Through to You by Emily Hainsworth

Through to You by Emily Hainsworth
Series: N/A
Source: Bought
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: October 2, 2012

Camden Pike has been grief-stricken since his girlfriend, Viv, died. He’d give anything to have just one more glimpse of her. But when Cam visits the site of Viv’s deadly car accident, he sees an apparition. Her name is Nina, and she’s a girl from a parallel world. When Cam follows her there and makes an unbelievable discovery, it’s as if all his wildest dreams have come true. But things are very different in this other world. Nina is hiding a secret, and the window between the worlds is shrinking every day. As Cam comes to terms with the truth, he’s forced to make a choice that will change his life forever.

Viv has been dead for two long months, but she's still everywhere.
And nowhere.
Through to You started out as an ok kind of read. I wasn't immediately impressed and begging for more, but I was doing alright. But by the end of the first chapter, I was really just engrossed in the idea of a parallel world. I was just salivating at the very idea, really. And I really can't say that it dissapointed me. I enjoyed the surrealism of stepping out of one world and into another that was just nearly identical. I loved seeing how one choice could effect the entire world - one person's choice could change the choices of all of those around them.

I find that butterfly effect to be truly amazing. The logistics of a parallel universe all at once seem to baffle and excite me. I truly love the idea. And I was glad to see it carried out so well. The parallels seemed very close, but also fairly different, which adds a certain level of believability to a fantasy type subject.

Now that I've rambled on about my love of the philosophy behind parallel universes, I believe it's only fair that I talk about the main character, Cam. I found Cam to be a well developed character, as far as sorrow and sadness. I don't feel like his character ever really communicated happiness, even when he was supposedly happy. It's like he hid himself. Not only from everyone who loved him, but from the reader as well. We never truly get to crack into that hard shell of a human being. And I think Cam was comfortable shutting us all out. I will say one thing for him though, he's at a college level of maturity. I spent a couple chapters wondering how old these kids were, that's for sure.

I can only assume that Cam was so mature because of the sorrow that he experienced.

When Cam enters the parallel though, it's like an entirely different character shining through. And not necessarily in a good way. Cam spends most of his time in the parallel trying to replace the other him. To straight up be him, really. And although there are similarities, I can't say that they're that much alike. They made very different decisions in life, and turned into completely different people.

I will say that I like the "love triangle" that I was seeing - you never see a love triangle with one boy and two girls. It just doesn't happen, and it's a totally different dynamic. I do have a favorite I was rooting for (go, Nina!) but I won't spoil who he ends up going for.

Speaking of the girls, I'll start with Viv - the dead girlfriend. I'll be completely honest, and I hate to speak ill of the dead, but I hated that bitch.

She was sneaky. She was conniving. And worst of all she hid it. I didn't like the way she constantly put herself above others, or the fact that she was always after Nina. Viv is truly a very disturbed girl, and a psycho killer level of crazy in my book.

Then we have sweet Nina. Who I'll admit, isn't completely innocent in anything. She may have done a little bit of her own conniving, but I found her to be more endearing than Viv, and all around more caring to Cam. She supported him, and helped him, and always tried to be there for him. I really liked that. That's definitely the kind of thing that men should be looking for in a girl.

The plot may not get an A+ score, but I'd say it was alright. Kind of predictable, but nothing we here at TBBR couldn't handle. All in all, I'd say it was a solid read. Worth the pages if you're interested in parallel universes.
 

Discussion: Embarrassing Reads!

Today we're here to talk about an important issue in the book world: self-consciousness, or embarrassment about whatever you're reading.

Nitzan and I can't be the only two people who've had this problem. I mean, I know that there's no reason to be embarrassed about what you're reading, but sometimes I just... am. It also doesn't help that some people just assume that because you're a girl, you'll be reading some kind of romance novel or something. Sure, sometimes, I read romantic books. But I also read many other genres, so it kind of embarrasses me when I actually do read a romance book, and I'm carrying it around.

I feel like people judge me on what I read, and it just feels embarrassing. Like, when I read Pushing the Limits? I carried it around in a book cover. No one could see the actual cover, which was totally fine with me. Because it's embarrassing to carry around a book with a kissing couple on the front. Let's not even mention the fact that my dad eyeballed it pretty closely.

