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Entity reviews the book "Dissonance" by Erica O'Rourke.

Every decision you make – and don’t make – creates a new world in “Dissonance” by Erica O’Rourke. In this story, some men and women can walk to those “new worlds” and others can’t. Delancey, or Del, is a character that can, but when she walks, she doesn’t think of the people around her. Del has a penchant for rule breaking.

That tendency to break rules often involves a non-walker, Simon, who Del can’t help but be drawn to in the fringe worlds. He’s drawn right back, but when it comes to the “real world,” Del’s the one on the fringe.

Del doesn’t stop to think about how her actions affect others and even in the fringe worlds, those actions have consequences that can cleave worlds, which is something Del shouldn’t know how to do.

As Del navigates the real world and the fringe, she makes some unfortunate enemies along the way – the consort who has control over her fate as a walker and her goody-two-shoes, rule-following sister Addie.

When it comes down to it, Del is willing to risk everyone’s future to save the real Simon. But has Del thought through what will happen as a result?

O’Rourke masterfully creates many worlds in her novel that shows a level of research and creativity to bring her concepts to fruition. While the novel is nearly 500 pages long, it is fast-paced throughout. The reader goes on the same journeys as Del, following her choices and not-choices while learning how they impact the rest of the world.

Underneath the sci-fi and romance genres, O’Rourke asks some very serious questions. She employs the “what ifs” that seem to always be asked, but in Del’s case, those “what ifs” have much harsher consequences for everyone. For example, she has to ask an important moral question when she considers cleaving a fringe world. Are those people real and is it moral to end their realities? These questions bring up a darker layer to society that works in conspiracy theories and long-hidden secrets. But the ultimate question is: is it right to choose someone’s fate?

Edited by Ellena Kilgallon
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