ridge is one of my favourite books of the year. I've been a huge fan of Lauren Beukes since stumbling across Zoo City back in 2013 and every book since has been a wild ride for the imagination. The Shining Girls, with its time-travelling serial killer. Broken Monsters, which starts as a police procedural before twisting away into the dark depths of a nightmare.

And now we have Bridge. The story of Bridget, a woman in search of her mother, wrapped in the grief of her loss to brain cancer. But her mother Jo was a scientist in search of wilder things, of a dreamworm that would let you visit alternate realities, albeit briefly, swapping places with her other selves in search of... something. A dangerous obsession which drove Jo to some very dangerous places.

Bridge and her friend Dom find her mother's diaries and what follows is a story told not only across different timelines (the diary flashbacks and the present day), but also across the different realities, each startlingly similar to our own, but each one very slightly, very subtly off. Beukes handles this with a deft touch, layering hints to the not-quite-rightness of each of the worlds Bridge and her mother land on.

The characters, as you'd expect from a Lauren Beukes book, are fantastic. Key of which of course are Bridge (and her many alternates) and Jo, but also Bridge's friend Dom, with their unwavering determination to help their friend. There's also a multiverse-hopping cult, determined to halt the dreamworm. Caden, the musician who helped Jo unlock the dreamworm's power, and his own mission to make use of it.

It's a cracking book, chock full of tension and wild ideas. Not an easy read at times, with scenes of domestic violence and abuse, but one which will leave you in wonder at the end.

Strongly recommended. One of my favourite authors at the top of their game.

Bridge by Lauren Beukes is published by Michael Joseph and is out now in hardback. Huge thanks to Jamie at Black Crow PR for the advance copy to review.

What started as a novel about a grieving daughter desperately trying to learn more about her mother who she'd become distanced from took a sharp turn in to the realm of science fiction and I loved it! A fresh take on the parallel universe and how we think we will do any thing for the ones we love.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

"Bridge" by Lauren Beukes explores the intriguing premise of parallel worlds, time jumps, and complex family dynamics but expresses disappointment in its execution:

The concept behind 'Bridge' is captivating—exploring parallel worlds and the versions of oneself shaped by different choices. However, the execution fell short, making it a challenging read. The use of alternate realities and time jumping lacked believability, leaving me frustrated and unable to immerse myself. The fractured mother/daughter relationship and the constantly shifting pronouns added to the struggle.

Despite my love for such alternate reality tales, this book failed to engage me. I rushed through it to finish, feeling unsatisfied. While the novel's bravery might appeal to some, it left me wanting more from a potentially great idea. Unfortunately, the frustrations outweighed my interest, and I stopped reading halfway through."

If you had a drug that was a gateway to other worlds you would use it right? For Bridge she wants to see her mother again and so that is the reason she jumps. But there are others searching the other worlds and they have different aims altogether. Neat idea and well plotted thriller. Enjoyable

Bridge is a bold and exciting novel with a blend of Sci-Fi and thriller themes, and even a dash of horror to boot. The story revolves around Bridget and her relationship with her recently deceased mother, who had discovered the secret to travelling between dimensions by eating a section of Dreamworm. Bridge believes that her mother has not died, but has instead traversed to a different dimension and has left clues to help Bridge follow and find her. Through the course of the novel, we get a fascinating look at the backstory of Bridge’s mother and her struggle with ‘addiction’, not necessarily in the conventional sense. It’s wonderful to see the stubborn traits and personality quirks of the mother start to manifest themselves in the daughter!

The mechanism for travelling between dimensions in the story was quite unique and clever; the consumption of the dreamworm and simultaneous playing of music of a particular frequency will enable you to ‘swap’ dimensions with another version of you for a time. In essence, while you are exploring the alternate dimension, the resident you is left in your body and dimension for the duration. The alternate dimensions were handled in a way that made it remarkably easy to keep track of who was where; given the concept of the book and how inherently tricky this could be to achieve, I was very impressed by the outcome. I can't confess to have understood the plot in it’s entirety, and it took a little while for the book to fully engage me, but I loved the journey and was completely absorbed in the second half once more details of the reality swapping were revealed. The climax of the novel is very punchy and action packed, and would definitely appeal to those who like a bit of thriller or suspense in their Sci-Fi!

This was an interesting spin on what is a quite over saturated genre of contemporary fiction.
The idea of the infinite parallel universe the author created was really interesting and fun. I really enjoyed this.Also fun that the characters name was actually Bridge. Really good world development and characters and overall quite enjoyable.

I thought this was a great piece of speculative fiction and an interesting look on the impact of grief.

A strange and fascinating trip down a rabbit hole into a world of multiverses and golden threaded parasites; friendship, family, and the choices you make that shape your life

Lauren Beukes is the Queen of Quirkiness and her latest -Bridge -is no exception !

