ARC Review: Tandem by Anna Jarzab

Title: Tandem by Anna Jarzab
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: October 8th, 2013
Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Drama, Action, Romance
Medium: ARC Paperback via Random House Publishers

Tandem quickly became one of the most engrossing, captivating, interesting, dramatic novels I have ever had the pleasure to read. It also quickly became a favorite of mine. It was full of fantasy and science fiction, without being unbelievably so. It also featured a perfect mixture of action, suspense, romance, and plenty of plot twists. Simply amazing.

Sixteen-year-old Sasha Lawson has only ever known one small, ordinary life. When she was young, she loved her grandfather's stories of parallel worlds, inhabited by girls who looked like her but led totally different lives. Sasha never believed such worlds were real—until now, when she finds herself thrust into one against her will. 

To prevent imminent war, Sasha must slip into the life of an alternate version of herself, a princess who has vanished on the eve of her arranged marriage. If Sasha succeeds in fooling everyone, she will be returned home; if she fails, she'll be trapped in another girl's life forever. As time runs out, Sasha finds herself torn between two worlds, two lives, and two young men vying for her love—one who knows her secret, and one who believes she's someone she's not.  -From Amazon.com

At first, I thought this plot would be perfect for me. Then, when I started reading and I realized it was about a Chicagoan girl switch places with a princess from a parallel universe... In the first few pages I thought I was going to hate it. Then I read further and then a little further and I ended up loving it. The princess living in a castle factor will entice many female readers, just as the action and sci-fi enticed me. And the romance is there for every female reader. Although the romance is tuned down, it doesn't really appear in the novel until the last few chapters or so. This leads me to believe that the sequel will be undeniably action-packed and sexy.

The writing was very clear and and detailed, making for an interesting and in depth look at parallel universes without coming on too strong. Jarzab made it easy to understand parallel universes scientifically, so that you could focus on the plot and characters more. Speaking of the characters, they were interesting and were constantly changing and adapting to the situation, showing many different sides as we progressed through the novel. I personally fell in love with the characters and each of their unique stories, and was both excited and scared to see where they would go.

Overall, this novel is deeply written and well-thought out, with perfect amounts of romance, drama, sci-fi, fantasy, and action. Perfect for any age and definitely a series to watch! Sequel Tether comes out in July!