This uses the multiple worlds perfectly and was engaged with the story going on with this. The characters had that element that I wanted and was hooked from the first page and enjoyed getting to go on this adventure with them. Christopher Hawkins has a strong writing style and had that element that I was looking for in this type of genre. It had that thriller element that I wanted and was glad I read this.

Thank you Christopher Hawkins, Netgalley and Coronis Publishing for this free ARC in exchange for a review.

I really enjoyed this psychological and multiple universes thriller for it's engaging story-line and good characterization.

Another fantastic effort from Hawkins about a woman named Trina who keeps creating new worlds every time she wakes up. These "Turnings" have no explanation and Trina travels along each world trying to put a stop to the changes. She meets various characters along the way who are either trying to help her or stop her in her efforts. Just when it seemed like the book was losing its way, Hawkins brought everything home in a gradual, eye-opening way, revealing just how inventive his story really was. I am duly impressed. Hawkins has become a go-to author, and I look forward to each new effort. If you haven't read anything by him yet, start with his short story collection Suburban Nightmares and go from there. You won't be disappointed. 4.5 stars. Highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed "Downpour" so I was eager to give this new novel a go. The Sci Fi elements were impressive and there was plenty of mystery and suspense. The world changing was interesting in itself, but as the story moved forward, it became more and more evident that there was not a simple reason for the changes, but something deeper, with an emotional impact for the main character and the reader alike.

It was easy to like the main character and have empathy for her and the author created just the right amount of importance to side characters, considering their respective roles in the story as a whole.

If you love Sci Fi but need something with heart and soul, this is for you.

4.5/5⭐, rounded up

A scifi novel with elements of horror… or a grief-horror novel with scifi elements… regardless of how you look at it, this story grabs you right from the start with its mystery, pulling you in with the wild action and terrifying shadow creatures, and keeps you grounded with its emotional foundation of regret and grief.

It's a wild story of a woman skipping through a chaotic and unnerving multiverse existence without any knowledge of why or how to make it stop. Every time Trina Bell wakes up something is different, but she is always the same. As she is involuntarily pulled through the Turnings of reality, the dissolution of order begins to accelerate, and her attempt to decipher the meaning of her circumstances becomes desperate. She is haunted by images she can’t piece together, flashes of maybe memories that she doesn’t trust to be real… because everything can be taken away in the space of a couple of heartbeats…

“…memory isn’t a permanent thing, like you’re taking it out of a box and looking at it and putting it back just like you found it. Every time we remember something, it’s like we’re putting it back together again. Sometimes we add things.”


Hawkins manages to create an unnerving world that pulls you into the urgency, futility, and frustration of Trina, as she tries to make a difference, knowing that it will all be different somehow but without any idea of just what those differences will look like for her. Underlying this harrowing existence she’s carrying an unidentifiable grief that she’s unable to place in her memories. As things spiral further into chaos and destruction she’s forced to confront what haunts her very existence as the world literally falls apart around her.

Thank you Christopher Hawkins, Netgalley and Coronis Publishing for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.

I went through three distinct phases while reading this story. I loved it, I didn't like it, and I loved it again. I thought the concept was great, and it was presented well. I bought the story immediately, and was invested right away. Then the middle third arrived, and I was less than thrilled. No real reason, I just was a little restless. By the last part, things kicked in again and I was back into it again.

This is the second book I've read from the author -- I've quite enjoyed both of them.

I'd like to thank the author for making this available to me to review.

4.5/5 Rounded down.

I had the opportunity to ARC read Christopher Hawkins book Downpour and I loved it, so when I saw that he had another out on Netgalley I jumped at the opportunity.

I can honestly say I am so glad that I did.

Where Downpour leans heavily towards horror and suspense, I Contain Multitudes leans into science fiction.

This one wastes no time getting into the thick of it. Normally, I prefer a bit of a back story, but the synopsis really does an excellent job of getting you started. The book jumps right into the fray and although it's jarring at first it really helps put you in the shoes of our protagonist, Trina Bell, as she is thrown into these alternate worlds over and over again completely helpless to it.

I really think I love this so much because it reminds me of the Zack Snyder film, Sucker Punch and I won't go into any more detail as to why because honestly, it could give too much away.

