Tether by Anna Jarzab: Review

Synopsis:

Tether, the sequel to Tandem, continues the captivating tale of rebellion and romance that spans parallel worlds.

Everything repeats.

Sasha expected things to go back to normal once she got back on Earth. But now that she knows parallel worlds are real, and that an alternate version of herself exists in a world called Aurora, her old life no longer seems to make sense . . . and her heart breaks daily for Thomas, the boy she left behind. Troubled by mysterious, often terrifying visions and the echoes of a self she was just beginning to discover, Sasha makes the difficult decision to journey once more through the tandem.

Thomas is waiting for her on the other side, and so is strange, otherworldly Selene, Sasha’s analog from a third universe. Sasha, Selene, and their other analog, Juliana, have a joint destiny, and a new remarkable power, one that could mean salvation for Selene’s dying planet. With Thomas’s help, Sasha and Selene search for the missing Juliana. But even if they can locate her, is Sasha willing to turn her back on love to pursue a fate she’s not sure she believes in?

***

"And on that day, when the sparrow, the starling, and the lark fly together, it shall bring about the new world, and all that was once will be again."

Tether is the sequel of Tandem. After Sasha's unexpected journey to Aurora, she's shaken by the aftermath of it and is determined to fine Thomas. This is the second part of her story and it features a whole new character - another analog from another universe. It is probably the weirdest thing I've ever imagine. How can you visualize three analogs of Sasha with practically the same physical features but with different personalities? I have mixed feelings about three analogs being put together. The good thing is that it's hard to see them as people with the same appearance, because their characters are so different. Sasha is a determined heroine that we are now familiar with. Juliana is a more hysterical and insecure version of Sasha. Selene is a mysterious girl with special abilities and a secret agenda. At least they are all different. I can't imagine tolerating three Sashas, even though she's a decent character. The bad thing is that it's hard to keep up with the switch of perspectives. I expected more character development on Sasha's part, but it's poorly delivered. Selene's character is not strong either, other than being a mysterious girl from another universe. Juliana is the analog who receives the greatest character development, but her point of view is quite messy and scattered. Either way, it's not something you will experience every day.

I remember liking Tandem a lot. The first book is definitely not the best start of a series, but it's got promise. However, Tether hardly meets up my expectations. The plot is nowhere as fun as that in Tandem. While there are still potential risks in this book, it doesn't really lurk at a corner of my mind. It's problematic because it's hard to focus on the plot when there's no danger. I didn't get to experience the excitement or anticipation when things explode. The fact that Selene is supposed to be a wild card is overlooked. Logically, she's not trustworthy. I grasp the fact that the shock would be potent should Selene betray everyone, but she's way too timid in this book. She doesn't even behave like a wild card with questionable behaviors. It's so hard to be cautious and attentive.

What's rich in Tandem doesn't really make it to Tether. If I remember correctly, there are a lot of bonding moments between Sasha and Thomas in the first book. I enjoy those moments very much. However, the relationship development falls short in Tether. Sasha is occupied by her mission to save another planet, and Thomas is careful not to expose his feelings for Sasha in an uncontrollable way. They are great partners, but that's pretty much all they are in this book. The chemistry is absent, and I don't like it.

Despite all the things in Tether that I'm not satisfied with, the ending is a good cliffhanger that will bring me to the next book. I hope the last installment of the trilogy will be dynamic.

Rating: 4/10

Tandem: Review

Synopsis:

Everything repeats.
You. Your best friend. Every person you know.
Many worlds. Many lives--infinite possibilities.
Welcome to the multiverse.

Sixteen-year-old Sasha Lawson has only ever known one small, ordinary life. When she was young, she loved her grandfather's stories of parallel worlds inhabited by girls who looked like her but led totally different lives. Sasha never believed such worlds were real--until now, when she finds herself thrust into one against her will.

To prevent imminent war, Sasha must slip into the life of an alternate version of herself, a princess who has vanished on the eve of her arranged marriage. If Sasha succeeds in fooling everyone, she will be returned home; if she fails, she'll be trapped in another girl's life forever. As time runs out, Sasha finds herself torn between two worlds, two lives, and two young men vying for her love--one who knows her secret, and one who thinks she's someone she's not.

The first book in the Many-Worlds Trilogy, Tandem is a riveting saga of love and betrayal set in parallel universes in which nothing--and no one--is what it seems.

***

So this book is about multiverse and your "analogs", which is people with your face but with different lives. It kind of reminds me of Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris, a series I like that is also about parallel worlds. In fact that's one of the reasons why I read this book. I must say this book has its awesome parts, but there are also some others that infuriates me.

Of course, good parts first. I love the idea of Sasha living a life of an alternate version of herself, who is a princess of a seriously screwed alternate country. Yeah, alternate country. Imagine you live in a place that you know so well, and one day you are transferred into another version of the same piece of land and nothing is the same as your home? That's equally terrifying and mad cool. Back to Sasha living another girl's life. Yep, it's not every day you'd get to be asked to pretend to be another girl in a universe that you aren't even familiar with. That's pretty crazy. And Sasha herself is pretty easy to like. Even though she cries more than I thought she would be, she's definitely likable.

And the fact that the plot can get so much more complex than I originally thought is really nice. Reading this novel is like unfolding a paper. You unfold it bit by bit until you get the final outcome, but until then you won't even know the extends of this plot. You may think it's normal to see something like that in a YA novel, and you have my agreement. But you certainly don't see a plot unfolding so neatly yet giving hardly anything away until nearly the end every day. This author can write, I'm pretty sure.

Even with all these goodness that I deeply appreciate doesn't mean I still get angry at some point of the story. It starts out a little bit too slow. Yeah, I always say that. But this time the whole starting-a-little-too-slow thing is only the catalyst of this: because it's slow, I have so much more time to dwell on my sort-of malice towards Thomas. And I don't like that feeling. This is one of those books where I'm more concern about the story itself rather than the characters (because it's about multiverse!). And the thing that the book doesn't give me enough time to do that is a little bit infuriating. There are some minor flaws, but they're not worth talking about because they're too minor to have a big effect on the book.

[Side note: I still don't like Thomas much (he doesn't give a good first impression, after all), but I must admit he kinda grows on me. I don't know if I like this idea or not :p]

Tandem is one of those books which I'm not sure if I should recommend. It's quite good overall, but I have doubts about whether a multiverse-novel-reader expert will enjoy it.

Rating: 7/10