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A review by bookwormlukas
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
5.0
There is a romance/love triangle in this book, and I LIKED it. Who knew that could happen?
This was one of the most interesting YA novels I have read in long while. I really wasn't sure what to expect going in as all I really knew was that it was about time travel. For that reason I think part of me was expecting something ultra futuristic or scientifically complicated, but instead what we get is a very well played and thought out character study.
The story here is all about a future world that has basically gone to hell, and the kids who travel back in time to try and stop it. The overall concept is undeniably simple, and it really relies on the characters to bring the world and the story to life. Due to the time travel, the novel deals with three characters all in different periods of their life over a 15 year period. You learn that one of these kids is responsible for all the atrocities that will happen in the future, and see his best friends going from loving and supporting him(in the past), to eventually trying to kill him(by going back in time).
The whole idea in general feels very clever, and it's a nice touch to see the growth of the characters, and see the type of people that the times loops have forced them to become. The novels two narrators are actually the same character, one from the past, and one from the future, so you really see how her feelings and relationships with the other two really change and develop. I won't say the time travel is used here as a gimmick, but it's definitely more underplayed than I assumed it would be. It's going for a more real vibe, as opposed to explaining how everything is actually done, you just kind of accept that time travel is possible and read on, it works.
The biggest issue that the novel deals with is the concept of, whether or not if you could go back in time and stop someone before they commit terrible atrocities before they have even had the thought of doing so, would you? What if that person was one of your best friends? Or the love of your life? It's an interesting situation, and the author makes this become the main dramatic point for the novel.
I'm probably not making too much sense when talking about this book, as it's kind of hard to discuss the particular elements that I loved without giving away the twists and turns of the plot. I'm just going to let my 5 star rating do the talking for me.
This was one of the most interesting YA novels I have read in long while. I really wasn't sure what to expect going in as all I really knew was that it was about time travel. For that reason I think part of me was expecting something ultra futuristic or scientifically complicated, but instead what we get is a very well played and thought out character study.
The story here is all about a future world that has basically gone to hell, and the kids who travel back in time to try and stop it. The overall concept is undeniably simple, and it really relies on the characters to bring the world and the story to life. Due to the time travel, the novel deals with three characters all in different periods of their life over a 15 year period. You learn that one of these kids is responsible for all the atrocities that will happen in the future, and see his best friends going from loving and supporting him(in the past), to eventually trying to kill him(by going back in time).
The whole idea in general feels very clever, and it's a nice touch to see the growth of the characters, and see the type of people that the times loops have forced them to become. The novels two narrators are actually the same character, one from the past, and one from the future, so you really see how her feelings and relationships with the other two really change and develop. I won't say the time travel is used here as a gimmick, but it's definitely more underplayed than I assumed it would be. It's going for a more real vibe, as opposed to explaining how everything is actually done, you just kind of accept that time travel is possible and read on, it works.
The biggest issue that the novel deals with is the concept of, whether or not if you could go back in time and stop someone before they commit terrible atrocities before they have even had the thought of doing so, would you? What if that person was one of your best friends? Or the love of your life? It's an interesting situation, and the author makes this become the main dramatic point for the novel.
I'm probably not making too much sense when talking about this book, as it's kind of hard to discuss the particular elements that I loved without giving away the twists and turns of the plot. I'm just going to let my 5 star rating do the talking for me.