In The Beginning There Was Us (The Other World Collection #2) - Ashley's Review

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: In The Beginning There Was Us (Other World Collection #2)
Author: Ingrid Jonach
Publication Date: April 28, 2015

My When the World Was Flat (And We Were in Love) Review

Synopsis: What would you do if you were God? If you had the power to not only give life, but take it away in the blink of an eye? These are the questions that plague fifteen-year-old Abbey Baxter after she resurrects a boy, long lost to the ages.

The achingly beautiful and eternally melancholy Cole not only serves as a welcome distraction from her long-time crush, Elwin, but also eases the heartache that persists since the sudden passing of her younger brother, Junior, four years earlier.

As the intrigue of her relationship with Cole deepens, so too does the mystery that surrounds a growing phenomenon sweeping through her small West Virginian town, transforming the lives of its residents. Around her, two bedroom cottages are transforming into mansions without explanation and residents are waking up to bank balances that have tripled overnight, all under the watchful gaze of the sinister American Laboratory for Particle Physics, located on the outskirts of town.

As Abbey searches for answers in a bid to solve the mystery in partnership with Elwin, she’s forced into a realization that that some things are better left buried, including her newfound love, Cole.

This cautionary tale of heartache and obsession explores the endless possibilities of the universe and its devastating impact on two young lovers from different worlds.

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Review: When the World Was Flat (and we were in love) was an incredible book, and when I finished it, I figured that would be it. Everything wrapped up nicely and it was very self-contained, and I was ok with that. But then! I learned that Ingrid was writing a whole collection of books set in the same world, and In The Beginning There Was Us would be the second book. So, of course, I knew I had to read this book ASAP! And I am so, so glad that I did.

In The Beginning There Was Us is completely different from When the World Was Flat - the situations are completely different, the sci-fi aspect is new and unique, and even the romance has a different tone about it. I even felt like this book was darker than its predecessor, and that there was much more going on here that could have huge consequences to the world outside. I did enjoy though that there are similarities between them, including characters, that connected them across this huge universe. 

I really enjoyed how the science aspect was worked into this book. Most people today have at least heard of CERN and their Large Hadron Collider, as well as the existence and hunt for the "God particle," but Ingrid puts her own spin on these real-life things and theories and turns them into something completely unique. In this alternate history, things went wrong with the particle accelerator in Europe, and most of the continent had to be quarantined. Now, Abbey's dad is working on a particle accelerator in the US and might be doing things that are illegal on an international scale. There's not much explanation of the science and the theories until near the end of the book, but I really enjoyed how they were presented and explained. Even though I'm not a physicist, I was able to follow all of it and it at least made sense. 

Aside from the science, Ingrid has this incredible way with words that just makes the characters come to life and the world seem to leap from the pages. I could see all of Abbey's paintings perfectly in my mind, and I could imagine exactly what Cole looks like just from the descriptions of him. I could also feel everything that Abbey was feeling - her excitement, her fear, her apprehension, her sadness, and her loneliness. I often found myself forgetting that Abbey is only fifteen, since she's been through so much in her lifetime that she definitely seemed and acted older. 

At first, I thought that her relationship with Cole would be good for her. He really treats her well and brings her out of her shell. But then things take a turn for the worse, and Abbey can't control him anymore. Or maybe she controls him too much, which makes him resent her. The way their relationship develops and changes over the course of the book was so interesting to follow, and I found myself on the edge of my seat, frantically turning pages just to find out what was going to happen next. Cole is so unpredictable that I also was afraid for Abbey. And the whole time, I was totally rooting for her and Elwin to get together, even though he's several years older and her best friend's brother. But Elwin is incredible! 

I really just loved everything about this book. Even though the ending almost made me scream out loud, because how can you leave things that way?! I kept trying to turn pages, hoping more would appear and set my mind (and heart) at ease, but Ingrid just couldn't let me have that little bit of peace! 

This book is every bit as gorgeous as When the World Was Flat, and if you're looking for a YA sci-fi romance, you should really start reading these books ASAP. You could even start with In The Beginning There Was Us, since you don't need to know anything about the other book to fall into this world, but it's fun to see the things the books have in common. Even if you aren't big on the sci-fi aspect, this book tells the story of an incredible romance with its ups and downs and has complex characters that will stick with you well past the end (talk about a book hangover!). 5/5, for sure.

--Ashley

When the World Was Flat (And We Were in Love) by Ingrid Jonach - Ashley's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: When the World Was Flat (and we were in love)
Author: Ingrid Jonach
Year Published: 2013

My Pre-Reading

Synopsis: Looking back, I wonder if I had an inkling that my life was about to go from ordinary to extraordinary.

When sixteen-year-old Lillie Hart meets the gorgeous and mysterious Tom Windsor-Smith for the first time, it's like fireworks - for her, anyway. Tom looks as if he would be more interested in watching paint dry; as if he is bored by her and by her small Nebraskan town in general.

But as Lillie begins to break down the walls of his seemingly impenetrable exterior, she starts to suspect that he holds the answers to her reoccurring nightmares and to the impossible memories which keep bubbling to the surface of her mind - memories of the two of them, together and in love.

When she at last learns the truth about their connection, Lillie discovers that Tom has been hiding an earth-shattering secret; a secret that is bigger - and much more terrifying and beautiful - than the both of them. She also discovers that once you finally understand that the world is round, there is no way to make it flat again.

