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A review by alexandrawpayne
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
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? No
2.5
This contains light spoilers.
This book is a creative concept but has several problematic themes. A romance that transcends time itself is fascinating, particularly through a sci-fi lens.
However, the grooming and pedophilia riddled throughout the story is impossible to get past. There are several mentions of the husband being sexual attracted to his wife while she is still a child and him trying to fight off the urge to be with her sexually before she’s legal.
When they have sex for the first time, the wife is freshly 18, and the husband is in his 40s. He has known her since she was 6 and has been grooming her since then.
The characters are also flat. I found myself not caring what happened to anyone. Some of the plot was set up for deeper character development that never occurred.
By the end of the book, I felt like nothing had changed.
This book is a creative concept but has several problematic themes. A romance that transcends time itself is fascinating, particularly through a sci-fi lens.
However, the grooming and pedophilia riddled throughout the story is impossible to get past. There are several mentions of the husband being sexual attracted to his wife while she is still a child and him trying to fight off the urge to be with her sexually before she’s legal.
When they have sex for the first time, the wife is freshly 18, and the husband is in his 40s. He has known her since she was 6 and has been grooming her since then.
The characters are also flat. I found myself not caring what happened to anyone. Some of the plot was set up for deeper character development that never occurred.
By the end of the book, I felt like nothing had changed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pedophilia
Minor: Genocide and Rape