An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes

by Randy Ribay

Four friends from wildly different backgrounds have bonded over Dungeons & Dragons since the sixth grade. Now they're facing senior year and a major shift in their own universes. Math whiz Archie is struggling with his parents' divorce after his dad comes out as gay. Mari is terrified of her adoptive mother's life-altering news. Dante is carrying around a huge secret that is proving impossible to keep hidden. And when Sam gets dumped by the love of his life, everyone is ready to join him on a cross-country quest to win her back. The four quickly discover that the road is not forgiving, and that real life is no game. They must face a test of friendship where the stakes are more than just a roll of the dice--they are life and death.

• ISBN10: 1440588147
• ISBN13: 9781440588143
• Publish Date: 16 October 2015 (first published 4 September 2015)
• Publish Status: Transferred
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 240
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes was just the geeky, funny, heart-warming, friendship tale I was seeking! Archie, Mari, Dante, and Sam have been friends since sixth grade when they bonded over Dungeons & Dragons. Now, it's the summer before their senior year and each of them is going through something. At first, they're all dealing alone, but then an impromptu roadtrip brings them all together for a trip they'll never forget.

I really liked the format that An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes is written in. There's five sections, with the first four being the week leading up to the road trip, and the fifth is the actual trip. Of course, four sections means each of the friends gets one, which was a great way to get to know them. Even though it does cover the same time frame, it's not repetitive at all. We see their individual problems as they develop, and when they are together, we see something different and gaps are filled in.

An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes touches on a lot of important topics. Archie is dealing with the fallout of his parents' divorce. He's being forced to move with his dad, which at first seems like he just doesn't want to start over at a new school. But then we learn that Archie is struggling with the fact that his father is gay. He's not homophobic, but he isn't quite sure how he feels about it. Mari learns that her mom has cancer, and she wants her to reach out to her birth mother. Mari doesn't want to worry about some strange woman when the woman who raised her could be dying! Dante is gay and his family is upset about it because they're religious and hoping to pray the gay away. Then Sam's girlfriend suddenly moves and dumps him, and he is not handling it well at all. In fact, the road trip is his idea to win her back! Lots of stuff going on.

The road trip portion was a lot of fun. The group gets up to lots of hijinks which I won't spoil for you! It's not all fun and games though. They do have some heart-to-hearts as their issues come to light. There is a scene near the end with Dante that nearly gave me a heart attack! I seriously let out a breath that I didn't know I had been holding.

I really enjoyed An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes. There's friendship, and I love friendship! There's family issues, relationship issues, coming out issues, and it all just worked without feeling overwhelming. I do wish there had been more at the end though. I'm happy for a happy ending, but I would have liked to have known how everything worked out when they got home, especially for Dante and his grandparents.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[shannonmiz]

This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight
So, I really did enjoy this book. It is fun, a nicely paced quick read, and it has characters that feel incredibly real. Let us talk about all the good things first, as usual!

• The aforementioned complex and realistic characters were a breath of fresh air. These kids were basically dorks. They did some really ridiculous, sometimes downright dumb things from time to time. And sometimes they did awesome things. Just like everyone else. See, that was the beauty of this book- each character felt like a legitimate dorky teenager who had problems, was wrapped up in their own lives and their own heads, but ultimately were there for their friends too.


• They were also incredibly diverse, without it feeling forced. Sometimes a motley group can feel a bit "staged", but this was done to perfection. These kids are from different backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, orientations, and it works, because they have stuff in common. There were times that they didn't all treat each others' diversity with kindness, and they had to learn and grow along the way. And you know what? That might have been the most realistic and powerful part of the book.


• Road trips make me happy, and this book has a pretty epic one. So, the book begins with each character's personal POV, and then we get the whole gang together for the second half in a Paper Towns-esque road trip, sans Manic Pixie Dreamgirl (thank goodness). The trip is good though, because it forces the characters to actually open up and talk about their lives instead of hiding behind the pretend world they've created in D&D.

And the downsides? They were minor, but they existed.

• A few things toward the end seemed a little unrealistic. (Well, one thing was a lot unrealistic, and I may have done some eye rolling.) The thing is, I think the book could have been fine without these things, which is why I am considering it a negative. I know this is all vague, but when you're talking about junk that happens later in the book, you must be.

And one thing that is just... a thing: I didn't feel super connected to any one character, which I think fit with this book. I don't think I was supposed to, it seemed. It was more of an unbiased glimpse into the lives of each of the characters, and I liked the way it was handled.

Bottom Line: This book is character driven for sure, and I loved the journey the characters took, both the physical and the emotional. While it may not have left a deep impact, it was absolutely enjoyable and carried some lovely messages about friendship, love, life, and growing up.

*Copy provided by publisher for review