A deep and moving multiverse story that left me fulfilled. This was a book where I truly did not know what was going to happen next, and I loved how one story bled into another, taking minor elements from the previous and spinning them in new ways. This book felt like a painting that you find something new in every time you look at it. It felt a bit too surreal at some points, and the prose itself was a bit confusing, but overall I enjoyed the ride.

Lovely, unique, and so tender, I really enjoyed this one. I have to admit, I know next to nothing about physics and other worlds, the science and wonder played with here, but it didn´t detract at all from my pleasure in reading this original and compelling debut. It´s a tough book to summarize without spoiling, but I think the longing here, the guilt and the obsession, the questions we ask ourselves and the ways our memory protects and betrays us, it hits deeper than any specific plot summary. I´m impressed by the way this book approaches queerness, and especially community and community care, what we ask and provide for one another, what it might look like in a life different but eerily similar to our own. I feel like I can recommend this book best based on other books that I feel accomplish a similar vibe, an experience while reading: Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield and I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Mac Crane come to mind right away, as does ofc the movie Everywhere All At Once. Really moving and lovely.

don’t have much to say beyond this is very cool and creative and confusing and i enjoyed it a lot.

thank you to harper and netgalley for the arc!

I finished this book a couple of days ago and had to let it sit with me before collecting my thoughts for a few days before writing a review. If I had reviewed it right away, I feel my star rating would have been lower, and I’ll even say not that fair. The writing in this book is beautiful. The stories that have been woven together are engaging. Some are relatable and some are not. And that’s truly part of this book’s allure.

This was a strange and weird book, but deliciously so. If I’m forced to categorize it, I’d call it science fiction. It actually opened my mind to thinking in some ways that I really never have before. I loved how the book wove quantum physics and philosophy together from the early pages. Each chapter actually unfolded like its own short story, but they all worked in concert with each other, which I found quite enjoyable. I’m a non-scientist who enjoys high-level content on dark matter, quantum physics and how the universe works. This book certainly doesn’t offer any answers on the topics (I’m sure that wasn’t the intent, either!), but it gave me some interesting things to think about. That’s really a positive thing, a book that keeps you thinking, not just remembering or reminiscing days after you’ve read it.

This book follows the main Character Raffi through the multiverse where the characters in her life largely remain the same, but Raffi’s relationships with them are different. Raffi is referred to as she in some universes and they in others. Raffi has an academic scientific career in some universes, but is an artist in others. Raffi always seems to learn something different, valuable but related in each setting they find themself in.

It is difficult for me to summarize the plot of this novel, because it does not follow one of the classic formulas like a tragedy or rags-to-riches, but the story moves and it just works. Some of the chapters focus on the pain and challenges of “regular” adulthood (finding oneselves purpose, relationships, etc.) and some chapters are pure science fiction (not adding any spoilers here - just read it and enjoy!)

One interesting note is that the dedication of this book struck out to me as I read it at the very beginning. Then I read it again after I finished. This quote still sits with me. “For anyone who has chased genius because they thought happiness wasn’t made for them.” This really sums up Raffi.

Thanks to Netgalley, Emet North and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read the e-version of this book before release for an honest review in return!

The novel is a fractured mirror reflecting the same cast of characters over and over again in increasingly bizarre and poetic timelines, following them as they transcend gender & sexuality in a journey of love, self-discovery, and grief. While I found the themes to be poignant, the prose & plot were heavily abstracted and often veered the story from meaningful and into college writing seminar. I enjoyed most the timelines that were least metaphorical and most grounded in reality, exploring different ways in which Raffi, Britt, Graham, and Alice meet and or don't meet or reconnect in unexpected ways. If the stories had lingered more in these grounded sections perhaps characters and concepts wouldn't have felt so woefully unfinished - I found myself dying for details on Raffi relationship with her Jewish mother or immigrant grandmother and caring far less to peel away layers of unsubtle metaphor as we were pulled further and further from reality. Maybe the first and last time you will hear me say a book should really have taken more of the "speculative" out of "speculative fiction".

Emet North's In Universes is a novel that captivates readers with the boundless possibilities of life and existence. North masterfully brings this to life through the main character, Raffi, whom we follow as the universe around them shifts, transforming their relationships with other characters from enemies to friends to lovers in each chapter.

Multiverse stories often disappoint me, as they rarely utilize their full potential. However, under the guidance of a skilled author, they can transform into some of the most captivating works. This holds true for North's debut. In Universes ignites a thought-provoking exploration of the common question, "How would my life be if x, y, or z had been different?” The literary quality of the novel makes it a delightful read. Each chapter stands as a unique short story, tracking Raffi through various life stages, from childhood to adulthood. With each tale, Raffi's connections to a consistent cast of characters shift, reflecting the dynamics of the universe they inhabit in that particular chapter. Add to this North's beautiful and often innovative writing style, and you have a narrative that, in just 250 pages, explores themes of mental health, identity, and emotions such as regret and hope more profoundly than many longer works that are twice its size.

