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Practical Applications for Multiverse Theory: A Novel
Scott's teacher is a demon. She wasn't always like this. Mid-way through the class, between Scott looking from the board to his paper and back again, she transformed into a hell-creature bent on killing Scott. Meanwhile Davey watches the janitor turn into a sloth a sloth who wears a cowboy hat and chaps that read, "Slow Ride."
Things aren't going well. Something's gone wrong. Things that shouldn't be in this universe are sliding in and taking root here. People who should be here are gone, transformed into something else. Some are dying. Some are on fire. Some can unhinge their jaws and absorb their crushes via their tooth-lined throats.
Scott and Davey are the only ones who are aware of this, who can see it happening. They're the only ones who can do anything about this, apparently. But they're only armed with school supplies and a deep-seated hatred of one another."
Things aren't going well. Something's gone wrong. Things that shouldn't be in this universe are sliding in and taking root here. People who should be here are gone, transformed into something else. Some are dying. Some are on fire. Some can unhinge their jaws and absorb their crushes via their tooth-lined throats.
Scott and Davey are the only ones who are aware of this, who can see it happening. They're the only ones who can do anything about this, apparently. But they're only armed with school supplies and a deep-seated hatred of one another."
240 pages, Paperback
First published April 19, 2016
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608 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
September 1, 2016
This book hits my venn diagram where a love of humor and horror overlap. I'm not usually a fantasy fan but I like it when it enhances voice and character driven fiction, as it does in this case. I guess this is YA, but it's not really your average teen read. It makes other so-called "edgy" books seem pretty mild (hello guy shitting in his pants in the opening scene). I had to keep bugging my husband by reading passages aloud that made me laugh. Feels unlike other novels I've read, and I'm having a hard time doing other things today. How does this seem so much like my high school when it's also the portal to hell(s)? Wait--of course it does!
April 4, 2016
This book reminded me so much of John Dies at the End and This Book Is Full Of Spiders; which is a huge compliment since I absolutely adore those books.
It is both hilarious and horrifying. I laughed out loud multiple times and also had to stop reading at one point because the description of an injury made me feel nauseous.
Loved it.
It is both hilarious and horrifying. I laughed out loud multiple times and also had to stop reading at one point because the description of an injury made me feel nauseous.
Loved it.
September 30, 2020
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
My first mistake was thinking that the reader [me] would need a superior, or at least above average, Mathematical ability. Knowing that I didn't have that ability, I let the book sit for
awhile.
My second mistake was not knowing in advance that there were going to be a lot of scary looking and scary acting and very dangerous live 'things' of all types that would try to hurt the people in the story.
So the story involves high school students, primarily two seniors: a girl who is attractive, popular and smart, and a boy who is a geek and only has few friends [also geeky]. The boy and girl despise each other. Where have I heard this before? Funny, scary, intelligent, stupid, up and down. The book moves fast and I enjoyed it.
I am not sure about Inkshares, the publisher who had a unique way of getting the book into print, but however they did it, congratulations.
My first mistake was thinking that the reader [me] would need a superior, or at least above average, Mathematical ability. Knowing that I didn't have that ability, I let the book sit for
awhile.
My second mistake was not knowing in advance that there were going to be a lot of scary looking and scary acting and very dangerous live 'things' of all types that would try to hurt the people in the story.
So the story involves high school students, primarily two seniors: a girl who is attractive, popular and smart, and a boy who is a geek and only has few friends [also geeky]. The boy and girl despise each other. Where have I heard this before? Funny, scary, intelligent, stupid, up and down. The book moves fast and I enjoyed it.
I am not sure about Inkshares, the publisher who had a unique way of getting the book into print, but however they did it, congratulations.
April 18, 2017
It wasn't a bad read and was fairly entertaining. Here's the link to my review:
http://www.lookingforalife.com/2017/0...
http://www.lookingforalife.com/2017/0...
March 30, 2016
My God, who wrote this?
THEY MUST BE GENIUSES.
THEY MUST BE GENIUSES.
June 20, 2017
A fun, imaginative, you-never-know-what’s-going-to-happen-next high school adventure. If you think high school can be tricky to navigate, you should try experiencing it when the rules keeping parallel universes from bumping into each other start playing a little fast and loose in the hallways. This crazy-fun ride of a book kept me on my toes, never knowing what madness the main characters would be facing next, and left me wanting to follow Scott and Davey on all future adventures.
June 12, 2016
Scott and Davey couldn’t be more different or dislike each other more. Scott is quiet, cautious, nerdy, just hoping to make it through his last year of high school with as little drama as possible. Davey is head cheerleader, pretty, popular, confident, dating the captain of the football team, and making plans for when she’s inevitably crowned prom queen.
