4.5 stars. A company has invented the ability to time travel to the past for one hour without any change to the past due to the use of closed time-lik4.5 stars. A company has invented the ability to time travel to the past for one hour without any change to the past due to the use of closed time-like curves. There is a great demand for this, and most people return to the present saying that the ability to revisit the past changed their lives. In this book, four separate travelers go into the past for an hour, each hoping to revisit someone or something that's now lost to them. After an hour, however, they're not extracted and none of them are sure how long they will be left in the past or if they have been given a second chance. As time goes by, their lives in the past begin to unexpectedly intersect, and they're left wondering if they all have the chance to change the past together or if there was a reason they're there.
I loved the premise of this book, and the book definitely delivered! The narration moved between the four travelers (Elizabeth, Logan, Andy, and Brooke), and I ended up getting sucked into all four stories equally instead of having a favorite. I loved that the characters were all so different, yet all were struggling with something that felt believable and relatable. The author did a great job of turning each into a three-dimensional person, and she also did an excellent job of dropping small clues throughout about how their stories would intersect in the future. I picked up on some but not all, and it made for a very engaging read!
I don't know quite how to classify this book, as I suppose it had elements of sci-fi (due to the time-travel), mystery or thriller (due to trying to figure out what happened on a day that affected all of their lives), or just regular fiction. That said, I think the genre is secondary because the heart of this book was the emotional journey that each was on. Could this have been a bit more complex? Probably. Did it need to be? No. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and had a hard time putting it down because I wanted to find out more. I think it's difficult to write a story with multiple perspectives and make each equally intriguing, but this definitely succeeded! I feel like there is a lot to unpack in this story, both written and unwritten, and I think it will make for a good book club discussion....more
3.5 stars. In 1964, Cecily Bridge inherits a plot of land that was owned by her family. When she goes there to review the land, she gets sucked into i3.5 stars. In 1964, Cecily Bridge inherits a plot of land that was owned by her family. When she goes there to review the land, she gets sucked into investigating a lot of the family's history, which is difficult because of an unbelievable curse of some sort where in each generation, one offspring of a Bridge man is destined to vanish and be whisked back in time to some unknown point. To cope with this, the family had rules: don't interfere with past events, always carry free Negro papers, carry around a survival pack... As Cecily researches her family and this curse, she realizes there may be even more secrets and hopes there is a way to eventually break the cycle.
This was such an interesting, unique book that the author clearly spent a lot of effort putting together in a cohesive way. I enjoyed the time-travel angle, as it was done in a way I hadn't seen before and recognized the difficulties of Black people traveling back in time to a point where they may have been enslaved. This was not the focus of the travel travel, however; the focus was on the individuals and their stories/lives as they did their best to survive, fell in love, and tried to piece together non-linear timelines.
The book is told in five parts, each featuring at least one Bridge family member at a different point in time. The story had a circular feeling to it, as people showed up in one timeline but then made an appearance in another (or originated in another), and I appreciated that the author included a family tree at the beginning of this book, since I referenced that quite regularly as I read this book! It would have been near impossible to keep all the names and family relationships straight without this chart (this would for sure be hard to read as an ebook or audiobook; referencing the family tree is key!).
I loved the attention to detail and the way each period of time was brought to life. The author did such a great job describing the land and the feel of each time period, and I really got sucked into each part's story, only to be disappointed when it ended... and then I'd be sucked into the next part very quickly. Because the story was so circular, I was curious how the author would bring everything together in the end and for answers about how the curse originated or how it could be be broken, especially as the number of remaining pages dwindled and I still couldn't figure out how it would all resolve.
Unfortunately, the ending felt disappointing to me since it left so many loose ends and did not provide all the answers or explanations that I wanted. I still enjoyed reading this book, but it felt like the story ended without any real resolution and like I had just read snippets from a family's history that were quite tantalizing and filled with promises of answers but without actually delivering on these promises. I realize that perhaps the lack of finality may be a way to acknowledge the lack of answers that many Blacks have about their ancestry, with more questions and unknowns than actual answers, but because there had been so many pieces filled into this story, it seemed strange to continually dangle questions at the reader, only to leave most of the loose ends hanging. I wondered if I'd missed something in here. That complaint aside, I really did enjoy reading this book and had a really had time putting it down because I continually wanted to get back into the story and find out what would happen next.
