Book Review: Now That You're Here by Amy K. Nichols

Now That You're Here by Amy K. Nichols

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published December 9th 2014 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

This is not a typical read for me. It is not that I have not read the occasional YA novel that I thought was interesting, either in concept or an author who interested me. In this case I met the author Amy Nichols briefly at a comic-con party. I was impressed by her knowledge of Science Fiction and clearly obvious attention to science in her work. When she explained what this novel was about I knew I would want to check it out.

Now That You're Here is not written with an audience like me in mind. This YA sci-fi novel has a sub-title 'When Worlds Collide Hearts Break.' I think the target audience is nerdy hopeless romantic teenage women. I am a nerdy hopeless romantic so that was more than enough for me. Some of the romance was syrupy sweet, but I kept in mind the target audience and was enough to enjoy the story telling craft of the romantic elements.

So keep in mind these romantic moments are woven into a ultra-nerdy tale of multiverses, alternate realities, chaos theory and super sciencey science fiction. The story follows Danny Ogden who is fighting for survival in a dystopic Phoenix Arizona when suddenly he is thrust into a reality - Maybe our reality. He wakes up in English class, and things are different. His parents are dead, he lives in a foster home, there is still a functioning democracy in america and the outsider artist he had a crush on Evee Solomon is a straight A student. Evee becomes his one hope, she is the one who believes him.

Together two souls born in separate realities come to together to solve the mystery and seek a solution for Danny. Will he go home? If he does can he ever see Evee again?

None of this works without excellently written characters I liked all the characters I was meant to like, and was annoyed and hated the ones I wasn't supposed to like. Nichols does lots of things well, she weaves a story that handles, character plot and complex science very well. The most impressive trick is doing all these things in a story that manages to make it appealing to a young reader. I was super entertained and flew through this book in three commutes. I am looking forward to reading book two!