Relativity: A silver lining?

Relativity by Cristin Bishara is a wonderful book that I give 4 out of 5 stars. I can't in good conscious give it 5. I honestly hated the main character through most of the book, but it was still compelling. For ages I'd say anywhere between 15-17. You also have to be a bit of a science nerd because this book talks about time travel, or does it? The book poses the question of what it really was at the very end, without actually going into it. It leaves you pondering which really made me think of the old movie Donnie Darko because of the sheer amount of tragedy and questioning.

Though to be honest her means of transportation is more like this...

However, it's a tree. Ruby Wright has lost her mother at a young age in a car accident. Her father has married another woman with an unstable daughter (that has become her unstable step-sister), and she left the boy she's in love with behind. Her life is terrible. This tree has a history, and it seems to transport her into parallel universes. However, every time she goes she'll displace the ruby from that world if they were born of her mother and father. 

Everywhere she goes she sees tragedy in her life. It's depressing, but she searches for the perfect one to steal for herself. She's been chased by her step sister, her knee is infected and swelling, in other universes she has a brother. She wants this. She wants a perfect life, but her parents keep splitting up, her mother keeps dying, the love of her life doesn't know her. 

However, the character growth in the book was what made me change it from 3 stars to 4. She does grow up. Displacing someone is despicable because the other Ruby would cease to exist. A version of her mother teaches her this, but that also means she has to go back to the life she left behind, saying goodbye to a mother she would never get to have. 

It's heartwarming, makes you question, and the writing style is easy to get into. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book, but it'll be available September 10th, 2013. This book teaches us to be happy with what we have, and to make the best of our own lives. I recommend it for anyone between the ages of 15-17. I hope others can learn from this as well.