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jen_jacob's review against another edition
4.0
Good book. I loved the progression, though I was disappointed by the end, which just sort of abruptly ended leaving me with so many questions.
mefrost's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
dilchh's review against another edition
4.0
Right off the bat, I really enjoy the characters. At first I wasn’t, I feel like the characters were very bland and too two-dimensional. But, thankfully I was patient enough to keep on reading and that’s when I was rewarded with the many dimensions of the characters. It was an entertaining thought to think that there could have been another dimension where we, and the people that we know of, exist but in a different time then we are today. Imagine if you can go back and forth between the life that you have today and the life that you have in another time and in another dimension. Imagine seeing the choices that you make differs from the life you lead right now. Imagine about the people that you know here and how different they are in the other time and dimension. The idea of that possibility seems to be very simple, and you can feel like the author was trying to portray it as simple as possible, and that what makes the story feels enjoyable, because it is just as simple as getting a light electrocution on your brain to brought you to the other dimension. Is that even possible? Because I might want to give it a try.
Don’t hate me for this, but I will try my best to not give out any spoiler, but it surprises me that I actually enjoyed the ending. I really didn’t see the ending coming. I thought that the ending would be something like going back to square one kind of ending, with Greta realising how life is such a beautiful thing that should not be thrown away. In a way, Great did manage to come into that conclusion, but the twist that happened was definitely not something I would have guessed; so for that, I want to congratulate the author.
The story itself is very enjoyable and it moves very fast. It is such a nice break after reading two slow paced book in a row before this. I almost forgot how a fast-paced story is more to my liking. Basically, if you only saw this book and are about to judge about whether or not you’re going to give this book a try based on the synopsis, you are about to miss something exciting. Although the basic premise is sort of similar to any other time-travelling story, believe me when I said that this is actually not a time-travelling story. Yes, Greta did travel from 1985 (from when she belongs) to 1941 and 1918, but it’s not time-travelling per se. It’s more like, Greta is travelling through different time and dimensions, because even in 1941 and 1918, there is another Greta Wells living with surrounded by almost the same people that she was surrounded with in 1985, with a little twist here and there. These other Gretas were also travelling through time and dimensions to the other years, taking the position of where the other Greta when the other one is travelling. Are you following me? Please don’t be confused. The book is not confusing, but I might be confusing.
The idea that Greta was able to travel through time and dimensions just because she did the electroconvulsive therapy is very entertaining. It made it seem possible and feasible for any other person to try and see if it’s actually possible. Is electroconvulsive therapy even a real thing? I mean, I could google about it, but I don’t feel like doing it now. What’s interesting is the things that Greta has to go through, and not only from the Greta in 1985, but also from the many other Gretas, the one in 1941 and 1918. You can relate so much with the struggle that they had to go through, the loss of a family member, the heartache of being cheated by your lover, the loss of your love to death and not being able to be by their side. The author manage to channel those emotions without having to overdoing with excessive displays of sadness and desperation; you can just feel the heartache without having to be thrown to a wall.
I’ve mentioned about how the author tries to be as simple as possible, right? I don’t know if that ever was his intention when he wrote this book, but his simplicity is definitely the reason why almost all of the events in the story were not predictable. The plot twists were nothing extravagant, but the effect it brings is what makes the element of surprise so impactful and striking for me. I like the fact that both Greta in 1985 and 1918 left their marks in the other lives and eventually be responsible for it in a way that I seriously did not thought possible. I didn’t even expect I was going to be happy with the ending.
If you are going through a hard time because a loss of a family member, try this book, you might find a friend in Greta. If you enjoy historical fiction and old time New York, also give this book a try. I don’t know what New York looks like because I’ve never been there, but I like how my imagination interpret old time New York thanks to this book. If you enjoy fantasy stories with many possible options and choices and the many probabilities of life, this might be the kind of book that should try.
Don’t hate me for this, but I will try my best to not give out any spoiler, but it surprises me that I actually enjoyed the ending. I really didn’t see the ending coming. I thought that the ending would be something like going back to square one kind of ending, with Greta realising how life is such a beautiful thing that should not be thrown away. In a way, Great did manage to come into that conclusion, but the twist that happened was definitely not something I would have guessed; so for that, I want to congratulate the author.
The story itself is very enjoyable and it moves very fast. It is such a nice break after reading two slow paced book in a row before this. I almost forgot how a fast-paced story is more to my liking. Basically, if you only saw this book and are about to judge about whether or not you’re going to give this book a try based on the synopsis, you are about to miss something exciting. Although the basic premise is sort of similar to any other time-travelling story, believe me when I said that this is actually not a time-travelling story. Yes, Greta did travel from 1985 (from when she belongs) to 1941 and 1918, but it’s not time-travelling per se. It’s more like, Greta is travelling through different time and dimensions, because even in 1941 and 1918, there is another Greta Wells living with surrounded by almost the same people that she was surrounded with in 1985, with a little twist here and there. These other Gretas were also travelling through time and dimensions to the other years, taking the position of where the other Greta when the other one is travelling. Are you following me? Please don’t be confused. The book is not confusing, but I might be confusing.
