The Theory of Everything by Kari Luna

Book Summery (Via Goodreads): Sophie Sophia is obsessed with music from the late eighties. She also has an eccentric physicist father who sometimes vanishes for days and sees things other people don’t see. But when he disappears for good and Sophie’s mom moves them from Brooklyn, New York, to Havencrest, Illinois, for a fresh start, things take a turn for the weird. Sophie starts seeing things, like marching band pandas, just like her dad.
Guided by Walt, her shaman panda, and her new (human) friend named Finny, Sophie is determined to find her father and figure out her visions, once and for all. So she travels back to where it began—New York City and NYU’s physics department. As she discovers more about her dad’s research on M-theory and her father himself, Sophie opens her eyes to the world’s infinite possibilities—and her heart to love.

Book Review:
Overall, I enjoyed this book. However, it's not quite what I anticipated. What makes The Theory of Everything shine are the characters. Sophie is the quirkiest, most animated of the bunch. I'm not sure what to make of her "episodes," however. I feel like this aspect could have been fleshed out a bit more. For the most part, the other characters accepted her explanation of "episodes vs. hallucinations." The mingling of physics and love was a bit of a reach as well. The "love conquers all theme" gave off more of a middle school feel vs. YA. The supporting characters are phenomenal, particularly Finny. I would have loved to see more of his character. Walt is a delight as well. Again, I wish his appearances could have been explained better. Overall, I'd recommend this with reservations.

Favorite Quote:
"Mom walked over to the stereo and turned on the radio. New Age music filled the room. 
'Gawd, this is awful,' I said.
'I need to relax,' Mom said. 'I don't want to say anything I'm going to regret.'
'I could say a lot of things about this music that I'd never regret,' I said.
'It's calming!' Mom said in a voice that was opposite of calm."

Cover Art Commentary:
I just adore this cover! It's colorful and whimsical. Besides, how could you not love the pandas?!

Rating: