A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird, #1)

by Claudia Gray

"When eighteen-year-old Marguerite Caine's father is killed, she must leap into different dimensions and versions of herself to catch her father's killer and avenge his murder"--

When eighteen-year-old Marguerite Caine's father is killed, she must leap into different dimensions and versions of herself to catch her father's killer and avenge his murder. The plot contains profanity, sexual situations, and drug use.

• ISBN10: 0062278967
• ISBN13: 9780062278968
• Publish Date: 4 November 2014 (first published 7 October 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: Collins
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[bumblingbookworm]

This review was originally posted on The Bumbling Bookworm

This book was the February pick for the FYA Book Club and I really enjoyed it!  I read it in almost one sitting and could hardly put it down.  I was in the minority at book club for this view, but it was quite funny to hear what everyone else thought of it!  I found the concepts of the different dimensions really interesting, and it was so cool to see what might have been but for one small change.  Some were more technologically advanced than others, and some hadn't advanced as quickly as our dimension.  While time travel is a no-no in this book, you still got to experience an element of time travel because no two dimensions were exactly the same and I really enjoyed that.

For someone who doesn't read a great deal of science fiction, I thought the world building was really well executed - key concepts were explained well, and not in an info-dumpy way.  I didn't care too much for the romance in this book, and neither Theo nor Paul were compelling characters for me.  Marguerite also makes some morally ambiguous choices in other dimensions which I didn't really agree with, because of the impact it would have on that dimension's Marguerite once she leaves.  On the whole, however, I found this to be quite a compelling read and I'm really looking forward to continuing with this series - 4 stars.
Check out the rest of my review here!

[Kim Deister]

You remember how your parents always told you not to judge a book by it's cover? I didn't listen and I am glad I didn't. I realize I am late to the game in reading this, but just reading the blurb told me that I wanted to wait until all three books were out. It was a good decision because the book hangover I would have had without the next on hand would have been bad!

The story centers around Marguerite Caine, the daughter of two scientists. They, along with their grad students, have created a device that allows the consciousness to jump from reality to reality. The Firebird is revolutionary and it's existence has wide-ranging implications in scientific knowledge or discovery. But there are those who want its technology for less altruistic reasons.

This is a story that flawless weaves scientific theory with the imagination. It is also a story that makes you think about the idea of life being a series of random events instead of fate, the reality that there are countless possibilities over the course of our lives, each one of which could change our lives in unimaginable ways. Imagine a reality existing alongside your own, each reality formed because of a single moment of decision. Imagine that existing for every person. It's mind boggling and it really makes you consider the ramifications of even the smallest of choices.

It is a perfect blend of mystery, thriller, adventure, romance, and thought-provoking writing. Marguerite and the two grad students who helped work on the Firebird (Paul and Theo) are involved in an ever-changing triangle as she tries to unweave the mystery that surrounds her father's death. From moment to moment, defining good versus evil was next to impossible. And even when snippets of those things were revealed, the lines were blurred. Sometimes even the "bad" guys have good intentions. But the lines get even more blurry when you add in the infinite versions of a single person within a multiverse.

The story takes place through different dimensions and, because of that, we get to know the characters from a different perspective. All of the dimensions exist within the same time and the differences between them can be subtle or they can be huge. At one point, they find themselves in London, in a world far more technologically advanced than our home world. From there, they travel to another part of the world that seems to be a century or more behind. It is these kinds of juxtapositions that make you, as a reader, think about how the choices we make can change everything.

Overall: This is really a fantastic read! I absolutely adore a book that makes me question things I thought I knew. Definitely a must read novel!

[jeannamichel]

WOW! I'm still reeling from the pure awesome that is this book.

Marguerite, the daughter of two genius scientists, gets caught up in a journey beyond this universe. Literally. Her parents created a device which will transport a person to an alternate universe. However, when Marguerite’s dad is pronounced dead at the scene of a car accident, she knows it can’t be an accident. Murder—and Marguerite knows who did it. The only problem is the killer may not even be in this very universe anymore. Marguerite, with the help of Theo, search for her father’s killer—stepping into alternate universes they could have only dreamed of.
A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray will have your heart in a thousand pieces by the end of this book. In a good way.