But they may now have something in common – it starts out small, hardly noticeable, Scott’s can of soda that isn’t the right kind…except then it is and then there’s Davey’s dissection frog begging for its life in biology. And that’s just the beginning; soon it starts getting even weirder, giant lizards, spiders, a cowboy sloth, a destructive robot. Soon Scott and Davey are fighting for their lives. But as soon as they win each battle, everything goes back to normal and the only things they have left to prove it wasn’t their imaginations are all their injuries at least until the next time. Unfortunately, all the next times seem to be coming faster and bringing with them much scarier and more dangerous monsters. Either they are sharing some strange hallucination or there is something terrible happening at the school and they are the only ones who seem to be able to see it.
Practical Applications for Multiverse Theory is a scifi adventure by authors Nick Scott and Noa Gavin. It is full of action, adventure, monsters, and laugh-out-loud humour and is just a whole lot of fun. Scott and Davey make for two interesting characters especially as there is a nice gender role reversal here: Scott is cautious, thoughtful, and tries to avoid confrontation whenever possible while Davey is brash, courageous and chooses to face dangers head on. It is aimed at a YA audience but it is the kind of tale that can be enjoyed by adults as well as kids although there is a great deal of violence and some weird sloth behaviour that might be too much for children under twelve.
Thanks to Inkshares and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
But they may now have something in common – it starts out small, hardly noticeable, Scott’s can of soda that isn’t the right kind…except then it is and then there’s Davey’s dissection frog begging for its life in biology. And that’s just the beginning; soon it starts getting even weirder, giant lizards, spiders, a cowboy sloth, a destructive robot. Soon Scott and Davey are fighting for their lives. But as soon as they win each battle, everything goes back to normal and the only things they have left to prove it wasn’t their imaginations are all their injuries at least until the next time. Unfortunately, all the next times seem to be coming faster and bringing with them much scarier and more dangerous monsters. Either they are sharing some strange hallucination or there is something terrible happening at the school and they are the only ones who seem to be able to see it.
Practical Applications for Multiverse Theory is a scifi adventure by authors Nick Scott and Noa Gavin. It is full of action, adventure, monsters, and laugh-out-loud humour and is just a whole lot of fun. Scott and Davey make for two interesting characters especially as there is a nice gender role reversal here: Scott is cautious, thoughtful, and tries to avoid confrontation whenever possible while Davey is brash, courageous and chooses to face dangers head on. It is aimed at a YA audience but it is the kind of tale that can be enjoyed by adults as well as kids although there is a great deal of violence and some weird sloth behaviour that might be too much for children under twelve.
Thanks to Inkshares and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
May 8, 2016
I cannot say enough good things about this book and the incredible creativity that drives it. As a California transplant in Texas, let me just say that I was blown away by how the authors incorporated just enough references to make this feel like a truly Texan piece of SciFi, while still keeping the book as relatable as a story about multidimensional chaos can be. Fans of crazy creatures will enjoy the Lovecraftian approach, and feminists will approve of Davey, the sarcastic cheer captain who throws the stereotype of the helpless airhead out the door in favor of a much stronger, more relatable character. If you're looking for something silly to read that will jumpstart your imagination, I give PAFMT five stars!!
April 6, 2016
**An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
*DNF AT 62 PAGES*
This sounded like it might be a fun read to pass an afternoon with, but it's not doing anything for me. I don't much like the characters, the swearing was starting to annoy, and this is supposed to be humorous, but even though I might have smiled at a few of the weird happenings (notably the cowboy sloth), I don't think I once laughed out loud. Maybe it gets better, but I don't have any driving urge to find out.
And if that is what, weird multiverse happenings aside, average public high school kids are like, I'm so glad I'm missing out.
*DNF AT 62 PAGES*
This sounded like it might be a fun read to pass an afternoon with, but it's not doing anything for me. I don't much like the characters, the swearing was starting to annoy, and this is supposed to be humorous, but even though I might have smiled at a few of the weird happenings (notably the cowboy sloth), I don't think I once laughed out loud. Maybe it gets better, but I don't have any driving urge to find out.
And if that is what, weird multiverse happenings aside, average public high school kids are like, I'm so glad I'm missing out.
June 17, 2016
What a great YA book. I enjoyed reading this book, and following Scott and Davey story. The two of them are complete opposites but that what makes it work out so well. A great story and a must read fo any all YA lovers everywhere.
March 21, 2017
The Math Suggests That In All of the Universes There is Humor
Sometimes books like this tilt heavily towards pseudo-physics mumbo jumbo. Sometimes the idea is to capture high school angst. Sometimes we get all serious about character development or coming-of-age or other messages. Not so much here, where the snappy one-liner or deadpan throwaway observation is primo.
The authors have a comedy improv background, and it shows. Sure, there's a plot. Alternate, parallel universes are collapsing into our own, and our heroes have to deal with intrusions into our plane and with being catapulted into other universes. It's comedy existence/reality improv with a twist of demented.
