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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Paradox Bound is a disappointment for a number of reasons.
One reason is relative. Clines' previous novel, the Fold, was inventive, fun, and great science fiction.
But Paradox is lousy, convoluted, with characters you are unable to like.
One reason is relative. Clines' previous novel, the Fold, was inventive, fun, and great science fiction.
But Paradox is lousy, convoluted, with characters you are unable to like.
I've rarely had an author crush - fictional character crush absolutely - but authors, not really. I have some that I love and obsess over, but Peter Clines characters and storytelling is so much fun that I find myself crushing not only on his characters but on the author himself as well. I've been a huge fan for years and I've reread 14 and The Fold several times, so I was very excited to get my hands on this one. It did not disappoint. It's a clever concept. The American Dream an actual thing rather than an idea and protected by the Faceless Men - - brilliant. Loved it!
Eli lives in a town that time forgot. Nothing has changed for an age until one day when he spies Harry in her vintage car. Eli meets Harry a few more times over the years and Harry reveals she is part of a large scale scavenger hunt along with other history travelers. They're in search for the American dream which was stolen in the 1960s, whoever possesses the dream can shape the future of the country and of course everyone has a different dream for what their ideal country should look like. Pursued by the faceless men (once protectors of the dream they're now tracking down and killing travelers) Eli and Harry travel through history in search of the great American dream.
I loved this book so much, I want a series with the adventures of Eli and Harry. Time travel - sorry history travel - is a favourite genre of mine but it is so easy to do badly. Clines has a great balance of humour, a robust storyline, and some great history. The characters were fully developed, the dialogue witty and funny, and the paradoxes of time travel well thought out. For a book about the American dream it could have been OTT patriotic or overly critical of the current state of affairs but (and others may disagree) I didn't find that. There was no great speaches about America being the best or tirades about the many ways it isn't, it was just a statement that America was founded with some idealistic values and how great it would be for people to be inspired (by the dream) for greatness again. I hope to see more of the dream and Eli and Harry in the future (or the past).
Reread 2020: still love this book, even more so on the reread. It is so clever and has so many moments which make me smile. I hope to meet Eli and Harry again
I loved this book so much, I want a series with the adventures of Eli and Harry. Time travel - sorry history travel - is a favourite genre of mine but it is so easy to do badly. Clines has a great balance of humour, a robust storyline, and some great history. The characters were fully developed, the dialogue witty and funny, and the paradoxes of time travel well thought out. For a book about the American dream it could have been OTT patriotic or overly critical of the current state of affairs but (and others may disagree) I didn't find that. There was no great speaches about America being the best or tirades about the many ways it isn't, it was just a statement that America was founded with some idealistic values and how great it would be for people to be inspired (by the dream) for greatness again. I hope to see more of the dream and Eli and Harry in the future (or the past).
Reread 2020: still love this book, even more so on the reread. It is so clever and has so many moments which make me smile. I hope to meet Eli and Harry again
Another interesting idea, mixed with something i was not bothered about. Hunting for the American dream (great idea) via the use of classic automobiles (i hate driving and cars). Throw in some history travel (not time travel), being chased by faceless bad guys, and smidgen of romance, and you have yourself a plot.
This was a well paced book, and i enjoyed how a complex process was presented. Reminding readers that some things could be out of order, without spoiling that, was a great achievement.
I much prefer Peter Clines one off books, as he crams a lot of character in them, with a fair amount of quirk.
This was a well paced book, and i enjoyed how a complex process was presented. Reminding readers that some things could be out of order, without spoiling that, was a great achievement.
I much prefer Peter Clines one off books, as he crams a lot of character in them, with a fair amount of quirk.
I think I have a bit of a soft spot in my heart for books about time travel (sorry, history travel). The non-linear causality aspects are fun and exciting and make for story elements that are hard to anticipate.
I also felt that the main characters were also fairly well developed throughout the story in a natural way. All around a fun and engaging book.
And as usual, Ray Porter does an amazing job narrating the audiobook.
I also felt that the main characters were also fairly well developed throughout the story in a natural way. All around a fun and engaging book.
And as usual, Ray Porter does an amazing job narrating the audiobook.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I just couldn't finish it.
The characters were predictable and silly.
The plot reminded me of the car race competition movies made in the 1960's.
I wish I could say something positive, but it was such a repetitive uninteresting book I can't think of anything.
The characters were predictable and silly.
The plot reminded me of the car race competition movies made in the 1960's.
I wish I could say something positive, but it was such a repetitive uninteresting book I can't think of anything.
This wasn’t in the same world as 14 and the other one, but I still really enjoyed it. I also think it has a little to do with the narrator of the audio book, because he does the Bobiverse books and you know I’m over the moon for those. But Peter Clines definitely has my fandom, because I will keep reading whatever he writes. This was fun and sad and brain squeezing and I wish the American dream wasn’t in the hands of men, faceless or not, but of course a man is going to write his own kind into that crucial role no matter what. Loved the geek references, as usual, and can’t wait to see what he dreams up next.
Sigh. What to rate this one? It certainly wasn't terrible. I was interested enough in the characters to finish. But . . . OK. Time travel books always involve some suspension of disbelief. It just has to happen. There is going to be a dumb explanation somewhere but you just have to hope the story is good enough to get you over it. I'm not sure this book quite pulled it off. The premises are just too lame. There's a lady who drives around time in a car that runs on water and ends up pulling in this guy from a small town in Maine. They and a bunch of other people drive all through American history looking for what happened to the American Dream. It got stolen. (!) And now America's messed up and we have to find the Dream so hundreds of people are doing this. BUT there are dudes with no faces running around killing all these "searchers". Oh, and the dudes are the ones who were in charge of the Dream.
Yeah, me too.
Yeah, me too.
This book is very different from other Clines books that I've read. He has a reference in it to the world of two of his other books (14 and The Fold) which I appreciated. But other than that, this is a very different book. I'll admit, it's not my kind of book, but I still enjoyed it. I'm not usually one for historical fiction, but this book was kind of like National Treasure but with history travel (again, not time travel). I appreciated that the ending was different enough from what I as predicting. There's also a strong sense of humor throughout and the two main characters don't fall in love by the end of the book. All things I enjoy reading. Overall, it was a nice step outside my usual genre.