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An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes
by
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 relat
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Hardcover, 240 pages
Published
October 16th 2015
by Merit Press
(first published September 4th 2015)
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Start your review of An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes
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 ...more
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 ...more
Hey! I wrote this book!
Official blurb for publisher: "Level up in this compelling adventure that tests the heroics of four friends who can't use cheat codes to solve their personal trials. Experience Points await readers!"
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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 t ...more
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 hear
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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 w ...more
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 w ...more
What this book has going for it:
Diversity: I want to break out into Michael Jackson's Black or White. This book is diversity. Gay, black, white, asian, whatever, it has it. I, of course being a woman of color, was all for the diversity. Cheers to Ribay, for making this book a melting pot of nerdy diverse goodness.
Friendship: I love how heavily this book focuses on the intricacies of friendship. It's so little about much else, but at the core of it, is friendships, the falls and the rises of it. ...more
Diversity: I want to break out into Michael Jackson's Black or White. This book is diversity. Gay, black, white, asian, whatever, it has it. I, of course being a woman of color, was all for the diversity. Cheers to Ribay, for making this book a melting pot of nerdy diverse goodness.
Friendship: I love how heavily this book focuses on the intricacies of friendship. It's so little about much else, but at the core of it, is friendships, the falls and the rises of it. ...more
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!!!!
Simply written to capture a reader's heart! Full Review to Come.
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Aug 23, 2015
Shannon (It Starts At Midnight)
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
read-for-review,
october-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. Se ...more
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. Se ...more
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 ...more
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 ...more
Aug 25, 2015
Sawyer Lovett
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
stuff-i-read-for-the-bookstore,
podcast-reads
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
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.
Three things I really enjoyed: diverse characters, crazy road trip, and the focus on friendship! <3
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 parent ...more
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
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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. ...more
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. ...more
I want to be friends with Mari and Dante!
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!
...more
Oct 10, 2015
Yaaresse
marked it as sampled-not-interested
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
first-read-2015
DNF.
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.
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 ...more
*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 ...more
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 f ...more
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 f ...more
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 alt ...more
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 alt ...more
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 fro ...more
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 s ...more
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 s ...more
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 ...more
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 ...more
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. ...more
Once the connections start happening. Once you see where Ribay is going with these diverse characters you will be glued to the pages. ...more
I was happy to receive an advance copy of this novel. I enjoyed the way the author introduced the reader to each character individually, interesting way to show motivation and create empathy.
full review will be up soon but guys, I truly enjoyed this book!
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Readers also enjoyed
Randy Ribay is the author of the contemporary YA novels PATRON SAINTS OF NOTHING (Kokila/Penguin 2019), AFTER THE SHOT DROPS (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018) and AN INFINITE NUMBER OF PARALLEL UNIVERSES (Merit Press/Simon & Schuster, 2015). He's also a high school English teacher, reader, gamer, watcher of great TV, husband, and father of two dog-children. He can probably be found somewhere makin
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