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emjay24's review against another edition
1.0
3:59 is a book about a teen who ends up getting sucked into an alternate universe after a portal opens every 12 hours at 3:59. She ends up being trapped and must find a way to save her mother, return to her world, and save both from monsters. At first the concept was interesting, but after a certain point, the writing and pretty much everything became very blah and I decided not to finish it. This is good if you have nothing else around, but since I had some great books waiting for me, why bother?
diaadiary's review
3.0
I liked this book...but I could've loved it.
In my opinion, the plot was pretty decent. It was fast, to the point and not too over the place; I was hooked the majority of the time. Involving theoretical physics instead of paranormal stuff really surprised me in a good way. However, I wanted to see more development in the majority of the characters and there were quite a lot of cliches which concerned me considering that the concept is pretty epic. Also, there weren't enough explanations to the Nox world and stuff about some other characters (trying to keep it spoiler free). This needed to be at least 100 more pages. Using physics makes it a big deal, well for me, but I feel like this book started going way too fast towards the middle (which is why I blew through it). Overall, the book could've been amazing. Also, the ending: I guess......but totally unnecessary.
In my opinion, the plot was pretty decent. It was fast, to the point and not too over the place; I was hooked the majority of the time. Involving theoretical physics instead of paranormal stuff really surprised me in a good way. However, I wanted to see more development in the majority of the characters and there were quite a lot of cliches which concerned me considering that the concept is pretty epic. Also, there weren't enough explanations to the Nox world and stuff about some other characters (trying to keep it spoiler free). This needed to be at least 100 more pages. Using physics makes it a big deal, well for me, but I feel like this book started going way too fast towards the middle (which is why I blew through it). Overall, the book could've been amazing. Also, the ending: I guess......but totally unnecessary.
joyousreads132's review
4.0
In My Own Words:
Parallel universe. Teens smarter than the average. Portals. Scientific jargons that, surprisingly enough, I was able to understand. Matter can occupy the same space at the same time; meaning, two versions of one person can be on the same plane of existence. It also features the kind of nocturnal giant birds that I’ve only seen in that movie, Pitch Dark. It has the right mix of high octane action, romance and Sci-Fi that did not make my head spin. In short, this book was worth the read.
My Thoughts:
This book started out with an unforgivable relationship faux pas: a cheating character. I almost didn’t continue because of it. But I persevere because I was on a mission. I’m trying to pack away as much YA as I can so I can move on from this genre. DNF’ing is not an option. Well, I’m glad I finished this book. I’m glad I stuck with it.
I somehow ended up with a couple of books of the same subject on my current reads last week: parallel universe. The other book being, Relativity by Cristin Bishara. Admittedly, I started the latter first and have read more than half of the book already before I decided to try this one on for size. Relativity, unfortunately, was a little slow for my taste. And I have a premonition that I will not be left with the same dissatisfaction as I now have with this one.
Books with this theme typically bore me. But 3:59 managed to keep my characteristically fleeting attention for the entire day. Yup. I read it in one sitting. The romance – though started on the wrong side of right – got ultimately better. Truthfully, I can’t reconcile the same sets of characters from their different worlds. Aside from Penelope, everyone pretty much took on different personalites. The differences were startling. In effect, the two versions of Nick and Josephine was exactly how you would envision them in a Bizarro World.
Bravo, McNeil for throwing that wrench on what was turning out to be a smooth-sailing plot. On the surface, you’d think that you have it all figured out because the author told the story with a misleading transparency. She tells you who the good and the bad guys were. You’d never anticipate the twist in the end. I know I didn’t.
Josie’s kick-assery multiplies when she starts spouting off theories of relativity, gravity and quantum physics. She didn’t sound pretentious nor did she try so hard to make it seem like she was trying hard. I really like how McNeil used scientific jargons but then she made them sound so pedestrian.
To conclude, 3:59 showed me exactly what it would be like to read an accessible SciFi. I must admit the Romance is a big seller with this book. I’m looking forward to reading the next instalment because the book left off at a sort of, kind of unfinished ending.
Parallel universe. Teens smarter than the average. Portals. Scientific jargons that, surprisingly enough, I was able to understand. Matter can occupy the same space at the same time; meaning, two versions of one person can be on the same plane of existence. It also features the kind of nocturnal giant birds that I’ve only seen in that movie, Pitch Dark. It has the right mix of high octane action, romance and Sci-Fi that did not make my head spin. In short, this book was worth the read.
