If you’re looking to read more sci-fi books then pick this one up. It’s well written, a bit slow which I need for this genre because it’s not one I read often . I loved the main character and also the jumping to different universe was exciting for me.

Interesting premise, but the world-building wasn't clear enough for me to feel truly invested. I wanted more from the story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for my honest review!

Let me just preface this by saying I went into this knowing very little because I KNEW I would love it. So when I read in the first chapter that it was a book about the multiverse and people were able to traverse them I was hooked. For the first few chapters, I was indeed bored, but as soon as we got to a huge revelation about Caramenta's life and being I couldn't stop reading from there. So if you're reading this and the first few chapters seem dull, give it a few more and see how invested the plot twists make you.

We meet a character absolutely selfish and fighting for their well-being, and it honestly is off-putting. I wanted to know more about how this person ended up valuing their benefit so strongly over others, and learn I did. Because many of Cara's character traits that seem offputting at first glance made so much sense once put in perspective with her character arc. The author did such a good job making a believable character reaction to her awful situation, I don't know if anything different would have felt right. Of course, Cara would value self-preservation at the point we meet her, and we get to go on her character arc in this book.

What really threw me off though was how free form the plot was, which after having read it all I believe is what best fits how to tell this story. But for a long, while we had no real end goal, we had just met these characters and we're going along on a ride with them. Slowly at after the mid-way point, things get set in motion and then is when we get our end goal. Once I learned to let go of reaching for an overarching plot and just enjoyed this ride with these characters I really started enjoying this book. Without getting into spoilers, there were many molar dilemmas and genuinely awful situations presented to our characters and we got to see all their reactions and what consequences their actions had.

If you enjoy sci-fi books with a darker theme and don't mind some gore, I would definitely recommend this book!

This world(s) building was SO COOL. What a neat premise. And good good romance too! I would read a whole lot more in this world.

I'm a bit of a fan of physics and multiverse theory so obviously this book was an amazing journey
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Basically the physical theory of the multiverses says that if there was a great explosion that created this universe there could be several and that the physical reactions could be varied creating different universes between them.
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The book explores the idea that these multiverses are in the same fabric of space-time and that they find the way through frequencies and vibrations to travel between them , obeying as the main rule that you can only enter that other world if your dopelganger is dead.
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The protagonist of the story is an expert traveler between worlds since out of 380 worlds she is only alive in less than ten. Cara does not expect that in this world that opens the doors for her for the first time her dopelganger is alive.
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This new world poses a completely different reality from the others and reveals secrets that change the reality of her own world.
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This book is a masterpiece, beautifully written with phrases that the reader can take with them forever. With a plow twist at each turn of the page, it seems incredible to me that it has so few pages and that no one has decided to take this story into a movie.
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Trigger warning, it deals with issues of domestic abuse, drug use, racial and social class discrimination, but it has characters with lgtbq + representation and the relationship of some characters is so pure and close that it softens the edges so the story can be highly enjoyed
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It is a book with a dystopian world, lgtbq+ characters, large corporations, a bloody emperor and journey between worlds so beautiful written
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Thanks to Micaia Johnson and Random House Publishing Group for give me a copy of this amazing book in exchange for my honest opinion

The Space Between Worlds wasn't at all what I'd expected...and I loved every second of reading it! I always looked forward to when I could pick this book back up and continue reading! Cara and Dell will stick with me, as great characters tend to do! It's definitely on my list to add to my personal collection, and I plan on asking the person in charge of ordering for this particular collection if we may add it to our library's shelves as well!

Wow! Wow! Wow! I don't need to think twice about this rating. This is by far my favorite book of the year. It is truly the whole package. World building, characters, theme, immersive, plain enjoyable.

The main character is very interesting and we follow her point of view throughout. She has personality, attitude, complexity. She is philosophical and enjoys lists, but she is also a badass. The other characters are really complex and interesting too. I really care about them.

The world is interesting and well fleshed out.

The theme. I feel like theme isn't even a thing in 99% of the books I read...or at least, not in any extraordinary way. This book has a theme. The title comes back over and over in a literal way and a cultural way and a relational way.

The author manages to explore her theme and a lot of philosophical ideas while keeping the story immersive, actiony, and interesting. Rave.

Sexual violence? There is a ton of violence, but I don't remember any of it being specifically sexual. I'm worried I'm forgetting though. Other triggers? Yes. Tons of violence, drug abuse, domestic violence/abuse, poverty, suicide, religion.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3656101410

Solid sci-fi, I enjoyed my time with the book but nothing made it super memorable. The characters from each world didn't stand out enough against each other so they were easy to mix up. I liked the twist at the start of the book about the main characters real identity. I didn't see it coming and thought it was really well done. I wanted more of that. Had there been more twists through out the book I think it would have added a lot to the book.

There were a lot of different plot lines going on that were all extremely interesting but not super flushed out. I wanted to see more from each of them. This could have benefited from eliminating a couple of the plot lines or being a duology for more time to build out the plots.