This is the final book in this trilogy, each featuring a different main character traveling back in time and having an adventure there. In this, Zoe iThis is the final book in this trilogy, each featuring a different main character traveling back in time and having an adventure there. In this, Zoe is at Disneyworld with her friends and ends up traveling back in time to 1955 Hollywood, where she’s mistaken for a starlet named Stella. Stella is eager to exploit their similar features, hoping that Zoe can briefly take her place so she can sneak away from set. But of course purse things don’t go as smoothly as planned and both Stella and Zoe have to figure out how to get things back to normal!
This was a solid conclusion to the trilogy. I liked how the story came full circle, with stars from previous books making appearances in here. It’s definitely aimed at younger readers, but I can totally see myself having loved this had I read it growing up! The story is simple but fun, and I felt like the problems faced in this book were more exciting (and also more realistic) than the previous two books, which I also enjoyed. None of the books in this trilogy were especially deep or complex, but they were all lighthearted fun, which is exactly what I’d hoped they’d be!...more
Carter works at a company with a particle accelerator and after an accident one day, he becomes stuck in the same four-day time loop. Eventually a neuCarter works at a company with a particle accelerator and after an accident one day, he becomes stuck in the same four-day time loop. Eventually a neuroscientist named Mariana gets stuck there with him, and they both start trying to figure out what's happened and how to get out of it. There are some benefits to everything resetting (like being able to splurge on expensive meals and then have their bank accounts reset), but no one ever remembers anything that happens in a loop except the two of them. Then things start changing, and their need to find out what's going on becomes even more urgent.
I liked this book but didn't love it. It had so much potential, but the book only ever felt kind of superficial, which is especially strange considering how complex the plot had to be. I enjoyed bits about this, like the things that they did to try to figure out what was going on, but so much of this just felt like it dragged and I think I lost the plot a few times because my interest waned. The characters were fine but didn't especially endear me to them and I just wanted there to be more. Also, the end seemed to leave some threads unresolved, the technology in here wasn't always well explained (to me, anyway; maybe I just didn't fully understand the world), and I finished this not understanding everything that had happened. Perhaps this just wasn't for me. ...more
The main character in here signs up for some secret government job, which ends up being a "bridge," a position that requires her to basically babysit The main character in here signs up for some secret government job, which ends up being a "bridge," a position that requires her to basically babysit a man who was extracted from 1847 and brought to the present-day. The government wants to make sure he can fully integrate into society, and of course there are some odd moments as he attempts to understand the way the world now is compared to the world that he left. At some point (per the book's description; I didn't get this far) the main character apparently falls in love with him and then finds out the government's real plans with all the people plucked from the past and brought to the present.
I made it about a quarter of the way through this book and then tossed it aside. This is one of those books where the premise is clever, but that's about all it has going for it. The delivery is tedious and does not carry a fully novel, and there was so much in here that just felt gimmicky. What a disappointment, especially considering all the buzz that this book had around its release! I assume most readers were drawn in by the plot description, which is what sold me! Unfortunately, this felt like it was trying too hard to be clever and high-brow and failed to make any of the characters especially interesting and also failed to develop any real plot; a premise alone does not equal a plot. In the entire quarter of the book that I read, it felt like nothing happened aside from the main character (who's never actually named, or at least wasn't named in the part of the book that I read; I think this quirk was supposed to be endearing, but I found it mostly annoying due to its gimmicky nature) interacting with the man she's tasked to watch (Commander Gore, alternately referred to as Gore or just "1847"). Just writing about that gimmick made me roll my eyes.
I wish there had been more of a plot in here, whether a thriller, a comedy, a time-travel adventure, or a combination! I just needed more plot, more depth, and better characters. Perhaps this book developed into something more, but after reading a full quarter of it and not caring about any of the characters and not feeling like a plot existed, much less was going anywhere, I didn't bother to read on and find out if it got better. Two stars for the premise, but that's about it. ...more
Lucy is 26 and her life feels too messy: her career isn't going anywhere, she's constantly low on money, her flat is perpetually wet thanks to a leak Lucy is 26 and her life feels too messy: her career isn't going anywhere, she's constantly low on money, her flat is perpetually wet thanks to a leak in the ceiling, and the only dates she goes on are disasters. One night, after an especially bad day, she wishes that she could skip to the good part of her life, after all these things have been sorted out. The next morning, she wakes up sixteen years in the future, with a husband she's never met and two kids. She has a great career and actually has money and a nice house, but she doesn't know how she got there and feels off-kilter. She begins trying to figure out how to get back to her old life, but as time goes by, she realizes that she's also happy with her future life and isn't fully sure if she even wants to go back anymore.
This was a really sweet read. It had a lot more depth and thoughtfulness than I think I anticipated. It was fun and clever, and the author did a great job getting me invested in Lucy's life and understanding her frustrations. Then, when she skipped into the future, I soon got invested in that life as well. I like the story in her a lot and continually wanted to read on to see what else would happen and how this would resolve. I totally understood why it was a difficult choice for Lucy whether she actually wanted to return, which made this a lot more interesting than a book where the answer is glaringly obvious to everyone except the main character. ...more
Isla struggles with anxiety and depression, and she hopes that moving to a small town in Missouri will help her find balance once again. She receives Isla struggles with anxiety and depression, and she hopes that moving to a small town in Missouri will help her find balance once again. She receives a text one evening from someone who claims to be her husband, Ewan, and sends a photo of them on their wedding day to prove it. He says he's from the future and gives Isla warnings and tries to help her so her/their future can be better for it. Isla finds herself falling for her future husband and can't wait to meet him in the present. But as she continues to make changes and improve her mental health thanks to Ewan's suggestions, she realizes that the changes she's made might be taking her away from future Ewan.
I can't remember how I heard of this book, but I really enjoyed it! The author did a really good job capturing Isla's struggles and making her sympathetic, relatable, and understandable instead of annoying or pathetic. I could feel her desire to not be a burden on anyone mixed with her bubbling self-doubt but her personality also shone through and you could see why others wanted to be around her. This can be such a challenge, but the author did so well at creating really likable and believable characters in here. I enjoyed the interactions between everyone and really enjoyed them all.
The storyline moved forward at a great pace. I kept wanting to know what would happen and how everything would unfold. The plot was clever, and there was both internal and external growth. The story was both sweet and thoughtful, and I really liked the way everything wrapped up. My only complaint, which is minor, is that the end of the book basically went from an ambiguous ending to the epilogue, which took place in the future, filling in the blanks for the reader. I wish there had been a little bit more description of how everything wrapped up, but at the same time, it was so well balanced and nicely finished that I can't complain too much. Very enjoyable overall!...more
Karl is a music-loving bartender who discovers that he has a wormhole in his bedroom closet. He decides to use the wormhole for good and starts chargiKarl is a music-loving bartender who discovers that he has a wormhole in his bedroom closet. He decides to use the wormhole for good and starts charging people money to go into the past and see their favorite bands perform live. All is going well until he accidentally sends his friend Wayne to 980 instead of 1980. He doesn’t know how to bring Wayne back, so he hires a physicist, Lena, to help. Karl and Lena fall in love in the process, but the more they meddle with time travel, the more things change in the present and Karl isn’t sure if he can ever get Wayne back, but he knows he doesn’t want to lose Lena.
I think I just happened to see this book while browsing at the bookstore, and it was a very fun read! The author did such a great job capturing personality in the narration, and I couldn’t help but smile at the way certain events were described. The story in here was a lot of fun. I appreciated that although there were discussions about how time travel and wormholes could be possible, this wasn’t overly focused on. I also appreciated the fact that there wasn’t too much about obscure musical acts in here, which often grate on me because they seem to exist only to rove how much the author knows. I thought this book focused on the storyline, which was well-paced overall, and kept me guessing where it might go.
There are always oddities and quirks that need to be worked out with time-travel stories, and this was no different. I cared about the characters and their journeys, and I loved the way the author brought everything full circle and explained weird events. This was a lot of fun to read! ...more
This was a weird book. I read about half of it in total and enjoyed it in parts but then was just confused in other parts. The description as written This was a weird book. I read about half of it in total and enjoyed it in parts but then was just confused in other parts. The description as written on the book itself is that a man thinks that his employer has discovered time travel and is using it to cover up a string of crimes. This alone sold me on the book! The actual book includes multiple storylines: a young man who gets laid off from his job and is recruited into a new position, only to be more confused with each day about what's going on; a young boy loses his mom and struggles in his new family life; a man participates in an expose about a now-controversial failed startup; and there's also a lot of reminiscing about a show from the 80's, whose star is now being accused of abuse.
