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An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes
As their senior year approaches, four diverse friends joined by their weekly Dungeons & Dragons game struggle to figure out real life. Archie's trying to cope with the lingering effects of his parents' divorce, Mari's considering an opportunity to contact her biological mother, Dante's working up the courage to come out to his friends, and Sam's clinging to a failing relationship. The four eventually embark on a cross-country road trip in an attempt to solve--or to avoid--their problems.
Told in the narrative style of Akira Kurosawa's RASHOMAN, AN INFINITE NUMBER OF PARALLEL UNIVERSES is at turns geeky, funny, and lyrical as it tells a story about that time in life when friends need each other to become more than just people that hang out.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 4, 2015
17 people are currently reading
3481 people want to read
About the author
Randy Ribay
15 books1,031 followersRandy Ribay is an award-winning author of young adult fiction. His most recent novel, Patron Saints of Nothing, earned five starred reviews, was selected as a Freeman Book Award winner, and was a finalist for the National Book Award, LA Times Book Prize, Walden Book Award, Edgar Award, International Thriller Writers Award, and the CILIP Carnegie Medal. His other works include Project Kawayan, After the Shot Drops, and An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes. His next novels, The Chronicles of the Avatar: The Reckoning of Roku (Abrams) and Everything We Never Had, (Kokila/Penguin) will be out in 2024.
Born in the Philippines and raised in the Midwest, Randy earned his BA in English Literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his Ed.M. in Language and Literacy from Harvard Graduate School of Education. He currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, son, and cat-like dog.
Born in the Philippines and raised in the Midwest, Randy earned his BA in English Literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his Ed.M. in Language and Literacy from Harvard Graduate School of Education. He currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, son, and cat-like dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
January 9, 2016
You know those books that are obviously flawed, but you still end up enjoying immensely? An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes is one of those books. It wasn't a perfect book by any means, but it's the kind of book that'll bring a smile to your face on a rainy (or sunny) day.
One of the main things that'll make you smile, of course, is the quirky cast of characters. Archie, Mari, Dante and Sam are all huge gaming geeks, with different and totally distinct personalities. They're totally diverse physically and in terms of background as well--bonus points!
If there's one thing they have in common, though, it's that they're all realistically portrayed. Each character has their own problems, insecurities, and little things that make them happy. They all have their lives outside of their little gaming circle, lives that they're not always happy and confident with. But they try really hard to cope.
The best part about them is that they all grew throughout the course of the book. To be honest, at first I wanted to hit most of the characters upside the head at the beginning--Archie and Sam especially were huge assholes--but as we got to know them, I understood them better. They understood themselves better, too.
The characters' relationship grew along with them, too. At first, it's pretty obvious that the characters aren't really close, but after they had their little road trip together, they grew into a pretty tight group of four quirky kids. (Although the romance grew in the opposite direction for me. I liked it more when it was just starting out.)
I did have a few gripes about the book, though. For one, the writing was just a tad too simple for me. Sentence structures hardly had any variation, and it made me feel disconnected from the story at some points. While I knew I understood a lot of what the characters felt, I didn't feel them myself, you know?
The story was pretty typical, with a bit more charm and less of the "I've seen that before" feeling. But the lack of that feeling comes with a price--a few scenes seemed to come out of nowhere and were a bit random. At times, they bordered on unrealistic.
Overall, I'd still recommend An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes for anyone looking for a quick road-trip read about geeks and their geeky relationships.
Deadly Darlings | The Social Potato | The Book Geek | Twitter | Instagram
One of the main things that'll make you smile, of course, is the quirky cast of characters. Archie, Mari, Dante and Sam are all huge gaming geeks, with different and totally distinct personalities. They're totally diverse physically and in terms of background as well--bonus points!
If there's one thing they have in common, though, it's that they're all realistically portrayed. Each character has their own problems, insecurities, and little things that make them happy. They all have their lives outside of their little gaming circle, lives that they're not always happy and confident with. But they try really hard to cope.
The best part about them is that they all grew throughout the course of the book. To be honest, at first I wanted to hit most of the characters upside the head at the beginning--Archie and Sam especially were huge assholes--but as we got to know them, I understood them better. They understood themselves better, too.
The characters' relationship grew along with them, too. At first, it's pretty obvious that the characters aren't really close, but after they had their little road trip together, they grew into a pretty tight group of four quirky kids. (Although the romance grew in the opposite direction for me. I liked it more when it was just starting out.)
I did have a few gripes about the book, though. For one, the writing was just a tad too simple for me. Sentence structures hardly had any variation, and it made me feel disconnected from the story at some points. While I knew I understood a lot of what the characters felt, I didn't feel them myself, you know?
The story was pretty typical, with a bit more charm and less of the "I've seen that before" feeling. But the lack of that feeling comes with a price--a few scenes seemed to come out of nowhere and were a bit random. At times, they bordered on unrealistic.
Overall, I'd still recommend An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes for anyone looking for a quick road-trip read about geeks and their geeky relationships.
Deadly Darlings | The Social Potato | The Book Geek | Twitter | Instagram
December 14, 2015
I wanted to like this book.
The prose is enticing, so is the promise of racial and LGBTQIA representation. It is also written by Filipino – American author. If you know me, I’m always here to support my people, but I sadly could not get into the plot.
I was waiting for the characters to form a one coordinated group, but it didn’t happened. The storyline is not interesting enough for me as well. I spent the last part of the book, skimming it. I am disconnected.
I admit it has something to do with the parts that highly bothered me. If you’re planning to read the book and you don’t want to get spoiled, it’s time to close the window, because I will quote the book by verbatim.
One of the characters Archie has a father that recently “come out of the closet”, which resulted in a divorce of his parents. He’s also forced to move into a new school, because he’ll be living with his dad to repair the damage of their relationship. It is clear to see, he has a lot of things in his plate, I could understand why it will take some time for him to reconcile with the fact, his dad is gay. I really do, but a little part of me also wishes LGBTQIA+ sexuality should not have to revolve around heterosexual, about how they feel and how it could ever affect them in some ways.
As if that isn’t enough for me to swallow. Archie also called his gay friend, Dante f*g in a heated argument.
