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reydeam's review against another edition
4.0
This book and I got along well; it has many of the elements that I love in storytelling—aspects of historical fiction, time-skips, sci-fi, strong lead female, relationships that build vs insta-love, a plot with twists and turns and a good pace.
Do not expect a deep book, because it is not—it is a quick, easy and engaging read that is satisfying. There is suspense; I did not know what was going to happen, and at one point, the storyline made mush out of my emotions. It has witty dialogue with characters that are well played and nicely developed (for the first book in a series). The plot is clever and amusing but I will admit the time-skips may frustrate some due to the lack of explanation/rules. I had no issues there because it didn't feel chaotic nor at the author's whim. The ability to time travel just simply existed plus they used the same device and reason for the travel.
Most important to me, One Damn Thing After Another was a super fun reading adventure. The story was mesmerizing.
Do not expect a deep book, because it is not—it is a quick, easy and engaging read that is satisfying. There is suspense; I did not know what was going to happen, and at one point, the storyline made mush out of my emotions. It has witty dialogue with characters that are well played and nicely developed (for the first book in a series). The plot is clever and amusing but I will admit the time-skips may frustrate some due to the lack of explanation/rules. I had no issues there because it didn't feel chaotic nor at the author's whim. The ability to time travel just simply existed plus they used the same device and reason for the travel.
Most important to me, One Damn Thing After Another was a super fun reading adventure. The story was mesmerizing.
sl2p2's review against another edition
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
heathergstl's review against another edition
5.0
Fabulous and amazing as expected after reading book 0.5!!
inkspren's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lessa_riel's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bosham_belle's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
lgaddy's review against another edition
4.0
Great for fans of Jasper Fforde!
Lots of fun, in one moment youre laughing out loud and in the next you're sad. Loved the sense of humor. Plot-wise I was never really sure where it was going and I wished more time had been spent with the villain, but perhaps that will be developed more in the rest of the series. I'll be reading the next one.
Lots of fun, in one moment youre laughing out loud and in the next you're sad. Loved the sense of humor. Plot-wise I was never really sure where it was going and I wished more time had been spent with the villain, but perhaps that will be developed more in the rest of the series. I'll be reading the next one.
timinbc's review against another edition
3.0
There aren't that many time-travel novels, and it's easy to see why. They're hard to write, and in this one it shows.
The first thing I'll remember about this book is that it hasn't decided whether to be funny or serious, and only the very best writers can be both (yes, Sir Terry Pratchett could). There are several quite dark moments, and they don't fit well.
Second, as with many time travel stories, a lot of key things have to be ignored. How do the pods protect themselves? How do they know where to land them safely on a first visit? What do they use for power? If A can go back before B arrived and thwart B's plan, why can't B go back to before QA did that, and so on until someone runs out of resources?
I give credit for Taylor not copying two things from Connie Willis's time travel stories: the research dump and the incredibly obtuse characters (button doesn't work? push it again 1000 times).
Yes, some characters' details and motivations are withheld for good reason - but others are produced arbitrarily for plot reasons. I expect this to improve as the series goes on.
Finally, at the end two characters are shown to be more than we thought. The next book HAS to show us how powerful they are or are not, and why this is where they are. Otherwise they hang over every plot as possible intervenors.
But for all that I enjoyed reading it, and I'll look for the next one.
The first thing I'll remember about this book is that it hasn't decided whether to be funny or serious, and only the very best writers can be both (yes, Sir Terry Pratchett could). There are several quite dark moments, and they don't fit well.
Second, as with many time travel stories, a lot of key things have to be ignored. How do the pods protect themselves? How do they know where to land them safely on a first visit? What do they use for power? If A can go back before B arrived and thwart B's plan, why can't B go back to before QA did that, and so on until someone runs out of resources?
I give credit for Taylor not copying two things from Connie Willis's time travel stories: the research dump and the incredibly obtuse characters (button doesn't work? push it again 1000 times).
Yes, some characters' details and motivations are withheld for good reason - but others are produced arbitrarily for plot reasons. I expect this to improve as the series goes on.
Finally, at the end two characters are shown to be more than we thought. The next book HAS to show us how powerful they are or are not, and why this is where they are. Otherwise they hang over every plot as possible intervenors.
But for all that I enjoyed reading it, and I'll look for the next one.