There are also characters. Actually, much more realized and engaging characters than one might expect. The book is narrated in alternating, (but thankfully not overlapping), chapters by Scott and Davey. They're sort of standard types, but with appealing and clever tweaks that keep them fresh. Scott is the nerdy keep-his-head-down type who filters everything through movie/TV/pop culture references. Davey is the mean girl who is actually a very unapologetically mean girl. We immediately sympathize with Scott, (at least I did), who is inoffensive and has a little bit of the hero-within. We wait for Davey to thaw, but after a while her commitment to meanness becomes sort of interesting. The two of them are joined by circumstances, the plot, and the universe, and their odd coupleness provides a lot of the story's energy. Well, that and the whole collapse of all creation thing.
Now, that's all well and good, but, c'mon, we've been here before. Why is this special? Well, it's funny. And it's every kind of funny. There are jokes. There are puns. There are Scott's frequently apt cultural references. There is snarky, edgy and deadpan humor. There is a good deal of double-act comedy dialogue. There's everything from don't-call-me-Shirley jokes to pretty subtle throwaways. We stay away from politics and just touch on sex, but we have lots to say about music, celebrities, teen spirit, high school, and, of course, the deepest existential questions regarding life, the universe and everything.
The book moves through three stages. I particularly liked the first third, in which Scott and Davey experience slight and brief reality displacements, and question their own sanity. In the middle third we have a full on reality collapse and it sometimes feels like we're trying too hard to be as bizarro and gonzo, and violent, as possible. After a while this drags a bit, but it's still peppered with Scott and Davey's jokes and comments, so it's O.K.. For the final third we actually have to wrap things up and either save the universe or not. This wrap up is more creative and interesting than I expected, so it was nice of the authors to get us home safely.
The upshot was that this was entertaining, edgy in a basically good-humored fashion, and fun. A nice find.
(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
Sometimes books like this tilt heavily towards pseudo-physics mumbo jumbo. Sometimes the idea is to capture high school angst. Sometimes we get all serious about character development or coming-of-age or other messages. Not so much here, where the snappy one-liner or deadpan throwaway observation is primo.
The authors have a comedy improv background, and it shows. Sure, there's a plot. Alternate, parallel universes are collapsing into our own, and our heroes have to deal with intrusions into our plane and with being catapulted into other universes. It's comedy existence/reality improv with a twist of demented.
There are also characters. Actually, much more realized and engaging characters than one might expect. The book is narrated in alternating, (but thankfully not overlapping), chapters by Scott and Davey. They're sort of standard types, but with appealing and clever tweaks that keep them fresh. Scott is the nerdy keep-his-head-down type who filters everything through movie/TV/pop culture references. Davey is the mean girl who is actually a very unapologetically mean girl. We immediately sympathize with Scott, (at least I did), who is inoffensive and has a little bit of the hero-within. We wait for Davey to thaw, but after a while her commitment to meanness becomes sort of interesting. The two of them are joined by circumstances, the plot, and the universe, and their odd coupleness provides a lot of the story's energy. Well, that and the whole collapse of all creation thing.
Now, that's all well and good, but, c'mon, we've been here before. Why is this special? Well, it's funny. And it's every kind of funny. There are jokes. There are puns. There are Scott's frequently apt cultural references. There is snarky, edgy and deadpan humor. There is a good deal of double-act comedy dialogue. There's everything from don't-call-me-Shirley jokes to pretty subtle throwaways. We stay away from politics and just touch on sex, but we have lots to say about music, celebrities, teen spirit, high school, and, of course, the deepest existential questions regarding life, the universe and everything.
The book moves through three stages. I particularly liked the first third, in which Scott and Davey experience slight and brief reality displacements, and question their own sanity. In the middle third we have a full on reality collapse and it sometimes feels like we're trying too hard to be as bizarro and gonzo, and violent, as possible. After a while this drags a bit, but it's still peppered with Scott and Davey's jokes and comments, so it's O.K.. For the final third we actually have to wrap things up and either save the universe or not. This wrap up is more creative and interesting than I expected, so it was nice of the authors to get us home safely.
The upshot was that this was entertaining, edgy in a basically good-humored fashion, and fun. A nice find.
(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
July 13, 2017
Reviewed on Lili Lost in a Book
Holy sh*t! This book was freaking amazing! Practical Applications for Multiverse Theory was a lot of fun, action-packed, and just perfect!
What initially caught my attention about this book was the title. If it hadn’t been for that I would’ve missed out on this gem. I love superhero stuff and in the DC world they also have a multiverse. It is particularly prominent in The Flash TV show right about now. So yeah, the title gave me pause, and I am so glad it did! The idea of the multiverse is SO intriguing and this book executed it amazingly! I loved seeing all the different universes and how they were bleeding into our own. There was some very interesting stuff out there, to say the least. My favorite thing from these universes was definitely the Death By Horny Cowboy Sloths... Yep, that’s a thing that happened. Lol. It was pretty amazing. There were so many other crazy things, you just gotta read it yourself.
Practical Applications for Multiverse Theory had a great array of diverse characters. I really liked the team up between Scott and Davey--I always love a good forced team up between two very different characters. It’s just so fun and amusing! I love those interactions.