Do I really need to explain how that is wrong and wrong = still wrong.
Good things:
Racially diverse characters.
For what it’s worth, An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes started out in a satisfactory note. The last half ruined the possibility of something that could have been good.
Despite the fact that I didn’t liked this well, I’d still recommend it to Adam Silvera and Adi Alsaid’s fans. They all have the same distinct “timbre” of storytelling.
November 21, 2016
Better than I expected :)
Not a perfect book but just the thing to read when you haven't been feeling good and are in a funk.
A couple things I predicted but it didn't deter my enjoyment of the story at all. I enjoyed getting to know these people and journeying with them as they each worked through their own issues and eventually became closer with each other.
Even though I could see why Sam was being the way he was, a few times I still wanted to smack the snot out of him. Was glad for him in the end though with the decisions he made.
Dante's situation... I wanted to give him a big hug and smack his family in equal turn.
Some things I wish the author had gone deeper into and expanded on more but I very much enjoyed this book overall :)
3.5-4 stars, think this one will be a keeper
Not a perfect book but just the thing to read when you haven't been feeling good and are in a funk.
A couple things I predicted but it didn't deter my enjoyment of the story at all. I enjoyed getting to know these people and journeying with them as they each worked through their own issues and eventually became closer with each other.
Even though I could see why Sam was being the way he was, a few times I still wanted to smack the snot out of him. Was glad for him in the end though with the decisions he made.
Dante's situation... I wanted to give him a big hug and smack his family in equal turn.
Some things I wish the author had gone deeper into and expanded on more but I very much enjoyed this book overall :)
3.5-4 stars, think this one will be a keeper
November 10, 2015
I'd rate this 3.5 stars.
The state of so-called "young adult" fiction these days is so diverse and the incredible array of talented writers in this genre is really dazzling. As I've remarked many times, they certainly didn't have these kinds of books when I was growing up!
The one thing about YA fiction that sometimes puts a slight damper on my enjoyment is the precocious nature of the dialogue in many books. So many YA characters are wise beyond their years, sarcastic and proud of it, and ready with an insightful, sensitive, and/or cutting remark in a split second. And while this dialogue can make you gasp, and reach for a highlighter (or press the highlight key on your e-reader), sometimes it's all just too clever to be true, you know?
One of the reasons that I really enjoyed Randy Ribay's An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes , other than it just felt, well, sweet (and not in a bad way), was that the dialogue felt much more realistic than many other books in this genre. Not all of the characters are fully evolved emotionally or intellectually, and Ribay allows them to be flawed, to hurt each other intentionally and unintentionally, and if they're sensitive, it's because it works for that particular character.
Mari, Dante, Archie, and Sam are long-time friends who have been playing Dungeons & Dragons together for years. As they get ready for their senior year in high school, everyone's lives are in the midst of major turmoil, but none have really shared their problems with each other. Archie is struggling with the effects his parents' divorce is going to have on his life and his friendships, Mari is trying to decide whether to contact her biological mother, Dante wants to come out to his friends but faces ignorance from his family, and Sam's relationship with his girlfriend is on the skids.
At first, the book follows several days through each of the characters' eyes (so you see how two people view the same incident in a completely different way). And then, in an effort to help Sam (not to mention avoid their own problems), the four embark on a cross-country road trip, and find themselves in the midst of utter chaos, self-discovery, and the kind of adventure you can only experience when you're young and your whole life is ahead of you.
While the plot is familiar, and you may even have seen some specific incidents before (or you can see them coming), this is a tremendously engaging and charming book. Not all of the characters are likable, but you still root for them, and that is in large part to the love Ribay has for them, which comes across in his storytelling. This is a sweet book that may take you back to your high school days, but hopefully with none of the angst you might have experienced back then!
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
The state of so-called "young adult" fiction these days is so diverse and the incredible array of talented writers in this genre is really dazzling. As I've remarked many times, they certainly didn't have these kinds of books when I was growing up!
The one thing about YA fiction that sometimes puts a slight damper on my enjoyment is the precocious nature of the dialogue in many books. So many YA characters are wise beyond their years, sarcastic and proud of it, and ready with an insightful, sensitive, and/or cutting remark in a split second. And while this dialogue can make you gasp, and reach for a highlighter (or press the highlight key on your e-reader), sometimes it's all just too clever to be true, you know?
One of the reasons that I really enjoyed Randy Ribay's An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes , other than it just felt, well, sweet (and not in a bad way), was that the dialogue felt much more realistic than many other books in this genre. Not all of the characters are fully evolved emotionally or intellectually, and Ribay allows them to be flawed, to hurt each other intentionally and unintentionally, and if they're sensitive, it's because it works for that particular character.
Mari, Dante, Archie, and Sam are long-time friends who have been playing Dungeons & Dragons together for years. As they get ready for their senior year in high school, everyone's lives are in the midst of major turmoil, but none have really shared their problems with each other. Archie is struggling with the effects his parents' divorce is going to have on his life and his friendships, Mari is trying to decide whether to contact her biological mother, Dante wants to come out to his friends but faces ignorance from his family, and Sam's relationship with his girlfriend is on the skids.
At first, the book follows several days through each of the characters' eyes (so you see how two people view the same incident in a completely different way). And then, in an effort to help Sam (not to mention avoid their own problems), the four embark on a cross-country road trip, and find themselves in the midst of utter chaos, self-discovery, and the kind of adventure you can only experience when you're young and your whole life is ahead of you.
While the plot is familiar, and you may even have seen some specific incidents before (or you can see them coming), this is a tremendously engaging and charming book. Not all of the characters are likable, but you still root for them, and that is in large part to the love Ribay has for them, which comes across in his storytelling. This is a sweet book that may take you back to your high school days, but hopefully with none of the angst you might have experienced back then!
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
September 17, 2015
The universe, which is infinite, decided to hand me an early copy of this wonderful YA novel. Told through multiple points of view, there's a lot going on here. Teens learning to cope with heartbreak, with being uprooted, and struggling with family members that are... well, less than fantastic. It's the sort of book that you can easily spoil by digging too deep, but I'll say this. The characters? Oh, the characters. Diverse, interesting, memorable. And the story is all at once hilarious and heartbreaking, packing a surprising emotional punch.
