The Loop by Karen Akins

Rating 4 out of 5
Reading Age 15 and above
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (October 21, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00J6U7K1C
ISBN: 1250030986

Summary

At a school where Quantum Paradox 101 is a required course and history field trips are literal, sixteen year-old time traveler Bree Bennis excels…at screwing up. After Bree botches a solo midterm to the 21st century by accidentally taking a boy hostage (a teensy snafu), she stands to lose her scholarship. But when Bree sneaks back to talk the kid into keeping his yap shut, she doesn’t go back far enough. The boy, Finn, now three years older and hot as a solar flare, is convinced he’s in love with Bree, or rather, a future version of her that doesn’t think he’s a complete pain in the arse. To make matters worse, she inadvertently transports him back to the 23rd century with her. Once home, Bree discovers that a recent rash of accidents at her school are anything but accidental. Someone is attacking time travelers. As Bree and her temporal tag along uncover seemingly unconnected clues—a broken bracelet, a missing data file, the art heist of the millennium—that lead to the person responsible, she alone has the knowledge to piece the puzzle together. Knowledge only one other person has. Her future self. But when those closest to her become the next victims, Bree realizes the attacker is willing to do anything to stop her. In the past, present, or future.

This was such a fun book. It was exactly what I needed to kick of the New Year. It had a little bit of everything; sci-fi, time travel, romance, action, and humour. I enjoyed it immensely. This will be a short review as it is hard to say much without giving the plot line away. 

Most of the hilarity comes from Bree and Finn. Her snarky sassyness and his wonder at time travel. There were so many laugh-out-loud moments it is hard to pick just one to show case. I enjoyed Bree always commenting about kicking future Bree's ass. As the story is told from Bree's point of view her internal voice is hilarious. 

It is an intricate storyline and a mystery as well as a sci-fi time travel book (what did you expect with a time travel story), this is also why I am struggling to review this book as everything that happens is linked or interwoven with a bigger picture which all comes together at the end. Unlike some sci-fi stories that seem to beat you down into unconsciousness with big science words and explanations, Akins keeps the science stuff pretty easy to understand and I can only think of one long winded explanation (which kind of had to happen). Also the sciencey stuff was easily understandable especially with Finn "dumbing" it down for the reader. Some parts of the story did seem odd (hair scanners as way of ID verification) but hey what would I know.

My only quibble is the story Bree had been fed about the microchip. It seemed incredibly flimsy yet no one seemed to question it till Finn comes along?

This was a hugely entertaining book for me and I read it virtually in one night (and paid the price the next day with a reading hang over, not so fun when you have to go to work and function) and I would recommend this book to anyone really as there is so much going on in the book. But if you really dislike time travel stories then this is probably not for you.

Erasing Time by C.J Hill

Rating 4 out of 5
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books; 1 edition (August 28, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062123920
ISBN-13: 978-0062123923

Summary:

When twins Sheridan and Taylor wake up 400 years in the future, they find a changed world: domed cities, no animals, and a language that's so different, it barely sounds like English. And the worst news: They can't go back home.

The twenty-fifth-century government transported the girls to their city hoping to find a famous scientist to help perfect a devastating new weapon. The same government has implanted tracking devices in the citizens, limiting and examining everything they do. Taylor and Sheridan have to find a way out of the city before the government discovers their secrets. To complicate matters, the moblike Dakine has interest in getting hold of them too. The only way for the girls to elude their pursuers is to put their trust in Echo, a guy with secrets of his own. The trio must put their faith in the unknown to make a harrowing escape into the wilds beyond the city.

Ok so a weird side effect of my pregnancy is I don't like reading, and when I do read I am exceptionally picky. I read this when I was pregnant. I liked it. I liked it a lot.

This was an interesting concept well executed. I liked the world building attention to detail, and didn't feel like I was being inundated with information. The story had a good flow and was logical. There was not a lot of information dumping which was good or convenient story telling to make it work.

I am a bit of a history buff so was delighted to read the future societies interpretation of things we take for granted today in western culture. Like talking cartoon animals; the future society believed animals talked (animals are not in existence in the future domed world). It made me really think about what we "know" about past cultures today.

Another fun aspect for me was the misinterpretation of 21st Century language; and how it had evolved into this future society. The author cleverly made the main future characters historians who specialised in ancient languages. I enjoyed how the twins turned our common phrases into their own language.

Without being all spoilery I will just say the religious code was really clever.

The story was interesting and not always predictable. It was good and I am eager to read the next book.

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.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Rating 5 out of 5

“The story of Henry and Clare, who have known each other since Clare was 6 and Henry was 36, and were married when Clare was 20 and Henry 28. This is possible only because Henry is one of the first people diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder: periodically his genetic clock resets and he flashes to other points in time, usually moments of emotional gravity for him. His disappearances are spontaneous, his experiences unpredictable, alternately harrowing and amusing.”

This book has received many rave reviews and it is not hard to see why. The story is epic and sweeping in its grandeur and is the type of book that elicits those sorts of words. The story follows the lives of Clare and Henry told from both of their perspectives as they struggle to find a normal life together in a world that is only learning about Henry’s condition. The issues dealt with in this book are emotional and real. Niffenegger writes about the issues with realism and sensitivity. There is the science fiction element to the story however it is hardly noticeable as the drama and romance of the story is far more prominent.

The prose does tend to jump around alternating between Clare and Henry, and occasionally time periods. While normally this would annoy me as a reader in this story it is appropriate and is seamlessly blended.

My main criticism (and there is only really one which is minor) is the language occasionally used by Niffenegger. During intimate scenes Niffenegger uses what would be best described as colourful language to illustrate the moment. Which is fine don’t get me wrong, for me though it just did not fit with the rest of the book. The rest of the book is this beautifully written prose that glides along with elegance and finesse and then all of a sudden there is this hideous coarse word. After the first instance I was left with the feeling of “where did that come from?” It was as surprising to me as would be to hear Mary Poppins using the f word. Other then those few (and they were few) jarring moments there is not really much else I can fault this book on.

A beautiful book which had me laughing and crying and wishing very fervently that our lives are not determined by destiny.

I highly recommended this book.