Relativity by Cristin Bishara (review)

Still reeling from her father’s sudden remarriage and the resulting move from San Francisco to the rural fields of Ohio, sixteen-year-old Ruby Wright finds herself wishing for a different life. When she discovers a portal hidden inside a mysterious tree that allows her to access alternative realities, Ruby jumps at the chance to explore how her life might have turned out: without an unbalanced, violent new stepsister, with a caring mother who is still around, with a protective older brother she never knew, with her best friend George as more than a friend. As Ruby moves between worlds looking for the perfect life, though, she begins to realize that the portal may not be as stable as she hoped, and when her mother unexpectedly learns that this Ruby isn’t the girl she raised, Ruby must face the truth that in taking a life she wants, she may be destroying someone else’s. This absorbing exploration of what-ifs offers a pleasing mixture of science and emotional depth. Ruby’s interest in theoretical physics provides plenty of opportunity for readers to learn about wormholes, parallel universes, and string theory, but the text as a whole avoids getting bogged down in the details of methodology. Instead, the core story is Ruby’s emotional journey as she learns to let go of what might have been and to embrace the possibilities in the imperfect life she has. Avoiding both mawkish sentimentality and overthinking its premise, this simple, straightforward novel has appeal for fans of both science fiction and narratives of personal discovery.