My Thoughts:
This book started out with an unforgivable relationship faux pas: a cheating character. I almost didn’t continue because of it. But I persevere because I was on a mission. I’m trying to pack away as much YA as I can so I can move on from this genre. DNF’ing is not an option. Well, I’m glad I finished this book. I’m glad I stuck with it.
I somehow ended up with a couple of books of the same subject on my current reads last week: parallel universe. The other book being, Relativity by Cristin Bishara. Admittedly, I started the latter first and have read more than half of the book already before I decided to try this one on for size. Relativity, unfortunately, was a little slow for my taste. And I have a premonition that I will not be left with the same dissatisfaction as I now have with this one.
Books with this theme typically bore me. But 3:59 managed to keep my characteristically fleeting attention for the entire day. Yup. I read it in one sitting. The romance – though started on the wrong side of right – got ultimately better. Truthfully, I can’t reconcile the same sets of characters from their different worlds. Aside from Penelope, everyone pretty much took on different personalites. The differences were startling. In effect, the two versions of Nick and Josephine was exactly how you would envision them in a Bizarro World.
Bravo, McNeil for throwing that wrench on what was turning out to be a smooth-sailing plot. On the surface, you’d think that you have it all figured out because the author told the story with a misleading transparency. She tells you who the good and the bad guys were. You’d never anticipate the twist in the end. I know I didn’t.
Josie’s kick-assery multiplies when she starts spouting off theories of relativity, gravity and quantum physics. She didn’t sound pretentious nor did she try so hard to make it seem like she was trying hard. I really like how McNeil used scientific jargons but then she made them sound so pedestrian.
To conclude, 3:59 showed me exactly what it would be like to read an accessible SciFi. I must admit the Romance is a big seller with this book. I’m looking forward to reading the next instalment because the book left off at a sort of, kind of unfinished ending.
kennedygreads's review
2.0
I think this might be the end for me and Gretchen McNeil's writing.
I felt like the premise of this book was very intriguing but the execution not so much. I found myself very confused especially toward the end. Overall not the best book I've read. :/
I felt like the premise of this book was very intriguing but the execution not so much. I found myself very confused especially toward the end. Overall not the best book I've read. :/
lcmarie19's review
4.0
Rating: 4.5/5
Wow. Such a great story! A bit of confusion on terminology of theoretical explanations, but I followed along fairly well. The ending, for me, was pretty dang perfect. It's also weird how you can love and hate the same characters at the same time, but McNeil did a great job in making me do so.
The story started off with a few situations that I'm actually very sensitive to. Dissolving marriages, infidelity, mistrust. I immediately became hooked on those things alone. The main character, Josie Byrne, was experiencing quite a bit of stuff right at the beginning of the book. Through Josie, we are introduced to other characters that become a bit more important as the plot thickens -- Nick, Madison, Penelope, etc.
I will say that at the beginning of the story, I wasn't a fan of Nick and I was suspicious of Madison from minute one (but not for the reasons you're probably thinking). Penelope and Josie were the only two that I liked from the very beginning. Flaws and all. Penelope is a lot like me, when it comes to honesty. Why sugarcoat it? Here's the deal. I respected her from minute one and I like how McNeil developed her character. Josie was a likable character for me because she seemed authentic. She was real and honest. Granted, she made a few mistakes here and there, but that was part of her charm.
Then there's Jo, Josie's doppleganger, who I did not like. But again, not for the reasons you may think. She was just a selfish girl who needed a wake up call. When Josie and Jo switch worlds, I start to become a bit schizophrenic, only because I couldn't remember why I liked/disliked certain character or I got dopplegangers mixed up. For example, I disliked Nick, but I liked his doppleganger. I liked both Penelopes and I disliked both Madisons.
The storyline, in my opinion, was brilliant but sometimes a bit hard to follow. But that wasn't a huge issue with me. The concept of the Nox was really interesting and I liked the thrilling, scary aspect that they brought to the story. The plot was almost a mixture of subplot. You got Josie's original life and the crap that she's dealing with, you've got the parallel universe and its situation, and you've got Josie's new life in the parallel universe. While all of it ties together, they are still individual stories that need to be followed carefully.
McNeil does a great job of tying up all of the ends and there are a few surprises that happend throughout the book. Some things even catch me off guard, even though once they were revealed to me, I was like "duh".
