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In a World Just Right
by
High school senior Jonathan Aubrey creates worlds at will. In Kylie-Simms-is-my-girlfriend, he’s given himself everything he doesn’t have in real life-–the track team, passing grades, and his dream girl–-until one day he confuses his worlds and almost kisses the real Kylie Simms. Now his girlfriend Kylie and the real Kylie are changing, and Jonathan must solve the mystery
...more
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Kindle Edition, 432 pages
Published
April 28th 2015
by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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Start your review of In a World Just Right
Full disclosure: I read to page 200, skimmed to from there to page 327, then read till the end. If you dislike it when reviewers don't finish books before embarking on a review, then I'm about to really upset you.
In a World Just Right had a really cool premise: a teen who can create worlds with his mind! Heck, yeah! Sci-Fi! Count me in on this road trip into Awesomeville! Then I realized that he created a world specifically to be with a girl that he couldn't be with in the real world and my enth ...more
In a World Just Right had a really cool premise: a teen who can create worlds with his mind! Heck, yeah! Sci-Fi! Count me in on this road trip into Awesomeville! Then I realized that he created a world specifically to be with a girl that he couldn't be with in the real world and my enth ...more
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Light fantasies aren't usually my thing, since I'm all for hardcore world-building and all that, but surprisingly, In a World Just Right was an enjoyable read! Reminiscent of Kasie West's Pivot Point, romance lovers will surely enjoy this one.
Honestly, I was expecting this to be a detail-heavy book that focused on the parallel universe aspect, but that definitely wasn't the case. In fact, this book read more like a realistic fiction novel than a fantasy which is t ...more
Jan 01, 2014
Lori Goldstein
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
freshman-fifteens-2015-ya-debuts
I was fortunate to read an ARC of Jen Brooks's stunning debut YA novel. I guarantee that every reader, every person alive, at one time or another has wished for the ability that the main character in this book has. IN A WORLD JUST RIGHT centers on Jonathan, a teenage boy who can make worlds better than the one he lives in. What makes his fantasy world better? Kylie, the girl he's always pined for. That's it--I was sold on the story from the concept alone. But then I read the first page. Jen Broo
...more
Jun 25, 2014
Max Baker
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-as-an-arc,
i-reviewed
Thank you Edelweiss for providing me a free DRC in exchange for an honest review
I was really looking forward to this book. So much so that it was on my Most Anticipated Reads of 2015 list. When I was approved for a DRC I was both wary and insanely optimistic, but when I actually sat down and read the book, my expectations kinda...plummeted.
In a World Just Right revolves around Jonathan, a boy who can make worlds. That's what got me hooked on the book, the fact that this guy can create worlds wh ...more
I was really looking forward to this book. So much so that it was on my Most Anticipated Reads of 2015 list. When I was approved for a DRC I was both wary and insanely optimistic, but when I actually sat down and read the book, my expectations kinda...plummeted.
In a World Just Right revolves around Jonathan, a boy who can make worlds. That's what got me hooked on the book, the fact that this guy can create worlds wh ...more
Read an ARC; what an amazing book. After a horrible plane accident, the MC Jonathan finds he can 'escape' into a fantasy world where the girl of his dreams is his girlfriend. When his real world and his alternate world begin to mingle, Jonathan must make some hard choices about his life and what he holds dear. This books absorbs you from page one and keeps you reading to the end. I cheered for Jonathan's victories, and mourned his losses. So well written in a voice that manages to be both easy t
...more
Sep 15, 2014
Rhonda Mason
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Author Jen Brooks has broken the speculative fiction YA mold with In a World Just Right. Jonathan Aubrey is a World Maker, creating whole universes with just the power of his imagination. Disconnected from the real world by personal tragedy, Jonathan chooses to live in his created world as much as possible, isolating himself from the real world.
What we find when we open the book is a lonely boy straddling two worlds: the “real” one where he imagines himself invisible, a loner; and a created one, ...more
What we find when we open the book is a lonely boy straddling two worlds: the “real” one where he imagines himself invisible, a loner; and a created one, ...more
Huge thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for a honest and unbiased review.
Jonathan Aubrey is a world maker. Basically he can make any world he wants. This includes, but not limited to, a world where fairies or aliens exist, a world where everything is medieval, or a would that is related to a dream he had. Heck, he could create Narnia if he felt like it. I’m pretty sure if I was a world maker I would create a world where Willy Wonka’s Choco ...more
Jonathan Aubrey is a world maker. Basically he can make any world he wants. This includes, but not limited to, a world where fairies or aliens exist, a world where everything is medieval, or a would that is related to a dream he had. Heck, he could create Narnia if he felt like it. I’m pretty sure if I was a world maker I would create a world where Willy Wonka’s Choco ...more
Intro:
Ok. I'm having one of those moments where I'm thinking to myself: "I can't possibly do this book justice with a review, so could I just insert some GIFS into my review and call it a day?"