Claudia Gray, author of the Evernight series, goes in a completely different direction with this one. Gray certainly surprised me with this fantastic start to a series, I already know I will love. Evernight is a series of vampires, boarding schools, and mystery. I read up to the fourth in the series and then just stopped. The plot had gotten overused, too long, and I just fell out of love with the series. I can’t tell you exactly what made me stop—it could have been the constant trend of vampires in books that year or it could have been a hundred other reasons. All in all, I was wary starting this new series that has created such a huge hype. I kept thinking “it can’t be that good” or “I don’t know about this one, it could be similar to the Evernight series.” This is the part where I slap myself for being stupid because (a) it can be that good and was even better than good [insert amazing, fantastic, perfect synonym here] and (b) it wasn’t similar at all to the Evernight series.

As soon as Marguerite, the main character, begins her journey to kill the man who murdered her father—the story immediately becomes relatable. The story was more than a romance, more than a fantasy. It is a story of compassion, bravery, and courage. It is a tale of layers upon layers of “what would you do to save the ones you love?”

Marguerite risks her life to save her father, plunging into different worlds to kill the one who murdered her father. However, her flaw of trusting people too easily and taking things at face value irked me. Just because he said he did not kill her father, does not mean that he didn’t kill her father. Even though I have a cookie in my hand and tell you I didn’t steal a cookie before dinner, Marguerite would probably believe that I didn’t steal a cookie because that is what I told her. That is infuriating. As soon as she started changing her mind, I knew I couldn’t completely rely on her (yah! I love unreliable narrators).

The plot is a “what if” tale, even as a reader, the constant question of “what if this happens” comes into play. These what ifs become answered within the genius of Claudia Gray’s writing and the worlds she created. Gray introduces the reader to five different worlds. Going into this book, I knew it is about alternate universes so I expected Gray to bring in multiple universes. With that many universes, I was a bit worried that I would be so confused. I’m the type of reader who gets confused by five or more point of views in a book. My worry was unnecessary. Gray tackles the universes one by one, in amazing detail, which leaves no confusion for the reader. The flow of the novel ensures that no matter how close a universe is to one another, Marguerite keeps reminding the reader that it is different and Gray tells us how it is different. It’s simple and gorgeous.

The ending of A Thousand Pieces of You wraps almost everything up in a nice, tight bow (there’s going to be a sequel, don’t worry). I was left with the warm fuzzy feeling I get when the book is really amazing and I just don’t want it to end. I cannot wait to begin what Claudia Gray has in store for us next (and I mean it, like I need the sequel in my hands at this very moment!)

A Thousand Pieces of You is a book so powerful, it will pull readers out of slumps, out of their own worlds, and it will tear them to pieces (you know, in a good way).

[nannah]

(3.5)

It's so difficult to form a definite opinion on this one. There are parts and aspects of it I love, and many things I don't. One thing I can say for sure is that this book didn't disappoint when it came to the number and the enjoyability of its surprises. Because dang.

Book content warnings:
drug addiction

Okay so Marguerite's father has just been murdered, and the main suspect (Marguerite's close friend and -- maybe more??) is jumping dimensions to escape. This book's universe is a multiverse, and that multiverse is this book's setting. Marguerite and her father's other assistant, Theo (of which the suspect, Paul, is the 1st), jump dimensions to chase after the killer, swearing vengeance.

Going in knowing nothing, I expected this book to be an exciting vengeance story about science and strong main characters and lots of twists. I was right about a couple things: there IS an abundance of fun science and those main characters are life-like and seriously fantastic but that exciting vengeance story died about 1/4 of the way.