The ending to this story was great. I liked the buildup to the climax, the climax, and the conclusion. For the tpye of book that this is -- thrilling, mysterious YA fiction -- the ending worked very well. It leaves space for a sequel should McNeil wish to write one, but I don't think it's necessary. The ending works.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. The main character was fantastic. She was smart as a whip, brave, compassionate, and vulnerable. I love female leads that embody those qualities, where they're not only one thing. The supporting characters were great, even the ones I didn't like (because they aided in the protagonist's development). The world building, though confusing at times, was very interesting. And the ending rocked.
Great read, McNeil.
Wow. Such a great story! A bit of confusion on terminology of theoretical explanations, but I followed along fairly well. The ending, for me, was pretty dang perfect. It's also weird how you can love and hate the same characters at the same time, but McNeil did a great job in making me do so.
The story started off with a few situations that I'm actually very sensitive to. Dissolving marriages, infidelity, mistrust. I immediately became hooked on those things alone. The main character, Josie Byrne, was experiencing quite a bit of stuff right at the beginning of the book. Through Josie, we are introduced to other characters that become a bit more important as the plot thickens -- Nick, Madison, Penelope, etc.
I will say that at the beginning of the story, I wasn't a fan of Nick and I was suspicious of Madison from minute one (but not for the reasons you're probably thinking). Penelope and Josie were the only two that I liked from the very beginning. Flaws and all. Penelope is a lot like me, when it comes to honesty. Why sugarcoat it? Here's the deal. I respected her from minute one and I like how McNeil developed her character. Josie was a likable character for me because she seemed authentic. She was real and honest. Granted, she made a few mistakes here and there, but that was part of her charm.
Then there's Jo, Josie's doppleganger, who I did not like. But again, not for the reasons you may think. She was just a selfish girl who needed a wake up call. When Josie and Jo switch worlds, I start to become a bit schizophrenic, only because I couldn't remember why I liked/disliked certain character or I got dopplegangers mixed up. For example, I disliked Nick, but I liked his doppleganger. I liked both Penelopes and I disliked both Madisons.
The storyline, in my opinion, was brilliant but sometimes a bit hard to follow. But that wasn't a huge issue with me. The concept of the Nox was really interesting and I liked the thrilling, scary aspect that they brought to the story. The plot was almost a mixture of subplot. You got Josie's original life and the crap that she's dealing with, you've got the parallel universe and its situation, and you've got Josie's new life in the parallel universe. While all of it ties together, they are still individual stories that need to be followed carefully.
McNeil does a great job of tying up all of the ends and there are a few surprises that happend throughout the book. Some things even catch me off guard, even though once they were revealed to me, I was like "duh".
The ending to this story was great. I liked the buildup to the climax, the climax, and the conclusion. For the tpye of book that this is -- thrilling, mysterious YA fiction -- the ending worked very well. It leaves space for a sequel should McNeil wish to write one, but I don't think it's necessary. The ending works.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. The main character was fantastic. She was smart as a whip, brave, compassionate, and vulnerable. I love female leads that embody those qualities, where they're not only one thing. The supporting characters were great, even the ones I didn't like (because they aided in the protagonist's development). The world building, though confusing at times, was very interesting. And the ending rocked.
Great read, McNeil.
bookworm151719's review
4.0
Overall, it was a terrific read. I just didn't like all the sappiness towards the end.
trisha_thomas's review
4.0
fun book, great read for Halloween. Each twist and turn was fun and something I dind't see coming. I loved teh characters and I loved the development
but I'm really hoping to see a book 2 sometime :)
but I'm really hoping to see a book 2 sometime :)
erinarkin20's review
4.0
4.5 stars
Josie Byrne’s world is falling apart – her parents are splitting up and her boyfriend and best friend are hooking up with each other behind her back. With all of this happening, Josie has started to have some weird dreams. Every 12 hours, at 3:59, she dreams about an alternate Josie…one who has a boyfriend and has picnics in the park, one who has nice things, and loving parents. While looking into a mirror that her mom made her chase down at her dad’s condo, Josie sees something that makes her think that these dreams may not really be dreams. There in the mirror is Josie, but not really her. There are slight differences and Josie realizes that she is looking at herself in an alternate universe.
Here is where the book really begins to get interesting. I will admit that at first I didn't really care for Josie, and I thought that if she continued to let everyone walk all over her as well as not do anything about what she was unhappy about I would want to punch her. Thankfully this doesn't last. As soon as she realizes what she is looking at in the mirror, she steps up and comes up with a plan to communicate with the other girl. When she does, she finds out the girl’s name is Jo and together they decide to swap universes for a day…I mean, what really can go wrong…right?
