Review: In a World Just Right by Jen Brook

In a World Just Right by Jen Brook

Imagination takes on new meaning for a uniquely talented teen in this debut novel that is a breathtaking blend of contemporary, fantasy, and romance.
Sometimes Jonathan Aubrey wishes he could just disappear. And as luck—or fate—would have it, he can. Ever since coming out of a coma as a kid, he has been able to create alternate worlds. Worlds where he is a superhero, or a ladies’ man, or simply a better version of himself. That’s the world he’s been escaping to most since sophomore year, a world where he has everything he doesn’t have in real life: friends, a place of honor on the track team, passing grades, and most importantly, Kylie Simms as his girlfriend.
But when Jonathan confuses his worlds senior year and tries to kiss the real Kylie Simms, everything unravels. The real Kylie actually notices Jonathan…and begins obsessing over him. The fantasy version of Kylie struggles to love Jonathan as she was created to do, and the consequences are disastrous. As his worlds collide, Jonathan must confront the truth of his power and figure out where he actually belongs—before he loses both Kylies forever.

Publishes in US: April 28, 2015
Genre: ya scifi alternate universes
Source: Simon Teen Pulse via edelweiss
Series? no?

Buy it:       

Author stalk away: ~site     

 

    I wanted to read In a World Just Right because I like the premise of the alternate universes. Turns out there is the emotional aspect with a good portion of his family deceased in the accident that left him in a coma as a kid. When he woke up, that is when his ability to make the other worlds emerged. His current world that he visits is based on Kylie, the girl he has a crush on and it soon turns out that that world and the real world gets confused.

    I like Jonathan. It is nice these days to get a male point of view in a book where it isn't a couple and their dual narrative. He is very self conscious of his scars, especially the big on on his face, and he feels invisible at school in the real world. It was a bit confusing for me--if he disappears from the real world when he is in his Kylie is my girlfriend world. If not, how the two works together, especially at school, where he is in most of the same, but not all classes, and in Kylie girlfriend he takes sports with her. 

    It is interesting to see where he prefers his made up world and then the things that make him feel like the Kylie girlfriend world is inconsequential, that why does it matter if it isn't the real world. And then a mystery girl that he feels like he knows but can't figure out how makes him question even more the lines of reality. 

    I like that there was some connection before his accident with Kylie, some reason for him to have a crush on her. Enough to make a whole alternate universe where they are a happy couple. 

    I liked the broad interests- from running track, to poetry that also has connections from the real world into his alternate one. 

       After the slightly confusing beginning and then getting a handle on exactly how this universe of world creating and parallel worlds--thought that I had a good handle on the story. but Jonathan's and Kylie story ended up taking a twist that I never saw coming and then after that twist resolved itself it was another huge one that I didn't even think to be a possible conclusion to the story

    So all in all even though there were some definite weird part and a few things that I didn't understand even at the end of the story I was really surprised and happy with the new spin that this premise took.

     I really enjoyed what Jonathan learned about himself and others through the exploration of the different worlds. although he was an unspeakable tragedy and lost a lot of his family he took the self pity and feeling invisible to a new level.

    He also learned a lot about life and even though he has some issues with school he still had hopes and dreams for something bigger for himself and he was pretty devastated when he thought that he messed that up

    Well a lot of the story does revolve around the romance between him and Kylie elect at the end took on an even bigger meaning and show that there was something more in this world then Jonathan Kylie and his grief.

    The title of the story also played into a lot of the messages of this book. feeling that happiness was going to simple as creating someone to love you or manipulating his world to give him what he thought was happiness. he could keep opening and closing world are changing the parameters all he wanted to try to make quote unquote a world just right. Rather he learned that you have to make the best from what life has given you and always look out that you might be able to help and encourage someone else.

   I loved how he put things he learned about himself and through others to make an ending that fits just right. I never saw the sacrifice coming, but I appreciated it so much.

Bottom Line: Interesting take on the boy who survived, and his ability to make alternate worlds.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
What would you base an alternate world based on?