Haha, oh Megs... Want me to talk to your dad and tell him he's lucky, cause Pushing the Limits has a pretty tasteful cover compared to most "romance" books? On second thought, that probably won't really help your case, so let's leave it this way.

On a discussion related note, I understand you perfectly. Half naked couples on the cover is, and will always be (to me), embarrassing. 

Honestly, I love romance books. I read them all the time. On my kindle. Where no one can see the guy is half naked, or they're kissing passionately. Where I can make a quick getaway to the main page if anyone considers looking over my shoulder and reading a paragraph (god forbid's they'll do that in any steamy parts. Not that I'm ashamed of reading those, but... I'd die.)

Oh my God yes! This is my biggest fear, really! I hate the feeling of people reading over my shoulder, and it would only be worse if they read something really steamy. Or like in the case of Water for Elephants, they caught sight of a picture. Trust me, sometimes I just don't want to carry them in public!

Neither do I. The few romance books with a "compromising" cover that I own, I read in the comfort of my room, where no one would judge me (and luckily, my parents really don't mind those.) 

But when I invite others, and show them my library, things could get... awkward, for me. 

Like, hypothetically - when a male friend (for the sake of discussion, one not in the reading community) comes over and spots a book like... 50 Shades, on your bookshelf, what do you say? Do you shuffle your feet and throw a quick excuse (Like "a friend told me I had to read it!" or "I just wanted to see what all the hype was about, you know") or do you proudly announce you've read it?

If I had Fifty Shades on my shelves, I would be from the first. Then I'd try distracting him by my good, tastefully covered books. I would practically THROW books at him to distract him. 

Haha, that would be me too. "Well, a friend said I had to read it (which wouldn't be a lie at all), so I did." Then I'd be throwing normal teen books at him to make him forget what he's seen. All the fantasy and dystopian books would probably crush him to death.

So, on another note, I'm also kind of embarrassed when people just stare at my shelves. Somehow it feels like I've opened myself up and they're dissecting me by what I read... do you ever get that feeling? It seems like books are personal. And then there's purchasing books... I'll go out of my way to seem calm when really I'm telepathically telling the cashier to not pay attention to what I've bought. "Don't look at the cover! I am very embarrassed!" I feel like we should petition publishers or something. I mean, I like the covers, but it feels embarrassing.

Well, honestly, I'm super proud of my bookshelves. If anyone is going to judge me based on anything, the least they could do is do it by my shelves, because they are a pretty accurate display of my personality. By my shelves you'd see that I'm a romantic, that I'm a dreamer (fantasy rocks!), that I like to spend as much time as I can in a single world (series atop series), that I like pretty things, that I can be methodical (organization, but only in my shelves), etc...

However, you are correct - this is something personal. Which is why it's in my personal space, and you'd need an invite to come view it. It's like, I'm allowing the other person to see a part of myself. Which is why I'm okay with it. When it's strangers, that accidentally see what I read on the train or street... yeah, uncomfortable. 

As for buying books... I used to have that feeling. I used to be very scared of buying more... adult... books at bookstores. Felt like people would look at me oddly. But eventually, I decided - Eff them all! I'll read what I like, and if anybody has a problem with it, shut up. It took me a really long time to get there, though....

Ha, I'll probably be in my twenties before I even get close to that feeling, LOL. But I am, to a degree, very proud of my bookshelves, and I'm sure they're an accurate representation of me. A romantic (just like you), who's crazy about conspiracy theories and extremely in love with all fairytales. Also, I'm obsessed with mythology of every kind. My shelves reflect that. But I don't want just anyone seeing that - I'm highly uncomfortable with strangers being in my room. (Which, believe it or not, has happened before.)

I really hope that one day I'll be able to buy books without thinking! You'd think that it wouldn't be so hard to buy books from book people. I mean, we're strictly a no-judgement community, but it's still hard. But some day it'll get easier.

Someday it will, I'm sure. In the meantime... still kind of hard and embarrassing :/
  Nitzan★