13 August 2015

Life at the Speed of Us by Heather Sappenfield

Life at the Speed of Us by Heather Sappenfield took me by complete surprise. Nowhere in the description of the book does it mention time travel, quantum physics, or parallel universes, but this coming of age love story truly does have it all.

Sovren (misspelled because at an early age her dyslexia made Sovereign impossible) finds that her life has spiraled out of control since the death of her mother. On the anniversary of her death, Sovren's boyfriend dumps her, and she has a snowboarding accident that awakens her again to life.

Despite Sovren's dyslexia, she's a mathematical genius, and the new boy she meets makes her investigate quantum physics, quantum entanglement, parallel universes, and M theory. The author uses this science to create a lovely romance that hints a bit at reincarnation. This science fiction also has some fantasy in that the characters are able to travel through time, but are unable to choose the moments they travel.

Sovren must come to terms with her own reality, her loss, and her loves, and she learns that she can love someone who has died as well as loving life as it becomes, not simply as it was. 

The message that dyslexia doesn't make someone stupid is very clear. Sovren has great coping mechanisms, and they allow her to make her genius shine.

One thing I would change would be how abruptly the book ended. The climactic event of the book is very traumatic, but Sovren doesn't tell us much about how she will cope or does cope with these events. I would have liked an epilogue or a bit more to tie up her relationship with her boyfriend at the end. 

I did enjoy this book very much. Recommend.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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