Overall, well, I obviously loved this book! It was so much fun, hilarious, and had action from start to finish! I also really liked the dual POV, which is something I don’t typically care for. Practical Applications for Multiverse Theory was just very well written and thought out--I pretty much loved every aspect of it! I highly recommend it! My review will not do it justice!
Holy sh*t! This book was freaking amazing! Practical Applications for Multiverse Theory was a lot of fun, action-packed, and just perfect!
What initially caught my attention about this book was the title. If it hadn’t been for that I would’ve missed out on this gem. I love superhero stuff and in the DC world they also have a multiverse. It is particularly prominent in The Flash TV show right about now. So yeah, the title gave me pause, and I am so glad it did! The idea of the multiverse is SO intriguing and this book executed it amazingly! I loved seeing all the different universes and how they were bleeding into our own. There was some very interesting stuff out there, to say the least. My favorite thing from these universes was definitely the Death By Horny Cowboy Sloths... Yep, that’s a thing that happened. Lol. It was pretty amazing. There were so many other crazy things, you just gotta read it yourself.
Practical Applications for Multiverse Theory had a great array of diverse characters. I really liked the team up between Scott and Davey--I always love a good forced team up between two very different characters. It’s just so fun and amusing! I love those interactions.
Overall, well, I obviously loved this book! It was so much fun, hilarious, and had action from start to finish! I also really liked the dual POV, which is something I don’t typically care for. Practical Applications for Multiverse Theory was just very well written and thought out--I pretty much loved every aspect of it! I highly recommend it! My review will not do it justice!
June 22, 2017
I really want to rate this closer to a 4-star book, because I had a lot of fun reading it, and obviously I flew through it. At different points in the book I laughed out loud, which I don't often do when reading. The story (savvy, snarky teenagers tasked with saving the world) isn't new, but the authors had a fresh approach, and the wit and self-awareness of the characters (viewpoints changed, chapter to chapter, between Davey and Scott) helped the story move along at a brisk and entertaining pace. However, the storytelling was a wee bit facile for my taste, which is why the book didn't feel like a full 4-star read to me. I'd recommend it, though, to folks looking for an entertaining read, something that won't overwork your reading muscles but will still give you a nice sense of having taken a nice, fast-paced jog through an interesting SF universe (or several).
March 18, 2018
This book is hilarious. It takes some seemingly familiar tropes but does some interesting and creative things with them. It's alternating-first-person chapter structure is a little hard to settle into but the comedy writing and honest voice overcomes it, I think. I was afraid the middle act was getting a little bit monotonous but some plot points involving secondary characters were delivered really well and the authors definitely stick the landing with an immensely satisfying ending...
Overall I loved it. I really enjoyed the interaction between the two main characters and the hilarious chaos surrounding them, as well as the fast paced plot. And here's finally a book with high school students who talk and cuss like high school students (this book is definitely not on the YA shelves...).
Highly recommended
Overall I loved it. I really enjoyed the interaction between the two main characters and the hilarious chaos surrounding them, as well as the fast paced plot. And here's finally a book with high school students who talk and cuss like high school students (this book is definitely not on the YA shelves...).
Highly recommended
June 9, 2017
Didn't work for me. Two unlikable high-school students spend most of the book encountering random illogical weirdness (a teacher turns into a demon, fellow students turn into bats, etc.). They spend a lot of time running away. They don't get more likable as the book progresses. One of the characters is a nerd with logorrhea, and his narration provides a thin silver lining of humor, but not enough.
August 7, 2018
A sci-fi adventure that takes place in high school. This book is geared more towards teens or young adults. Two teenagers from opposite sides, a loner, and a mean-spirited cheerleader will team up to not only save their high school but maybe even the world.
I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it to my local library.
I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it to my local library.
February 9, 2019
Delightfully absurd! An enjoyable, quick read with glimpses into multiple (sometimes frightening, often bizarre) parallel realities that begin to collide. This book will definitely make you question the notion of multiverse theory!
November 22, 2020
A fast and fun novel, a welcome addition to the burgeoning sub-sub-sub-sub-sib-genre of humorous science fiction set in the multiverse.
April 18, 2016
Practical Applications of Multiverse Theory is a madcap, comic science fiction for young adults by Nick Scott and Noa Gavin. I often like to read a bit of young adult fiction because it is often creative and imaginative. That is certainly true here. Interestingly, Practical Applications of Multiverse Theory is also a crowd-funded novel which is an original, but totally au courant form of publishing.
The story begins during Homecoming Week with Scott and Davey sharing the narrative. They are two high school students who are most decidedly NOT friends. Davey is the head cheerleader and expects to be the Homecoming Queen on Friday. Scott is a quiet, retired, uncool semi-nerd who hopes to pass the days without being noticed. Their hopes began to fall apart when they both start seeing things.
And by things, I mean teachers turning into dragons, lizards, spiders. Classmates turning into man-eating Eleusinians, a cowboy sloth, steampunk cannons and any other whimsy you can imagine, but these whimsies are murderous and carnivorous. It’s quite frightening, especially when in a blink of an eye, Scott or Davery will find him or herself back in a regular classroom moments after slaying a monster.
