Author: A.N Willis
Publisher: Alloy Entertainment
Year of Publication: 2015
Summary: Infinite worlds. Endless possibilities . . .
Stel Alaster has never known life without the Corridor. It appeared suddenly seventeen years ago, the only portal to a parallel version of our world—Second Earth. Everyone on First Earth fears Mods, the genetically modified Second Earthers who built the Corridor. They are too smart, too strong, and have powers that can’t be controlled. Any Mod found on First Earth is branded, then detained in the Corridor’s research labs.
Only Stel has a dangerous secret. She has a power, too: She can open a portal to Second Earth . . . and several other parallel universes she’s discovered. If anyone ever finds out, she’ll be imprisoned, no better than a Mod or common lab rat.
But when the Corridor starts to fail, emitting erratic bursts of energy that could destroy First Earth, Stel must risk everything to save the people and world she loves. With the help of an escaped Mod and an infuriatingly arrogant boy from a third universe, Stel sets out to unravel the mysteries of the Corridor and stabilize it before it’s too late. The fate of every world lies in the balance.
Review: **Copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
The thing that disappointed me most about The Corridor was that it had potential. So much potential. But it was let down by the character development and the progression of the story.
Probably the first thing that irked me about The Corridor was the time skip. Six whole months from the first chapter to the second. We are told later in the story that Estele did certain things in these six months, like exploring the Barrens and learning to control her powers. We are told a lot of things during this story, and I am left to wonder... why were we shown none of this? It would have made a huge positive impact on the novel if the author had included these things.
One of my biggest pet peeves is protagonists who seem to have the memory of a goldfish, especially when it comes to friends and love interests. That and instantly forging bonds with people without any sort of development. There were so many instances in this story where it happened that I don't know if it's possible to list them all. These were the main ones I can recall:
- Estele and her friendship group. The beginning of the story makes it seems like she has one friend - Lissa. Then suddenly an old friend pops in and she hangs out with them for a whole scene and references things they used to do together. Do you think we ever hear of any of them again? Nope. Well, one of them got a brief mention, but that is about it.
- Flinn. The moment Estele meets him she's totally falling head over heels in lust with him. Then she spends all of two scenes with his brother and it's like, Flinn who?
- And Ana. After spending one night with her and Cohl, they are suddenly bff. Do you know how much of that friendship we got to see? Zilch.
- Cohl! One moment he's this creepy guy who essentially stalks her, the next? Almost insta-love.
Estele and Lissa's friendship was also another source of frustration from this book. There was no substance to it! Absolutely none! We're told all these things about how their friendship was, and you know how much of it I believe? Zero. It felt very fake, as with most of her relationships, and in suit left the story feeling a little wooden.
Still, as much as these inconsistencies bothered me, the story was for the most part, bearable. I was intrigued by the different worlds and how they worked, even if the science behind it was a little vague, and this is essentially what kept me reading. Overall, I'd give this book 2.5 stars, rounding up to 3 for good measure.
Rating: 3/5 stars
★★★✰✰
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