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3.01 AVERAGE
3.01 AVERAGE
Ricochet by Kathryn Berla
My rating 4 out of 4 stars
This sci fi fantasy is an interesting and confusing read. I did have fun with this book but with the stories all being from four different point of views, I did get lost faster. The mystery that surrounds Tati and her ancestry search opens up a confusing, exciting, mysterious and fun world. I really enjoyed how thought out the characters were and how they fit into the storyline. This story is nothing like I have read before so that, elevated this book so much more for me. The amount of detail, and thought that went into this book and the different stories really shows, and really impressed me. I would highly recommend this read!
My rating 4 out of 4 stars
This sci fi fantasy is an interesting and confusing read. I did have fun with this book but with the stories all being from four different point of views, I did get lost faster. The mystery that surrounds Tati and her ancestry search opens up a confusing, exciting, mysterious and fun world. I really enjoyed how thought out the characters were and how they fit into the storyline. This story is nothing like I have read before so that, elevated this book so much more for me. The amount of detail, and thought that went into this book and the different stories really shows, and really impressed me. I would highly recommend this read!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley.
This one had potential....a sort of YA version of Blake Crouch's Dark Matter. But it fizzled out for me and I lost interest. We see Tati/Ana/Tanya/Tatiana in four different versions of life and I liked seeing what was different in each version - sometimes big things, sometimes small things. There were themes of little events changing the course of someone's life, which made for some intriguing variations.
However, I found myself flagging at around 50% and I didn't have the impetus to continue.
This one had potential....a sort of YA version of Blake Crouch's Dark Matter. But it fizzled out for me and I lost interest. We see Tati/Ana/Tanya/Tatiana in four different versions of life and I liked seeing what was different in each version - sometimes big things, sometimes small things. There were themes of little events changing the course of someone's life, which made for some intriguing variations.
However, I found myself flagging at around 50% and I didn't have the impetus to continue.
I’m not much of a fan of science fiction books but the idea of parallel universes has always intrigued me and the synopsis for Ricochet sounded promising.
Ricochet was a unique story that followed four girls with different variations of the name Tatiana: Tati, Ana, Tatyana and Tanya. Although they are fundamentally the same person, they all come from different backgrounds and upbringings. For example, Ana has adoptive parents but Tanya lives with her mentally unstable mother. They’ve all made different decisions and therefore, have different relationships with their loved ones which I found very interesting. There’s people in my life I can’t imagine living without but perhaps in another world I’d have made a different decision and wouldn’t be as close to them? I liked how this story prompted me to think about how my own life could have turned out in another universe.
Another aspect of the story I liked was how they were all diagnosed with seizures. I liked how the author used that as a way to explain what each character was experiencing. Most people can’t even begin to comprehend parallel universes so naturally would point to something that’s well-known. However, no medication works and no unusual brain activity is picked up so even then doctors can’t explain what’s causing the seizures or the beckoning tunnel. After taking a DNA test that comes back inclusive, Tati is prompted to find out more about her background and the result is that she, and the different variations of her self, are all science experiments. This leads to each character ricocheting between the parallel universes and uncovering the dark truth about their father.
Kathryn did a fantastic job with this and created a very compelling, plot driven story. I liked how she created four different versions of one character – it made me eager to find out more about their different universes. However, I wish there was some more obvious differences or traits in their personalities as at times it was hard to distinguish between them. Since they all had similar names and personalities, it became really hard to tell them apart and towards the end I was getting very confused. I’d have to take a moment to think about whose POV I was reading even though each chapter is titled with their names e.g. ‘Chapter 4 Tatyana’. The ending especially was confusing and I’ll admit I struggled to follow what was happening. I’m still not entirely sure how it all ended because nothing was really explained. Nonetheless, I thought it was a great story and I certainly flew through it.
I’d recommend this for fans of A Thousand Worlds With You by Claudia Gray. Ricochet really reminded me of that series as both explore parallel universes and what happens when those worlds collide. Both are really great stories and unique in their own way. Ricochet had potential to be a series as well but it also works as a standalone.
