A review by emilyinherhead
The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-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

If this is how death finds me, at least it will be different. I have died a hundred ways, but never in defense of another. Not until now.

I make a list of what I need to accomplish, which is long. Then I make a list of people I can trust, which is short. By the time I finish planning, the candle is out, though the smoke still hangs heavy like a ghost.

Cara is a traverser in a multiverse where there are 382 Earths—she can travel to any of these that no longer contains a living version of herself. Over the course of several routine data-collection "pulls," she learns things about her past, her family, and her employer that prompt some tough decisions and a plan that will save lives.

The premise of this book hooked me immediately! I mean, the ramifications of knowing that hundreds of your alternate selves are dead on their respective planets—wow.

This is science fiction, but it feels very rooted in our world and our issues; through Cara's story, and with incredible skill and finesse, Johnson explores topics like race, class, income inequality, sex work, and religion. The character development is great, too. Cara is bisexual, but it's just part of her life, not a plot point or learning moment or coming-out story or traumatic sob fest. I loved her relationships with her mentor, Jean, and her watcher, Dell, and found the characters of Nik Nik and Adam to be especially fascinating. 

There are a few twists and turns in the plot, and they are spaced out very well instead of all heaped on toward the end, which made for a propulsive reading experience. Every time I picked it back up, I was fully and quickly immersed. I feel like I'm still learning to like sci-fi, but this book made it easy.
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