When the switch takes place, Josie adjusts fairly quickly. Clearly things weren't as perfect in Jo’s life as she was led to believe. As a matter of fact, there is a lot off including the fact that Jo neglected to mention the things that go bump in the night…literally. No one goes out in the dark because of the Nox and Josie quickly finds out what they can do. Thankfully someone comes along and helps her out of the mess and all she can think about is going home to her own world the next day. Unfortunately Jo has other plans. Turns out, she moved the mirror so that Josie can’t get through it again and now Josie is stuck.
Don't hate me but this is where I say you will need to go get this one when you can.
A lot happens in this book and it is definitely an action packed, quick read. This mostly has to do with the fact that on top of the alternate universe thing there is a bit of a mystery to solve. I couldn't stop turning the pages as I needed to know what was going on and who was betraying whom. And while the science was way beyond my basic knowledge it sounded believable. I would have liked a less abrupt ending – don’t get me wrong, it kind of fits but I felt like something was missing…perhaps there is more to come?
If you are looking for a different kind of story, check this one out. It has some solid characters and a great story that will keep you turning the pages.
Josie Byrne’s world is falling apart – her parents are splitting up and her boyfriend and best friend are hooking up with each other behind her back. With all of this happening, Josie has started to have some weird dreams. Every 12 hours, at 3:59, she dreams about an alternate Josie…one who has a boyfriend and has picnics in the park, one who has nice things, and loving parents. While looking into a mirror that her mom made her chase down at her dad’s condo, Josie sees something that makes her think that these dreams may not really be dreams. There in the mirror is Josie, but not really her. There are slight differences and Josie realizes that she is looking at herself in an alternate universe.
Here is where the book really begins to get interesting. I will admit that at first I didn't really care for Josie, and I thought that if she continued to let everyone walk all over her as well as not do anything about what she was unhappy about I would want to punch her. Thankfully this doesn't last. As soon as she realizes what she is looking at in the mirror, she steps up and comes up with a plan to communicate with the other girl. When she does, she finds out the girl’s name is Jo and together they decide to swap universes for a day…I mean, what really can go wrong…right?
When the switch takes place, Josie adjusts fairly quickly. Clearly things weren't as perfect in Jo’s life as she was led to believe. As a matter of fact, there is a lot off including the fact that Jo neglected to mention the things that go bump in the night…literally. No one goes out in the dark because of the Nox and Josie quickly finds out what they can do. Thankfully someone comes along and helps her out of the mess and all she can think about is going home to her own world the next day. Unfortunately Jo has other plans. Turns out, she moved the mirror so that Josie can’t get through it again and now Josie is stuck.
Don't hate me but this is where I say you will need to go get this one when you can.
A lot happens in this book and it is definitely an action packed, quick read. This mostly has to do with the fact that on top of the alternate universe thing there is a bit of a mystery to solve. I couldn't stop turning the pages as I needed to know what was going on and who was betraying whom. And while the science was way beyond my basic knowledge it sounded believable. I would have liked a less abrupt ending – don’t get me wrong, it kind of fits but I felt like something was missing…perhaps there is more to come?
If you are looking for a different kind of story, check this one out. It has some solid characters and a great story that will keep you turning the pages.
ehgold23's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
novelheartbeat's review
2.0
I had the same problem with this one that I had with Ten: TOO MUCH DRAMA. I mean, I understand that they’re in high school, but jeez! High school is NOT like reality TV. Either that or I just had a ridiculously tame high school.
To be honest, this could have been a 4 star book for me if it hadn’t been for the characters. The originality was outstanding, and I loved the idea – anything to do with parallel universes will usually grab me. But, I couldn’t stand the main character, Josie. Quite hated her, actually. She bases her life and all of her decisions solely around a boy – Nick. If a dude is obviously not interested in you (um, helloooo, he treats you like poo and he cheated on you…with your ‘best’ friend for crying out loud), it’s time to move on! Ughhh. That always drives me bat shit crazy – maybe because I’ve always been very independent and have a ‘screw you’ mentality to people who hurt me or double cross me – but I can’t stand when females latch onto a male and make him the center of their universe. I’d better get back on track here, before I go off onto a tangent that has absolutely nothing to do with this book. *clears throat*
Back to Josie. She was a weak, spineless, sniveling coward. I can’t stand the doormat personality leads, and she was definitely one. She was meek as a mouse, and stood by and let people treat her like crap without speaking up or standing up for herself. I hate, hate when characters don’t stand up for themselves. You have a mouth, use it! She kept talking about her ‘shame’ and ‘embarrassment’ to being the butt of all jokes (because the saying ‘being Byrned‘ – her last name is Byrne, how original – is like, omg, soooo horrific) and having everyone stare at her and talk about her. Like it was Josie that was in the wrong. Um, they cheated on you! Pretty sure most people would regard them with disdain and disgust. Just sayin. Yet, she ran and hid and cried like a little baby about it. Probably beating a dead horse here, but stop crying and stand up for yourself. DO something about it. Like, move on? Maybe? But nooo. She gets even worse.
