pretty good and well-written book with some strong themes of multiversal scifi. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

The Singular Life of Aria Patel – Samira Ahmed
Samira Ahmed delivers a mesmerizing story about fate, free will, and the weight of expectations. Aria Patel is a protagonist who feels both deeply relatable and refreshingly unique as she navigates the complexities of family, love, and self-discovery. The novel seamlessly blends emotional depth with moments of humor, making for an engrossing read that lingers in the mind long after the final page. Ahmed’s storytelling is as sharp as ever, making this a must-read for fans of contemporary fiction with a touch of magic.

Brush up on your quantum mechanics! As a fan of science fiction, I enjoyed bouncing around the multiverse along with Aria Patel. Although, some of the opening chapters were particularly disorienting, I know that this was an intentional move on the part of the author. The reader is in for a dizzying journey. However, the most poignant moments in this young adult novel were the moments where we were allowed to settle into the narrative. Although it took me awhile to settle in, I eventually found myself rooting for Aria (and Rohan) in every universe!

The singular life of Aria Patel

This book is a science fiction book which would be very suitable for a young teen or young adult. The story begins with a typical high school day for our protagonist, Aria Patel. Aria is a senior in high school. She lost her father at a very young age and lives with her mother. She has two best friends and recently broke up with her boyfriend. She is given a peculiar poem to analyze for physics class and upon reading this poem, Aria is transported to another life in the multiverse. In each universe, she encounters many of her real life friends but they are all slightly different than the people from her main life. Each universe is different and unique. Some are silly, some are more advanced than her current universe but one in particular is a very comfortable life with a loving family, friends and a love interest. She continues to struggle to get back to her original universe but finds she is getting more and more absorbed in this current universe.
At this point the story gets repetitive. Sometimes I struggled to understand the quantum physics that was thrown at us as Aria tried to figure out how to return to her original life but since we really can’t travel through multiple universes, it wasn’t worth understanding so I started skimming those paragraphs.
Then the end, the last 10 pages add a twist to the whole story. A twist that I think should have come much sooner. There were much more interesting storylines to mine from this twist which would have relieved the monotony of the poem and constant headache descriptions.
So overall a nice story if you can get through some of the boring chapters.

A trip across the multiverse! When teenage Aria falls from one lifeline into a different one, she isn't sure what happened. Everything seems the same, but slightly different. Aria struggles to get back to her own timeline/universe in this book, hoping to get back to her mom and her own life. Interesting concept. I wasn't sure about the physics involved at times, but the story line was a good one.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
The Singular Life of Aria Patel by Samira Ahmed is a captivating and heartfelt coming-of-age story. Aria Patel is a young woman navigating the complexities of family, identity, and love while trying to find her place in the world. Ahmed beautifully weaves themes of culture, belonging, and self-acceptance into a compelling narrative. The characters are relatable and well-developed, making it easy for readers to connect with Aria’s journey. Overall, it’s a thoughtful and engaging novel that explores the challenges and triumphs of growing up and finding one’s voice.