In summary, if I were to describe this book in a single sentence, it would be: "In Universes is an experience." It's unique, innovative, empathetic, and oh so beautifully expressed, earning it a star from every universe where I've had the pleasure of experiencing it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper for the advanced reader’s copy of this book!

I went into this book with a completely different idea than how the plot went. But I was pleasantly surprised by it! If you loved “Everything, Everywhere, All At Once” you are going to love this book!

Seeing the wide array of worlds/multiverses for the cast of characters to live in was amazing. The writing is phenomenal! It took me a few chapters to really get into the story/stories, but once I understood the author’s style, I was captivated.

This is very unlike most books I read. I wanted to read it due merely to the dark matter and multiverse plot in the description. But I’m very glad I was able to step out of my comfort zone.

I am still thinking about some of the chapters and stories days later. Definitely recommended to any readers that enjoy character driven stories with a hint of queer romance, sci-fi, and sand building.

Absolutely incredible! Like if In The Dream House and Everything Everywhere All At Once merged into one, then an additional level of surrealism I couldn't get enough of. Going to be thinking about this one for awhile.

this is one of the most inventive and beautiful books I've ever read!!! I just finished it an hour ago and already know I'll be thinking about it for a long long time. stories about the multiverse are intimidating, and I often worry that a writer won't know how to make it make sense to a tiny lil brain like mine. but emet north absolutely nailed it and I'm just genuinely taken aback by what a beautiful and complex book they've written.

I loved the way this book dived deep into trauma, mental health, queerness, identity and the sacred uniqueness of our realities as we know them. I loved the way it felt almost like a collection of short stories - each chapter so creative and fully capable of standing as it's own story - all with overlapping characters and details and themes that are constantly tying and tangling beautifully. north has an incredibly gorgeous writing style and there were so many gutting lines I wanted to underline but to do so I would've to underline the whole page before and the whole page after just to catch the full beauty of what they were saying.

so! consider me a fan!!! I could go on but I'll just say that this book really rocked my world and I can't wait to recommend it to everyone

thanks netgalley and harper for the e-arc! <3

This is a novel of multitudes! The Universes is plural because in this beautiful novel you will meet Raffi in a variety of scenarios where she interacts with several characters but in many, many different ways. As we meet Raffi as a young girl, a teenager and an adult, Britt, Graham and Kay reappear as friends, enemies and lovers and we travel with her through the universes as she discovers what is truly important.

North has created a masterpiece for anyone who wonders what life could be in another time or place. Sliding Doors, Michael Cunningham and many other favorites come to mind and I highly recommend this beautiful work.
#harper #inuniverses #emetnorth

Parts I and II were about 3.5 stars; Part III (and especially the last chapter) made it 4 stars.

I enjoyed this, though it wasn’t quite what I expected. I thought this book would be literary sci-fi, like SEA OF TRANQUILITY by Emily St. John Mandel, or HOW HIGH WE GO IN THE DARK by Sequoia Nagamatsu. But most of it reads like contemporary literary fiction that just barely has a speculative premise on a technicality. There are a few chapters with a magical realism feel, and one chapter with an alien invasion, but a lot of the chapters are basically just realistic fiction. Luckily, I like realistic fiction, but this was more realistic-adjacent than the marketing (the cover, the title, the comps) implied. That said, Carmen Maria Machado comp feels reasonably accurate.

The book is somewhere between a novel and a short story collection. Much of the book feels lacking in plot and direction—I enjoyed each chapter/story individually, but for a while they didn’t really seem to add up to anything when put together. But the setup pays off eventually. The last chapter made me feel like the book was sticking the landing, but the last scene was a bit of a wobble: it wasn’t entirely narratively satisfying, because it didn’t feel like the main character had a truly meaningful choice to make (for spoilery reasons). But, overall, the last chapter was beautiful and made me cry.

The sentence-level prose is good, and the book has a lovely dreamlike quality. It feels a bit like a Charlie Kaufman film.

I would recommend this book for character-driven readers of slice-of-life literary fiction (who are okay with their fiction getting weird sometimes). I would not recommend it for plot-driven readers or for readers who only like sci-fi.

I wish I could read this book again for the first time. That is my highest praise for a book. I will start with that.

Raffi and a handful of their friends and family are presented in different versions of how life might have turned out. While most are rearrangements of the world we know, there are a few with interesting variations like an octopus living under one's skin. But the interesting thing about this book is not the worlds, but the different ways that Raffi and friends interact, swapping roles of friend, lover, mentor. And through it all is this lingering struggle of Raffi to find their way. Featuring queer characters, a few personal ghosts, and suicidal ideation, this book is touching, perhaps even heart wrenching at times. I loved this book. I'm so glad it exists in the world.

