Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Space Between Worlds

In this sci-fi book, they have learned how to travel to other worlds in the multiverse. However, you cannot travel to another world where you already exist. So if you've died in another world you can travel there, but if you're still alive in that world you cannot go there. Our main character, Cara, can travel to almost all of the other possible worlds. This makes her an asset and allows her to work as someone who travels between all of the different worlds.

Cara is a likable main character with some noticeable flaws. These flaws feel authentic and real. It allows you to really connect with her and understand where she's coming from. Cara feels well developed and rounded out. She's also deeply intersectional, layered, and dynamic in a refreshing way. With that being said, many of the side characters felt slightly underdeveloped. While the story is from Cara's point of view, I wanted more from the side characters in terms of their relationship with Cara. Overall, I enjoyed the characterization and character growth throughout the novel.

As the story progresses it becomes obvious that this is not just a Sci-Fi novel but also a mystery, thriller, and romance as well. I personally found the blend between all of these to be perfect. I adored the explorations of race, class, religion, and power, and the social commentary on modern-day, real-word issues. I only wish that the ending hadn't felt a little flat.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it!

Content Warnings

ronjaorsomething's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this book so much. The characters were very diverse in so many ways (race, sexuality, religion and class being the main ones). And the book managed to bring up societal issues in a really good way. I also liked the plot twists and how genuinely unpredictable the whole book was.

AND THE ENDING OMG it was perfect. The way it was very much a happy ending but not at all the way you'd expect. I was so happy that Cara ended up with Dell but still worked in Ash.

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readerette's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Aside from a few moments where I really didn't believe/need the actions of certain characters (

Micheal becoming a runner, Adam not killing Cara, Dell bringing the collar to the burial

), this was a great story with relatable characters and a fascinating world with just enough detail. The first twist gave the story depth. Warm and engaging sci fi that also dives into some of the complexities of race/origin and how they impact one's lot in life.

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locpressedbooks_'s review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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emmagrace's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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hngoodlett's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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likeactualsoulmates's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for my honest review!

Let me just preface this by saying I went into this knowing very little because I KNEW I would love it. So when I read in the first chapter that it was a book about the multiverse and people were able to traverse them I was hooked. For the first few chapters, I was indeed bored, but as soon as we got to a huge revelation about Caramenta's life and being I couldn't stop reading from there. So if you're reading this and the first few chapters seem dull, give it a few more and see how invested the plot twists make you.

We meet a character absolutely selfish and fighting for their well-being, and it honestly is off-putting. I wanted to know more about how this person ended up valuing their benefit so strongly over others, and learn I did. Because many of Cara's character traits that seem offputting at first glance made so much sense once put in perspective with her character arc. The author did such a good job making a believable character reaction to her awful situation, I don't know if anything different would have felt right. Of course, Cara would value self-preservation at the point we meet her, and we get to go on her character arc in this book.

What really threw me off though was how free form the plot was, which after having read it all I believe is what best fits how to tell this story. But for a long, while we had no real end goal, we had just met these characters and we're going along on a ride with them. Slowly at after the mid-way point, things get set in motion and then is when we get our end goal. Once I learned to let go of reaching for an overarching plot and just enjoyed this ride with these characters I really started enjoying this book. Without getting into spoilers, there were many molar dilemmas and genuinely awful situations presented to our characters and we got to see all their reactions and what consequences their actions had.

If you enjoy sci-fi books with a darker theme and don't mind some gore, I would definitely recommend this book!

Now I'd like to make a shortlist with all the quotes I highlighted for this book.

"It shames me more than it shames them, but it does shame us both."
"I am always pretending, always wearing costumes but never just clothes."
"Maybe it's just easier to think something is impossible than to try."
"A rotating black hole does not collapse to a dot. That's the old-fashioned thinking. It collapses to a ring, a ring of neutrons. And if you fall through the ring of neutrons vertically, you wind up in Wonderland. You wind up on the other side of forever." -Michio Kaku
"That was true power. Not to kill a man, but to kill a man in front of his family and force them to agree you did not."
"You can't ever know another person, which is why you should never admire anyone."
"Sometimes, focusing on survival is necessary. Sometimes, it is just an excuse for selfishness."
" "A fallen angel is a demon.", "A being who can enact great change, either way." "
"What does it mean to crave something toxic?"
"Sometimes you have to bleed to know you're human."
"Somehow using someone's need to keep them in line is less awful than using fear."
"The only due powerful men recognize is a life- in service or in sacrifice."
"Dear Brother from another time, today some stars gave in to the black around them & i knew it was you." -Danez Smith
This is grief because a powerful man killed someone I love but will never see consequences."
"Our dead are only weights on our backs when we won't let them walk beside us, when we try to pretend they are ours or they are not dead."

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