What the book did a great job at was showing the differences in the treatment of classes, races, and poor vs the rich. How the slightest different in circumstances can change the entire future of a persons life. The metaphor of the worlds and two different cities was extremely well done,

A unique take on the multiverse! The author did exceptionally well at world-building and this stand alone book may have been better set as a trilogy where she could have had some time to pace things more satisfactorily. However, it was still a great read and a fun adventure.

The Space Between Worlds follows Cara, who out of the 380 worlds that Earth Zero can resonate with, she is alive on only 8. Cara works for a company that specializes in gathering intel about these universes. However, when one of her counterparts is murdered under mysterious circumstances, secrets about herself and the multiverse are revealed that may change the course of her destiny. This is a story about a black bisexual woman, fighting for survival, and falling in love with her female co-worker. I don't think you'll want to miss out on this one.

In this world, queer is normal. People love who they love, and are who they are. There is some mention of people who can't deal with that, but they are a minority. There are many varieties of relationships and at least one non-binary character, but none of it is highlighted or picked at, it just exists as part of life. I found it very refreshing to see a world where everything is accepted, everything is normal, and the story goes on.
Honestly, my first thought after finishing the book was "I need more Cara and Dell content STAT" but I was also super satisfied with how this book ended should it remain a standalone. However, I felt that this book handled it's multiverse very well and it was explained in a clear and concise way that made it easy to follow along with. I loved Micaiah Johnson's writing. There's just something about it that's so poetic and yet grounded in the harsh reality that her story takes place in that makes me scream with amazement.

Cara is one of a dwindling number of traversers. She can travel through the multiverse, but only to worlds where another version of herself no longer exists. Her other selves seem uncannily apt to die, so Cara is able to visit 372 other Earths where her counterparts are no longer living.

She comes from poverty and an unfavored area, and she lives in uncertain status, without citizenship or security aside from her employment for the mysterious, greedy Eldridge Institute. She collects off-world data, the purpose of which has never been of interest to her--she's more focused on tracking the shadows of her other existences, piecing together the lives of her counterparts, and keeping a journal of all that was and might have been.

But when one of Cara's eight remaining selves mysteriously dies while she is world walking, shocking secrets are revealed that connect various worlds and shake Cara to her core. She must cobble together the various bits of knowledge and savviness she's gained through tracing the steps of her many other selves if she's going to stand any chance of outsmarting the canny and intelligent Adam Bosch--a man who will otherwise almost certainly be the source of her undoing.

I could become the thing I'd always feared, and then I might never be afraid of anything again.
This was a fascinating story that offered satisfying character depth and various permutations of Cara herself, her family members, loves, nightmarish enemies, and best friends. Johnson's explorations of the complicated intersections of class, wealth and poverty, control of valuable resources, and disparate levels of freedom throughout the multiverse are haunting. Cara lives through tantalizing explorations of her alternate lives--and the shape of each is dramatically affected by her own various small and large decisions, others' choices, and chance.

I was intrigued by the layers Johnson built into the story. In some worlds, Cara recognizes common characteristics in those she loves or fears; she sometimes barely recognizes the same people in other worlds; and she always mentally logs the various factors that allowed beauty or cruelty or desperation or joy to take root. There's a postapocalyptic feel to the story, with turf wars, corruption, mercenary "runners" who shake down travelers, and gritty survivors.

Cara isn't superhuman; she's imperfect, sometimes selfish, tough, and occasionally she's wonderfully vulnerable. I loved her as an unlikely heroine, and I loved that it wasn't too easy for her to attempt to address complex issues within the multiverse.

The middle of the story dragged a little bit for me, but generally I was hooked and ready for whatever Johnson was serving up. Side note: I'd like for this story to also become a movie, thank you very much.

I received an advance digital copy of this book courtesy of Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley.

I’m not a huge fan of the multi-verses, but I thought this book offered a decent premise. Cara can travel to any of the 380 multiverses as long as she is not living in those worlds. She can travel to 372 worlds. Her doppelgänger is only alive in 8 worlds. Her situation on the majority of the worlds is such that she lives in poverty and usually doesn’t survive childhood.

This makes her an excellent candidate on Zero world, the only world where multiverse travel was invented.

This story was ok. I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it. I just didn’t bond with Cara. If you like multiverse stories, you may enjoy this dystopian sci-fi more than I did.

*Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ebook.*

Cara travels the Multiverse. There are 380 Earths that have been identified....and multiverse travelers can go to any of them. There is just one rule -- a person can only travel to versions of Earth where that version of themselves has already died. Cara can travel pretty widely....as she has died on 372 of the Multiverse versions of Earth. But the death of one of those 8 surviving versions of Cara will lead her to discover a secret....something that was never supposed to be revealed.

