Alternate realities. The multiverse. Even in the world of Kate Norris’ When You and I Collide, it’s all speculation to most people. For Winnie Schulde, however, seeing glimpses of the moment alternative realities are formed in what she calls ‘splits’ have been a curse all her life.
Ever since her mom dies in a car accident that Winnie and her father blames both themselves and each other for, their relationship has never been the same. Even after moving to the United States, where Winnie’s father teaches physics at Columbia University, the only thing Winnie and her father bind over are their secret, late-night experiments.
Using Winnie as the subject, her father repeatedly tests his theory that with his daughter’s ability, reality could be manipulated and Winnie could choose the split that she sees, over their reality. But then, another accident happens. This time, it is Scott—Professor Schulde’s assistant who has never seen these secret experiments and who Winnie has secretly loved for years—that they lose. And in a sense, Winnie as well. Winnie is transported to an alternate reality: one where Scott is alive, her relationship with her father is flourishing, and she seems to be a much better version of herself.
But two Winnies in one world starts causing problems and it’s clear that no matter what she thinks of this reality, she needs to get home. The book’s conflict builds slowly and even though it isn’t set on the front lines of World War II, topics such as internment camps, xenophobia—that Winnie herself faces, as a German immigrant—and nuclear weapons play key roles in the story.
Beyond the physics, the characters and their relationships are one of the most interesting things about the book. Winnie is forced to literally look at herself in a way she hasn’t, and although this other Winnie is different from her in many ways, she sparks a lot of self-reflection and struggles with identity. This alternative version of her father isn’t given as much time with her, but it’s enough to see that this Professor Schulde is vastly different from the one she knows. Warm, caring—he’s something more personal than just ‘father’ in this world.
On the other hand, her relationship with Scott is just as complex. It’s a tricky situation to navigate for him, feeling a connection to his girlfriend’s double as they work side by side to get her home. For Winnie, who just lost her own Scott, seeing the other ‘her’ be with him is torturous. Despite this, towards the end of the book, some characters’ forgiveness could seem unrealistic and some readers felt that the pacing of the story was off as the conflict wrapped up quickly with an ending that felt like it could have happened at any time.
The book explores identity, discrimination, and self-preservation. For readers interested in the multiverse theory or fans of history, sci-fi, romance, and mystery, When You and I Collide is a blend of it all.
