The apparition’s name is Nina, and she’s not a ghost. She’s a girl from a parallel world, and in this world, Viv is still alive. Cam can’t believe his wildest dreams have come true. All he can focus on is getting his girlfriend back, no matter the cost. But things are different in this other world: Viv and Cam have both made very different choices, things between them have changed in unexpected ways, and Viv isn’t the same girl he remembers. Nina is keeping some dangerous secrets, too, and the window between the worlds is shrinking every day. As Cam comes to terms with who this Viv has become and the part Nina played in his parallel story, he’s forced to choose—stay with Viv or let her go—before the window closes between them once and for all. (From Goodreads)
This book took me completely by surprise. I mean, I expected to like it, but I never expected to get so worked up about it. I was so sucked into Cam's life that I reacted very strongly to everything that happened to him and all of the decisions he made. The story itself is rather simple, but the emotions and the life questions that are behind the characters and their decisions are so huge and real.
There were a lot of twists to this book that I wasn't expecting. I kept feeling like I should have seen these things coming, but every single time it took me by surprise. I really appreciated that it kept me on my toes and constantly kept me engaged. I devoured the book because I really wanted to know how it all worked itself out. This is one of those really great books where you know all the information is there, but the narrator reveals it gradually, purposefully holding things back, and it is brilliant how all the complexities of Cam's story find their way to the surface.
So parallel universes play a part in this story, and I'm always interested to see how this is handled. I think that Emily Hainsworth does a great job - because the existence and mechanics of parallel universes are given minimal consideration. I know this sounds backwards, but because no one really dwelled too long on why this was happening, there was much more focus on character and plot development. And really it wasn't about the existence of other universes - it was about the way that our decisions shape our outcomes.
I absolutely loved the way that Cam was able to get a second chance, and then see how it would have played out if everything had been just slightly different. I loved that there were different priorities in his life, different people that came into play, just because of a simple difference. It really makes you step back and look at the choices you make and how they've led you to this point.
I found myself so frustrated, I was in pain, I was anxious, and I was cheering Cam on through the whole book. The emotions are so raw and exposed that it's hard not to get wrapped up in them and mistake them for your own. This book is understated and because of that it somehow more exceptional. I absolutely adored Through to You and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books from Emily Hainsworth.