*I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Ricochet was a unique story that followed four girls with different variations of the name Tatiana: Tati, Ana, Tatyana and Tanya. Although they are fundamentally the same person, they all come from different backgrounds and upbringings. For example, Ana has adoptive parents but Tanya lives with her mentally unstable mother. They’ve all made different decisions and therefore, have different relationships with their loved ones which I found very interesting. There’s people in my life I can’t imagine living without but perhaps in another world I’d have made a different decision and wouldn’t be as close to them? I liked how this story prompted me to think about how my own life could have turned out in another universe.
Another aspect of the story I liked was how they were all diagnosed with seizures. I liked how the author used that as a way to explain what each character was experiencing. Most people can’t even begin to comprehend parallel universes so naturally would point to something that’s well-known. However, no medication works and no unusual brain activity is picked up so even then doctors can’t explain what’s causing the seizures or the beckoning tunnel. After taking a DNA test that comes back inclusive, Tati is prompted to find out more about her background and the result is that she, and the different variations of her self, are all science experiments. This leads to each character ricocheting between the parallel universes and uncovering the dark truth about their father.
Kathryn did a fantastic job with this and created a very compelling, plot driven story. I liked how she created four different versions of one character – it made me eager to find out more about their different universes. However, I wish there was some more obvious differences or traits in their personalities as at times it was hard to distinguish between them. Since they all had similar names and personalities, it became really hard to tell them apart and towards the end I was getting very confused. I’d have to take a moment to think about whose POV I was reading even though each chapter is titled with their names e.g. ‘Chapter 4 Tatyana’. The ending especially was confusing and I’ll admit I struggled to follow what was happening. I’m still not entirely sure how it all ended because nothing was really explained. Nonetheless, I thought it was a great story and I certainly flew through it.
I’d recommend this for fans of A Thousand Worlds With You by Claudia Gray. Ricochet really reminded me of that series as both explore parallel universes and what happens when those worlds collide. Both are really great stories and unique in their own way. Ricochet had potential to be a series as well but it also works as a standalone.
*I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
"When seventeen-year-old Tati sends a saliva sample to a DNA ancestry testing site her results come back inconclusive. What’s wrong with her DNA? And what does it have to do with her unexplained seizures and the beckoning tunnel she sees during them?"
This hook was pretty amazing and had my hitting that request button fast. The concept sounded so interesting but the execution felt flat. Would I still recommend this? Yes I would but with a disclaimer. Overall, it was a fast read and might help someone out of a reading slump.
Ricochet is a story of four of the same girl whose life is different in each parallel universe. There is Tati, Ana, Tanya, and Tatyana. Each one's life varies based on choices that were made on their behalf. Tati and Ana live in America. Tanya and Tatyana live in Eastern Europe. There is not much ricocheting between them all. It is kind of done in pairs based on their geographical location. Until the end when all of a sudden the one who was having a the hardest time ricocheting, was finally able to do it in a matter of a couple pages, and found herself halfway across the earth. The story was sometimes hard to follow trying to figure out who was who in whose universe. The explanations were not very clear on what exactly the main bad guy accomplished that allowed for the universe hopping in their first place.
I was left with some questions... here are a few
What happened with Tanya and the people on the train? How does she come to be with Tatyana when Ana finally learns how to move through the void?
What happens to the other lives when they leave them behind? I am mostly concerned here for Ana's mother who just lost her husband and now her daughter disappears to merge with the Tati.
What happens to the investigation that Ana was doing on her biological father for the government officials?
Honestly a lot of the story felt like a waste of time reading since nothing really got resolved. I suppose the problem here lies in the shortness of the book. The last two to three chapters felt rushed and condensed and left me with more questions than answers. Perhaps makes it a series would have fleshed out this interesting concept better?
Thank you to Netgalley and Flux for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This hook was pretty amazing and had my hitting that request button fast. The concept sounded so interesting but the execution felt flat. Would I still recommend this? Yes I would but with a disclaimer. Overall, it was a fast read and might help someone out of a reading slump.
Ricochet is a story of four of the same girl whose life is different in each parallel universe. There is Tati, Ana, Tanya, and Tatyana. Each one's life varies based on choices that were made on their behalf. Tati and Ana live in America. Tanya and Tatyana live in Eastern Europe. There is not much ricocheting between them all. It is kind of done in pairs based on their geographical location. Until the end when all of a sudden the one who was having a the hardest time ricocheting, was finally able to do it in a matter of a couple pages, and found herself halfway across the earth. The story was sometimes hard to follow trying to figure out who was who in whose universe. The explanations were not very clear on what exactly the main bad guy accomplished that allowed for the universe hopping in their first place.
