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katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
This is a sequel/companion piece to 'The Next Together', which I luckily read last year. You possibly CAN read this in isolation, but It makes much more sense in the context of its predecessor and refers to it regularly. I was certainly glad I knew the backstory.
Though I wouldn’t want to put anyone off. It’s Young Adult, time travel, romance and dystopia. And conceptually brilliant.
The daughter of two famous scientists grows up knowing she was abandoned by them as a young child, and discovers they may have developed a method of time travel. Eventually, she manages to use their research and sends herself back in time, hoping to find her parents. They may not be the only important people she meets…
It’s a very cleverly plotted novel, especially taken together with the first book, which dovetails excellently with this, in quite detailed ways (which readers will only know if they’ve read both). I loved encountering the same time periods a second time, and meeting the daughter of the protagonists from The Next Together.
It complements the first book beautifully, and wraps the story up nicely, with a great twist at the end that either completes the loop and finishes it all with a flourish, or else neatly allows for future (ha!) visits to Clove and her family.
A nice touch, Clove’s love story as well, good to put such a storyline in a YA novel.
I think time travel deserves a little exposure right now, this is a genre we don’t see a lot of, and this is particularly well plotted and thought through, with various issues discussed, lots of technology, it’s not too girly, there’s no sex or swearing, very little violence (only mentioned in passing in historical battle scenes), and I think adults as well as teenagers would really enjoy this.
With thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
Though I wouldn’t want to put anyone off. It’s Young Adult, time travel, romance and dystopia. And conceptually brilliant.
The daughter of two famous scientists grows up knowing she was abandoned by them as a young child, and discovers they may have developed a method of time travel. Eventually, she manages to use their research and sends herself back in time, hoping to find her parents. They may not be the only important people she meets…
It’s a very cleverly plotted novel, especially taken together with the first book, which dovetails excellently with this, in quite detailed ways (which readers will only know if they’ve read both). I loved encountering the same time periods a second time, and meeting the daughter of the protagonists from The Next Together.
It complements the first book beautifully, and wraps the story up nicely, with a great twist at the end that either completes the loop and finishes it all with a flourish, or else neatly allows for future (ha!) visits to Clove and her family.
A nice touch, Clove’s love story as well, good to put such a storyline in a YA novel.
I think time travel deserves a little exposure right now, this is a genre we don’t see a lot of, and this is particularly well plotted and thought through, with various issues discussed, lots of technology, it’s not too girly, there’s no sex or swearing, very little violence (only mentioned in passing in historical battle scenes), and I think adults as well as teenagers would really enjoy this.
With thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
bookmaster4's review against another edition
4.0
Ok so if you’ve read the first book and you’re a bit confused or you weren’t sure about the ending and wondering if you should read this one READ IT. It takes a bit to get past the exposition but once you do the first book makes so much sense! Some of the time travel rules were sketchy but it made enough sense that I didn’t really care. Clove is very real, and I loved her very human reactions to the novel’s conflicts. And Spart’s personality is amazing. Four stars because the writing is very beginning of career and the romances weren’t as good as the other one.
linneaandspybat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
katiebookqueen's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my GOSH. I don’t even know where to start with this book. Since I read The Next Together, I have been dying (literally DYING) to get my hands on this sequel, and let me tell you, it was everything I wanted it to be and more. The Last Beginning follows Clove, the daughter of Katherine and Matthew, who was born right at the end of the previous book. It’s been sixteen years since her birth, and she has grown up believing that Matthew’s brother Tom, and Tom’s wife Jen, are her biological parents. When she discovers the truth about her past, she makes the decision to use the time machine created by Tom and Jen to get some answers. But time travel is tricky, and not everything goes to plan.
First of all, let my start by saying that this book is so CLEVER. Honestly, the way it ties in with the first book is brilliant and well thought out. I had to grab my copy of The Next Together from my shelf and go back to certain parts now that I understood it more. There were so many ‘OOOOHHHHH’ moments and I need to praise Lauren James for her wonderful brain. The time travel in the story works out so well, and I love that whilst the plot was intricate and complex, I never felt too confused by what was happening. I’ve read time-travel stories before that have just mind-boggled me to the point that it wasn’t enjoyable, but James explains everything perfectly in due course.
So moving on to the characters. I LOVE CLOVE AND ELLA SO MUCH, I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLAIN. Their chemistry is perfect and I was living for scenes between them. (I would also highly recommend reading Lauren’s lovely post about her decision to give this sequel an LGBT protagonist.) Clove journeying through time leads her to cross paths with Ella, who is more linked to Clove’s timeline than she ever could have imagined. Their relationship builds beautifully and the lighthearted moments between them made for touching breaks in the tension-filled race through time. It was great to also revisit characters I thought we’d left behind in the first book (like certain coachmen from a certain year…) AND I NEED TO MENTION HOW MUCH I LOVE SPART, OH MY GOD. Spart is an AI created by Tom and finally I was able to find out what was behind the computer text that appeared throughout The Next Together. Spart was so much fun and I want my own one. When will it be a thing??
Like with The Next Together, the story was told in part through articles, documents, and excerpts. There was also the lovely addition of social media interaction between Clove and Ella, with even a couple of adorable Snapchats thrown in too. These little inserts bring another layer to the story and the characters, and the story works so much better because of them. The language used was current and relatable, and I loved the references cleverly dotted throughout. Also, the humour is on point.
