The Singular Life of Aria Patel

Gr 9 Up–Aria Patel lives by the predictability of science. The high school senior’s life with her mom and her friends is without surprises or drama, just the way she likes it. For logical-to-a-fault Aria, knowing that most teenaged relationships don’t last through college was enough to make her preemptively break up with her boyfriend, Rohan, as they plan to go to different universities. One day, as Aria arrives home, she sees a car speeding towards her unaware mother; just before impact, however, the unexpected happens: Aria suddenly finds herself in a different version of her life—one that is anything but predictable. Aria continues to fall through the multiverse, experiencing various realities until she lands in one where she seems to be stuck. In this reality, her father is still alive, and she also has a younger sister. Rohan is also there; despite Aria’s best efforts, she begins to grow closer to him. As she tries to find her way back to her own world while not upsetting the life of this alternate-universe Aria, she begins to wonder if maybe she would be happier in this reality. Readers will enjoy seeing Aria try to exist in the multiverse. Her takes on her experiences are funny, and her perspective is thought-provoking. Scientific discussion throughout provides some grounding in reality and forms a connection between Aria’s different universes.