At first they each think they are going crazy, but despite being reassured to discover they are not alone in seeing what they see, they are irritated that their partners in perception are each other. They soon discover that they are seeing the collapsing of the multiverse, one universe bleeding into another, heading toward the end of all universes unless they can figure out and destroy the catalyst. Along the way, they discover a few other students who can also perceive the multiverses they are cycling through who join their quest.
I did laugh at loud at least once while reading Practical Applications when Scott slid into a steampunk universe. Scott was delightfully disgusted at ending up in a steampunk universe, “the worst, most pretentious, least logical nice of nerds.” However the cacophony, the overload of too much, too fast, with too many made this adventure go from madcap race against time to a little boring. Sure, I would smile at some new critter like a dog made of waffles, but it was all too much. It lost coherence which is, I guess, what the writers wanted to convey, but it became less about discovering new multiverses and more about slogging through pages of antics to finally get back to some progress in the story.
3paws
So, I enjoyed this story about half the way through, but then as they knew what they needed to do and were just slogging through the barriers and beasties to achieve their goal, losing one friend after another. Sacrifices to the plot with little backstory or character development fall prey to all sorts of killer creatures and some very imaginative deaths. Poor Derek! So yes, read this for sheer invention, imagination and a tinge of insanity, but expect that it may be too much of a good thing.
I received an electronic galley of Practical Applications for Multiverse Theory from the publishers through NetGalley.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
The story begins during Homecoming Week with Scott and Davey sharing the narrative. They are two high school students who are most decidedly NOT friends. Davey is the head cheerleader and expects to be the Homecoming Queen on Friday. Scott is a quiet, retired, uncool semi-nerd who hopes to pass the days without being noticed. Their hopes began to fall apart when they both start seeing things.
And by things, I mean teachers turning into dragons, lizards, spiders. Classmates turning into man-eating Eleusinians, a cowboy sloth, steampunk cannons and any other whimsy you can imagine, but these whimsies are murderous and carnivorous. It’s quite frightening, especially when in a blink of an eye, Scott or Davery will find him or herself back in a regular classroom moments after slaying a monster.
At first they each think they are going crazy, but despite being reassured to discover they are not alone in seeing what they see, they are irritated that their partners in perception are each other. They soon discover that they are seeing the collapsing of the multiverse, one universe bleeding into another, heading toward the end of all universes unless they can figure out and destroy the catalyst. Along the way, they discover a few other students who can also perceive the multiverses they are cycling through who join their quest.
I did laugh at loud at least once while reading Practical Applications when Scott slid into a steampunk universe. Scott was delightfully disgusted at ending up in a steampunk universe, “the worst, most pretentious, least logical nice of nerds.” However the cacophony, the overload of too much, too fast, with too many made this adventure go from madcap race against time to a little boring. Sure, I would smile at some new critter like a dog made of waffles, but it was all too much. It lost coherence which is, I guess, what the writers wanted to convey, but it became less about discovering new multiverses and more about slogging through pages of antics to finally get back to some progress in the story.
3paws
So, I enjoyed this story about half the way through, but then as they knew what they needed to do and were just slogging through the barriers and beasties to achieve their goal, losing one friend after another. Sacrifices to the plot with little backstory or character development fall prey to all sorts of killer creatures and some very imaginative deaths. Poor Derek! So yes, read this for sheer invention, imagination and a tinge of insanity, but expect that it may be too much of a good thing.
I received an electronic galley of Practical Applications for Multiverse Theory from the publishers through NetGalley.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
April 24, 2017
***THIS BOOK WAS RECEIVED FROM A GOODREADS GIVEAWAY***
As someone who enjoys learning about the many interesting unknowns in our universe, the mere title of Practical Applications for Multiverse Theory (2016) caught my attention from the get-go. The ideas of parallel universes coexisting in an invisible space next to our own is something I eventually want to cover in my own writing (tentatively titled The Slumberealm Saga ). And while this book somewhat delivered on the premise of its title, it unfortunately did so through an incredible plethora of clichés. Due to the authors’ background in improv comedy, it’s clear that they merely wrote this book to capitalize on the style’s random nature.
I’m not sure who the target audience for this book might be, since the main characters are high school students who use an awful lot of foul language. I would think it’s aimed at being a Young Adult (YA) comedy, but most of the laughs seem forced and trite. Told from two different perspectives, Scott and Davey, both characters aren’t really that likeable, and neither of them change that much (if at all) by the end of the book. In fact, it’s almost obnoxious how Davey is essentially a jerk to everyone, especially Scott, even though it becomes incredibly clear she should be more accepting of him earlier on in the plot.
Speaking of plot, it seems to drag in quite a few places, especially in the beginning as both characters start noticing the multiverse collapsing in on their school. Unfortunately, due to the aforementioned clichés, the entire rest of the plot was pretty predictable, even if the different universes were quite random (and even that randomness was cliché). Nosebleeds indicating a fracture in spacetime, narcissistic cheerleaders, nerdy loners. Everything fits nice and squarely into the formula for a YA book (despite the obscenities). The problem with this is that the authors clearly saw they were writing clichés, because there were a few points that could have been cliché (like the two main characters falling in love), but just weren’t there at the end, thus leaving the reader somewhat unfulfilled. If you’re going to follow a formula, it needs to be followed in its entirety.
