Entanglement

by Dan Rix

[Angie]

I'm a total sucker for plots that involve some kind of explanation for soul-mates. In Entanglement's case, that would be halves. Basically, a pair of babies born at the exact same time, share molecules due to quantum entanglement, and they're destined to be together. They are the halves of a whole. I was excited to see how this scientific explanation would play out, but unfortunately none of it worked for me. I found myself annoyed, bored, and confused.

Entanglement started off pretty good. Aaron has some scar tissue in his brain, possibly from a trauma at birth, so he's told he may not have that connection with his half when the time comes. He's okay with that, because he doesn't really like this whole idea of entanglement, where you're forced to be with someone forever. There's also mentions of cults, who bring children together before their "clairvoyant channel" (the part of the brain responsible for all this) is fully developed, causing permanent damage in the girl. While I wasn't happy that it's always the girl who is injured, I loved the idea of cults screwing with this process for their own sick gain. But ultimately, that angle turned into one big mess.

The world building of Entanglement is not very good. We're told that halves were discovered about 80 years ago by Schroedinger. Before that no one knew of the clairvoyant channel, but apparently it always existed. People lived without halves for thousands of years with no side effects, and yet, after their discovery, people would get physical symptoms of being away from their halves. How does that work? That part of the brain would have to be somehow activated, and I doubt Schroedinger did that to every single person on earth! Just knowing something exists, doesn't all of a sudden make these others things exist. It made no sense.

Then there's the rule that halves cannot meet until their 18th birthday, and they have to meet on that day, because of reasons. It's explained that before then, the brain isn't fully developed so problems arise, as I mentioned with the cults. But why do they need to be brought together on exactly their 18th birthday? The brain doesn't magically finish development at that time. It is mentioned a few times that their channels would start seeking out their halves at age 18, and then the bond will happen only then. Except that they can bond with their half earlier, it just makes the girl a zombie (not an actual zombie!). And accidental meetings must happen, since they're suppose to be born close together (although it's also said they can be ANYWHERE in the world). So I don't get it. Either they can bond before 18 or they can't until 18, which is it?

I also really disliked the characters of Entanglement. Aaron is kind of boring, and he's also not a "hottheaded hearttrob" as the blurb suggests. As far as I can tell, he's never had a girlfriend until he met Amber. Who is not the new girl at school like the blurb says. He meets her at a party that another school was throwing on the beach. But anyway, Amber is the worst! She lies! And lies! And lies some more! And then when she's admitting to her lies, she's still lying! But Aaron is in love with her, and would do anything for her, but she's not his half. But she might be his half. But she can't be his half. But maybe. Or not. Either way, I could not see what he saw in her. She just lied and had a bad attitude since the moment he met her.

Entanglement just majorly failed for me. The quantum entanglement explanation for soulmates didn't make sense. I liked the basis of this idea, but nothing came together to really make me believe this phenomenon. I didn't like the characters, and therefore didn't care what happened to them. And there's so much flip-flopping and back-and-forthing, that it made my head hurt.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.