I was left with some questions... here are a few
Spoiler
What exactly in their DNA makes them able to travel through universes?What happened with Tanya and the people on the train? How does she come to be with Tatyana when Ana finally learns how to move through the void?
What happens to the other lives when they leave them behind? I am mostly concerned here for Ana's mother who just lost her husband and now her daughter disappears to merge with the Tati.
What happens to the investigation that Ana was doing on her biological father for the government officials?
Honestly a lot of the story felt like a waste of time reading since nothing really got resolved. I suppose the problem here lies in the shortness of the book. The last two to three chapters felt rushed and condensed and left me with more questions than answers. Perhaps makes it a series would have fleshed out this interesting concept better?
Thank you to Netgalley and Flux for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm late reviewing this because I've been trying to decide what to say. I didn't enjoy it. Too confusing even though I know about the multiverse theory already; I can't imagine trying to read this without knowing. I still don't understand who the other three girls got to their universe, and I didn't understand the ending. It's not badly written, just confusing. Not a good one for me.
I received a free copy from Flux through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tati, Ana, Tanya, and Tatyana all suffer from unexplained seizures that don't produce brainwaves that would indicate epilepsy. During their seizures, a tunnel opens up, which they come to discover leads to parallel universes. The four women learn that they are a version of each other inhabiting their universes, each making different choices that have led them to who they currently are. When they find out that their father is to blame, they seek to free themselves from his influence and carve out a meaningful life that doesn't involve being a science experiment.
This was a short, fun, and compelling read. The mystery of their existence was slowly uncovered with each version figuring out different pieces and working to assemble the secrets together. I also appreciated the LGBT representation in the novel. Much of the story was plot driven, so it's difficult to discuss the finer points without giving away any of the twists, particularly those that occur in the final few chapters.
Overall, I found the ending to be satisfying and one that I didn't predict as Kathryn Berla worked to bring all the threads together.
Tati, Ana, Tanya, and Tatyana all suffer from unexplained seizures that don't produce brainwaves that would indicate epilepsy. During their seizures, a tunnel opens up, which they come to discover leads to parallel universes. The four women learn that they are a version of each other inhabiting their universes, each making different choices that have led them to who they currently are. When they find out that their father is to blame, they seek to free themselves from his influence and carve out a meaningful life that doesn't involve being a science experiment.
This was a short, fun, and compelling read. The mystery of their existence was slowly uncovered with each version figuring out different pieces and working to assemble the secrets together. I also appreciated the LGBT representation in the novel. Much of the story was plot driven, so it's difficult to discuss the finer points without giving away any of the twists, particularly those that occur in the final few chapters.
Overall, I found the ending to be satisfying and one that I didn't predict as Kathryn Berla worked to bring all the threads together.
I read the description of this book and just had to read it. This story is told in four different point ofviews and each narrator is very different. While I enjoyed the different point of views and the vastness of the mystery it sometimes made the story hard to follow. It was a fast paced read with a lot of narrow escapes and alot of action. I wish the book had a different ending and the story a little less confusing.
How do I review this? Because I don't wait to give a single thing away. I knew very little about this book. All I knew about this book was the first line of the blurb. (When seventeen-year-old Tati sends a saliva sample to a DNA ancestry testing site her results come back inconclusive.) That's all I needed to know to make me wait to read this book. So, if that line draws you in, stop reading the review or the blurb and wait till you can read the book yourself if you need more than, please finish this review.
We start off by following Tati, a high school student starting of a project for school that has to do with her DNA. We soon learn that something is up when things start being weird. We learn about Parallel universes and mee Tati. I loved how we, the reader, learn about these different universes. I also like how we can see how one thing can totally change a person's life.
Knowing that I only need that one like going in I didn't know and the Parallel universes or that the four need to team up to take out scientist aka their father. And I'm glad I didn't know those things because for me those were twists in the story that made it that more enjoyable.
The only thing that would have made this better was something that happened at the ending, I just needed more info.