Instead of being like ‘You know what, to hell with you, I’m better off without you,’ she spies on her ex boyfriend and best friend together (and of course gets caught and is so humiliated she wants to die *eye roll*), wishes desperately that she could have ‘seen it coming’ so she could have prevented it (IF HE CHEATED ON YOU, NOTHING YOU DID WOULD HAVE MATTERED BECAUSE HE’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU. End of story). Then, when she sees a glimpse of Jo’s world and thinks that the other version of herself is still with Nick, she willingly trades places just to have a second chance. Gag me with a spoon.
Maybe time travel was out of the realm of possibility, but now there was another Nick. A Nick who still loved her. Maybe she could still be there for him? Fix her mistakes with Nick, even if it was just for one day.
Okay, and for the mistakes part, having a brother with cancer is NOT a reason to cheat on someone. He can’t get mad at her for ‘not caring’ when she didn’t even know! He should have told her instead of letting it go until he ended up pinning the blame on her. Ridiculous. That’s his mistake, not hers. You can’t not tell someone something and then get mad because they didn’t know. What do you think she is, a mind reader?
Oh, and did I mention she opted to walk two miles in the dark just because she didn’t want him to see her get in her car that was right there in the parking lot? How damn stupid do you have to be? She was so lame I wanted to stab myself in the leg. As if that wasn’t bad enough, then she takes a ‘short cut’ through the dark woods. Idiot. I was kind of hoping she’d die, even though I knew there’d be no story if she did. *le sigh*
Then when she gets to Jo’s world (that’s her double in the alternate universe), and Nick starts blabbing on about the Grid and Nox, she doesn’t ask what he’s talking about. You’ve never heard of this ‘Grid’ before, and you don’t wonder what it is? There was no curiosity about the terminology, not even in her thought process. It made no sense to me.
The plot was painfully predictable. I was ten steps ahead of the characters and saw the twists coming a mile away.
Spoiler
I figured out that the Nox were behind the killings in Josie’s world the second she realized objects were randomly popping from one world to the next. If a shoe or a vase can, why can’t a Nox?Also, when the dark stranger came into play, I knew immediately it was Nick’s brother. Which is sad, because he was supposed to be dead. But it was so obvious!
I felt absolutely no emotion while reading. Things that probably should have mattered to me didn’t even register.
Spoiler
One of the main characters dies and it was so abrupt and….clinical…that I didn’t give a rat’s ass. And I didn’t believe for a second that he was actually dead…again with being predictable. I was like, ‘Yeahhh nice try. He’s obviously not going to really die.’Also, Josie being immune to the Nox made NO sense, because they killed people in her world. If she’s immune just because she’s from her dimension, why aren’t all the other people from the same dimension immune as well?
How can the other Nick be so different, if he’s basically the same person? And since he’s supposedly THAT different, we have a raging case of instalove.
They needed each other, were desperate to be together no matter whose universe they chose. Josie’s heart ached from happiness. She’d never felt this way with her ex-boyfriend. This was something different. Something deeper. Even though they had only known each other a few days, Nick knew her better than anyone else, and loved her even more because of it.
“Even though they had only known each other a few days-“…..a few days. A FEW DAYS. AND YOU LOVE EACH OTHER. Yeah, and I have the magical ability to snort water up my nose and ralph it up as wine. Would anyone like a glass?
The saving grace of this book was the originality. Obviously the alternate universe part, but also because of the Nox. It reminded me a bit of Pitch Black. And it was pretty cool, I’ll have to admit. Honestly, I was going to give this 3 stars before I started writing this review. But just talking about how much all those things annoyed me annoys me all over again, and now I’m just plain annoyed. How annoying. I didn’t realize how much it bothered me until now because I was too busy reading the book. Oh, the woes of being a reviewer. Life is so terrible. Oh gawd, Josie is rubbing off on me.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Plot: 3.5/5
Writing style: 3/5
Originality: 4.5/5
Characters: 0.5/5
World-building: 3/5
Pace: 3.5/5
Cover: 3/5