In a World Just Right

by Jen Brooks

Worlds collide in romantic, unexpected, and heartbreaking ways in this "picture-perfect" (VOYA, starred review) debut novel about a young man with a truly unique power.
Sometimes high school senior Jonathan Aubrey wishes he could just disappear. And as luck--or fate--would have it, he can. Ever since coming out of a coma as a kid, he has been able to create alternate worlds. Worlds where he is heroic, desirable, or simply a better version of himself. That's the world he's been escaping to most often, a world where he has everything he doesn't have in real life: friends, a place of honor on the track team, passing grades, and most importantly, Kylie Simms as his girlfriend.
But when Jonathan confuses his worlds and tries to kiss the real Kylie Simms, everything unravels. The real Kylie suddenly notices Jonathan...and begins obsessing over him. The fantasy version of Kylie struggles to love Jonathan as she was created to do, and the consequences are disastrous. As his worlds collide, Jonathan must confront the truth of his power and figure out where he actually belongs--before he loses both Kylies forever.

• ISBN10: 148141660X
• ISBN13: 9781481416603
• Publish Date: 28 April 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 432
• Language: English

Reviews

[shannonmiz]

4.5*
This was a really good book, in a lot of surprising ways. First, it is a very different spin on parallel universes. I can’t fully tell you how, but I will say that Jonathan can create his own worlds, and even the way he named them made me chuckle: “Jonathan-is-a-hero” and “Jonathan’s-smokin’-hot-dance-club”, and of course, “Kylie-Simms-is-my-girlfriend”. Jonathan has been through a lot in his life since his parents and sister died in a plane crash that left him one of only a few survivors, and his ability to create worlds only appeared after the accident. Now, Jonathan mainly splits his time between his real world, and Kylie-Simms-is-my-girlfriend. Only lately, things have been strange- mix ups that seem like the two worlds are overlapping, when they never have before.

Jonathan is quite relatable, even though he is a teenager and a male, of which I am neither. But you feel for him, because of what he has been through and how isolated he feels in the real world. Kylie is a pretty great character too, especially in the real world. I enjoyed her, she was funny, and smart, and it made sense that Jonathan would want to be with her. They even have connections from before the crash, which makes it even sweeter.

Now, the reason I am only doing a mini-review on this one is this: It is impossible to tell you all the great things about this book without talking about spoilery stuff. So you’re going to have to trust me that the story twists into something even more unique and incredibly thought provoking. It’s a lovely story, and there are all kinds of feels, and I definitely recommend it. I wish I could say more, but if you read it, we can talk about it together ;)

**Copy provided from publisher for review**