There were tears, Goodreads. So many tears.
Highly recommend picking this one up. It's short, and perfect for reading in a single evening. Even if it was 400 pages long, you'd probably still want to finish it in one night. It's that good.
There were tears, Goodreads. So many tears.
Highly recommend picking this one up. It's short, and perfect for reading in a single evening. Even if it was 400 pages long, you'd probably still want to finish it in one night. It's that good.
June 23, 2015
This is one of the best YA books I have ever read, and as a high school English teacher, that means a lot! The characters are so thoughtfully well-developed that I was actually sad when the book ended - I wanted to spend more time with them! Definitely a must read for anyone who is going or has been to high school!!!!
September 29, 2015
Simply written to capture a reader's heart! Full Review to Come.
October 21, 2015
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
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
September 29, 2015
One of my best friends let me borrow her Monster Manuel when she was trying to recruit me to play Dungeons and Dragons with her. And although we still haven’t gotten around to doing that, I’m kind of obsessed with it now. I always like roleplaying games, but this takes it to a whole other level.
So I decided to read this book with the light blue cover and long title, and I was fully prepared for intense D&D sessions.
AND IT’S SO MUCH MORE THAN D&D. This book is real as shit.
A legitimate geeky book written by an awesomely geeky man who understands the classic geeky teenager. And. it. Was. On. Point. (let’s all take a flashback to high school and understand how true this is. You there? CAN YOU SEE IT!? Jesus. I have goosebumps now.).
Anyways, this book was raw. (“you know what else is raw?”-Archie, probably.) And as many times as I rolled my eyes every time Archie said something similar to THAT, I was laughing and crying just as much.
Meet the heroes of this quest:
Archie.
Dante.
Mari.
Sam.
I can’t even deal with how perfectly imperfect they all were. How perfect they were for each other. You know how some people just fit together? Yeah. These 4 got it down.
(not even mentioning Sarah because EAD, SARAH!) Side note: I honestly didn’t know what ‘EAD’ stood for until my 19 year old brother informed me, and now my 24 year old self uses it way too much for the profession that I am in.
And the trials and misfortunes they go through are just life. It’s just life and it’s coming through so honestly because of these 4 goobers that definitely know how to cast a resurrection spell, but probably don’t know how to change a tire are going with the motions. One blow at a time.
Road trip books remain a favorite of mine and I was pleasantly surprised that halfway thought it turns into just that! And it was the trip of a lifetime. From tornadoes to alligators, you’d think they were traveling through Florida and not Ohio.
An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes dips into the inner minds of teenagers in the most practical way. A story of family and friends and the realization that the line between the two is very thin.
You want a diverse, thought-provoking, hilarious book? This is it. Join the party.
YABC review!
So I decided to read this book with the light blue cover and long title, and I was fully prepared for intense D&D sessions.
AND IT’S SO MUCH MORE THAN D&D. This book is real as shit.
A legitimate geeky book written by an awesomely geeky man who understands the classic geeky teenager. And. it. Was. On. Point. (let’s all take a flashback to high school and understand how true this is. You there? CAN YOU SEE IT!? Jesus. I have goosebumps now.).
Anyways, this book was raw. (“you know what else is raw?”-Archie, probably.) And as many times as I rolled my eyes every time Archie said something similar to THAT, I was laughing and crying just as much.
Meet the heroes of this quest:
Archie.
Dante.
Mari.
Sam.
I can’t even deal with how perfectly imperfect they all were. How perfect they were for each other. You know how some people just fit together? Yeah. These 4 got it down.
(not even mentioning Sarah because EAD, SARAH!) Side note: I honestly didn’t know what ‘EAD’ stood for until my 19 year old brother informed me, and now my 24 year old self uses it way too much for the profession that I am in.
And the trials and misfortunes they go through are just life. It’s just life and it’s coming through so honestly because of these 4 goobers that definitely know how to cast a resurrection spell, but probably don’t know how to change a tire are going with the motions. One blow at a time.
Road trip books remain a favorite of mine and I was pleasantly surprised that halfway thought it turns into just that! And it was the trip of a lifetime. From tornadoes to alligators, you’d think they were traveling through Florida and not Ohio.
An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes dips into the inner minds of teenagers in the most practical way. A story of family and friends and the realization that the line between the two is very thin.
You want a diverse, thought-provoking, hilarious book? This is it. Join the party.
YABC review!
October 19, 2015
Summary: A group of role-playing pals are each going through separate hard things. Archie’s parents are divorcing and he’s moving in with his dad, which means changing schools. Mari’s mom has cancer and is encouraging her to reach out to her biological mom. Sam is deeply in love with Sarah, who is moving to the other side of the country. Dante is forced out of the closet by cousins who see his profile on a gay dating site. Despite all of this, or maybe because of it, they wind up on a cross country road trip which changes each of them in deep and significant ways.
(Longer review at: bookjawnpodcast.com/review-blog)
(Longer review at: bookjawnpodcast.com/review-blog)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2015
This YA novel is full of diverse characters and adventures and confronts real life teen issues. This is a must read for any young person who has ever struggled with who they are, where they came from, or where they are going.
December 29, 2015
Three things I really enjoyed: diverse characters, crazy road trip, and the focus on friendship! <3
October 18, 2015
Istyria book blog ~ B's world of enchanted books
Aahh this was such a nice, fun book to read! It was a very lighthearted read with some very serious moments and yes, lots of diversity! And that's always awesome! This was exactly what I needed at the moment.
An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes is about four friends: Mari, Archie, Dante and Sam. Each deals with their own problems. Mari's mother has cancer and urges her to contact her birth-mother. Archie's dealing with the divorce of his parents. Dante is working up the courage to come out to his friends and family. And Sam's girlfriend broke up with him right before she moved away to the other side of the country. They then leave on a cross-country road trip to Sam's ex-girlfriend's new home and they each face their own problems along the way.
