1.5 - Ahh I hate to give this such a low rating because the concept behind it sounded so cool and I was very excited! I loved choose your own adventure books as a kid, and was really excited to see the idea built upon in this book. Unfortunately this book ranked low for me for a few reasons. The first was just that it felt so unbelievably long. It dragged and dragged to the point that I was excited for it to be done. It felt really repetitive. The second reason is that the main character was not very strong or well developed. I don’t enjoy passive characters, and Marsh was just very passive the entire book. I felt like she did not get any stronger or more developed throughout the story. There is a mystery going on, with clues and direct comments thrown in her face and she just kind of sits around and lets things happen to her. This leads into my third gripe, which was that there was too much focus on her alternate life paths rather than the mystery, and the life paths were too fantastical and unbelievable that they did not hold my attention. It was just too out there for me to take seriously. I was interested in the weird patterns and repeated words/themes but the main character kept ignoring them. The fourth was that I felt there were too many storylines that weren’t followed to completion or that the main character just didn’t care about or get upset enough over. A lot of things felt very half-baked to me and Marsh didn’t seem to care when some twists were revealed. Overall, this book didn’t hold my attention, partially due to a passive main character, and I felt the plot wasn’t fully developed.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you're up for a mind-bending, unconventional, intelligent, futuristic, shocking, bizarre, extra-eccentric, and complex read, then this book is tailor-made for you.

Imagine having a magical technological wand that allows you to rewrite your life story, refining it countless times until it's perfect in your eyes. What if there was a reality TV show that turned you into a star, manipulating the strings of your life like a puppet master, delving into the main logic of quantum physics and jumping into different realities until you find the one that suits you best? But what if you didn't choose the best one, leaving behind a potentially far less perfect life?

In this mind-crushing novel, we meet Marsh, a 45-year-old recently divorced housewife raising a music prodigy daughter. After leaving her cheating husband of a 20-year marriage, she feels depressed, believing she hasn't accomplished anything in her life. But what if she didn't give up her law school dreams to raise her daughter? What if she could be a hotshot lawyer and have a second chance at her marriage or even reunite with her high school sweetheart, Ren? With the opportunity to join the third season of the reality show, host Talia, who was also a contestant in the first season, is there to help her embrace her dreamy future.

However, as Marsh explores the endless possibilities in her life, striving to make everything perfect, she encounters numerous inconsistencies that blur her mind. The season progresses, and instability grows: breaks in the continuity of her life, fragments of memories left on cast members, old pathways encroaching on new ones, and mysterious deleted texts from an unknown user. Is she trapped in a delusional bubble from which she cannot escape? Is embracing her less perfect life the only path to freedom?

Reading this book is like being trapped in a labyrinth: you keep turning the pages to escape, only to find yourself back where you started, jogging like a hamster on a treadmill. It's smart, mind-shattering, and incredibly original. I couldn't stop reading and marveling at the author's brilliant mind.

I'll admit this book isn't for everyone; it will undoubtedly garner mixed reviews. Some readers may find the premise confusing or disappointing, while others will be enthralled by it. Thankfully, I'm one of the fans who consider this the author's best work. I highly recommend it to sci-fi lovers and anyone bold enough to get lost in the abyss of possibilities and enjoy the wild ride.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with a digital review copy of this fantastic sci-fi novel in exchange for my honest opinions.

OMG! That was so fun! Thank you, thank you, thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the advanced reader’s copy. I read The Cartographer’s and completely loved it so this book was already on my radar and boy, did it not disappoint. Completely different premise than The Cartographer’s, but still super fun with a little strange mixed in. This is Reality TV sci-fi choose your own adventure for adults. I could not put it down. Who hasn’t thought about going back in time and doing something different in your past? Well, this book gives those possibilities in choose your own adventure format. Wish you didn’t mess up a relationship? Wish you chose a different career? All on reality television. Really makes you think able those life choices. I’ll be recommending this book to everyone.

Big fan of this author's last book!
The story's concept was creative, engaging & original but ultimately the plot became too convoluted and story was way too long.

With thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for this e-ARC.