An easy and fast read with nothing much to offer, I give Practical Applications for Multiverse Theory 2.0 stars out of 5.
For more reviews of books and movies like this, please visit www.benjamin-m-weilert.com
As someone who enjoys learning about the many interesting unknowns in our universe, the mere title of Practical Applications for Multiverse Theory (2016) caught my attention from the get-go. The ideas of parallel universes coexisting in an invisible space next to our own is something I eventually want to cover in my own writing (tentatively titled The Slumberealm Saga ). And while this book somewhat delivered on the premise of its title, it unfortunately did so through an incredible plethora of clichés. Due to the authors’ background in improv comedy, it’s clear that they merely wrote this book to capitalize on the style’s random nature.
I’m not sure who the target audience for this book might be, since the main characters are high school students who use an awful lot of foul language. I would think it’s aimed at being a Young Adult (YA) comedy, but most of the laughs seem forced and trite. Told from two different perspectives, Scott and Davey, both characters aren’t really that likeable, and neither of them change that much (if at all) by the end of the book. In fact, it’s almost obnoxious how Davey is essentially a jerk to everyone, especially Scott, even though it becomes incredibly clear she should be more accepting of him earlier on in the plot.
Speaking of plot, it seems to drag in quite a few places, especially in the beginning as both characters start noticing the multiverse collapsing in on their school. Unfortunately, due to the aforementioned clichés, the entire rest of the plot was pretty predictable, even if the different universes were quite random (and even that randomness was cliché). Nosebleeds indicating a fracture in spacetime, narcissistic cheerleaders, nerdy loners. Everything fits nice and squarely into the formula for a YA book (despite the obscenities). The problem with this is that the authors clearly saw they were writing clichés, because there were a few points that could have been cliché (like the two main characters falling in love), but just weren’t there at the end, thus leaving the reader somewhat unfulfilled. If you’re going to follow a formula, it needs to be followed in its entirety.
An easy and fast read with nothing much to offer, I give Practical Applications for Multiverse Theory 2.0 stars out of 5.
For more reviews of books and movies like this, please visit www.benjamin-m-weilert.com
August 20, 2016
I have to take a page out of a friend's book and rate this book as 5 stars just because I can easily recommend it to literally anyone. It is just that entertaining of a book.
This book bucks all the cliches we've grown used to. So much so, that I honestly can't tell if it is supposed to be an adult book or a YA book. I guess that means it is actually a book for all ages that all ages can, and will enjoy.
Our two plucky heroes feature your typical bleach blonde cheerleader and your typical high school nerd. That's where the typical stops, while the starting point may be cookie cutter, the evolution and character growth of Davey and Scott is second to none. And can I just say how absolutely pleased I am that there is no love subplot between the two? In fact, they hate each other.
As this is the third book I've finished this year that is about multiple dimensions, I can only assume it is the current fad. With that in mind, this one is so far the best of the three. It is entertaining with its real feeling characters. Characters that don't break your sense of disbelief or anything.
Additionally, there are a great many references in the book that cover anything from World of Warcraft to the Kardashians. Frankly, I doubt I even caught half of them. Now the alternate realties are all on the silly side, but that just shows you that the book doesn't take itself too seriously.
What it boils down to is that you have two main characters that could easily be the reader in a quite realistic manner. Then these characters that you can relate to are put into completely absurd situations, but have to use real world logic to get out of them. No shenanigans, no magic powers, just ingenuity or running like a coward.
You will laugh at all the jokes, but if you stop to think about it, you will get so much more from this book. I recommend it to any and everyone.
This book bucks all the cliches we've grown used to. So much so, that I honestly can't tell if it is supposed to be an adult book or a YA book. I guess that means it is actually a book for all ages that all ages can, and will enjoy.
Our two plucky heroes feature your typical bleach blonde cheerleader and your typical high school nerd. That's where the typical stops, while the starting point may be cookie cutter, the evolution and character growth of Davey and Scott is second to none. And can I just say how absolutely pleased I am that there is no love subplot between the two? In fact, they hate each other.
As this is the third book I've finished this year that is about multiple dimensions, I can only assume it is the current fad. With that in mind, this one is so far the best of the three. It is entertaining with its real feeling characters. Characters that don't break your sense of disbelief or anything.
Additionally, there are a great many references in the book that cover anything from World of Warcraft to the Kardashians. Frankly, I doubt I even caught half of them. Now the alternate realties are all on the silly side, but that just shows you that the book doesn't take itself too seriously.
What it boils down to is that you have two main characters that could easily be the reader in a quite realistic manner. Then these characters that you can relate to are put into completely absurd situations, but have to use real world logic to get out of them. No shenanigans, no magic powers, just ingenuity or running like a coward.
