Now That You're Here (Duplexity)

by Amy K Nichols

"When street smart graffiti artist, Danny, is jolted into a parallel world, only Eevee, an alluring science geek has the know-how to get him home, but as he falls for her, his motives grow foggy"--

• ISBN10: 0385753896
• ISBN13: 9780385753890
• Publish Date: 9 December 2014
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Imprint: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[Kim Deister]

I’m a sucker for all things multiverse. There is such creativity to be found in the creation of a world in which such things are possible. Now That You’re Here uses a lot of science, but it’s used in a way that doesn’t lecture. Instead, it’s intriguing, even fun.

The story is told in alternating points of view, the Danny of another world and the Eevee of this world. In Eevee’s world, Danny is little more than a shadow on the fringes of her life. In Danny’s world, Eevee is alluring but almost untouchable. But as much as there is romance in the story, there is so much more. The twists and turns, the mystery and the intrigue, that is what keeps the reader turning the pages.

My recommendation: This is a great read if you love dystopian romance with a side of intrigue!

ELEANOR & PARK meets Sliders.

If you're looking for a realistic, slow build romance with a sci-fi twist, NOW THAT YOU'RE HERE is the book for you. Comparing it to ELEANOR & PARK is a big claim, but in this case it's a fair one. The two protagonists (who alternate POV) are very different yet equally realistic characters. They each have family issues that they are dealing with and those families are made up of fully fleshed characters. Often with books that are as high concept as this one, the characters don't end up being as dynamic since the plot does the heavy lifting. Conversely, in character driven stories, the plot is often secondary to the character arc. What's so great about NOW THAT YOU'RE HERE is that it is high concept and character driven. In fact you could actually remove the parallel universe premise and have a solid contemporary YA with a really sweet romance with nothing insta about it.

That's not to say it's a perfect book, there are a number of things in this book that require suspension of belief--and I'm not even counting the theoretical physics. It's hard to buy into two 15 year olds figuring out how parallel universes work, believing a former bully who claims to be from one without anything close to proof, and having a teacher who used to work for the government but who now conveniently is secretly working on travel between parallel universes etc. etc. There is a lot of convenient stuff going on. But, honestly, it didn't bother me as much as it could have because of the characters and solid writing.

Parallel universes are big in YA right now from the already published TANDEM, UNRAVELING, and PARALLEL to the upcoming DISSONANCE. Not to mention the sequel to this book, WHILE YOU WERE GONE, which tells the story of the Eevvee and Danny in the other universe. Based on the tantalizing--and Big Brother esque--details revealed in this book, it promises to be another thrilling read.