But I won't. Because as big and complicated as my feelings are for this remarkable book, I want all of you to read it. And I think the only way to truly do that, is to not just tell you that you should buy this book, but to give you compelling reasons to do so. So read on!
***
Things that worked:
Characte ...more
Ok. I'm having one of those moments where I'm thinking to myself: "I can't possibly do this book justice with a review, so could I just insert some GIFS into my review and call it a day?"
But I won't. Because as big and complicated as my feelings are for this remarkable book, I want all of you to read it. And I think the only way to truly do that, is to not just tell you that you should buy this book, but to give you compelling reasons to do so. So read on!
***
Things that worked:
Characte ...more
Every few years you read a book that just won’t let go. You finish it and you can’t clear your head. It won’t let go of your imagination, your senses, your heart. The characters won’t budge and you can’t scrape off the emotional residue to make room for whatever you try to read next.
This is one of those books. I could go on about the books and movies it reminds me of, but that might give too much away. It is really no one thing. Just when you think it’s going to be THIS it changes into THAT, an ...more
This is one of those books. I could go on about the books and movies it reminds me of, but that might give too much away. It is really no one thing. Just when you think it’s going to be THIS it changes into THAT, an ...more
Oh, wow! I loved this book. The ending caught me entirely by surprise, in a good way. Highly recommended! Thanks for sending it out on the ARC tour, Jen. :)
I wanted to read In a World Just Right because I like the premise of the alternate universes. Turns out there is the emotional aspect with a good portion of his family deceased in the accident that left him in a coma as a kid. When he woke up, that is when his ability to make the other worlds emerged. His current world that he visits is based on Kylie, the girl he has a crush on and it soon turns out that that world and the real world gets confused.
I like Jonathan. It is nice these days to get ...more
I like Jonathan. It is nice these days to get ...more
GIMME THIS
NOW
...more
NOW
...more
More reviews at Mrs. ReaderPants.
REVIEW: I'm just going to say it right now...this book deserves attention. I won't be surprised to see it on 2015 Best-of booklists or even the Goodreads Choice Awards in December. In A World Just Right is well-written, suspenseful, emotional, and beautiful. Jonathan is a sympathetic character right from the start; he's a brilliant-but-scarred loner who experienced unimaginable tragedy at a very young age.
I don't want to say much about this book out of fear of g ...more
An interesting concept that turned out to be a great story, In a World Just Right was a fantastic YA read. With the cool world-builder element and a romance that went across worlds, this book was definitely wonderful and I really liked it.
Johnathon was a really likable character. He had a lot of changes throughout the book with the worlds he visited and a shocker of a secret that totally changed my perception of him. Throughout all that, though, he was a kind and sweet guy who was genuinely ador ...more
Johnathon was a really likable character. He had a lot of changes throughout the book with the worlds he visited and a shocker of a secret that totally changed my perception of him. Throughout all that, though, he was a kind and sweet guy who was genuinely ador ...more
Interesting! I'm not usually a big fan of parallel universe books. (To me they fall, along with books with jumpy time lines and time travel, in the "non-linear" category of books that never allow me to become fully absorbed in the story).
I think the reason that the non-linear aspect of IaWJR worked for me was that the book did a good job of making sure I knew which world I was in. It also felt more philosophical than scientific -- it wasn't a book about physics, but about grief and memory and lo ...more
I think the reason that the non-linear aspect of IaWJR worked for me was that the book did a good job of making sure I knew which world I was in. It also felt more philosophical than scientific -- it wasn't a book about physics, but about grief and memory and lo ...more
My thanks to Simon & Schuster
------------------------------------------------------------------
Point of View: Single (Jonathan)
Writing: First Person | Present Tense
Setting: Massachusetts
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy
------------------------------------------------------------------
I absolutely adored the cover, and if the book had ended before it reached page 200, I would have rate it at least 4 stars. Well, it seems like I'm the only not satisfied with this book, but what the heck, I just cou ...more
I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of IAWJR, and quite simply, I was wowed. The book's pitch: there is a boy who has been hurt, and he has the ability to escape his reality and create new worlds where he can have whatever he wants. But that pitch hides an enviably complex and richly emotional tale of love, loss and hope -- exploring what lengths we will go to protect ourselves, and just how painful the process of forgiveness and acceptance can be.
I loved the book's MC Jonathan, the a ...more
I loved the book's MC Jonathan, the a ...more
I was able to read an ARC of Jen's IN A WORLD JUST RIGHT as a member of the Fearless Fifteeners and Class of 2k15. In addition to being a blend of fantasy, contemporary, and romance, Jen's debut novel is also a bit of a mystery--at least it was for me. As I read, I definitely got the feeling that something wasn't quite right, that Jen was holding back on a significant plot point, but I couldn't figure it out! Sure enough, something revealed late in the story adds a whole new layer to the narrati
...more
I had the opportunity to read an ARC of this fabulous book and I could not put it down! Full of unexpected twists and turns, this is definitely one novel to keep on your radar when it publishes in 2015!