I really enjoyed this one! It didn't blow my mind, but not every book should. I love books like this that I just simply love. The writing was great and I loved the style of the book. The first have tells the same week four times. One time for each friend. And I liked that! Because this way we got the full story. The second half covers their road trip and them dealing with their problems. I found this a very fast and easy read and I just read it in one sitting. In my humble opinion that's the way to read this. Just in one go. Don't put it down. That's the best way to experience this novel. There's fun, geek stuff but also some hard-hitting serious moments. Luckily the light moments cushion the blows of the emotional ones.
I loved the four friends in this book and how they each had their own voice, especially in the first half of the book when we got to see how their week went. They were all great characters and they grew individually and as friends throughout this story! There's a bit of a romance and it's very nicely done. Also, for those looking for a diverse read, look no further! This book offers plenty. Diversity in race, upbringing, sexuality and relationships. It's all there! And it's not forced, if anything it feels very realistic because the world just is diverse like this and I like that this book didn't shy away from that.
All in all I'd say that An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes is a must-read for every fan of contemporary and of course for everyone that longs for more diversity in young adult books. It's touching and heartbreaking but also a lot of fun and so very sweet.
August 13, 2015
I was lucky to read an advance copy of this book, and I loved it from the very first pages. I felt like I was in the hands of a wonderful character-maker. The book follows four very distinct teenagers who are friends through playing Dungeons & Dragons and Mage each week, each with his/her issues that they're dealing with. As I got to know and love the characters, I wanted them so badly to turn to each other for support, even though they were more "hangout" buddies than friends. And then the road trip...and things changed. A captivating and beautifully-written book! Highly recommend!
October 14, 2015
I want to be friends with Mari and Dante!
April 3, 2016
This is a fantastic YA novel with refreshingly diverse characters and an engaging plot! And I'm not just saying this because I know the author ;) Check it out!
sampled-not-interested
September 8, 2017DNF.
This has received a lot of praise, but I am so effing sick of books written in present tense that I refuse to read any further.
This has received a lot of praise, but I am so effing sick of books written in present tense that I refuse to read any further.
October 5, 2015
For the full version of this review as well as other reviews and features, go to SleepsOnTables.
*I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes follows four friends from different backgrounds. Their friendships began and have sustained over the years by playing geeky games like Dungeons & Dragons. Normally, they don’t talk about personal happenings in one another’s lives but everyone has their own struggles. This book tells the story of how four friends become closer and help one another through their own dark times.
Archie is a math geek who is struggling to come to terms with the fact that his parents got a divorce because his dad came out as gay. Mari is an adopted black daughter in a white family. She loves to write and finds herself struggling when her adoptive mother is diagnosed with cancer and urges Mari to reach out to her birth mother. Dante lives with his grandparents and love computers. He’s often referred to as ‘the big black friend’ but his secret is that he’s gay and it’s a secret that he’s finding more difficult to keep hidden. Sam is Filipino and his parents want him to get good grades and end up with a nice Filipino girl, but he’s head over heels for Sarah. When Sarah up and moves to Seattle, Sam is heartbroken and wants to try and win her back so Archie, Mari, and Dante join him on an epic cross-country road trip.
A great thing about An Infinite Number is that there is so much diversity. We have diversity in color: white, black, and Filipino; diversity in upbringing: raised by both parents, just dad, grandparents, adoptive parents; and diversity in relationships: not only gay characters, but also an interracial couple. This is a book that I feel mimics everyday life. America is so diverse now that honestly, when I read a contemporary book with all white or all straight or all something characters I don’t connect with it as much because it doesn’t feel as genuine. So basically An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes gets an A+ for diversity.
Another aspect of this book that I liked was that each of the four characters had a distinct voice. Whenever you have a multi-POV book sometimes the distinction between characters and their personalities can get a little hazy. That is not the case with An Infinite Number. Each character has a voice and a personality and really makes you feel for them. Now, that doesn’t mean I necessarily liked all of them. Archie, Mari, Dante, and Sam were all likable in general but of course just like in any other book, they do a few things or make a few choices that irritate you.
I also liked the distinct style of storytelling used in An Infinite Number. The first half (or so) of the book is one week in the life of each of the four characters, Archie, Mari, Dante and Sam. We see what happens to each of them in one week. The really unique part about this is that when you first read about Archie’s week you meet Mari and Dante one evening and you find yourself wondering what’s going on in their lives and lo and behold! you get to read about it. The second half of the book follows the four of them together on the road-trip to Seattle.
All of these things that I liked and you might be wondering why I only gave this book 3 stars. Well, An Infinite Number is a quick and light read. That’s fine but given its subject matter and the depth of the characters, I wanted more. I feel like after reading this book that only the surface was scratched and I want to go deeper. Not only that, but I also want to know what happens next. After what happens to the characters in this book, there are obvious struggles for each of the characters in their near futures and I wanted to experience those. This is why I only liked An Infinite Number. It was a well-execute book but I wanted more.
Favorite Quote:
“My parent’ divorce…” he starts to say but falters.
“What about it?” Mari asks.
He takes a deep breath as if he were about to jump out of a plane. “My parents divorced because my dad came out. As gay.”
Mari nods. “So?”
“What do you mean, so?”
“So why’s that matter? I mean, did he have an affair?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Did he ever abuse your mom? Ever hit you?”
“No. Never.”
Did he abandon you?”
Archie shakes his head.
“Did you find out he’s a serial killer or something?”
“No?”
She takes the glasses off Archie’s face, cleans the lenses with her shirt, and then puts them back on. “Then why are you telling me this like you’re revealing something terrible about him?” -p. 199
Review in Review:
I liked An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes. I thought there was so much great diversity in the characters and their own stories. I enjoyed reading about each character, their struggles, and how everything falls into place. I enjoyed the way the story was told. What was missing for me was that I wanted more. There was such opportunity for depth and expansion on each of the characters and I felt like An Infinite Number only just scratched the surface. Overall I’d recommend this book to people who like diversity, contemporaries, and a good road trip adventure.
*I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes follows four friends from different backgrounds. Their friendships began and have sustained over the years by playing geeky games like Dungeons & Dragons. Normally, they don’t talk about personal happenings in one another’s lives but everyone has their own struggles. This book tells the story of how four friends become closer and help one another through their own dark times.
