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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
So I bought this book purely because Cumbria is in the first line. It’s so rare for me to see my home county mentioned in a book that isn’t purely about the Lake District and while I’ll admit that this isn’t a particularly solid reason for buying a book I’m so glad it did.
What a really fucking cool and fun book to read. It had everything going for it. A murder mystery, a love story, inclusivity and a dog. Perfect book really.
What a really fucking cool and fun book to read. It had everything going for it. A murder mystery, a love story, inclusivity and a dog. Perfect book really.
I am always intrigued by time travel narratives and this one has to be one of the more conceptually inventive that I've read. It doesn't hurt that it is also a beautiful multitude of voices sharing the story, all of whom are female protagonists of different backgrounds—women of color, queer women, those from all different social and geographical backgrounds.
So often—in real life and in fiction—the achievements of women have been overshadowed by those of men. But Mascarenhas has her pioneers (the people who invent time travel) all be women, which means their contribution can't be erased, as they will continue to appear and reappear in the future and past. Perhaps that is one reason so many women are drawn to time travel in the book, as there seem to be many more women than men who take up the reigns.
As with any book where you're messing about with time, there have to be rules, and the slow uncovering of how time works and what the time travelers are able to do and not do is one of the true pleasures of this book. There are several time periods and many characters at play between the chapters, but I didn't have trouble keeping the narrative threads straight at all. It felt great to see all the plot points fall into place—some just how I'd guessed and others that truly surprised me. This book is nothing if not expertly plotted and paced.
Yes, this is pitched as a murder mystery, which is definitely true, but it is also a deeply interior and psychological tale exploring the impact that time travel has on people. What can it do to your body, your mind? How might it impact your relationships with your loved ones, with yourself? When you know too much about your own future and those of the people you are close to, how do you cope? There are so many questions that the narrative not only brings up but (in my opinion, more importantly) explores.
The murder mystery segment is definitely an integral part of the forward motion of the plot, being what brings characters together, forces them out of their comfort zones, and makes things happen. But it really isn't the point of the book. I found myself much more interested in the development of the characters, their relationships, how they moved through life and through time, found each other and coped. The mystery is just something that touches all of them and starts raising those important questions.
If you like books about time travel, this one is obviously for you. But I think this feminist and literary examination of relationships, psychology, and science will appeal to many. It's going to be a book I think about for a long time. It's hard to say I've already found a book that might be a favorite of 2019 when 2018 isn't even over yet, but keep your eyes open for this one!
My thanks to Crooked Lane Books for my advance copy to read and review. This review is part of the blog tour for this book. Check out the review on my blog to see more: https://www.shelfstalker.net/blog/the-psychology-of-time-travel-kate-mascarenhas
The Psychology of Time Travel publishes 2/12/19.
So often—in real life and in fiction—the achievements of women have been overshadowed by those of men. But Mascarenhas has her pioneers (the people who invent time travel) all be women, which means their contribution can't be erased, as they will continue to appear and reappear in the future and past. Perhaps that is one reason so many women are drawn to time travel in the book, as there seem to be many more women than men who take up the reigns.
As with any book where you're messing about with time, there have to be rules, and the slow uncovering of how time works and what the time travelers are able to do and not do is one of the true pleasures of this book. There are several time periods and many characters at play between the chapters, but I didn't have trouble keeping the narrative threads straight at all. It felt great to see all the plot points fall into place—some just how I'd guessed and others that truly surprised me. This book is nothing if not expertly plotted and paced.
Yes, this is pitched as a murder mystery, which is definitely true, but it is also a deeply interior and psychological tale exploring the impact that time travel has on people. What can it do to your body, your mind? How might it impact your relationships with your loved ones, with yourself? When you know too much about your own future and those of the people you are close to, how do you cope? There are so many questions that the narrative not only brings up but (in my opinion, more importantly) explores.
The murder mystery segment is definitely an integral part of the forward motion of the plot, being what brings characters together, forces them out of their comfort zones, and makes things happen. But it really isn't the point of the book. I found myself much more interested in the development of the characters, their relationships, how they moved through life and through time, found each other and coped. The mystery is just something that touches all of them and starts raising those important questions.
If you like books about time travel, this one is obviously for you. But I think this feminist and literary examination of relationships, psychology, and science will appeal to many. It's going to be a book I think about for a long time. It's hard to say I've already found a book that might be a favorite of 2019 when 2018 isn't even over yet, but keep your eyes open for this one!
My thanks to Crooked Lane Books for my advance copy to read and review. This review is part of the blog tour for this book. Check out the review on my blog to see more: https://www.shelfstalker.net/blog/the-psychology-of-time-travel-kate-mascarenhas
The Psychology of Time Travel publishes 2/12/19.
I have never enjoyed the concept of time travel until reading this, from romance to mystery to ethical and moral dilemmas, this book had me gripped from the get go. Characters range from loveable, to irritating, to downright horrors, the full range is expressed here and I lapped up every detail! Every detail of the book, every single morsel of information given seems meticulously planned out all leading up to a brilliant conclusion that, while may have been guessed by the reader toward the end, was filled with details and information that was new and exciting. The added glossary of psychometric tests was a brilliant inclusion and as a psychologist gave an extra dimension to the planning and care that went into creating this beautiful piece of fiction.
