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wanderer27's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
leyahmathew's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
2.5
ptstewart's review against another edition
5.0
Like others have said, this is a love story, but it is not a romantic love story. It’s the love story between a daughter and her father, a woman and her best friend, a woman and her life, and the possibilities of what her life could be. It’s beautiful. It’s conceptually simple but pulls on all the little complexities of life that are valuable at different stages, like worrying about a crush at sixteen and feeling powerful in your arguably insignificant job at thirty-nine.
Beautifully, Straub balances the difference in voice between POV/inner monologue, the dialogue of forty year olds, and the dialogue of sixteen year olds, even if they’re the same people. Alice’s narration is always thoughtful, often even, and consistently believable as a fully functional, real life person. Particularly as her younger self, her tone and diction in her dialogue—which differ from that of her adult self!—match that of a teenager while her inner voice remains free of likes and oh-my-Gods, which is a mistake many, many authors make.
At one point, Alice comments that all of the people in good fiction are real, and I agree. Because of the way that Straub constructs her voice and the depth and truth to Alice’s experience (we might all want to prevent death via the creation of wrinkles in time, but if we could experience our sixteenth birthday over and over, wouldn’t you take a detour every now and then to hang out a little longer with your best friend?), Alice, too, is real.
Ursula, on the other hand, is not. She can’t be. A fun detail, admittedly, but what a wildly batshit inclusion lol.
Beautifully, Straub balances the difference in voice between POV/inner monologue, the dialogue of forty year olds, and the dialogue of sixteen year olds, even if they’re the same people. Alice’s narration is always thoughtful, often even, and consistently believable as a fully functional, real life person. Particularly as her younger self, her tone and diction in her dialogue—which differ from that of her adult self!—match that of a teenager while her inner voice remains free of likes and oh-my-Gods, which is a mistake many, many authors make.
At one point, Alice comments that all of the people in good fiction are real, and I agree. Because of the way that Straub constructs her voice and the depth and truth to Alice’s experience (we might all want to prevent death via the creation of wrinkles in time, but if we could experience our sixteenth birthday over and over, wouldn’t you take a detour every now and then to hang out a little longer with your best friend?), Alice, too, is real.
Ursula, on the other hand, is not. She can’t be. A fun detail, admittedly, but what a wildly batshit inclusion lol.
rosemwood's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a love story but not the normal kind of love story. It is a love story between father and daughter. Beautifully written and told in Alice's pov (mfc). A Time Travel trope that brought up a few nostalgic 90s memories. This would be a great book for Father's Day. I recommend reading the author's side note in the back of the book.
muirk128's review against another edition
4.0
Why do time travel books pull me in so easily? I read this on a short trip to the beach, though it definitely wasn't a flimsy beach read. Love the possibilities, need to figure out the logistics in a future read.
catherine392's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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? Yes
4.0
zzz13's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
carsonelainee's review against another edition
3.0
*3.5
there's not much about this book i can say that hasn't already been said. it's a beautiful book about familial love, platonic love, and time travel.
i will say that it didn't hit as hard as i was wanting it to. all i saw was enormous praise, and while it is a phenomenal book,
it fell a little flat for me.
the strongest part of this book is alice's relationship with her father. it is the thread holding the book together. it reminded me a lot of the relationship i have with my father. it highlighted a lot of my greatest fears and my greatest loves. leonard was an amazing character and i stand by that.
the time travel was actually a very easy to grasp concept. it wasn't overly confusing or sciency. it made sense. well as much sense as time travel can make sense.
the middle part drags a little, plot wise, but the relationships that are explored in that time keep the book moving. the fact that alice always kept coming back for her friend and for her father is what kept me engaged.
the motivations of these characters and how the time travel affected them each time was genius.
and if i pictured alice as gwendoline christie? well? mind your business.
overall a strong book and definitely fits the reverse 13 going on 30 description i kept seeing.
there's not much about this book i can say that hasn't already been said. it's a beautiful book about familial love, platonic love, and time travel.
i will say that it didn't hit as hard as i was wanting it to. all i saw was enormous praise, and while it is a phenomenal book,
it fell a little flat for me.
the strongest part of this book is alice's relationship with her father. it is the thread holding the book together. it reminded me a lot of the relationship i have with my father. it highlighted a lot of my greatest fears and my greatest loves. leonard was an amazing character and i stand by that.
the time travel was actually a very easy to grasp concept. it wasn't overly confusing or sciency. it made sense. well as much sense as time travel can make sense.
the middle part drags a little, plot wise, but the relationships that are explored in that time keep the book moving. the fact that alice always kept coming back for her friend and for her father is what kept me engaged.
the motivations of these characters and how the time travel affected them each time was genius.
and if i pictured alice as gwendoline christie? well? mind your business.
overall a strong book and definitely fits the reverse 13 going on 30 description i kept seeing.
quinnt123's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this! Easy and quick read. It gave me things to think about during my own life transition being pregnant, but not in a heavy way - which I appreciated.