This story perfectly tied up every loose end from the first book and it was satisfying to realise how the two books threaded together to create such a smart story. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect conclusion. I also need to mention how believable the writing was - it made me feel as though any of the events that happened within the pages could actually happen in real life (YES, I AM EXPECTING A WORKING TIME MACHINE BY THE YEAR 2056). I’m so glad I decided to read this thrilling SciFi duology and I’m super excited for whatever stories Lauren James might have planned in the future.
First of all, let my start by saying that this book is so CLEVER. Honestly, the way it ties in with the first book is brilliant and well thought out. I had to grab my copy of The Next Together from my shelf and go back to certain parts now that I understood it more. There were so many ‘OOOOHHHHH’ moments and I need to praise Lauren James for her wonderful brain. The time travel in the story works out so well, and I love that whilst the plot was intricate and complex, I never felt too confused by what was happening. I’ve read time-travel stories before that have just mind-boggled me to the point that it wasn’t enjoyable, but James explains everything perfectly in due course.
So moving on to the characters. I LOVE CLOVE AND ELLA SO MUCH, I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLAIN. Their chemistry is perfect and I was living for scenes between them. (I would also highly recommend reading Lauren’s lovely post about her decision to give this sequel an LGBT protagonist.) Clove journeying through time leads her to cross paths with Ella, who is more linked to Clove’s timeline than she ever could have imagined. Their relationship builds beautifully and the lighthearted moments between them made for touching breaks in the tension-filled race through time. It was great to also revisit characters I thought we’d left behind in the first book (like certain coachmen from a certain year…) AND I NEED TO MENTION HOW MUCH I LOVE SPART, OH MY GOD. Spart is an AI created by Tom and finally I was able to find out what was behind the computer text that appeared throughout The Next Together. Spart was so much fun and I want my own one. When will it be a thing??
Like with The Next Together, the story was told in part through articles, documents, and excerpts. There was also the lovely addition of social media interaction between Clove and Ella, with even a couple of adorable Snapchats thrown in too. These little inserts bring another layer to the story and the characters, and the story works so much better because of them. The language used was current and relatable, and I loved the references cleverly dotted throughout. Also, the humour is on point.
This story perfectly tied up every loose end from the first book and it was satisfying to realise how the two books threaded together to create such a smart story. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect conclusion. I also need to mention how believable the writing was - it made me feel as though any of the events that happened within the pages could actually happen in real life (YES, I AM EXPECTING A WORKING TIME MACHINE BY THE YEAR 2056). I’m so glad I decided to read this thrilling SciFi duology and I’m super excited for whatever stories Lauren James might have planned in the future.
aimeesbookishlife's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it, but I didn't enjoy this as much as [b:The Next Together|23266378|The Next Together (The Next Together, #1)|Lauren James|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1426278095s/23266378.jpg|42807209].
I think it's because I went into TNT deliberately blind, having been told that the best way to enjoy it was to know as little as possible about it, and I loved getting thrown into the story straightaway. That didn't work the same way for TLB, but it's hard to explain why without spoiling the whole book, which seems a bit pointless in a review aimed at people deciding whether or not to read it. Essentially, the book delves back into all the action from TNT from a different perspective, so we get to know who was pulling the strings and why they made certain decisions.
I think this sequel will work for people who finished TNT wanting to know exactly what happens. Personally, I enjoyed not knowing the answers. I would have preferred a sequel that focused entirely on a new story, or no sequel at all.
I think it's because I went into TNT deliberately blind, having been told that the best way to enjoy it was to know as little as possible about it, and I loved getting thrown into the story straightaway. That didn't work the same way for TLB, but it's hard to explain why without spoiling the whole book, which seems a bit pointless in a review aimed at people deciding whether or not to read it. Essentially, the book delves back into all the action from TNT from a different perspective, so we get to know who was pulling the strings and why they made certain decisions.
I think this sequel will work for people who finished TNT wanting to know exactly what happens. Personally, I enjoyed not knowing the answers. I would have preferred a sequel that focused entirely on a new story, or no sequel at all.
anonymous_traveller's review against another edition
4.0
The HP references bothered me the most but otherwise the plot is mind blowing.
zoe_reads_alot's review against another edition
4.0
This book whilst was very different to the first book I still really liked it. James took a big risk adding the time travel aspect into it which can often be confusing if done poorly but if anything it makes the first book seem more clear and cover up some plot holes. I also really enjoyed the LGBT+ narrator in it, especially after the first "straight" romance novel.
leothil's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this one more than its predecessor, and I think it's because almost everything got an explanation as it happened. The first book set the scene for everything in this one, and it was nice to see the callbacks to previous plot points.
paulina1996's review against another edition
5.0
FINALLY, EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE!
Although I had an inkling about who Clove was, it was nice to finally be able to read it on paper!
The order has been restored, everything makes sense now (more or less) and I now have so many feelings about Clove and Ella, and Kate and Matt and all you beautiful characters. Is it possible to love so many characters from one single series?
Everything about this book was wonderful, I don’t feel like I need to even review it as I’ll always remember how much I loved this book, but for my own sake of mind and my terrible memory here’s a summary.
I’m not even a massive science fiction fan, but after these two books I feel like I am truly on my way to becoming one.
Although I had an inkling about who Clove was, it was nice to finally be able to read it on paper!
The order has been restored, everything makes sense now (more or less) and I now have so many feelings about Clove and Ella, and Kate and Matt and all you beautiful characters. Is it possible to love so many characters from one single series?
Everything about this book was wonderful, I don’t feel like I need to even review it as I’ll always remember how much I loved this book, but for my own sake of mind and my terrible memory here’s a summary.
I’m not even a massive science fiction fan, but after these two books I feel like I am truly on my way to becoming one.