You will laugh at all the jokes, but if you stop to think about it, you will get so much more from this book. I recommend it to any and everyone.
June 17, 2016
“I saw a creature that looked like Vincent Price’s and H.P. Lovecraft’s nightmares had a baby, then that baby was possessed by the devil, then had its soul sucked out by a demented from Harry Potter, then- sorry. Sometimes I get lost in metaphor. You get the point.”
Scott. What can be said about Scott? Well… he’s a dork. No, not a YA novel dork-that-is-really-hot-but-doesn’t-know-it-yet. He’s a full blooded dork that runs from danger screaming and rambles on in science and science fiction lingo. I love him!
Davey is a cheerleader captain. I know, right? Stick the cheerleader with the dork, typical YA story. But don’t worry, this is defiantly not a typical YA outcome. She’s hard for anyone to get along with and most of the time she finds herself stuck in peer mediation for throwing slurs at other students.
If you’ve read my reviews before, you know I adore physics. The plot of the story is based on the multiverse theory (duh) and the multiverses are collapsing in on each other. Scott and Davey are able to see these other universes as they collide into their own universe. That could be a universe of giant spiders, killer robots, MAN-eaters, or people who spontaneously combust then walk back into class.
It really has a nice transition between Davey and Scott thinking they are crazy seeing things that no one else can see and finally discovering that something is happening. It’s also great to see the two contrasting characters’ differing reactions to the same situations. I’m defiantly rooting for a sequel to this one.
I would recommend this book for older teens and up, as it does have numerous sexual moments (not graphic) and tons of language.
April 18, 2021
(Won in a Goodread's giveaway. Thank you.)
Alright, here we go...I found the idea of this book very interesting, however...there were quite a few issues I had.
Positives first though. The plot is interesting and refreshingly different. The humor was very consistent, and I actually really liked the Character of Davey, you know, The Badass. And Ted. Poor Ted.
Now for the issues...Minor spoilers below...I'll try to be vague, though.
Scott consistently irritated me. His rambling, though funny at first quickly grated on my nerves (He does it a lot. Like, I LOT.) and his backstory never really seemed fleshed out to me. His parents are kinda jerks, and he likes to be left alone, that's about all I got, also movie references. He ticked me off a bit at one point when he decided to yell at Davey. Did she deserve it? Sure. But the girl just had her head bashed for the third or forth time. Maybe save it for later? When her brain isn't one more hit from gushing out of her skull?
Sad moments were almost always ruined my someone making a joke, or snide remark...
Also humping/rape sloths...just...what? Why-What was the point of that?
Over all the book was...alright. Personally not a huge fan though.
Alright, here we go...I found the idea of this book very interesting, however...there were quite a few issues I had.
Positives first though. The plot is interesting and refreshingly different. The humor was very consistent, and I actually really liked the Character of Davey, you know, The Badass. And Ted. Poor Ted.
Now for the issues...Minor spoilers below...I'll try to be vague, though.
Scott consistently irritated me. His rambling, though funny at first quickly grated on my nerves (He does it a lot. Like, I LOT.) and his backstory never really seemed fleshed out to me. His parents are kinda jerks, and he likes to be left alone, that's about all I got, also movie references. He ticked me off a bit at one point when he decided to yell at Davey. Did she deserve it? Sure. But the girl just had her head bashed for the third or forth time. Maybe save it for later? When her brain isn't one more hit from gushing out of her skull?
Sad moments were almost always ruined my someone making a joke, or snide remark...
Also humping/rape sloths...just...what? Why-What was the point of that?
Over all the book was...alright. Personally not a huge fan though.
April 29, 2016
I preordered this via Inkshares, a sort of Kickstartery thing for books (and was notably left out of the list of people who had preordered the book thankyouverymuch). I did said preordering because this sounded like a lot of fun. I wasn't disappointed.
If Douglas Adams and Ernest Cline got together and wrote a book about two high school kids and the Multiverse.. well, it would probably be nothing like this one. Because Douglas Adams is dead and as many pop culture references as there were, there weren't nearly enough for Cline.
But the people who did write this book did a great job. Using Inkshares as the vehicle to promote and tease the novel, they built up some good buzz for it, so that I really couldn't wait to get my copy when it did finally come out.
If laughing out loud when reading a book is your thing (and if it isn't you're already dead to me), you need to pick this up.
If Douglas Adams and Ernest Cline got together and wrote a book about two high school kids and the Multiverse.. well, it would probably be nothing like this one. Because Douglas Adams is dead and as many pop culture references as there were, there weren't nearly enough for Cline.
But the people who did write this book did a great job. Using Inkshares as the vehicle to promote and tease the novel, they built up some good buzz for it, so that I really couldn't wait to get my copy when it did finally come out.
If laughing out loud when reading a book is your thing (and if it isn't you're already dead to me), you need to pick this up.
June 7, 2016
This is an interesting book. Though perhaps just ending the review there may be underselling it, as it was most definitely one of the funniest and most original comedy science-fiction works I have read in a while.