Archie is a math geek who is struggling to come to terms with the fact that his parents got a divorce because his dad came out as gay. Mari is an adopted black daughter in a white family. She loves to write and finds herself struggling when her adoptive mother is diagnosed with cancer and urges Mari to reach out to her birth mother. Dante lives with his grandparents and love computers. He’s often referred to as ‘the big black friend’ but his secret is that he’s gay and it’s a secret that he’s finding more difficult to keep hidden. Sam is Filipino and his parents want him to get good grades and end up with a nice Filipino girl, but he’s head over heels for Sarah. When Sarah up and moves to Seattle, Sam is heartbroken and wants to try and win her back so Archie, Mari, and Dante join him on an epic cross-country road trip.
A great thing about An Infinite Number is that there is so much diversity. We have diversity in color: white, black, and Filipino; diversity in upbringing: raised by both parents, just dad, grandparents, adoptive parents; and diversity in relationships: not only gay characters, but also an interracial couple. This is a book that I feel mimics everyday life. America is so diverse now that honestly, when I read a contemporary book with all white or all straight or all something characters I don’t connect with it as much because it doesn’t feel as genuine. So basically An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes gets an A+ for diversity.
Another aspect of this book that I liked was that each of the four characters had a distinct voice. Whenever you have a multi-POV book sometimes the distinction between characters and their personalities can get a little hazy. That is not the case with An Infinite Number. Each character has a voice and a personality and really makes you feel for them. Now, that doesn’t mean I necessarily liked all of them. Archie, Mari, Dante, and Sam were all likable in general but of course just like in any other book, they do a few things or make a few choices that irritate you.
I also liked the distinct style of storytelling used in An Infinite Number. The first half (or so) of the book is one week in the life of each of the four characters, Archie, Mari, Dante and Sam. We see what happens to each of them in one week. The really unique part about this is that when you first read about Archie’s week you meet Mari and Dante one evening and you find yourself wondering what’s going on in their lives and lo and behold! you get to read about it. The second half of the book follows the four of them together on the road-trip to Seattle.
All of these things that I liked and you might be wondering why I only gave this book 3 stars. Well, An Infinite Number is a quick and light read. That’s fine but given its subject matter and the depth of the characters, I wanted more. I feel like after reading this book that only the surface was scratched and I want to go deeper. Not only that, but I also want to know what happens next. After what happens to the characters in this book, there are obvious struggles for each of the characters in their near futures and I wanted to experience those. This is why I only liked An Infinite Number. It was a well-execute book but I wanted more.
Favorite Quote:
“My parent’ divorce…” he starts to say but falters.
“What about it?” Mari asks.
He takes a deep breath as if he were about to jump out of a plane. “My parents divorced because my dad came out. As gay.”
Mari nods. “So?”
“What do you mean, so?”
“So why’s that matter? I mean, did he have an affair?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Did he ever abuse your mom? Ever hit you?”
“No. Never.”
Did he abandon you?”
Archie shakes his head.
“Did you find out he’s a serial killer or something?”
“No?”
She takes the glasses off Archie’s face, cleans the lenses with her shirt, and then puts them back on. “Then why are you telling me this like you’re revealing something terrible about him?” -p. 199
Review in Review:
I liked An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes. I thought there was so much great diversity in the characters and their own stories. I enjoyed reading about each character, their struggles, and how everything falls into place. I enjoyed the way the story was told. What was missing for me was that I wanted more. There was such opportunity for depth and expansion on each of the characters and I felt like An Infinite Number only just scratched the surface. Overall I’d recommend this book to people who like diversity, contemporaries, and a good road trip adventure.
October 19, 2024
It reeks of 2015 & not in a good way.
October 23, 2015
Check out this and other reviews on my young adult book blog, Here's to Happy Endings!
An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes is a beautiful story about love, acceptance, and what it means to have real friends that will be there for you no matter what.
“The point is how you live, not how you die. And if you ask me, the way to live is to surround yourself with those you love.”
The end of summer is closing in, and four friends are about to enter their senior year of high school. These four best friends all have their own lives, with problems that they all must face and deal with, but every week they gather together to play Dungeons and Dragons and spend a few hours lost in a game that makes them temporarily forget about everything else in their lives that is causing them stress.
We have Sam, who is the oldest of the group, at eighteen. He’s the darker, more careless of the four, and he is hopelessly in love with his girlfriend, Sarah. While Sarah isn’t exactly part of the group, Sam has been with her for quite some time, so they even include her in their weekly Dungeons and Dragons game. Sarah has her own group of friends, and she doesn’t really fit in with the rest of the group.
Next we have Mari, who loves to write stories, and is the one who makes up the stories for their Dungeons and Dragons games. Mari often feels out of place in her family, since she’s adopted and her family is white, and she isn’t, but for the most part, she is happy with it. When her mother tells her she needs to contact her biological mother, and gives her the reason why she feels it is important, Mari is faced with confusion and uncertainty.
Dante is tall and everyone is confused as to why he isn’t a typical jock. He lives with his religions grandparents, who don’t know about his secret just yet: Dante is gay. He hasn’t come out to anyone yet, not even his friends, and he wants to come out to them on his own terms. But things don’t always work out the way we plan them to.
Finally, we have Archie. Archie has had feelings for Mari for a long time, but hasn’t been able to act on them for fear of rejection. So he secretly longs for her, spending every chance he can get with her. Archie’s parents have recently split up, because his father came out and told him and his mother that he’s gay, so while Archie’s mother has accepted it, Archie holds a grudge against him.
While the four friends deal with their personal lives, they live for their weekly game nights where they can get together, play, and forget about their problems for a little while. Until one night, when Sam and Sarah don’t show up for their game, and no one hears from them. It turns out that Sarah is moving across the country, and Sam is devastated, mainly because she hadn’t even told him until he found out the night before she was leaving. So he decides that in order to convince her to give them a chance to stay together despite the distance, he wants to travel across the country to see her. Sam convinces the rest of his friends to join in on the road trip, and the four of them set off across the country together. During the trip they discover things about themselves, each other, and how to deal with the problems that they face at home.
