I'm going to try to put into words what I felt when I read this novel. This book hasn't been widely read yet, so don't take my word as gospel and check out other review before you make a decision to read or not read this book.
One thing everyone will agree on is that Neal Shusterman is trying his best to tackle many different subjects in this novel. The feeling that gave me is that this novel and the plot was created around this concept. I found it very hard to stay engaged because of this. In a way I felt like the character was going through everything just to learn about racism, sexism, the LBGTQ community and other contemporary topics.
For what it's worth, the novel is about Ash who gets hit in the head during a football game. He is flung into another reality in which his friends are still his friends, but there have been some weird changes in the world. Ash is a linebacker so he gets hit on the head a lot, and every time he is flung into the multiverse, as he's fighting for his survival he learns more and more about the world he inhabits.
The idea behind the novel is really good, the characters are interesting, but I don't always agree with the thoughts and especially the conclusion of the novel made me shudder a bit. There are moments that the main character in the novel "Ash" is 'mansplaining' how women feel and look and interact with the world which (as a woman myself) I felt missed the mark. I do really appreciate the effort Neal has put into researching and writing this book. His intentions were clearly good!
Many thanks to the publisher Walker Books and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy!
2 stars