One of the redeeming qualities of this book is perhaps it's enthusiastic character's narratives, they provided to be interesting and was one of the reasons I continued to read the book. At first, it was a bit hard to distinguish the individual voices of the two characters. But eventually, I got pulled in by the natural humor and the snark that was tossed around.
Reading it was a pleasing experience and I had actually laughed out loud at certain places, but for some reason the ending pissed me off a bit. I had felt like the setup for potential sequels was a bit half-assed and honestly doesn't really feel like doing the story justice. That was the only reason I didn't give it five stars.
One of the redeeming qualities of this book is perhaps it's enthusiastic character's narratives, they provided to be interesting and was one of the reasons I continued to read the book. At first, it was a bit hard to distinguish the individual voices of the two characters. But eventually, I got pulled in by the natural humor and the snark that was tossed around.
Reading it was a pleasing experience and I had actually laughed out loud at certain places, but for some reason the ending pissed me off a bit. I had felt like the setup for potential sequels was a bit half-assed and honestly doesn't really feel like doing the story justice. That was the only reason I didn't give it five stars.
August 31, 2016
DNF (halfway through)
This started out pretty funny. Weird, funny, and a bit crazy. Then it got a lot crazy. Then it got ridiculously crazy and I gave up. It just didn't make enough sense for me to be able to keep reading. It wasn't funny enough to make up for the total lack of internal logic. I liked Scott and reading his pov was charming, but again everything that was happening was just too out there for me (and I say that as someone who loves sci-fi) to really connect. Davey was awful, but then the author intended her to to be a b****. I always wanted to skip her sections though, which made the book hard to read.
*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
This started out pretty funny. Weird, funny, and a bit crazy. Then it got a lot crazy. Then it got ridiculously crazy and I gave up. It just didn't make enough sense for me to be able to keep reading. It wasn't funny enough to make up for the total lack of internal logic. I liked Scott and reading his pov was charming, but again everything that was happening was just too out there for me (and I say that as someone who loves sci-fi) to really connect. Davey was awful, but then the author intended her to to be a b****. I always wanted to skip her sections though, which made the book hard to read.
*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
January 8, 2017
DNF at 175 pages. I've never given up a book when I'm so close to the finish line, but I just couldn't bring myself to keep going. I think this is the kind of YA book that only teenagers could enjoy. I found Scott annoying - the overuse of Buffy-speak was particularly cringeworthy. Davey was less annoying, and I appreciate them giving her legitimate anger issues (as in, she and other characters actually acknowledge the problem and it's not supposed to come across as a cute "quirk"), because that's not something you usually see in female characters, let alone "the cheerleader." Overall, this story is very plot-heavy with no character-development. I made it 70% through and by that point the characters were exactly the same as they were at the start of the book.
April 23, 2016
ARC provided by Inkshares and Netgalley
This book had an interesting premise, and really great moments, but there were a lot of places it went off on unnecessary tangents and had a hard time reeling back in. Really I would probably give this 2.5 stars but I'll upgrade the half star for a few moments that made me laugh embarrassingly loud on public transit. There was a little too much in way of pop-culture references that I don't think will stand the test of time, and some already felt dated. Not a terrible read, definitely had entertaining moments and I appreciate the fact it didn't force a romance where it didn't feel natural.
This book had an interesting premise, and really great moments, but there were a lot of places it went off on unnecessary tangents and had a hard time reeling back in. Really I would probably give this 2.5 stars but I'll upgrade the half star for a few moments that made me laugh embarrassingly loud on public transit. There was a little too much in way of pop-culture references that I don't think will stand the test of time, and some already felt dated. Not a terrible read, definitely had entertaining moments and I appreciate the fact it didn't force a romance where it didn't feel natural.
December 29, 2016
I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
I was excited to read this as the summary sounded pretty awesome. I was very disappointed. It was a very fast read because there was always something happening. The problem for me was I did not like much of what happened and I really disliked everyone that it happened to.
Both main characters were pretty horrible and unlikable in my opinion. I kept hoping they would get better as the story progressed but they never did. They sucked all the way through.
The way the multiverse concept which I generally enjoy was handled did not work for me at all.
I would not recommend this book to anyone.
I was excited to read this as the summary sounded pretty awesome. I was very disappointed. It was a very fast read because there was always something happening. The problem for me was I did not like much of what happened and I really disliked everyone that it happened to.
Both main characters were pretty horrible and unlikable in my opinion. I kept hoping they would get better as the story progressed but they never did. They sucked all the way through.
The way the multiverse concept which I generally enjoy was handled did not work for me at all.
I would not recommend this book to anyone.
May 17, 2016
I loved this book and it was just what I needed after feeling bogged down with reading, a light fun read with just enough thought provoking ideas. It doesn't hurt that it hits all the right genre slots for me: a comedic sci-fi horror story. I laughed quite a few times while reading. I think this would make a great movie that I would probably never see for fear of nightmares about a Look forward to any possible sequels.
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