A Thousand Pieces of You (Claudia Gray)

This is a book I came across on Tumblr, much like many of the others I've read. I was scrolling through my dashboard when a picture of this book appeared on my screen. The cover of this novel was so captivating with all of its bright colours and the mirrored "two-worlds" that look so distant but feel so connected. It's a simple cover, yet it is also very complex because you can tell there is a meaning behind it that must tie well with the story.

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray is a book that is very unique in its own; I can't say I've read any books prior to it that have a storyline quite like this. The story follows the life of Marguerite Caine, the daughter of two very bright parents who are scientists. Her parents also happen to have created a device that allows one to travel to neighbouring dimensions: they call it the Firebird. Despite this amazing feature of the Firebird, it also seems to cause quite a bit of trouble. After a tragic event, and the disappearance of one of the assistant inventors, Marguerite is left with one thing on her mind: kill Paul Markov. The responsibility of this tragedy all falls into one arrow that points straight at Paul; however, after jumping dimensions, Marguerite must determine if he really is the cause or not. The book follows Marguerite, and her family friend Theo, as they chase Paul through dimensions, facing personal challenges in each one.

The characters in this book are ones that I did initially struggle to connect with, but I think that is more to do so with the fact that the plot is quite abstract; you can't really relate on a personal level to someone jumping through alternate dimensions. Despite that though, the relationships between all of the characters feel well developed and you can sense history between them without anything being explicitly stated. When reading the book, I became fully immersed in the world that Claudia Gray created, and I actually ended up finishing the book in three or four hours. It's not a difficult read, but the plot does have several layers, meaning even the smallest detail can actually be quite significant.

Upon completing the book, I was satisfied with the ending. I was left with the feeling that everything would work out and I liked the idea of an open ending; it allowed for some personal creativity to imagine my own outcome. But it turns out Claudia Gray is actually turning this into a trilogy, according to Goodreads. I'm not sure how I feel about it becoming a trilogy - since it is the typical thing to do now with YA books - but I will not prejudge the books until I read them. The sequel is called Ten Thousand Skies Above You and is due to release in November this year.

Overall, I would rate A Thousand Pieces of You 4.5/5 because it held my attention so easily and I didn't want to put the book down once I started. Of course, as mentioned before, it was hard to personally relate to the characters but the story was built in such a way that it wasn't too big of an issue for me. Also, the mainstream trilogy creation is a slight letdown, as I loved this book as a stand alone.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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