In its place crept this sappy romance between Marguerite and one of the people she meets dimension jumping. She was stuck in this dimension because the device that allows inter-dimensional travel was just "plucked" off one of them. Literally, plucked - and the both of them just stood there. I'm assuming because the plot demanded it of them, but even so the dialogue that follows is somewhat laughable. It stands out so awfully because the writing is pretty good. So. The author obviously meant to strand them in this dimension so she could have them make eyes at each other for about 1/2 the book that's literally plotless without that romance. It's disappointing, to say the least.

The main three characters (Marguerite, Theo, Paul) are so well done, though. They had solid arcs and character. And mostly, they kept me wanting to read. Their interactions were never stale or repetitive, and they had such real interactions that it's hard to believe they're fictional - which is always the best feeling!

The plot isn't as clean as those three main characters. It's absorbing, even if it is a little messy. All those dimensions, the new versions of themselves . . . it's almost more distracting and annoying than eye-opening. The plot should be about finding Marguerite's father, right? Instead, we have a love triangle, or a love triangle in which the version of the dude isn't the version of the dude that's in Marguerite's dimension and man, I really didn't want to read all that drama!

But overall, yeah, I enjoyed this book. I might read on to see about what happens to Marguerite's family, but I'm in no rush.

[jesstheaudiobookworm]

I picked this up thinking it would be a YA Contemporary story (based on the cover, I suppose). Boy, was surprised! This story perfectly captured how I envision alternate universes. It was really everything I wanted A Darker Shade of Magic to be, but not nearly as slow. The pace was perfect. The writing was straightforward and to the point without being dull. There was so much action that there wasn't a lot of time for in-depth character development or a whole lot of backstory, but I honestly didn't mind since I was more invested in the AU storyline than the specific characters. I loved the AU descriptions and each universe was better than the last. This was an extremely easy and pretty fast read.

The audiobook narrator did an excellent job of distinguishing voices/accents between characters and between universes. This element brought an extra layer to the audiobook that the physical book just could not have. For example, having Marguerite think in an American accent and speak with a Russian accent while in the Russian AU was absolutely brilliant! I definitely think the audiobook has a leg up on the physical version.

[Chelsea]

Thoughts When I Finished:

I had a mixture of feelings upon finishing this book. I liked some parts and wasn’t interested in others. It felt like a very average book to me.

What I Loved:

The only thing that falls under the “love” category is Paul. Oh my gosh did I ever love him. Or… one of him? All the different Paul’s was a little confusing but I mostly loved them all. He was just an easy character to fall in love with.

I also really loved the Russian setting that a big chunk of the book took place in. I didn’t really care for the others but I haven’t read many book that have taken place in Russia so that was really fun for me. I also enjoyed the different characters in that world and how some were the same and some completely different.

What I Didn’t Like:

I can’t say that I really cared for the beginning and ending of this book. The beginning was way too slow and I had a really hard time picking the book back up. If it wasn’t for the fact that this was a buddy read I’m not sure I would have continued reading it. The ending ended up being really predictable and it ended in a way that makes you feel like it’s a standalone book.Everything was fixed and all the loose ends tied up mostly. It was a happily ever after sort of ending. I just thought that it could have been better and it seemed like a very average book.

Who I’d Recommend To:

I think I’d recommend this book to people who love to jump around in different dimensions and time periods. People who have an easy time following what’s happening. If you sometimes have a hard time following a jumpy book then you’ll probably have a hard time with this one.

Quick Review:

A well written, entertaining and average book. It was mostly entertaining but had a lot of boring parts to explain all in the same spot. It was hard to push through but the middle sections made it worth it. All the loose ends are tied up and everyone lives happily ever after. Mostly.

[Angie]

A Thousand Pieces of You has a really great premise and a fun plot, but I was distracted by holes and questions! I love parallel universe tales, but there are things about this one that had me puzzled and distracted. The plot starts right away. There's no easing into it. Marguerite and Theo are traveling through the multiverse to kill their friend Paul who killed Meg's father. But things always seem to go wrong during their inter-dimensional travels, plans are thrown off, and secrets revealed.