There was a lot going on in this book. I enjoyed the start of it, but it became more and more involved as the chapters went on. I figured out the connection between the three main characters way before it was revealed, so that wasn't much of a mystery. I think there was supposed to be more ambiguity about their connection, and while there was a LOT of ambiguity in the book as a whole, their connection was one of the few obvious things about it.
I feel like the author was really ambitious with the storytelling in here. Unfortunately, it did not fully work for me. While I liked the concept and the writing, I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters or truly identifying with their struggles. Without a plot to really sink my teeth into or a strong character to follow, it felt like I was just reading scene after scene without enough underlying momentum to ever get me hooked so my attention just kinda wandered....more
One night, Jen sees her son stab a stranger outside their house. She doesn't understand what's going on... but then the next day, when she wakes up, iOne night, Jen sees her son stab a stranger outside their house. She doesn't understand what's going on... but then the next day, when she wakes up, it's one day earlier and the murder has not happened yet. She doesn't know why she's traveling back in time, further in the past each time, but as she tries to figure out what's happening, she realizes that she's jumping back to days that hold clues as to why her son did what he did and that if she can figure out what's going on, perhaps she can stop the crime from taking place.
It took me about half this book to get fully into the story, but once I got into it, I really got engrossed! It starts off slowly and a bit more complicated than necessary, and since the first few time jumps are only a little into the past, there wasn't much suspense yet since the only mystery was why her son killed a stranger and the mystery was slow to unfold. However, almost halfway into the book, the story took an interesting twist, and I was suddenly more much interested in reading on and finding out what would happen next. Once the momentum started, I found the book quite engrossing! It wrapped up in a surprisingly nice and tidy fashion, although there was an epilogue that tried to create some loose ends (which I think is typical for this author). ...more
Barrett is a college freshman whose first day at her new university goes horribly wrong. Her new roommate is someone she has a bad history with, she bBarrett is a college freshman whose first day at her new university goes horribly wrong. Her new roommate is someone she has a bad history with, she botches an interview at the school newspaper, and then she accidentally sets fire to a frat house. The next morning, she wakes up and discovers it's that same morning, and she keeps living September 21 over and over again Surprisingly, there's one other person who seems to be stuck in the same time loop: Miles, a guy in the physics class she'd planned to drop. The two of them hatch plan after plan trying to understand why they're stuck in September 21 and what can be done about it, falling for each other along the way.
This is a plot that's been used in many books and movies, and the author even gives a nod to the most famous example of this, noting that the campus is hosting a showing of the movie Groundhog Day, which was fun. The plot is nothing new, but the author did a nice job breathing fresh life into the plot and making these characters very relatable and believable to the point where I wanted to keep reading about the day they were living again and again and find out what would happen to them! Barrett and Miles were good main characters. They both felt awkward in their own ways and like they did not belong anywhere, and the friendship (and later romance) that developed between them was done well.
I feel like there were a few parts in here that had the potential to be even more engaging or gripping, and part of the ending felt like it strangely dragged on a bit too long when the reader already knows what's inevitably going to happen. But overall, this was a very fun read! The story was entertaining and thoughtful, and the characters were well developed, to the point where even the minor characters seemed to get more depth the more times that Barrett ran into them and had different interactions with them. This had lovely character growth and the pacing was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and watching the characters grow in new ways despite their lives seeming to unfold in a similar way each day due to the repetitive nature of a time loop. Looking forward to reading more by this author!...more
4.5 stars. This was an odd book but one that I ended up really loving by the end! There are a few plots, all at different moments in time: In 1912, a 4.5 stars. This was an odd book but one that I ended up really loving by the end! There are a few plots, all at different moments in time: In 1912, a man named Edwin sails to Canada from England to make a new life for himself and one day hears a strange violin playing in the wilderness, followed by the sound of an airship. In 2020, Mirella goes to speak with the brother of an old friend who took a video that includes a violin playing and the sound of an airship, and she meets a man she thinks she's seen before. In 2203, Olive is on a book tour on Earth and is eager to get back to her family on the Moon Colony where she lives, and her book contains a passage about a violin and an airship. In years beyond this, these events are being investigated by a man named Gaspery, who's able to travel through time and interview all the people involved.