I absolutely adored this book from the very first page, and when it was over I found myself longing for more. This book definitely gave me a book hangover! The beginning of the book takes us through each person (Sam, Archie, Mari, and Dante) over the course of the same week. Each section recounts each person’s week, and at the end of the week and the start of the trip, the book breaks into regular chapters. It was an interesting format, and I found it enjoyable to read it that way. The characters were so easy to get attached to, and I loved each one. A lot of books have a problem of coming up with different personalities for multiple characters, but that wasn’t the case here. Each character’s voice was different and unique, and it was easy to tell them apart without even checking to see who I was reading about.
I honestly can’t recommend this book enough. Between the writing style, the amazing character development, and the multiple storylines present in this book, it made for an fantastic reading experience that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes is a beautiful story about love, acceptance, and what it means to have real friends that will be there for you no matter what.
“The point is how you live, not how you die. And if you ask me, the way to live is to surround yourself with those you love.”
The end of summer is closing in, and four friends are about to enter their senior year of high school. These four best friends all have their own lives, with problems that they all must face and deal with, but every week they gather together to play Dungeons and Dragons and spend a few hours lost in a game that makes them temporarily forget about everything else in their lives that is causing them stress.
We have Sam, who is the oldest of the group, at eighteen. He’s the darker, more careless of the four, and he is hopelessly in love with his girlfriend, Sarah. While Sarah isn’t exactly part of the group, Sam has been with her for quite some time, so they even include her in their weekly Dungeons and Dragons game. Sarah has her own group of friends, and she doesn’t really fit in with the rest of the group.
Next we have Mari, who loves to write stories, and is the one who makes up the stories for their Dungeons and Dragons games. Mari often feels out of place in her family, since she’s adopted and her family is white, and she isn’t, but for the most part, she is happy with it. When her mother tells her she needs to contact her biological mother, and gives her the reason why she feels it is important, Mari is faced with confusion and uncertainty.
Dante is tall and everyone is confused as to why he isn’t a typical jock. He lives with his religions grandparents, who don’t know about his secret just yet: Dante is gay. He hasn’t come out to anyone yet, not even his friends, and he wants to come out to them on his own terms. But things don’t always work out the way we plan them to.
Finally, we have Archie. Archie has had feelings for Mari for a long time, but hasn’t been able to act on them for fear of rejection. So he secretly longs for her, spending every chance he can get with her. Archie’s parents have recently split up, because his father came out and told him and his mother that he’s gay, so while Archie’s mother has accepted it, Archie holds a grudge against him.
While the four friends deal with their personal lives, they live for their weekly game nights where they can get together, play, and forget about their problems for a little while. Until one night, when Sam and Sarah don’t show up for their game, and no one hears from them. It turns out that Sarah is moving across the country, and Sam is devastated, mainly because she hadn’t even told him until he found out the night before she was leaving. So he decides that in order to convince her to give them a chance to stay together despite the distance, he wants to travel across the country to see her. Sam convinces the rest of his friends to join in on the road trip, and the four of them set off across the country together. During the trip they discover things about themselves, each other, and how to deal with the problems that they face at home.
I absolutely adored this book from the very first page, and when it was over I found myself longing for more. This book definitely gave me a book hangover! The beginning of the book takes us through each person (Sam, Archie, Mari, and Dante) over the course of the same week. Each section recounts each person’s week, and at the end of the week and the start of the trip, the book breaks into regular chapters. It was an interesting format, and I found it enjoyable to read it that way. The characters were so easy to get attached to, and I loved each one. A lot of books have a problem of coming up with different personalities for multiple characters, but that wasn’t the case here. Each character’s voice was different and unique, and it was easy to tell them apart without even checking to see who I was reading about.
I honestly can’t recommend this book enough. Between the writing style, the amazing character development, and the multiple storylines present in this book, it made for an fantastic reading experience that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 23, 2015
Read full review HERE
I received an eArc from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This book is written in a very interesting way… for about 40/50% of the book, we follow the exact same week from the perspective of our 4 main characters: Archie, Mari, Dante and Sam. I found this so interesting, it was amazing to read what each of them thought about the exact same event and situation.
For the rest of the book, the narrative is a bit more complicated and there is some alternation between the POVs, though it sometimes takes a bit to actually understand which view you’re getting at a time. I guess it’s some kind of third person omniscient narrator thing, though I’m still not sure (sorry). Although this is the part where the story actually gets interesting like hell, with all our characters together in the same space, it’s the one that I found harder to read.
“If only leveling up in real life were as simple as in a game. Complete a few quests. Gain some experience. Develop special abilities.”
About the characters… This is definitely the most diverse group of characters in the book that I’ve ever read. And their problems? WOW! I have to admit that the only character that I didn’t connect with was Sam, although I understood his problem, he was just being a prick for most of the book… This book deals with such important themes though, sexuality, homophobia, adoption, racism, religious beliefs, cancer, heartbreak, …, wow, right? A lot of important and heavy themes for an YA book.
The plot, I really liked the concept and idea of it. They all embark on this giant road-trip for Sam, but really because they’re all running away from something. They eventually stop running and become better friends in the process, the kind of friends that are worth having.
I had a couple of problems with this book…
I struggled a bit with the alternating POVs in the second half of the book, but nothing major.
That road-trip was crazy! EVERYTHING that could go wrong did, which while amazing in terms of plot, wasn’t really believable…
I also had a tiny problem with the fact that we don’t actually get any resolution to any of their problems and struggles. SPOILERS! When the book ends, we only know that Sam finally woke up and realized that Sarah was not good for him, and Archie and Mari are together, but we don’t know what will happen between Archie and his dad, whether Mari will contact her birth mother, or if her mom will beat cancer, we have no idea what it’s waiting for Dante when he gets back home… And I wanted to know!
All in all, it was a good read, and I would highly recommend it. :)
Rating: 3.8 Stars
I received an eArc from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This book is written in a very interesting way… for about 40/50% of the book, we follow the exact same week from the perspective of our 4 main characters: Archie, Mari, Dante and Sam. I found this so interesting, it was amazing to read what each of them thought about the exact same event and situation.
