A review by bananatricky
Cross Stitch by Amanda James
2.0
I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I have to be honest I didn't like this novel as much as the previous novel A Stitch in Time. Whilst there were less irritations (in the first book many old sayings apparently originated from actual events involving Needlers and Stitches).
Sarah is a Stitch which means she goes back in time to save someone and prevent history from unravelling. Her soon to be husband John is a Needler, they act as assistants/handlers for Stitches. Ordinarily Stitches only undertake three missions but in the first book Sarah got into trouble, John defied the Powers That Be who govern time travel and, in exchange for reversing a terrible punishment inflicted on John, Sarah agreed to continue stitching beyond her three trips.
Sarah and John are preparing for their big day when Sarah takes an unannounced time travelling trip back to 1939. However, this time her body doesn't vanish with her. John and her family think she has fainted and are beside themselves.
When Sarah gets to 1939 she meets a woman who is supposed to become a Stitch too, but Veronica is too scared. Soon Sarah, Veronica and John are variously travelling to the World Cup final, punk-era London and other points in time whilst also getting married and discovering just why Sarah's time travelling has been out of whack and confusing even the Powers That Be (or Spindlies as Sarah calls them).
The reason I didn't like this book as much as the first is the authorial voice. I felt as though this was a basic history class made more fun through adventure stories than a novel. In fact, I did wonder whether this was intended as a novel for teenagers although the age of Sarah and John seemed to preclude that. It doesn't surprise me in the least that Amanda James is a teacher.
Another issue with the authorial voice is that both Sarah and John 'sounded' like much older people. I kept expecting John to get his pipe and slippers out at any moment. Amanda James also writes as if she is telling a story out loud at times, or as though Sarah was thinking out loud, which I found kind of off-putting.
I guess I just didn't like Sarah and John as much in this book as I did in the preceding book although the time travels were fun - much more in recent history than most time travel novels which is a nice change.
I have to be honest I didn't like this novel as much as the previous novel A Stitch in Time. Whilst there were less irritations (in the first book many old sayings apparently originated from actual events involving Needlers and Stitches).
Sarah is a Stitch which means she goes back in time to save someone and prevent history from unravelling. Her soon to be husband John is a Needler, they act as assistants/handlers for Stitches. Ordinarily Stitches only undertake three missions but in the first book Sarah got into trouble, John defied the Powers That Be who govern time travel and, in exchange for reversing a terrible punishment inflicted on John, Sarah agreed to continue stitching beyond her three trips.
Sarah and John are preparing for their big day when Sarah takes an unannounced time travelling trip back to 1939. However, this time her body doesn't vanish with her. John and her family think she has fainted and are beside themselves.
When Sarah gets to 1939 she meets a woman who is supposed to become a Stitch too, but Veronica is too scared. Soon Sarah, Veronica and John are variously travelling to the World Cup final, punk-era London and other points in time whilst also getting married and discovering just why Sarah's time travelling has been out of whack and confusing even the Powers That Be (or Spindlies as Sarah calls them).
The reason I didn't like this book as much as the first is the authorial voice. I felt as though this was a basic history class made more fun through adventure stories than a novel. In fact, I did wonder whether this was intended as a novel for teenagers although the age of Sarah and John seemed to preclude that. It doesn't surprise me in the least that Amanda James is a teacher.
Another issue with the authorial voice is that both Sarah and John 'sounded' like much older people. I kept expecting John to get his pipe and slippers out at any moment. Amanda James also writes as if she is telling a story out loud at times, or as though Sarah was thinking out loud, which I found kind of off-putting.
I guess I just didn't like Sarah and John as much in this book as I did in the preceding book although the time travels were fun - much more in recent history than most time travel novels which is a nice change.