will love one of them, but not the other, and it's never in doubt which one she would pick. In this book, she has feelings for both of them, and throughout the course of the book feels torn between her feelings for them. There is ultimately one she prefers, but I could've seen it go either way, which is the way it should be. Otherwise, it's totally unnecessary manufactured drama. Again, I'm not a proponent for love triangles, and I don't know if we needed one here, but at least it felt a little more triangly (I know that's not a word...just go with it.) here.