The only other thing I want to talk about is the title. I Contain Multitudes although has a literal meaning in the way to jumping through multiple universes, once you read the full book it has such a deeper and more emotional meaning, and I love that.

Thank you to @netgalley and @hawkinswrites for the ARC of "I Contain Multitudes".

Hunted through an ever-shifting patchwork of worlds, one woman must rediscover her own past to restore reality before it's too late.

This has to be one of the most unique stories that I have read in recent memory. FMC Trina is trapped in an endlessly shifting reality where she is stalked by mysterious figures.
Her reality shifts from a desert wasteland to steampunk Victorian city, where she's the only one that knows what is going on.
Think something like Quantum Leap mixed with creatures from Stranger Things.
I don't want to give any spoilers, but there were a few parts where I audibly gasped.
All I can say is go and get this book.

I don't read a lot of science fiction, as I prefer it on the big or small screen. But this book appealed to me, as a woman seems to traverse different worlds/dimensions. Each one is unique and interesting and begs to be explored further, and yet she's on the run and can't stay too long in one spot. And the tension builds as does my wonder at what direction we're really headed. Not many books surprise me anymore, but this one got me pretty good, with an ending I only grasped near the end. Great characters, action and heart. Highly recommend!

Wonderful book that jumps semi-genres without being too obvious. The plot twist was well designed and the characters were compelling and interesting. Really enjoyed this novel and recommend it to all.

This was another really enthralling read from Christopher Hawkins, an author who has proven he knows how to bring the action to multiple genres. I had previously devoured Hawkins' nature-horror book, Downpour, and was very excited to read his next book seeing as it was branching into another one of my favorite genres, sci-fi. Hawkins' does not disappoint!

This is a very quick, delightful read about Trina Bell- a woman whose world changes around her each day and who has never had an interaction with someone who remembered her. The changing of worlds daily was the most fascinating element of this book today. We are introduced to one world early on where Trina wakes up in a hotel room and finds money she does not even understand. What starts as small changes in a mostly-recognizable world turn into big changes as each day goes by. Early on in the book, Trina meets and older man who DOES remember her and their interaction, even though her world shifted mid-conversation. This is really where the action takes off and Trina finally has an ally to help her sort out what exactly is happening to her and how to fix it.

There are some twists and turns, including a truly mean yet confused antagonist and an ending I did not at all expect. The only complain I had about this book was that I wanted more depth- more about each character, and more about the ending. This was such a complex novel that it could have easily been double the length and just as enthralling, but perhaps at the expense of Hawkins' addictive, break-neck pace. Because of this, I would give in 4.5 stars and I am rounding up to 5 stars. I would recommend this book for lovers of Dark Matter by Blake Crouch or The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the ARC! This is definitely a book that sci-fi readers should get when it comes out on April 30th of 2025!

Writing a novel that is set in a multiverse is not easy but Hawkins manages this very nicely. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to other fans of sci-fi. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

Wow! What a way to start off my 2025 reading adventure. I absolutely loved this mind-bending sci-fi thriller and was totally immersed in the story from the very first page.

Synopsis:

Trina is experiencing the Turning and never wakes up in the same world twice. No one remembers her and in each world, she faces new dangers. She meets a librarian named Colin and is shocked when he remembers their conversation after a Turning. Trina is hopeful that maybe he is the key to figuring out what is happening and how she can get back to her own reality. An encounter with a cruel doctor leads Trina to believe that she might be the cause of all this madness and she starts to question herself. Trina must look deep inside herself to find the courage to move forward before she is lost in the multiverse.

My Thoughts:

Everything about this book is phenomenal: the writing, the narrative and the characters. Christopher Hawkins's writing flows from the pages and creates such a deep atmosphere for the story. The worlds created in this book are imaginative and unlike anything I have ever read before. I felt so many emotions while reading this book. I was anxious, claustrophobic (especially in the water scenes), infuriated, heartbroken and delighted. I cried while reading the last five chapters. With 50 pages left, I found myself reading slower and slower both to absorb every word but also because I didn't want to leave Trina.

You absolutely need to read this book!