Bridge's mum -Jo -a neuroscientist - has just passed away and Bridge is sorting through her mum's belongings when she comes across a strange object hidden in the freezer . Bridge has vague memories of this from when she was a child -The Dreamworm . Taking this allows you to change places with an alternate you form an alternate universe . Jo decides that her mum may not have died after all and may be trapped in one of these other places in a different body .

It can get a bit complicated but stick with it -it's brilliant

Thankyou NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review

"I'm interested in our choices, how the stories we tell about ourselves shape who we are, who we could be."

When Bridge's mother Jo dies from a brain tumour, she's left with many questions. When she was a child, Jo gave Bridge a substance she claimed could allow them to travel to alternate realities, something called the 'dreamworm'. But as an adult, Bridge believes this was a game, part of her neuroscientist mother's delusions, caused by her condition.

But when Bridget finds a dreamworm in her mother's fridge, she begins to wonder whether everything her mom believed was true. Are there other Bridge's in different realities who live better and more 'successful' lives than Bridge? Could her mother still be out there in another world, able to answer Bridge's questions?

And so, Bridge begins to experiment with the dreamworm, and discovers that her mother was not as crazy as others made her out to be. As she begins her travels, Bridge unwittingly sets in motion a series of events, putting herself and those closest to her in grave danger.

Lauren Beukes is so incredibly creative, and while the concept of alternate realities or parallel worlds is not uncommon in science fiction, the author provides the reader with a fresh take. Bridge is such a frustrating character – her bad decisions can be really annoying, but these are balanced with her friend, Dom's reasonable and logical take on what Bridge is doing. The book is fast-paced and captivating, and I was intrigued by the journeys Jo and Bridge went on. A highly enjoyable read.

I was very excited to receive a copy of Beukes’ new novel, Bridge. Having been a huge fan of The Shining Girls, I thought the premise sounded a bit depressing but with potential. Unfortunately I struggled to get into the story, I found it a bit confusing and kept having to go back and reread sections.

I liked the premise of this book and there were many interesting elements. However I struggled with the narrative and the character of Bridge.

Bridge is an absolute cracker of a novel from the author of The Shining Girls, Afterland and Broken Monsters. It had great resonance for me as an exploration of bereavement and also raises profound moral questions for its protagonists (at least one of whom doesn't come very well out of that test).

Bridget - Bridge - is the daughter of neuroscientist Jo, who has recently died of cancer. We see Bridge in the numbing coils of bereavement, wishing she'd spent more time with prickly Jo and astonished at what she didn't know about her mum. I felt this was well observed and written with real feeling, my mother having died several months ago it rang absolutely true to me that there could be discoveries in the loved one's paper, online activity and possessions.

My mother wasn't keeping such scary secrets though. Bridge, working with her friend Dom, soon discovers that her mother believed there were alternative versions of her in other worlds and that these could be accessed via a narcotic substance called "dreamworm". Taking us into a domain of obsession and paranoia, Beukes shows how this belief had taken over Jo's life, driving away her family and her lover and leading her to some very dangerous places indeed.

As it does Bridge. Across multiple universes, anything can happen, but it seems certain patterns recur - and Jo (and Bridge) repeatedly come up against Jo's brain cancer, against a stalkery vein of domestic abuse and coercive control, and also against a sinister cult that believes it knows all the answers and must control events at all costs. It's a tense novel, particularly in the way that things slowly - and them more quickly - escalate, Bridge throwing aside caution without realising that's what she is doing.

Fairly dancing along, this is a novel you'll want to read in a sitting, not least to spot the repeating patterns, the clues as to Jo's earlier life and discoveries, and to enjoy how Beukes conveys in her prose the subtly different natures of the various worlds she describes. I'm not sure I can convey just how well she does this, you'll have to read the book - it's almost as though you can breathe the different realies' atmospheres - the textures come right into the mind, almost like you had taken some of that "dreamworm".

The characters also come over well. From staunch, non binary Dom, determined to back up their friend Bridge but perhaps getting in much, much deeper than they expected, to obsessed ex cop Amber who travels everywhere with her dog, Mr Floof II (Mr Floof I came to a bad end - it happens a lot to dogs in this story) to selfish, messy Caden who has a legend all of his own, Beukes flawlessly inhabits them all, conveying their essence, even evoking sympathy for some pretty nasty people.

Bridge really is, as the subtitle states, a novel of suspense - but also one of big ideas, raising questions not only about our responsibilities to those parallel selves but also to our relatives and friends. Bridge wants to find her mother, but how much harm is she prepared to inflict to do that? How much collateral damage is acceptable?

Also dipping a toe into the sewers of Internet obsession and delusion, with some hilarious scenes in a support group for a non-existent conditions, Bridge entertains throughout - and ends on a note of genuine uncertainty leading me to hope that a sequel might be in the works.

Strongly recommended.

(CW for domestic violence, abuse and coercive control).