One thing that kept me distracted about A Thousand Pieces of You from the very beginning was this revenge plot. I loved the idea of following a criminal through parallel universes, but in this case, there was no basis for it. Like I said, it jumps right in, so we have no idea what exactly happened. But then it turns out that Meg and Theo actually have no idea what exactly happened. They left on this mission the very next day. Paul had only been a suspect at that point, and Theo kept pushing that Meg, her sister, and mother are in danger from him. But...neither of you know that he did it? So how do you even know that he would come after anyone else? They didn't even stick around to see the body. Just grabbed their Firebirds and started universe hopping. I don't think so.

Then there's the matter of the actual multiverse travel. It's explained pretty well, in a few info-dumps at the beginning. I don't think there's any other way to present this information, and I thought it was very interesting. I liked that only energy was transferable. They hadn't gotten to matter yet, which makes a lot of sense. Except that for 300 pages(!!!) I was wonder what happened to Meg, Theo, and Paul's bodies. Were they just laying around where they left them? They certainly didn't come with.

Then we're told what happens, which was not interesting or believable at all, because they didn't develop a way to do that which is why their bodies were left behind in the first place! And then I had to wonder what happened to a certain character who was returned to their body which was in a very inconvenient and dangerous location, because their consciousness is returned to wherever it had been last. It's a quick, simple solution but it doesn't make sense given what we know about how this works.

Along those same thoughts, A Thousand Pieces of You makes it clear that time travel is not involved in moving between universes. You always appear in the new world at the exact time you left the old one. But does that mean the exact same time and date? Or the same "biological" time? If it's the former, what would happen if Meg went to a world where she was born ten years later? Would she inhabit her 8 year old self's body? We see a world where she has different siblings, so it's not much of a stretch to imagine her born at a different time. The story makes it seem like it's the latter, because she's always in her familiar body, as are Theo and Paul, which would imply that in the worlds where all three of them exist, they were still born at the same times. But it's also the former because it's always the same time of day. It seems unlikely that both events would always be in alignment, unless they're able to somehow choose worlds where this is so.

Which brings to me the fact that I had to roll my eyes at how Paul knew exactly which of the trillionbilliongillion universes to set his Firebird to. How can he possibly know how mathematically different the worlds he needed to end up in were? They could have been wildly different or super similar or anything inbetween! In fact, it's possible that the worlds he was going to didn't even have a version of him in them, and therefore he wouldn't even be able to get there! Same with the bad guy who's going from world to world. Maybe I'm overthinking this, but it all nagged at me.

Clearly, my brain was working overtime during A Thousand Pieces of You. There were too many pieces that simply didn't fit for me. I did love the middle portion of the book where Meg winds up in a world where the Industrial Revolution hadn't happened yet. That was super interesting! But then the traveling stuff started up again, and obvious reveals were obvious, and more questions.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[nitzan_schwarz]

2015 tbr challenge + cleaning my shelves 2015

[readingwithwrin]

Rating 4.5

“Every technology mankind invents, human beings turn against one another.”

I'm not even going to lie. I read this book purely because of how pretty the cover was.

While I did really enjoy this book. I was slightly disappointed with how big of a roll the romance aspect had. I was expecting so much more about the dimensions and how it was even possible for it to happen, and how they were going to stop the bad guy. Instead what actually happened was a love story with a side of stopping the bad guys, and learning about different dimension hopping.

Even though I didn't like how big of a part the romance played. I did like the fact that it appears the love triangle will not be a problem throughout the series.

Now you're probably wondering why I gave this book such a high rating and why I enjoyed it so much? Well that would be because of the world building of all the different dimensions. You travel to several different dimension but it never felt rushed. Claudia always gave just the right amount of info about each one and compared it to how this dimension is so you never got confused. The fact that Imperial Russia was one dimension helped.

All in all I can't wait until November for the next book to come out!

As a word of warning there is a steamy scene in this book that may not be suitable for younger readers.

See more reviews like this on my blog

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

I would like to believe at least one physicist was consulted for research during this book, but the story seems to have some fundamental misunderstandings about how both physics PhD programs and physics itself work. Full review to come.