Scan barcode
theocbs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed reading this mostly because of the style and the depth of the characters. Also thought it was very well executed, the time travel didn’t make it feel like a wild sci fi book or anything, it managed to fit very naturally into what was otherwise just a normal world. There was nothing about the plot that completely blew me away, but a nice ending and just an enjoyable read
lita_tori's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
bookishneena's review against another edition
5.0
oh this book was pure poetry - art, so subtle yet so powerful.
The family dynamics and family bonds, across oceans and time streams, love given and received in such bittersweet ways. Such an all-encompassing tender book, of loss, courage and the strength that can be found within it.
Tommy was such an interesting character to follow. I appreciated how raw and tumultuous his journey was - how he grappled with grief and pain, that sense of unmooring, of being lose and floating away, of wanting to do the right thing but being unable to show his vulnerability to those around him. His love for Peggy and Daisy, his sister, May and Chris. His inability to let go of Peggy, yet that sense of duty to stand by his family - I probably cried the most seeing how lost he was as the book progressed.
Overwhelmingly this was also a story of the complexity in family relationships. To love and appreciate family and all they do for you, to grieve when you lose them, to grieve who you were with them and how relationships change. How Tommy adored his parents and had that unresolved pain from all those years ago, but feared becoming his father, and the unforgiving phantom presence of his father's judgement on him. How this was an extension of Joshua's own confidence in himself built-up after a childhood of feeling inadequate under his own father. Lily loving her parents but wanting to be nothing like them.
Oh and the subtleties of the romance. The love Josh and Lily showed each other, in sharing the magic of travel together, in Peggy growing up with Tommy - unable to be with him outside of the constraints of time travel. May adoring Tommy so wholeheartedly and unreservedly, with Tommy torn between the two of them.
Reading the story of this family was such a moving experience and a pleasure. (I'm still crying).
note: if you don't like a lack of quotation marks for speech, this sadly falls into that!!! It can be confusing at times but try and stick it out <3
5 stars
The family dynamics and family bonds, across oceans and time streams, love given and received in such bittersweet ways. Such an all-encompassing tender book, of loss, courage and the strength that can be found within it.
" And yet, when the object of your love has gone but the love remains,
what then?
How do you say goodbye to more than half your life?"
Tommy was such an interesting character to follow. I appreciated how raw and tumultuous his journey was - how he grappled with grief and pain, that sense of unmooring, of being lose and floating away, of wanting to do the right thing but being unable to show his vulnerability to those around him. His love for Peggy and Daisy, his sister, May and Chris. His inability to let go of Peggy, yet that sense of duty to stand by his family - I probably cried the most seeing how lost he was as the book progressed.
Overwhelmingly this was also a story of the complexity in family relationships. To love and appreciate family and all they do for you, to grieve when you lose them, to grieve who you were with them and how relationships change. How Tommy adored his parents and had that unresolved pain from all those years ago, but feared becoming his father, and the unforgiving phantom presence of his father's judgement on him. How this was an extension of Joshua's own confidence in himself built-up after a childhood of feeling inadequate under his own father. Lily loving her parents but wanting to be nothing like them.
Oh and the subtleties of the romance. The love Josh and Lily showed each other, in sharing the magic of travel together, in Peggy growing up with Tommy - unable to be with him outside of the constraints of time travel. May adoring Tommy so wholeheartedly and unreservedly, with Tommy torn between the two of them.
Reading the story of this family was such a moving experience and a pleasure. (I'm still crying).
note: if you don't like a lack of quotation marks for speech, this sadly falls into that!!! It can be confusing at times but try and stick it out <3
5 stars
veronicapex's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
wendyf's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
oftalone90's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A very poetic story, although I’m not sure there is a great deal of plot…. Stuff happens but it never really gets anywhere.
arendaes's review against another edition
Wanted to love this book so bad, but sadly I just couldn't connect with the characters and it led to the story dragging on
parinda's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
arf88's review against another edition
3.0
I want to like this more than I did. But for me it was mediocre on every level. I didn't find the prose particularly striking, what little plot there was went nowhere, and the characters were uninspiring.
This book is not badly written. It's very well written in many ways, with some interesting things done with the rules of the world. But it didn't live up to the sum of its parts in my mind, and the time traveling aspects especially felt like they weren't used to their full potential. Take that part out and this would be just another litfic book about unhappy and unlikable people.
This book is not badly written. It's very well written in many ways, with some interesting things done with the rules of the world. But it didn't live up to the sum of its parts in my mind, and the time traveling aspects especially felt like they weren't used to their full potential. Take that part out and this would be just another litfic book about unhappy and unlikable people.
cosmosbtwnpages's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5