A very interesting set of premises combined here - parallel worlds, fragmented consciousness, the nature of reality, infection/usefulness. The characterisations were good and gradually unfolded .The end felt a bit rushed and McGuffin like with a solution out of the hat like a rabbit and not as fully explained or detailed as the earlier development of the plot. Kept me reading avidly to the end and wanting to know what happened after the end of the book. Well worth buying!

I loved Bridge so much! In some ways this reminded me of The Shining Girls more than Lauren Beukes’ other books have. Lots of boxes ticked for me: multiverse hopping, a weird mystery to solve, neuroscience, parasitology, serial killers and the bestest best friend ever.

Bridge always had a complicated relationship with her brilliant neuroscience mother, but is floored by the loss of her all the same. Her therapist has convinced her that her childhood trips to other worlds weren’t real and her mother was mentally unstable. Left to sift through belongings and junk, Bridge wishes she’d had a chance to say a real goodbye instead of being pushed away by someone who didn’t even recognise her any more. Until her best friend Dom discovers something hidden deep in the freezer, a Dreamworm.

The Dreamworm in the freezer is the thing Bridge’s mother used to take them to the different worlds when she was little. Dom is convinced it’s a hallucinogen, Bridge isn’t so sure any more. Her mother’s journals are filled with wild stories, becoming more desperate as her cancer progresses. Her unanswered correspondence full of warnings to stop.

Dom worries that Bridge is following in her mother’s footsteps. Maybe eating a mouldy old cocoon hidden in ratatouille isn’t good for you. Has grief taken over? Other worlds might be ones with her mother in after all. Dom’s a fantastic character. They seem a sceptic at first but they have Bridge’s best interests at heart and through this the story explores found family versus biological family.

Things starts off a little confusing but multiverse hopping is disorientating and things start slotting together nicely as you follow the clues laid down in Joanne’s journals. There’s also a “Tomesians” help group going on separate to Bridge and Dom’s experimentation. This is based Morgellons, a psychological condition where people believe threads are coming out of their skin, and I loved how it all linked up in the end.

Bridge and Dom don’t live in our world, but it’s close. This is shown through small differences in naming and slight changes in history, but nothing too severe. The other Bridges aren’t all the same though, different decisions sending them on wildly different paths.

I noticed some blurbs say this was for fans of Everything, Everywhere, All at Once and I so hope that film has triggered a wave of multiverse novels. And don’t worry, that film exists in Bridge’s world because Dom is disappointed about the lack of worlds with googly eyed rocks in.

Bridget "Bridge" Kittinger has spent most of her adult life believing that alternate realities were just a childish fantasy, until her mother dies and she's faced with the fact that everything she thought was fantasy is in fact reality.

Alternate realities are a sci-fi trope that's been done many times before: DC and Marvel Comics have their Multiverses, Pratchett and Baxter had their Long Earth and Sarah Lotz penned the alternate universe romance Impossible. But this is an alternate reality thriller crafted by Lauren Beukes, an author who's not afraid to take chances. With Bridge she's tried something more ambitious than her earlier time-travel serial killer thriller The Shining Girls, something she should be applauded for, but it's unfortunately not quite as accomplished.

The big selling point for me was Dom, Bridge's non-binary best friend who sticks with her throughout, no matter the cost, and remains a constant voice of reason. If only we all had a bestie like Dom!

Thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for an advance copy.

Not for me. This was a very disjointed story that I didn't enjoy reading, The premise had so much potential but unfortunately, it didn't love up to it.

Bridge is written across multiple parallel universes where main character Bridge can visit alternative versions of herself in a different life by eating a thread from the ‘dream worm’.
It’s such an intriguing concept, which is why I think I enjoyed this so much. I would love to see this made into a tv series like the shining girls!
I really like Lauren Beukes writing, the plot is exciting and engaging throughout. Highly recommend if you like unusual plots with lots to unpack and think about!

Ummmmmmmmm this was different! A really interesting concept that will hugely appeal to some readers, but with characters that I couldn't relate to. Very grateful for the opportunity to read this - but not for me.

When Bridge’s mother dies of a brain tumour, she leaves behind her a mysterious legacy in the form of Bridge’s confused memories and a strange object known as the “dreamworm” living in her freezer. With the dreamworm, Bridge finds she can transport outside of her body to elsewhere… but just where is it taking her, and how?

I found the multiple worlds / lives concept of this book interesting and the story was well-written, but unfortunately it just never clicked for me. Bridge herself was a rather flat character and I never felt I really got to know her despite the length of the book and the amount of time it spent focused on her. The supporting characters felt more developed, and I enjoyed Jo and Amber’s chapters. I felt the characters’ motivations were under-explored and the backstory complex and hard to follow, which resulted in the feeling that a lot was happening, but I wasn’t really invested in any of it.

Overall I’d say this was a fun story that other people might enjoy, it just wasn’t really for me.