An epic and deeply original sci-fi romance, taking inspiration from Albert Einstein's theories and the world-bending wonder of true love itself.

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Review: When I first started reading this book, it seemed like any other contemporary YA romance book out there. Girl is an outcast, has a couple of friends, doesn't get along with the popular girl. Then, she meets the new boy and he changes everything. But that's where the textbook romance ends and the beautiful, imaginative, original sci-fi story takes over. It turns into something unlike anything I've ever read, and had me on the edge of my seat. Yes, the romance is important, but there is so much more to this book than that. 

The first half of this book is a really nice little story with a lot of set up that you don't realize is important until later. I thought it was a little slow at times, and it took me a little bit to actually get into it, but once I got to the second half, I really appreciated it. The way this novel is set up is absolutely genius, and huge props to Jonach for that. To go from something so ordinary and common into heavy science fiction that actually requires thought does not seem like an easy thing to do, but Jonach does it so gracefully that it seems natural and plausible. Some of the science and physics might be a little stretched for the sake of the story, but it honestly didn't bother me. I'm not reading this book for a science lesson. 

Even though I am not at all a physicist, especially not a theoretical physicist, I think Einstein's theories are very interesting and it was really neat to see them employed in this book. Science and love collide to tell a unique story that will stick with you for a while. I really enjoyed how certain things are explained - Lillie's recurring dreams, her memories that aren't hers, the seemingly unexplainable attraction between Tom and her, why her friends are suddenly acting so different, etc - and even though it often seems like a stretch, I thought it was very thoughtful and creative. And speaking of the attraction between Lillie and Tom, the romance reminded me of a roller coaster; it starts slow, picks up speed and barrels downhill, and hits some corkscrews and turns, and is such a thrill ride. 

Lillie isn't always the most likable girl ever, but I'm pretty sure anyone who dreams of her own death every night wouldn't be very pleasant. Sometimes I feel like she's a little too harsh when she talks to and about Sylv, but you can tell she genuinely cares for her and Jo. She's always worrying about Jo and her father, and checking in with her (or trying to) whenever there's something going on. She never wants Sylv to get into trouble, and stands up for her and protects her when she can. Once things start to fall into place she definitely gets better, and I found myself really sympathizing with her. Tom isn't really a pleasant guy either until we find out what his deal is. And then, once you think everything is good and happy, we get thrown more twists and it makes everything that much more complicated. And I kind of loved every minute of it. 

I don't want to spoil any of this book for anyone, because I think it's better if you read it and find things out on your own. I would definitely recommend this for anyone who enjoys hard science fiction, or for someone who is looking for a science fiction romance novel with seriously flawed characters who you can't help but fall in love with. I honestly don't know what to compare this too, because it is so original and hauntingly beautiful and so many other things. Oh, and the metaphor with the title and the world being flat... it's fantastic. There really is no going back once you learn that the world is round. A 5/5! 

--Ashley

When the World Was Flat (and we were in love) by Ingrid Jonach - Ashley's Pre-Reading

*I received this book as an eARC from Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: When the World Was Flat (and we were in love)
Author: Ingrid Jonach
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: Looking back, I wonder if I had an inkling that my life was about to go from ordinary to extraordinary.

When sixteen-year-old Lillie Hart meets the gorgeous and mysterious Tom Windsor-Smith for the first time, it's like fireworks - for her, anyway. Tom looks as if he would be more interested in watching paint dry; as if he is bored by her and by her small Nebraskan town in general.

But as Lillie begins to break down the walls of his seemingly impenetrable exterior, she starts to suspect that he holds the answers to her reoccurring nightmares and to the impossible memories which keep bubbling to the surface of her mind - memories of the two of them, together and in love.

When she at last learns the truth about their connection, Lillie discovers that Tom has been hiding an earth-shattering secret; a secret that is bigger - and much more terrifying and beautiful - than the both of them. She also discovers that once you finally understand that the world is round, there is no way to make it flat again.

An epic and deeply original sci-fi romance, taking inspiration from Albert Einstein's theories and the world-bending wonder of true love itself.

Why?: I love sci-fi books, and I'm really interested how this book is going to take real science and incorporate it with a huge secret and a romance. How do you turn Albert Einstein's theories into a YA novel that catches the attention of the everyday reader? I'm also really interested in the metaphor behind the flat world. I've also heard rave reviews about this book, and I've never been disappointed by a Strange Chemistry title, so there's that too.

Expectations: I expect a pretty heavy read. I don't think it's really possible to water down Einstein's theory of relativity so much that any book about it or containing it could be considered an easy read by any stretch of the imagination. I also expect this book to be heavy on the romance, although I think the science fiction will be the focus. At least I hope it is. Also, huge mysteries and secrets and all of that jazz.

Judging a book by its cover: As simple and minimalistic as this cover is, I kind of really love it. The red against the blue really pops for me, and I love the silver heart key. It doesn't give too much away, and it's not a standard "girl with pretty colors" cover that you see nowadays. I would be really likely to pick this book up off of a shelf if I saw it  somewhere. 

Also, while we're on the topic of covers, this is one of the first Strange Chemistry novels to be published as a hardcover book (instead of paperback), so yay! 


--Ashley