Book Review

Article by: Naomika Depenha

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

Marguerite Caine's parents are known all over for various achievements, their latest, most implausible invention known as the Firebird. This seemingly normal necklace enables an individual to jump into different dimensions. However Marguerite's father is murdered, and the accused is Paul—her parent's most trustworthy and apparently perfect assistant — who escapes into another dimension before anyone can get they're hands on him.

Marguerite refuses to let the man who she trusted and destroyed her family to go without a fight. She shadows Paul through the different dimensions, meeting new and unexpected versions of herself, versions that she definitely would never approve of. Whilst on the run for Paul she also encounters alternate versions of the people she knows and situations that she never thought she would ever come across. Passing through dimensions have never seemed scarier especially when she starts to doubt and question what's actually real and what's not. And before you know it reality hits everything that you love the most.

This book is definitely one worth your time. The main character Marguerite Caine is portrayed to possess a quiet, calm and carefree personality who prioritizes her family above all and enjoys art. Her family is seen as extremely smart physicians who are supportive and looked upon by others. Throughout this reading journey you can tell it was based on a dystopian and futuristic path with hints of romance. As a fan of romance and mystery, switching up genres and reading a novel with such a different storyline to what I normally read was definitely refreshing and unique to me. I found the whole concept of multiple universes and changing dimensions was effectively explained. It was introduced and written in a really clear and easy way that I didn’t feel like I had to think through all the science, which I appreciate and am sure those unfamiliar to the teachings of physics will too. I also found that the building up and descriptions of each dimension and different universes was also really well done. The inter-dimensional travel is a very crucial element of the plot and is focused on heavily, which is fascinating.

There were however a few things that I didn't quite enjoy as much as I would have liked. As mentioned earlier I love anything to do with romance however I found the Marguerite-Paul-Theo love triangle a bit messy and raw. It personally didn't have any sort of impact on me and was quite unnecessary. This book is one of the fastest paced books I have ever read. I felt like certain scenarios could have been explained well and slowly rather than it being rushed off and then abruptly starting with a new scene.

Overall I feel like this novel is definitely one to read as it's not your ordinary beginning plot and end story. I recommend A Thousand Pieces of You to anyone who wants to start a new reading journey or get away from reality. This book made me laugh and sniffle in the right moments and on the whole baffle me with the inter-dimensional travel work.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

The Haunting of Hill House is justly revered as an exemplar of horror not only because it's plot provides the template for all those haunted house tales to come, but also because it's a wonderful prose and subtle psychology transcend genre, transforming what might otherwise have been merely a sensational tale into a creative and artful novel.

It is a story of four individuals who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly residence called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a "haunting"; Theodora, the lighthearted assistant; Eleanor,fragile young woman familiar with poltergeists and all paranormal; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with unaccountable circumstances.

The horror is perfectly handled and the text has moments where the readers gasp, cringe, and laugh, at the right moments, occasionally all at the same time. The author Shirley Jackson correctly understands and portrays the reality that people in terrifying situations are experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions, to the point that giggling and screaming are equally normal reactions in comparison to adverse conditions.

Overall I prefer reading the novel rather than watching the show series because emotions and settings as well as the vast descriptions of everything are a perfect blend of your typical horror and mystery novel. There wasn't a single bit that I didn't enjoy and was a good and successful reading trip for me.

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