I'm sure many will be thrilled with this story. It was OK for me, but I may not be the right audience for this. I can see the talent and I enjoyed aspects of this one.

I really appreciate the free copy for review!!

"But the truth is that time is neither a river nor an arrow. It is a dimension, and our lives stretch across it, each of us a four-dimensional shape, taking up some small space in the universe. All moments existing at once and forever."

The poetic exploration of kaleidoscopic parallel universes in this book makes it hard for the literal reader to weave a single thread through the plot. You are not meant to read this story, you're meant to fall into the worlds the author puts together and follow the journey with your heart.

"I loved him like my left hand, without which it would be difficult to tie my shoes or chop an onion. But I would still be able to make circles around stars. The days I woke to find myself weightless"

There's so much beauty, so much grief, so much joy, so much self-exploration in this story. Just when you think you know what's going on, things shift. New openings, new perspectives, and new unknowns welcome you.

"It doesn’t take so much to make a life. A small group of kind people. Work that leaves a body tired enough for sleep. A little house with a bed and a chair. Food grown in the fields or gardens. Letters I write to the people I love, even knowing I can’t send them."

I loved following Raffi's journey, I loved the writing, I loved the journey that the book took me on.

with gratitude to Harper and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Not fully sold on this one. I think I see what the author is trying to do, but there is too much disconnect in the middle chapters for it to hold together and make sense to me. Novels in the style frequently leave pieces unexplained and to the reader’s implication, but this one leaves too much, feels too disconnected.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for the early copy of this absolutely mindblowing book!

There are some books and some writers that are so awe-inspiring and achingly beautiful that they widen your universe, they push on the edges of your reality, and create space for something new. Emet North and IN UNIVERSES did more than just expand my one singular life and universe, this book, like the world inside of it, made my own universe feel vast and multitudinous. North's skill with prose rearranged everything inside of me, I don't know a better modern writer. These universes, these characters, and these worlds will impress upon me for a long long time.

This book is perfect for fans of queer and human-soaked fiction with whispers of sci-fi, like Emily St. John Mandel, Ted Chiang, or Carmen Maria Machado.

I can't wait to make every single person I know read this book. I can't wait to read this book again. I can't wait to follow the inevitable rocket that will be North's literary career.

wildly queer, wildly weird, and a simply gorgeous adventure throughout space and time, and universes of all kinds. thanks for the arc.

This was good. Very good. In fact, there’s a very good chance this book is brilliant. It’s certainly one of the best I’ve read in some time. One of those books that awes you as a reader and humbles you as a writer.
Everything about it, from the cleverly constructed many-worlds narrative to the language itself is a thing of singular beauty.
Quantum physics and personal connections are the two constant and equally unfathomable factors that the protagonist of this novel wrestles with, from page to page, from world to world. And it is a journey well worth taking.
Emotionally evocative, gut-wrenchingly real, wildly imaginative, vividly rendered, terribly romantic even … in what universe would you not want to read it?
Well done, Emet North! Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

This is an evocative elegy, pondering how hope and regret are two sides of a mobius strip that stretches across realities. The writing is both tender and devastating, drawing you in time and again. Every chapter is a slight step sideways, the characters always the same and yet different across these multiverses, and through these multi-faceted mirrors there are some clear pictures of character that develop.

With that said, I don’t know what I expected, but by the end I was still a little underwhelmed. There is no plot, there are just over-arching motifs that are repeated and riffed upon. The reason this kind of emotional wandering did not work for me is because, while the reader understands we are glimpsing these different realities, just one choice away from one another, the characters are all isolated. There is no character journey from the beginning to the end. Every chapter feels like the sketch of a different story, like any one of them could be expanded out into something else, and the reader, a voyeur across realities, can draw connections but the characters aren’t afforded that same grace. I really wanted something connecting every chapter, every story, more than just vibes. I wanted growth and realization and heartbreak and apotheosis to happen within the worlds of the story.

Each chapter, each permutation, was creative and interesting. They did add to one another to give a more robust whole than the individual parts. And as I mentioned at the outset, the writing is wonderful—delicate and alluring, with a little bit of ethereality that still packs an emotional punch. I enjoyed this story, and there is a lot to meditate on here. Those who are less attached to plot and enjoy a good dream/vibes story will definitely find a lot to bask in, here, because it has a lot of ideas and is pleasant to read. For me I really wanted something a little more, something to connect everything together on a narrative level, and that is what my rating reflects, but depending on your reading style your mileage will definitely vary.

I want to thank the author, the publisher Harper, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I think there's something beautiful, enchanting and sad about the complicity of "not understanting the universe together". WOW. So much more than I expecting. It's like a love letter to sci-fi and time travel, through queer contemporary eyes.

#InUniverses #NetGalley