For the rest of the book, the narrative is a bit more complicated and there is some alternation between the POVs, though it sometimes takes a bit to actually understand which view you’re getting at a time. I guess it’s some kind of third person omniscient narrator thing, though I’m still not sure (sorry). Although this is the part where the story actually gets interesting like hell, with all our characters together in the same space, it’s the one that I found harder to read.
“If only leveling up in real life were as simple as in a game. Complete a few quests. Gain some experience. Develop special abilities.”
About the characters… This is definitely the most diverse group of characters in the book that I’ve ever read. And their problems? WOW! I have to admit that the only character that I didn’t connect with was Sam, although I understood his problem, he was just being a prick for most of the book… This book deals with such important themes though, sexuality, homophobia, adoption, racism, religious beliefs, cancer, heartbreak, …, wow, right? A lot of important and heavy themes for an YA book.
The plot, I really liked the concept and idea of it. They all embark on this giant road-trip for Sam, but really because they’re all running away from something. They eventually stop running and become better friends in the process, the kind of friends that are worth having.
I had a couple of problems with this book…
I struggled a bit with the alternating POVs in the second half of the book, but nothing major.
That road-trip was crazy! EVERYTHING that could go wrong did, which while amazing in terms of plot, wasn’t really believable…
I also had a tiny problem with the fact that we don’t actually get any resolution to any of their problems and struggles. SPOILERS! When the book ends, we only know that Sam finally woke up and realized that Sarah was not good for him, and Archie and Mari are together, but we don’t know what will happen between Archie and his dad, whether Mari will contact her birth mother, or if her mom will beat cancer, we have no idea what it’s waiting for Dante when he gets back home… And I wanted to know!
All in all, it was a good read, and I would highly recommend it. :)
Rating: 3.8 Stars
April 3, 2016
I just found this...underwhelming. It was interesting enough and moved quickly enough that I didn't give up on it, but a lot of things about it bothered me.
For one, I didn't feel all that invested in any of the characters. I liked Dante the most, and cared about him the most, and I was also kind of interested in Mari, but could have taken or left both Sam and Archie. The entire plot seemed kind of implausible, since at multiple times in the story, it is brought to the reader's attention that all these characters have in common is a love of Dungeons and Dragons, and that they share very little with one another about their personal lives. And yet....
And yet, when Sam's girlfriend breaks up with him and moves across the country, the other 3 agree to road trip it with him?! Come on...
I get what the author was attempting to do -- each of the characters is going through their own "thing" that makes them feel like running away for a little while would be good. It's just...it feels so forced. And they're not all that likable, and even on the road trip, they don't start to open up to each other as much as you'd expect until near the end.
Oh, right, and then .
And then, while we're on the topic of spoilers, I need to address the ending. Because it really pissed me off....
.
Okay, with that spoiler-y rant related to the ending done...I just didn't love this story. I didn't feel a connection to most of the characters, and the glimpses the reader was given into their lives was very top-level. The author clearly wanted to hit them each hard with tough life things, but it felt very forced. I resented the heavy-handedness of the entire thing, and it just really turned me off.
For one, I didn't feel all that invested in any of the characters. I liked Dante the most, and cared about him the most, and I was also kind of interested in Mari, but could have taken or left both Sam and Archie. The entire plot seemed kind of implausible, since at multiple times in the story, it is brought to the reader's attention that all these characters have in common is a love of Dungeons and Dragons, and that they share very little with one another about their personal lives. And yet....
And yet, when Sam's girlfriend breaks up with him and moves across the country, the other 3 agree to road trip it with him?! Come on...
I get what the author was attempting to do -- each of the characters is going through their own "thing" that makes them feel like running away for a little while would be good. It's just...it feels so forced. And they're not all that likable, and even on the road trip, they don't start to open up to each other as much as you'd expect until near the end.
Oh, right, and then .
And then, while we're on the topic of spoilers, I need to address the ending. Because it really pissed me off....
.
Okay, with that spoiler-y rant related to the ending done...I just didn't love this story. I didn't feel a connection to most of the characters, and the glimpses the reader was given into their lives was very top-level. The author clearly wanted to hit them each hard with tough life things, but it felt very forced. I resented the heavy-handedness of the entire thing, and it just really turned me off.
October 13, 2015
Thank you to Pinoy Book Tours for providing me an ARC in exchange of an honest review. This does not affect my opinion in any way.
I was so freaking excited when I got accepted for this book tour! An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes is one of my anticipated releases of this year because the author of the book is Filipino! And also, look at that gorgeous blue cover with lots of stars on it. Blue is my second favorite color and I’m forever in love with stars.
As you would have expected from an awesome Filipino author (he's truly awesome because he likes AOS too!), he introduced us to a set of loveable, NERDY (!!!) and diverse characters. I related to all of these characters at some point. There’s great banter, adventure, and character development between all of them.
First, there’s Archie the awkward and the nerdiest of all four of the main characters. I think that Archie is the character I related to the most because I am the MOST awkward and nerdy friend too. He learned that the real reason for the divorce of his parents is because his dad is gay. How often do we read about a main character whose biological father is gay? I haven’t! But I’ve watched similar stories on documentaries and it surely piqued my interest on how Archie coped with it because he was bullied about it and he can’t seem to find the courage to tell his friends about it too.
Second is the aspiring author Mari. I related to her because I also want to be an author (hehehe) and she's really just a lovely teenage girl searching for the braveness in herself to contact her biological mother.
Then there's the adorable Dante who is working up the courage to tell his best friends and family that he's gay.
I totally fangirled when I found out that one of the main characters, Sam is Filipino! Randy Ribay mentioned some Filipino food and words and it was just awesome (it also made me want to continue writing this book that is set in the Philippines)! Sam also started the road trip that brought them so many adventures and revelations about themselves. Sam can be immature at times but he really developed at the end.
If you want characters who are super nerds, diverse and had a great character development, then this book is for you!
Thank you to Pinoy Book Tours for letting me be a part of this tour! To see the full tour schedule, click here.