Beautifully written with spare, elegant prose and an ending that will catch you by surprise! Nicely done!
That was not as I expected it, but the longer I think about it the more I love it.
In a World Just Right is an incredible debut novel, and likely a harbinger of great things to come from Jen Brooks. Brooks takes a simple yet intriguing premise – a teenage boy with the ability to create alternate realities – and executes it in a smart and entertaining way. If I had an ability to create alternate worlds, I would go nuts – I’d go to Hogwarts, be a millionaire, visit Oz, and so on. Jonathan, on the other hand, uses his ability to create a version of reality where his crush is his
...more
"It's just a line. And evidence that you're a miracle."
Although I don't love everything about this story, I am choosing to take my own twist on the story and that has made me like it more. That's the fun of being a reader. I can decide to like something even if I'm not 100% biting off what the author is trying to give me.
At the end of it all, and the reason I can reconcile that I liked this even if I had some concerns, is that I love the message. I love the hope that there's more. That dreams an ...more
Although I don't love everything about this story, I am choosing to take my own twist on the story and that has made me like it more. That's the fun of being a reader. I can decide to like something even if I'm not 100% biting off what the author is trying to give me.
At the end of it all, and the reason I can reconcile that I liked this even if I had some concerns, is that I love the message. I love the hope that there's more. That dreams an ...more
This is possibly one of the most difficult reviews to write. Partly because I did not want to finish the book for a long time, knowing that I will be hunting for another such a unique book to read and partly because I knew that there are no words to express the feelings the book evoked.
I really wish all debut authors would write a first book like this.
The characterisation is excellent, with a plot that just cannot go wrong. The added poems greatly enhance joys and sorrows.
The book has a great en ...more
I really wish all debut authors would write a first book like this.
The characterisation is excellent, with a plot that just cannot go wrong. The added poems greatly enhance joys and sorrows.
The book has a great en ...more
I don't think I've read another high concept YA that honors its own premise the way this book does. Instead of using Jonathan's world building ability as a simple launching pad for the plot, Jen Brooks explores the implications of his power logistically, emotionally and philosophically. Incredibly thoughtful and moving.
...more
I thought that the main character was a total creep and that the ending was very predictable. I also felt like we should have gotten more information on the world and plot. It focused on the romance too much in my opinion..
Jan 14, 2017
Jen
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-print,
women-authors,
contemporary,
books-i-own-print,
fantasy,
romance,
young-adult
Great take on wondering if what you create is better than the real thing. A little wordy - probably could have knocked off 50 pages of details about track meets. But otherwise this is a great story.
Not so flashy
As it could have been
But here, quiet is just right.
As it could have been
But here, quiet is just right.
This review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more reviews!
*4.5 star rating*
Since mid-2014, this book has been on my eye, and I must say that it's been one of my top most-anticipated reads of the year. Now that I've gotten the amazing chance to read it early, I have to say that EVERYONE MUST READ THIS AS SOON AS IT'S RELEASED. You won't be disappointed, and to this moment after finishing it last night (as I'm writing this), I still have the chills running down my sp ...more
*4.5 star rating*
Since mid-2014, this book has been on my eye, and I must say that it's been one of my top most-anticipated reads of the year. Now that I've gotten the amazing chance to read it early, I have to say that EVERYONE MUST READ THIS AS SOON AS IT'S RELEASED. You won't be disappointed, and to this moment after finishing it last night (as I'm writing this), I still have the chills running down my sp ...more
2019
I had some majorly mixed feelings about this one.
On one hand, the idea is phenomenal. I loved Jonathan being a world maker. I loved that he created a world for love. I loved that he created a world where he felt accepted. I mean, who doesn't want those things, right? Honestly, this book was a big ol' five star for me.
Until Tess.
Cause that was super weird. I was so uncomfortable during the merging scene (I mean, I know it's explained later, but that doesn't make the scene any less awkward ...more
I had some majorly mixed feelings about this one.
On one hand, the idea is phenomenal. I loved Jonathan being a world maker. I loved that he created a world for love. I loved that he created a world where he felt accepted. I mean, who doesn't want those things, right? Honestly, this book was a big ol' five star for me.
Until Tess.
Cause that was super weird. I was so uncomfortable during the merging scene (I mean, I know it's explained later, but that doesn't make the scene any less awkward ...more
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| Crazy for Young A...: In a World Just Right by Jen Brooks → Start Date: June 14th, 2015 | 55 | 80 | Jun 16, 2015 01:14PM |
Readers also enjoyed
Jennifer Brooks was born and raised in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. After high school she matriculated at Dartmouth College to become a research scientist, but by the end of her sophomore year she felt a calling to the teaching profession. After graduation and fourteen years of teaching high school English, she answered a second calling to write full time while raising her new son. Her jo
...more
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