I enjoyed this story! The concept of a Multiverse is interesting to me in itself....and the plot kept me engaged in this story from start to finish. The author does a good job of world-building and character development. The plot moved along at a good speed. I was definitely never bored! After I finished reading, I ended up down a rabbit hole of Multiverse videos on Youtube. It definitely opens up a whole category of What-Ifs!

I read a review copy and also listened to the audio book from my local library when the book released. Narrated by Nicole Lewis, the audio is just shy of 12 hours long. Lewis reads at a steady pace and has a pleasant voice. She does a good job of voice acting. Very entertaining listening experience!

This is the first book by Micaiah Johnson that I've read. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by her!

**I voluntarily read a review copy (and listened to the audio book) of this book from Random House/Ballentine. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

I picked this up and was immediately hooked -- I read it practically in one sitting! It is unpredictable and unsettling in the best ways

I'm not really a sci-fi fan, so I don't think it is fair for me to review this book and give it any merit. I requested it because I keep hoping that I will start to love sci-fi, but it just hasn't happened yet. My friends read it and loved it, so I am basing my star-rating on their response to the book.

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson is a science fiction fantasy that does have a touch of romance. This is another science fiction fantasy that deals with the idea of the multiverse and I’m beginning to wonder if these just aren’t for me after not having much luck with them.

In the world of this book people are able to travel between the multiverses in their 380 different worlds. However, no one can travel to a world where their own self is still living or that means death. Cara is now able to travel to 372 of the worlds available with only eight of her left. When one of her eight remaining dopplegangers dies Cara finds herself in danger.

I think for me my biggest problem with The Space Between Worlds was that I would find myself just waiting for more science fiction or techy type of stuff to actually happen in the story as it felt more about the politics of the world. This one is also supposed to be an adult read but I had to keep reminding myself of that because the character felt more like a teenager in young adult. So really when done I think this just deserved way more world/character building to give a reader the right mindset for the story.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I had several false starts with this one and eventually decided to DNF. But it kept calling me to read it. Turns out, right now is precisely the moment in time that needed to read it. And I'm so glad I did.

It is filled with beautiful heartfelt writing. Absolutely fell in love with this story.

A big thanks to the author, publisher, and netgalley for a copy of the ARC.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. This was an excellent sci firm story, though the plot has been done many times before I really enjoyed the authors style.

Multiverse travel is now possible, but you can only travel to worlds where your parallel self is dead. This gives people born into bad conditions where survival is unlikely a unique, if limited, value to the Elbridge Institute in walled and wealthy Wiley City.

Cara is one of those outliers, plucked from poverty and danger in the wastelands, to work as a "traverser," bringing back data from the scientists from many of the worlds where her parallel self died. She works with Dell, her Watcher, temptingly attractive yet aloof and withdrawn, a woman of old money in Wiley City.

Everything is going smoothly, and Cara has a nice apartment and a good income, and makes regular visits to her family in the wasteland settlement of Ashtown. Then another of Cara's parallel selves dies. Cara has a new world to visit, and events start to threaten Cara's dangerous secret.

It also leads to Cara discovering the dangerous secret of the seemingly kindly scientist and Elbridge CEO who invented the world-crossing technology.

I started reading this book with some real skepticism, as it superficially seemed like yet another dystopia, a part of the sff genre that I really do not love. It does take place on a blighted Earth, where developed, technologically advanced civilization exists only in walled cities. There's trade between the cities and their outlying slums in the wasteland, including a sort of edgy tourism by the well-off city people to the safer parts of the slums arts and crafts can be purchased.

We only see Wiley City and its Ashtown slum, but there are other cities and other slums, and other inhabited, if struggling, areas. One of these people is one of Cara's mentors, Jean Sanogo, from the Ivory Coast, survivor of a time as a child soldier before he was found and identified someone who had enough parallel selves dead that he was a good candidate for one of the first traversers. This is a climatologically blighted world, with more damage done by wars caused by the climate change, but the wars now seem to be over, and it's all about living as well as possible in the blight.

One way of doing that is to import raw materials from parallel worlds, similar enough that the world-crossing technology can reach them, but with enough accessible resources to be worth stealing.

The plot-based conflicts are interesting, if sometimes thin. The characters become interesting and compelling, both in meeting alternate versions of some, and in the development the versions we get to know best experience. Jean and his family are more than just a warm, family group with a love of good cooking, though that's an important part of them. Cara learns, develops, changes, makes major choices along the way from a young woman who just wants to remain gainfully employed long enough to earn citizenship in Wiley City, to a woman who wants to make the world better, and is willing to make real sacrifices for her family. Other characters also reveal themselves in interesting ways. Overall, far more satisfying and enjoyable than I originally anticipated.

Recommended.

I received this book from NetGalley via the 2021 Hugo Voters Packet, and am reviewing it voluntarily.

I love stories based in a multiverse, and really enjoyed the approach this novel takes. Great, memorable characters and a gripping setup kept me reading until the end.