This book was much shorter than I think I realized it would be, but the length ended up feeling perfect. Somehow very little and also a lot happened in this book, and it came together marvelously. The author did a good job providing brief snapshots from the lives of each of the characters, giving you a sense of their personalities as well as their day-to-day lives, even if the brief scenes shown weren't necessarily important to the overall plot. I think these gave a nice sense of humanity to everyone and allowed the reader to understand each person's importance and their history within their own timeline.
The violin song and airship noise was a strange thing to tie everything together, and I kind of assumed that it wouldn't really be tied together well or that this was just a plot device to link various timelines together even though it wasn't necessarily important. However, the author did such a great job wrapping everything up and I did not fully expect what happened in here. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I'll just say that the plot was incredibly thoughtful, and I loved the question of who gets to decide what can be modified in history, were time travel possible, and what the punishments should be for messing with the previously established timeline. There were a lot of big questions brought up in here, and so much would be ripe for discussion!...more
January works security for the Time Enforcement Agency at a hotel where the super rich pay to travel back in time to various events. She's Unstuck, whJanuary works security for the Time Enforcement Agency at a hotel where the super rich pay to travel back in time to various events. She's Unstuck, which means she sometimes jumps around in time and sees events before they actually happen, but for the most part, she's functional and good at her job. Something weird is going on at the hotel, which is losing money and now up for a handful of wealthy investors to bid on. Right before they're scheduled to meet, all time travel gets canceled, time seems to be moving at the wrong pace inside the hotel, and there's a dead body in a room that only January seems able to see. She needs to figure out what's going on and maintain her grip on reality before she's completely Unstuck.
This was such a confusing book. I really liked the premise and went into this book thinking it had a lot of promise, but it just got more and more confusing as it went on. The main plot was easy enough to follow: a hotel used as the base for time-travel is now up for sale and a group of wealthy investors have all congregated there to begin bidding on it with their own reasons for wanting to own it. I could see something like this happening, and I enjoyed seeing what each was up to and trying to guess at their motivations. I also really liked the concept that the author dreamed up, with time-travel being a tourist draw and there being an agency devoted to keeping it all running smoothly and the past from being altered.
As the book went on, however, the plot seemed to get more and more complicated. It didn't help that time jumped around a lot, especially for January. Since she was the narrator, it felt jumbled suddenly going from present day to sometime in the past. I think this was perhaps written as such to give the reader a glimpse inside her head and how confusing it must be for her, but it felt awkward to read instead of engaging.
The characters also prevented me from enjoying this more than I did. January was good at her job and a hot head, but she was also so abrasive and rude to everyone that it amazed me that others kept putting up with it and trying to help her. She was dealing with lingering grief in her past, but even so... she didn't seem pleasant to be around in the past or in the present. Even unlikable characters have to have something redeeming for me to sympathize with them and enjoy their point of view, but January just seemed unpleasant. I would have appreciated a bit more nuance to her character or at least something more redeeming. I should note that the author did write some growth to her character by the end of the book, but it took too long and didn't feel like enough, nor did it feel completely believable to me. The other characters were more likable than January but there were so many of them and they all played such small roles due to the sheer number of characters that I didn't feel especially close to anyone.
I think time travel is such a fun concept in books, but it's also one that's very difficult to do well. This wasn't done poorly by any means, and I liked the world that the author dreamed up; it was the plot itself that left me confused. Even the explanation for everything near the end left me scratching my head because I didn't fully understand what was going on. Interesting overall and I can see what would draw people to love this novel, but it didn't fully resonate with me in the way that I'd hoped. ...more
Maddie is a woman who keeps getting murdered, no matter which version of the multiverse she's in, by the same man. Another group of people, who have aMaddie is a woman who keeps getting murdered, no matter which version of the multiverse she's in, by the same man. Another group of people, who have also harnessed the secret ability to travel between worlds, is chasing the suspect but he keeps slipping into another world and contacting that version of Maddie before they can get him. After Maddie is murdered in a world in which she's a real estate agent, a local reporter named Felicity picks up the story and tries to make sense of it... but accidentally follows a member of the group tracking the suspects from that world into the next. Little things are out of place in the new world, and Felicity has no idea what's going on. Once she figures it out, she is determined to help save Maddie and also sort out the complexities of her own life.
I really enjoyed this book! From the very start, the writing was engaging and the plot was really clever. I was invested in the story of why someone was after Maddie and curious to see all the different versions of her in the various worlds. I also really loved Felicity as a main character, since she was learning about each world and the whole concept of traveling between worlds at the same time as the reader. I was eager to find out more about the group tracking the killer and how the travel worked. The writing was spot on for this, and there were multiple times when someone said something so clever that I felt the need to read it out loud to someone. The whole concept and execution were well done and kept me hooked!
The ending of this was satisfying, although there were a few deliberately loose threads that left me slightly confused. I think I wanted a bit more about this spelled out. I would have also liked a bit more explanation about how traveling between worlds works and information about the group tracking the killer. It felt like there were parts in which I just had to accept whatever I was being told at face value without additional information that would have helped me wrap my mind around it. But overall, this was a great read and I think anyone who enjoys mysteries and stories about multiple worlds would like this! Very fun and unique. ...more
This was such a great book! I can't believe it took me so long to read it after first putting it on my to-read list, but I'm so glad I finally did! ItThis was such a great book! I can't believe it took me so long to read it after first putting it on my to-read list, but I'm so glad I finally did! It's so difficult to sum up the plot and explain this book. This is mostly the story of two women: Beth is in 1992, where she doesn't feel like she fits in anywhere. After a boy attacks her friend, they end up accidentally killing him, which leads them to killing other men who they feel are hurting women. It's supposedly for the greater good, yet Beth hates what they're doing and doesn't know where it will end. Meanwhile, in 2022, Tess is part of of a group of time travelers who are working toward improving women's rights, but there is another group out there just as determined to stop the progress she's working toward in order to keep the "natural order" of things. Their two stories are told in parallel and their lives intersect as there seems to be a war across time brewing.
This was absolutely riveting from start to finish, and completely different from anything I've read - which is even more impressive when you consider that it deals with time travel, which has been done so many times in books. Time travel is always a difficult concept to tackle well, but the author did this perfectly. The mechanism for time travel was different from anything I've read before, and I liked the fact that the how of time travel was less important than the rules of and the results from it. It was interesting to see a world in which time travel was normal and accepted by everyone as something that was possible, yet no one fully understood how it worked or the mechanism behind it. The rules of time travel in here were fascinating and so well thought out. I loved the way that changes were made in the past and how people in the present would get together to discuss what alternate realities they remembered, all the while knowing that they'd often never know what change led to the reality they were living in instead of the alternate version they (and sometimes only they!) remembered.
The plot was excellent! I loved the characters and absolutely related to their plights, and I regularly wondered where the story would go. Despite the fact that the book kept moving forward at an excellent pace, I had no idea where the plot was heading or how everything would be resolved. It's so unusual to have a book surprise me and keep me guessing for so long, and I loved it! I also loved the underlying messages in here, about all the work that Tess was going through to change the past with her group of friends/colleagues. The stakes were high and presented as both personal and for the greater public. There was such an interesting blend of historical fiction and complete fantasy. I was fascinated by the way the author included figures such as Anthony Comstock and his fight for "morality" and against "obscene material" and so forth, using this power to assert authority, mostly over women, and how Tess and her companions were aware of what these laws would end up doing to their presents and futures, if not stopped, simply because the ideas spread to others, who believed that they needed to follow suit and make sure that misogyny lived on.
I loved the way the past, the present, and the future all blended together in here so you could see how one small change in the past would ripple forward into the future and how the present is a combination of everything that led up to that moment. There was so much in here that would make for excellent discussion! This certainly had political undertones to it, but it's not because this was a political call to action by any means but simply because it showed how movements to legislate morality, for example, actually affected individual lives. It was also both scary and disgusting to read this book, which was supposed to show an alternate present where, amid other changes, abortion is illegal and women often feel second class despite not overtly being told this... and realizing this is the current reality in the U.S. It really gave a lot to think about and showed how such laws and such attitudes truly affect people on an individual level instead of just assuming they're hurting those who "deserve it" (whatever that means).
I stayed riveted to this book until the very end, having a hard time putting it down and continually eager to pick it back up. I loved both stories going on and was so fascinated by what might happen next and curious how it would all resolved. Although the ending could have been a little more drawn out, I was not disappointed by how it concluded. Some messages in here (like women's rights) were very clear and not subtle at all. Other messages were more nuanced, like the ability to change your own future, how collection action works versus individual action, and the way that society changes. There is so much that would be ripe for discussion in here, and I really wish I knew someone else who'd read this so I could talk about this at length!!
I am in awe of how the author put this all together. This was clearly well-researched and also brilliantly executed. I hadn't read another book like this before and absolutely loved this. I would highly recommend this to others! ...more
Not sure how I originally heard of this book, but the description sounded great and the comparisons to Station Eleven and The Time Traveler's Wife intNot sure how I originally heard of this book, but the description sounded great and the comparisons to Station Eleven and The Time Traveler's Wife intrigued me. In 1981, Polly and Frank are in love and a flu pandemic is sweeping the country. When Frank gets sick, Polly is so desperate to save his life that she signs up as a bonded laborer for a time travel company that will pay for Frank's treatment after sending her to 1993. They make plans to meet in 1993, which will feel like minutes to her but years to him. Unfortunately, she arrives in 1998 instead of 1993 and neither the world nor her work is what she expected, so now Polly is forced to navigate a future she knows very little about while trying to figure out a way to find Frank again.
The premise in here was great! The story jumped back and forth between the early days of their relationship and then Polly's experiences after arriving in 1998. I couldn't wait to find out what all had gone wrong, how she would find Frank, and what would happen with Polly's bond. There were interesting elements to this, and I started reading it expecting to be fully engrossed.
Unfortunately, a lot of this book just didn't work for me. While the back and forth in time narration was a nice structure, I never felt close enough to the characters to try care about what they were going through. I constantly felt like I was being told the story at arm's length and so had a hard time getting invested in the characters or their plights. They seemed generally aloof and Polly, the main character in here, was a bit clueless at times. I wish there had been more emotions from her, but I felt like I was mostly just being told how much she wanted to find Frank instead of actually feeling her desperation. I didn't get attached to Frank either. He was okay, but I wanted to feel swept away by him the way Polly apparently felt, just so I could understand why she'd be willing to sign up for time travel without apparently knowing much about the company or the process, just to save him.
The world building in here was a bit lacking as well. The world in 1998 is very different from the world in 1981 (and very different to the actual year 1998!), but I didn't feel like it was explained enough to truly make sense and so I just felt confused or skeptical about a lot of things. It was as if the setting was created and sketched in a way to make it interesting... but then a lot of blanks never got filled in so the full world was never realized. It had potential but that was it; very similar to the characters, who never fully took off into actual people with real emotions.
I was curious how this would end and if Polly and Frank would ever meet up (and if I'd feel anything if/when they did), so I kept reading. The ending was okay but mostly felt like it was wrapping up in a way that was just as standoffish as the rest of the story. I think I would have been more forgiving of the wooden characters if the world had been fascinating; similarly, I could have forgiven lackluster world building if I cared enough about the characters. Ultimately, I was pretty ambivalent about the entire book. The writing was fine, but that's not enough to keep my interest or imagination. Lots of potential but nothing that swept me away....more
At a party one night, Jack thinks he might finally tell his best friend, Jillian, that he's in love with her even though she's already dating his otheAt a party one night, Jack thinks he might finally tell his best friend, Jillian, that he's in love with her even though she's already dating his other best friend, Franny. But before he can say anything, he meets and they immediately fall for each other. Jack can't imagine life without her and barely remembers the time before they met. But then, a few months later, Kate dies... and Jack travels back in time to the moment they met, getting a chance to do the last few months over. He assumes he was sent back in time to save her, so he starts trying to figure out how to do that without ruining anyone else's life in the process, discovering that his actions have consequences for others and having to figure out what he's willing to do in his quest to save Kate.
This was a surprisingly layered read! I enjoyed all the characters and thought even the minor ones had a lot of personality. I loved the friendships between Jack, Jillian, and Franny, and could easily see why Jack had originally thought he'd wanted to be with Jillian. I also really liked that they were dealing with their own issues that Jack got involved with, giving more depth to their characters. Kate was a nice love interest too - she had personality and the chemistry between her and Jack was obvious. I really liked the way the author portrayed all the dynamics of relationships in here.
The writing was great, and the story felt fresh throughout despite it being Jack reliving the same time period over and over again. It was different enough each time that nothing major was repeated, and I enjoyed seeing how each version was different, yet had some similar and some different outcomes. It was interesting to see the ways in which Jack varied his actions each time and how sometimes the same things happened no matter what he did, while other things changed - for better or worse.
I had no idea how this book would end, but it wrapped up in such a sweet way that I ended up liking the book even more than I already did. It looks like this is the author's first novel, and with such a solid debut, I'm looking forward to reading what he comes out with next!...more
Kin works for the Temporal Corruption Bureau (TCB), going back in time to prevent people from messing with the past. On a mission to the 1990s, his waKin works for the Temporal Corruption Bureau (TCB), going back in time to prevent people from messing with the past. On a mission to the 1990s, his way to return to 2142 is corrupted and he eventually settles into a life in the "past," getting married and having a daughter. Then, almost twenty years later, an agent finally appears to collect Kin and return him to 2142 - where he's only been gone weeks, not years, and where he has a whole life he'd forgotten about. He returns, as he has no choice, but then finds out that the TCB considers his daughter, Miranda, an "anomaly," as she shouldn't have existed had Kin not been stuck in the past, and so they want to erase her existence. Kin knows he can't actually live in the past and be part of her life, but he's determined to save her somehow.
I loved the premise of this story and all the thought that went into creating this world! The author did a great job establishing the TCB and how advanced society has become, yet time travel is still considered a secret and the past should not be messed with. Kin was easy to sympathize with, and it made sense why he ended up creating a whole life in the 20th century, especially with no hope of ever returning to his real timeline as the years went on. His dilemma was well framed: how do you save someone who shouldn't exist when time travel is monitored and, once in the future, you can always look back to see how things played out? The time travel was very well explained and the possible paradoxes addressed in the way it played out.
The story was excellent, although I think it could have been slightly improved if there had been a little more depth or development to the characters. They were great and I enjoyed everyone, but at the same time, this felt like the entire book was very plot-focused and everything was specifically directed to play into the question of how to save Miranda instead of there being any additional layers of struggles. I should note that there were a few sections about his 2142 family struggling to accept that he'd lived an entire life in another timeline; however, while this was a nice conclusion, I did feel like it was slightly heavy handed instead of having more nuances. Still, I think this is the author's first book, so I think his books will only improve from here and these particular complaints did not take away from my enjoyment of the book overall.
I wasn't sure how the story would end, but it wrapped up very nicely (albeit with an extra chapter at the end showing how life went on after the end of the main storyline - I didn't think this was necessary, as it felt a bit tacked-on after the story with a single focus of Miranda's safety up until that point). Not perfect, but the story and characters in here definitely kept me engaged and wanting to read on. This was a light, thoughtful read with heart and a light touch of science fiction. ...more
The description of this book sounded interesting, but I could not get into it and didn't read far enough to even rate it. Something about the story, cThe description of this book sounded interesting, but I could not get into it and didn't read far enough to even rate it. Something about the story, characters, or writing didn't grab me, so I set it aside after only a few chapters when I realized I was already skimming. ...more
Tom lives in 2016, only it's not "our" 2016 but an alternate, utopian 2016 where cars fly, energy is clear, and avocados are never under or overripe. Tom lives in 2016, only it's not "our" 2016 but an alternate, utopian 2016 where cars fly, energy is clear, and avocados are never under or overripe. His dad invented a time machine, while Tom never expected to amount to much. But when Tom's heart is broken, he takes off in the time machine to the past and then realizes he's now in the imperfect 2016 that we know.
I started reading with such high hopes - this sounded SO cool! I loved the concept and this clearly had the potential to be both fascinating and mind-bending. Unfortunately, it was neither. The writing really grated on me, with the narrator sounding pretentious as he tried to be too clever. It fell flat. The chapters were short and covered single scenes, which was okay... except nothing seemed to have any particular urgency to it, nor did I ever feel drawn into the world or plight of those in the world.
A major reason why I disliked reading this is because of Tom's "trying too hard" narration, but I also did not like the characters either - any of them. I also did not enjoy the way the book was structured; after the first third or so of the book, there was a brief summary of everything I'd just read. This repeated another section later (although I didn't actually read this far in the book). Why did I bother reading any of the actual chapters when there were these summaries?? It felt gimmicky and thus annoyed me. I didn't finish this book, although I did skip to the end to see if there was a summary at the end of the book too. No such luck, and I wasn't curious enough to read any more.. ...more