The idea that Greta was able to travel through time and dimensions just because she did the electroconvulsive therapy is very entertaining. It made it seem possible and feasible for any other person to try and see if it’s actually possible. Is electroconvulsive therapy even a real thing? I mean, I could google about it, but I don’t feel like doing it now. What’s interesting is the things that Greta has to go through, and not only from the Greta in 1985, but also from the many other Gretas, the one in 1941 and 1918. You can relate so much with the struggle that they had to go through, the loss of a family member, the heartache of being cheated by your lover, the loss of your love to death and not being able to be by their side. The author manage to channel those emotions without having to overdoing with excessive displays of sadness and desperation; you can just feel the heartache without having to be thrown to a wall.
I’ve mentioned about how the author tries to be as simple as possible, right? I don’t know if that ever was his intention when he wrote this book, but his simplicity is definitely the reason why almost all of the events in the story were not predictable. The plot twists were nothing extravagant, but the effect it brings is what makes the element of surprise so impactful and striking for me. I like the fact that both Greta in 1985 and 1918 left their marks in the other lives and eventually be responsible for it in a way that I seriously did not thought possible. I didn’t even expect I was going to be happy with the ending.
If you are going through a hard time because a loss of a family member, try this book, you might find a friend in Greta. If you enjoy historical fiction and old time New York, also give this book a try. I don’t know what New York looks like because I’ve never been there, but I like how my imagination interpret old time New York thanks to this book. If you enjoy fantasy stories with many possible options and choices and the many probabilities of life, this might be the kind of book that should try.
tmathews0330's review against another edition
3.0
I love the concept of this book and there is some truly beautiful prose amidst its pages. However, I was disappointed by the execution. There could have been so much more insight into what each time period meant for the characters. With insight into the mind of only one character from one time period we lose out on so many possible perspectives. Without the additional perspectives, I felt the similarities of each life were stressed far more than the differences so instead of fulfilling the potential of three different stories lightly linked, it remained one story stuck on repeat.
doritobabe's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
mslenakay's review against another edition
2.0
Just awful. One dimensional characters. I didn't even care what happened to anyone.
bethsponz's review against another edition
4.0
A neat book about traveling to different time periods of your life. Greta Wells travels to 1918, 1941, and back to her original time ...1985...around and around. The moral is the time period in which you live can fully shape who you are and what you want in life. Pretty fascinating story I thought.
abaker08's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A perfect read for anyone looking for something that will inspire hope along the way.
ifyouhappentoremember's review against another edition
1.0
This did not work for me - on any level.
The premise, while not the most original, is interesting. Greta Wells, while undergoing electric shock therapy for her depression, is transported to her alternative lives in different historical eras. One is in 1918 during the tale end of the First World War and the ongoing Flu Pandemic. The other is in 1941 on the eve of the US entry into the Second World War.
The historical settings is used as set dressing and Greta behaves too anachronistically to smoothly fit into her time periods (like the ending.... I don’t buy it). Greta (all three versions of her) break time travel rule #1 which is: DON’T MESS OR MEDDLE WITH PEOPLE OR EVENTS. I’ll accept that 1918 Greta and 1941 Greta aren’t as familiar with time travel rules as 1985 Greta. But it was so annoying to read 1985 Greta impose her 1980s values on the past. That’s not how any of this works.
It was a frustrating read. The only saving grace was that this book is under 300 pages.
The premise, while not the most original, is interesting. Greta Wells, while undergoing electric shock therapy for her depression, is transported to her alternative lives in different historical eras. One is in 1918 during the tale end of the First World War and the ongoing Flu Pandemic. The other is in 1941 on the eve of the US entry into the Second World War.
The historical settings is used as set dressing and Greta behaves too anachronistically to smoothly fit into her time periods (like the ending.... I don’t buy it). Greta (all three versions of her) break time travel rule #1 which is: DON’T MESS OR MEDDLE WITH PEOPLE OR EVENTS. I’ll accept that 1918 Greta and 1941 Greta aren’t as familiar with time travel rules as 1985 Greta. But it was so annoying to read 1985 Greta impose her 1980s values on the past. That’s not how any of this works.
It was a frustrating read. The only saving grace was that this book is under 300 pages.
juliardye's review against another edition
1.0
Had to put this one down. Several hours of my life (125 pages) I'll never get back. The concept was interesting-different versions of a life brought on by electro-shock therapy, but Greta was not a heroine (this seems like the wrong word) I could get behind. I didn't care what happened to her or any of the other characters, so I called it. Sigh.