I found this book hard to concentrate on, the constant change between characters and timelines was confusing at times. However, i did enjoy the story and the characters. The ending was perfect as I was a little concerned it wouldn't end the way i wanted (no spoilers).
The last few chapters felt a bit muddled but I mostly enjoyed this female-led mystery rooted in the exploration of "what if we'd invented time travel in the 1960s instead of space travel?"
The story involves time travel and a toxic workplace. I like time travel stories and enjoyed this take on the time travel trope. What was difficult was remembering who all the characters were and who they were related to or directly connected to. This was an issue right up until the end for me. If I'd been reading this in book form instead of on my Kindle, I'd have been mapping out a family tree on the inside front cover that I could flip back and consult. I think the issue was, with the exception of Margaret and Bee, there wasn't a huge difference between the different characters. There also wasn't a massive difference between time periods when the story skipped ahead or back into the past. What was enjoyable for me was the world building for the rules of time travel. This one is just a sliver shy of a 4 for the world building.
I hadn't heard of this book before when I pulled it from the shelf at an airport bookstore last December but the title (psychology? time travel?? tell me more) and the cover drew me in, and after reading the blurb on the back, I thought it would be right up my alley.
I'm glad I did make the impulse decision to buy this book (even though it's taken me 5 months to get around to reading it) because this is one of my favorite reads all year. The world-building around time travel -- people meeting their "green" and "silver" selves, the notion of "genies" i.e. acausal objects, time travel affecting travelers' views of the world (The Psychology of Time Travel, if you will) -- was absolutely fascinating. I also loved the interweaving of all the characters' stories throughout different timelines -- I thought it was very well done.
My only complaint with this book -- which has nothing to do with the substance of the writing, and may be specific to the edition I bought -- is that the editing was a bit lackluster, particularly around the formatting of dialogue. Quite often, a new character would begin speaking without a line break, which would throw me off and I'd have to double-check which character was speaking. There were also times where I thought Mascarenhas was doing a bit more telling than showing, but I got used to her writing style quickly and I think it actually worked well here, giving the book a "story-telling" vibe.
Normally, I mostly read books that have been recommended to me by friends with similar reading tastes, or books that I see pop up regularly on my Goodreads feed. However, books like this remind me that I should also branch out beyond recommendations and pick up books that catch my eye at the library (or airport bookstore) from time to time.
I'm glad I did make the impulse decision to buy this book (even though it's taken me 5 months to get around to reading it) because this is one of my favorite reads all year. The world-building around time travel -- people meeting their "green" and "silver" selves, the notion of "genies" i.e. acausal objects, time travel affecting travelers' views of the world (The Psychology of Time Travel, if you will) -- was absolutely fascinating. I also loved the interweaving of all the characters' stories throughout different timelines -- I thought it was very well done.
My only complaint with this book -- which has nothing to do with the substance of the writing, and may be specific to the edition I bought -- is that the editing was a bit lackluster, particularly around the formatting of dialogue. Quite often, a new character would begin speaking without a line break, which would throw me off and I'd have to double-check which character was speaking. There were also times where I thought Mascarenhas was doing a bit more telling than showing, but I got used to her writing style quickly and I think it actually worked well here, giving the book a "story-telling" vibe.
Normally, I mostly read books that have been recommended to me by friends with similar reading tastes, or books that I see pop up regularly on my Goodreads feed. However, books like this remind me that I should also branch out beyond recommendations and pick up books that catch my eye at the library (or airport bookstore) from time to time.
This was just the weirdest book. I enjoyed aspects of it - the examination of the long term mental health and social relational effects of time travel for example - but the plot was predictable, the cast of characters was very one dimensional, and I just didn’t CARE. But yet I finished the book, when other books I definitely would have DNF’d... *shrug*
OH MY GOD. A time travel book. Is there anything better? Oh - and don't forget the rabbit, Patrick Troughton.
We're in the late 1960's here and for women, Barbara, Margaret, Lucille and Grace are experimenting with time travel with a little help from Patrick, the rabbit.
Unfortunately, in front of the worlds press, one of the women has a breakdown . . . .
Fifty years later, Barbara receives a letter from the future, her granddaughter Ruby is a psychologist and worried about this message that Granny has received and then someone discovers a dead body a few months later.
Even though this was just a sample of the book, it's a decent size and certainly more than enough to make you hungry for more. I can't wait to read more.
We're in the late 1960's here and for women, Barbara, Margaret, Lucille and Grace are experimenting with time travel with a little help from Patrick, the rabbit.
Unfortunately, in front of the worlds press, one of the women has a breakdown . . . .
Fifty years later, Barbara receives a letter from the future, her granddaughter Ruby is a psychologist and worried about this message that Granny has received and then someone discovers a dead body a few months later.
Even though this was just a sample of the book, it's a decent size and certainly more than enough to make you hungry for more. I can't wait to read more.