February 3, 2017
An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes is an amazing coming of age story about friendship, love, and family. I loved the dynamics of the book so much that I couldn’t put it down. The narrative style was spot on!
The book is about a group of friends: Archie, Mari, Dante, and Sam. All different personalities united by their love for Dungeons and Dragons. Archie was the geeky one. His character was interesting but he somehow came out flat for me. His POV was the first one in the book so the book seemed a bit slow at first. He’s a bit indifferent with gays, but there’s a big reason for that, but he didn’t exactly have a good impression on me. Mari was the only girl in the group. I like the strong vibe her character presented. She’s smart too! I love her relationship with her mother, even though she knows she was adopted. Her POV was really interesting.
Among them, Dante and Sam were my favorites. Dante, who’s trying his best to come out to his friends, was really cool. His character was really interesting. I loved reading about him and I admire his love for his friends. Sam was the character I could relate to best, and I think that has to do with the fact that he’s a Filipino. He’s a romanticist, that genuine Filipino type of romantics. The dynamics of a certain Filipino character was present in the book which really made it stood out.
I think that this one was one of the best books I’ve read so far. It has diverse characters and presents great values to be learned. This was one hell of a coming of age story so you guys better watch out for this one, once it hits your shelves!
The book is about a group of friends: Archie, Mari, Dante, and Sam. All different personalities united by their love for Dungeons and Dragons. Archie was the geeky one. His character was interesting but he somehow came out flat for me. His POV was the first one in the book so the book seemed a bit slow at first. He’s a bit indifferent with gays, but there’s a big reason for that, but he didn’t exactly have a good impression on me. Mari was the only girl in the group. I like the strong vibe her character presented. She’s smart too! I love her relationship with her mother, even though she knows she was adopted. Her POV was really interesting.
Among them, Dante and Sam were my favorites. Dante, who’s trying his best to come out to his friends, was really cool. His character was really interesting. I loved reading about him and I admire his love for his friends. Sam was the character I could relate to best, and I think that has to do with the fact that he’s a Filipino. He’s a romanticist, that genuine Filipino type of romantics. The dynamics of a certain Filipino character was present in the book which really made it stood out.
I think that this one was one of the best books I’ve read so far. It has diverse characters and presents great values to be learned. This was one hell of a coming of age story so you guys better watch out for this one, once it hits your shelves!
November 26, 2017
Going in to this book, I thought I would be reading something that would talk about the importance of friendship, deal with real world problems, and have AWESOME Dungeon and Dragon scenes. In some ways, my expectations were fulfilled, but in others they were not. Yes, this book did talk about how having friends is important, and it dealt with real world problems, but it was extremely boring. This book just seemed like a bad rip off of Paper Towns. In the sense that a group of friends go on a road trip. Paper Towns actually has a plot though. AINOPU's whole plot is just the friends going on the road trip, not really anything else. An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes (AINOPU) is, a.) a way too long title and, b.) a story that left something to be desired. I kind of enjoyed the book at the few exciting parts, but I absolutely hated the ending. Throughout the book the characters are each battling their own individual problems, but NONE of those said problems are solved in the end. It was maddening. I spent a long time trying to get through this book, but then it just ended, leaving me questioning why I even read the book in the first place. Also the Dungeons and Dragons scenes were super underwhelming.
October 30, 2015
Unexpectedly soulful
Let me start by saying, I am not biased. I bought this book because Mr. Ribay is my son's teacher and I wanted to read it with my son and support his teacher. I have to say that I really liked it. It was confusing in the beginning since I read it on a kindle, it's difficult going back and forth with the days and time; but regardless of that I'm so touched. Besides a multi cultural cast,they were so well developed. They felt so real and this story came together beautifully to show the importance of friends. I truly enjoyed this book. Great job Mr. Ribay!!!!
Let me start by saying, I am not biased. I bought this book because Mr. Ribay is my son's teacher and I wanted to read it with my son and support his teacher. I have to say that I really liked it. It was confusing in the beginning since I read it on a kindle, it's difficult going back and forth with the days and time; but regardless of that I'm so touched. Besides a multi cultural cast,they were so well developed. They felt so real and this story came together beautifully to show the importance of friends. I truly enjoyed this book. Great job Mr. Ribay!!!!
August 17, 2016
My Positive Reactions
funny parts
road trip
open-eyed about life
characters who are not just plain and white
written by an English teacher
D&D (Although, is this mainstream now?)
My Lukewarm Reactions
Every problem could be easily solved by better communication or by honesty with self and others. Except one.
The plot could be more evenly paced.
I couldn't tell what the romantic pairs saw in each other. No genuine sizzle.
BIG DEAL problems were ignored or /then easily surmounted.
funny parts
road trip
open-eyed about life
characters who are not just plain and white
written by an English teacher
D&D (Although, is this mainstream now?)
My Lukewarm Reactions
Every problem could be easily solved by better communication or by honesty with self and others. Except one.
The plot could be more evenly paced.
I couldn't tell what the romantic pairs saw in each other. No genuine sizzle.
BIG DEAL problems were ignored or /then easily surmounted.
November 25, 2015
Spoilers below. Warnings for rape culture and violence against women.
It's not okay for 4 grown men to threaten to keep a teenage girl hostage against her will and heavily imply that they're going to rape her. It's even less okay for everyone in the book- including the characters and the 3rd person omnipotent narrator- to brush it off as a hilarious joke when it's revealed that the men are gay.
How that scene got past multiple edits/people is beyond me.
It's not okay for 4 grown men to threaten to keep a teenage girl hostage against her will and heavily imply that they're going to rape her. It's even less okay for everyone in the book- including the characters and the 3rd person omnipotent narrator- to brush it off as a hilarious joke when it's revealed that the men are gay.
How that scene got past multiple edits/people is beyond me.
February 4, 2016
I'm late chiming in on this one, but I can say without a doubt it is a wonderful story of friendship. What makes this one different is how it's multiple perspectives are connected through a game of D&D that for some of them is more meaningful than their human interactions.
Once the connections start happening. Once you see where Ribay is going with these diverse characters you will be glued to the pages.
Once the connections start happening. Once you see where Ribay is going with these diverse characters you will be glued to the pages.
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