Book Review: A Quantum Love Story
Once in a while, I decide to try a book on a whim, one that maybe sits a little outside my usual genres, and it winds up completely by surprise. This was the case with Mike Chen’s A Quantum Love Story, a book that - as suggested by the title - blends science and romance together to tell a story that is every bit as twisty and surprising as the quantum physics and time loops that make up the plot.
(OK I don’t know if that last bit makes sense, I was the bane of my physics teacher’s existence)
The story is set in the year 2094 and follows Carter and Mariana, who become trapped in a time loop, repeating the same four days over and over again following an incident at the facility where Carter works. Since they are the only two who remember each loop when it resets, it becomes up to them to find a way to break the cycle.
Their adventures become increasingly drastic, and eventually infused with a sort of carpe diem energy, especially since the start of a new loop brings no consequences from the last one. The two of them, so mired in grief and feelings of indequacy that have held them back for so long, slowly begin to heal with each new loop, and begin to discover a growing attraction between them. What a shame, then, when Carter’s memories of each loop begin to fade.
While I would not call this a “romance novel” per se, make no mistake that Carter and Mariana’s feelings for each other, and what each of them is willing to do for the other in the name of possibly having a future together outside of the loop, is right at the heart of the story. The central mystery surrounding the time loops themselves is an absolute roller coaster, with each perceived solution being followed closely by the next piece in the puzzle, throwing the pair for…well, a new loop.
A Quantum Love Story is one of those winding, engaging books that had me absolutely hooked from the start. While physics was never my forte, the science in the book remained accessible enough that I could follow along with little issue. But really, it’s Carter and Mariana, and the hope that the two of them will find a way to make it work, that proves to be the emotional throughline of the book, and it definitely didn’t disappoint.
A Quantum Love Story hits shelves on January 30, 2024. Special thank you to Netgalley and MIRA for the advance copy for review purposes.
