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A review by eyreguide
3:59 by Gretchen McNeil
5.0
Gretchen McNeil writes some amazing suspense stories, and 3:59 is another great one. The concept alone is chilling, so I was surprised by how much horror was put into the plot. The creatures in the parallel universe are so creepy, and the way the people have to live to cope with them makes it pretty important that Josie return to her own universe. I loved the set-up and execution of this story though for many more reasons.
Josie's life in her own time is full of high school drama and an unhappy family situation. It is a little shallow when compared to things to come, but perfectly captures what teenagers feel, and how these things seem so important to them. But there was a sense of humor about it - particularly in how Josie reacted to some situations. And in the snowballing effect of all the drama that piles on her. All the characters in this book did feel very familiar - the usual stereotypes you see in a teen thriller which made it easy to focus on the mystery of the parallel universes and why Jo is so eager to switch places with Josie.
I was really impressed by how much effort the author put into giving the parallel universes a valid scientific basis. Some of the descriptions and explanations might have gone over my head a little, but it definitely helped to make the world-building realistic. I love that Josie is smart in science and math and that it helped her get out of her predicament. She's a strong character and I admired that she acted well on both intellect and intuition.
The resolution of this story was edge-of-your-seat stuff, with a fantastic twist. The actual outcome for the characters was a little open-ended which was disappointing, but fitting because they were in such a difficult situation. I don't believe there is going to be a second book, so the reader can resolve it in their own way.
Josie's life in her own time is full of high school drama and an unhappy family situation. It is a little shallow when compared to things to come, but perfectly captures what teenagers feel, and how these things seem so important to them. But there was a sense of humor about it - particularly in how Josie reacted to some situations. And in the snowballing effect of all the drama that piles on her. All the characters in this book did feel very familiar - the usual stereotypes you see in a teen thriller which made it easy to focus on the mystery of the parallel universes and why Jo is so eager to switch places with Josie.
I was really impressed by how much effort the author put into giving the parallel universes a valid scientific basis. Some of the descriptions and explanations might have gone over my head a little, but it definitely helped to make the world-building realistic. I love that Josie is smart in science and math and that it helped her get out of her predicament. She's a strong character and I admired that she acted well on both intellect and intuition.
The resolution of this story was edge-of-your-seat stuff, with a fantastic twist. The actual outcome for the characters was a little open-ended which was disappointing, but fitting because they were in such a difficult situation. I don't believe there is going to be a second book, so the reader can resolve it in their own way.