This was a wild pager-turner that shows the power of our choices. It's such a good read and I hope many, many people enjoy it!
We start off by following Tati, a high school student starting of a project for school that has to do with her DNA. We soon learn that something is up when things start being weird. We learn about Parallel universes and mee Tati. I loved how we, the reader, learn about these different universes. I also like how we can see how one thing can totally change a person's life.
Knowing that I only need that one like going in I didn't know and the Parallel universes or that the four need to team up to take out scientist aka their father. And I'm glad I didn't know those things because for me those were twists in the story that made it that more enjoyable.
The only thing that would have made this better was something that happened at the ending, I just needed more info.
This was a wild pager-turner that shows the power of our choices. It's such a good read and I hope many, many people enjoy it!
Ricochet is told in four points of view, from essentially the same person on four different plains of existence. We had Tati, Ana, Tanya, and Tatyana, so because of the similar names, it could get tricky to keep track at first, but I think once you got to know each of them a bit, it was much easier to follow.
It would be very easy to spoil the book in a review, so I'm going to try and keep this as vague as possible. As a believer in energy and the possibility of other plains of existence, this intrigued me, but I think even with genetic variants, your DNA would still be human, and that didn't feel scientifically accurate to me. Each girl lives in a different area of the world, in what sometimes comes across as different timelines, though they aren't. I appreciate the inclusion of a gay character, but at times it seemed forced. The fact they figure out how to reach out to each other is a great added element, and I liked that they finally took advantage of that ability.
There were some disappointing things as well that just didn't work for me. The DNA test plot as described in the blurb isn't the main focus of the story, and while it propels one of the characters to look deeper, there were still other characters that this wasn't relevant, I feel the blurb should more accurately describe the story. The ending was a letdown because it rushed what the author had only alluded to in a few previous chapters, and I don't feel it was the best resolution (and it just wasn't scientifically believable). I think if you're going to use scientific theories in a book that isn't a fantasy, then they need to be accurate and believable. I was really excited about this one and grabbed it on Google because I had a gift card, and while I've given it 4 stars, I don't feel this is worth the hefty price tag.
If I take away the things I don't like about the book, I think there's an intriguing storyline. The characters were fairly detailed, and I liked the suspenseful element that came with being a person that is a result of their father's quest for fame. The little differences from world to world was interesting as well (even if I felt the author failed to resolve certain oddities about those details, such as thinking a towel and comforter were one color when they never were.) This is my first read by Berla, and while I didn't adore this book, a few of her other books look really good, so I'm not giving up yet.
It would be very easy to spoil the book in a review, so I'm going to try and keep this as vague as possible. As a believer in energy and the possibility of other plains of existence, this intrigued me, but I think even with genetic variants, your DNA would still be human, and that didn't feel scientifically accurate to me. Each girl lives in a different area of the world, in what sometimes comes across as different timelines, though they aren't. I appreciate the inclusion of a gay character, but at times it seemed forced. The fact they figure out how to reach out to each other is a great added element, and I liked that they finally took advantage of that ability.
There were some disappointing things as well that just didn't work for me. The DNA test plot as described in the blurb isn't the main focus of the story, and while it propels one of the characters to look deeper, there were still other characters that this wasn't relevant, I feel the blurb should more accurately describe the story. The ending was a letdown because it rushed what the author had only alluded to in a few previous chapters, and I don't feel it was the best resolution (and it just wasn't scientifically believable). I think if you're going to use scientific theories in a book that isn't a fantasy, then they need to be accurate and believable. I was really excited about this one and grabbed it on Google because I had a gift card, and while I've given it 4 stars, I don't feel this is worth the hefty price tag.
If I take away the things I don't like about the book, I think there's an intriguing storyline. The characters were fairly detailed, and I liked the suspenseful element that came with being a person that is a result of their father's quest for fame. The little differences from world to world was interesting as well (even if I felt the author failed to resolve certain oddities about those details, such as thinking a towel and comforter were one color when they never were.) This is my first read by Berla, and while I didn't adore this book, a few of her other books look really good, so I'm not giving up yet.
The premise for this sounded so good and I was looking forward to this so much , but I just couldn’t get into it at all. I tried, I really did, but it was just all over the place and too confusing , the POVs don’t help at to that. Just not for me, sorry.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion