Hourglass (Hourglass #1) by Myra McEntire

Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Reading level: Ages 14 and up
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: EgmontUSA; Reprint edition (May 8, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1606843842
ISBN-13: 978-1606843840

Summary:
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may also change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should've happened?

So I enjoyed the story. It was an interesting Young Adult, Sci-fi mix. It felt fresh and interesting and made a change from vampires and other supernatural type YA romance books. I liked the concept and the execution which made sense and flowed easily.

However the characters felt a little cliched. Emerson the good looking but "damaged" heroine who is genuinely surprised a guy would be in to her, and has two guys vying for you attention. But she is also smart and athletic with a Buffy the Vampire Slayer attitude. Her bestie is artsy and funny but clearly has a secret. The two hot guys are different in that one is serious and one is funny but both are damaged. I think you get the picture. The characters didn't really grab my attention enough for me to really engage with them and look beyond the cliched stuff.

This was an easy read and not a lot of depth. But it was fun and fast paced and I did enjoy the sassy comments made by Emerson. This is the sort of book I would class as brain candy.