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pinotconnoir's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Beautiful writing style. Liked the time travel concept a lot, but had a bit of trouble understanding some parts at an emotional level. I think it was lacking some indescribable depth for me specifically, so it didn’t resonate as much as it could have. It did remind me of some favorite books “To Paradise” and “This Is How You Lose The Time War”. I think I’d have liked it more if it were a bit longer or something. I am interested to read more from this author because I think her prose is gorgeous. Just didn’t quite get this one I don’t think.
wetsmoke's review against another edition
4.0
It’s a beautifully-woven story that scratches the itch for both a mentally stimulating thought experiment and for something that tugs on your heart strings.
There was one plot point towards the end that I thought was a bit of a cheat, but other than that, the storyline was really compelling.
You should read this book.
There was one plot point towards the end that I thought was a bit of a cheat, but other than that, the storyline was really compelling.
You should read this book.
brighetti's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.75
Very enjoyable read! I particularly liked the plot twist(s), but also enjoyed the character setting and the insights into the characters emotions.
mandtastic's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
A sci-fi time travel story with intertwined lives. It was well written and I enjoyed it.
milobubba's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jkhawes's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
toritellini's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
robmclaverty's review against another edition
2.0
I read and enjoyed Station Eleven and was excited to read another book by the same author. However, the plot, characters and the world created in this book are so clunky that it really didn't work for me.
The lead character makes an inexplicable meteoric rise from deadbeat "hotel detective" (which seemingly has no real impact on the story) to time-travelling officianado at a world-leading scientific institution.
It is implied the Time Institute is some kind of evil bureaucracy and will stop at nothing for the sake of self-preservation. But the Time Institute seems to be devoid of bureaucrats, and apparently scientific staff can freely hire their own siblings as time-travellers without as much as form being filled.
Gaspery's apparently five years of brutal training occurs over a laughably short paragraph (presumably it went swimmingly). All this training occurring so he could travel to several different historical times within the space of a day. When he goes rogue on his first day, the Time Institute seem willing to just let him crack on with messing things up without so much as a warning.
Despite the numerous annoyances like those mentioned above, the area where this book really fails to deliver is in building any kind of rapport, tension or sense of empathy with the decisions of the characters. The author puts some time into building the characters some history and backstory, but then nothing really happens to test these characters. Ultimately while reading this book it feels like there is nothing at stake.
Overall a disappointing read, that felt like it started with great potential.
The lead character makes an inexplicable meteoric rise from deadbeat "hotel detective" (which seemingly has no real impact on the story) to time-travelling officianado at a world-leading scientific institution.
It is implied the Time Institute is some kind of evil bureaucracy and will stop at nothing for the sake of self-preservation. But the Time Institute seems to be devoid of bureaucrats, and apparently scientific staff can freely hire their own siblings as time-travellers without as much as form being filled.
Gaspery's apparently five years of brutal training occurs over a laughably short paragraph (presumably it went swimmingly). All this training occurring so he could travel to several different historical times within the space of a day. When he goes rogue on his first day, the Time Institute seem willing to just let him crack on with messing things up without so much as a warning.
Despite the numerous annoyances like those mentioned above, the area where this book really fails to deliver is in building any kind of rapport, tension or sense of empathy with the decisions of the characters. The author puts some time into building the characters some history and backstory, but then nothing really happens to test these characters. Ultimately while reading this book it feels like there is nothing at stake.
Overall a disappointing read, that felt like it started with great potential.
mattysmith25's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0