When a young woman appears to split into four different versions of herself, protagonist and behavioral psychologist Garrett Adams must decide what is vision, what is science, and what is delusion.
Brett’s novel is a rare page turner that avoids the obvious traps ... These girls are their decade personified, multifaceted and difficult, but then so is Garrett, with his troubled past, his acid-fueled musings, his ambient lust— all woven together effortlessly, without excessive mysticism or nostalgia. In fact we’re so immersed in his adventure that we go long stretches without encountering a single Daphne. In these gaps I found myself taking stock of that era in American history ... I could have done without many of the metaphors for the Schrödinger girls ... The prose at times struck me as whimsical...if not logically faulty ... But perhaps any more rigor would ruin the story’s essence ... why not let Garrett indulge a little? His pursuit is maddening, because it should be.
... [a] psychedelic and nostalgic debut ... Brett skillfully depicts self-described 'old fuddy-duddy' Garrett as a wry representation of the 'silent generation'—kind and thoughtful, but also idealistic, overly protective, secretive, and lost in his own world. Brett’s imaginative, amusing debut will appeal to fans of Nell Zink.
Brett...has hit upon an immensely interesting concept for her debut novel, one that allows her to dig deep into psychology, philosophy, physics, and, most importantly, politics as Daphne shakes Garrett out of his indifference toward the cultural turmoil of the late '60s. But the book wears its historical details stiffly, and the book’s idea-heavy passages work against the plot’s natural momentum. A promising premise that is sometimes too clever for its own good.
