A review by isabeltavares
The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas

4.0

Whenever I visit my father, the trees in his garden are young again, and so is he. I will never take that for granted.

This one took me by surprise.
I usually don't read many sci-fi novels (but when I do, I really dislike them) but I kept seeing this one pop up around Booktube and the premise of four women creating the first time machine drew me in straight away.

A novel about women in STEM? What more could I want?

The novel follows their lives after they invent and present the time machine to the world, and also the lives of a few other characters. There is murder mystery as well that is unraveled as the story goes on.

What makes The Psychology of Time Travel extremely original is the fact it deals with the repercussions of time traveling in society, and in how it affects individuals mentally and socially. Mascarenhas writes about how skipping through time periods affect individuals in multiple ways, which was interesting to me.

Because they use time machines as they please, time travelers take everything around them for granted. If they miss someone, they can go back in time and visit, or they can go to the future to learn their fate. Nothing seems to faze them and, in part, nothing seems real when there's a possibility to skip ahead in time. They also consider themselves to be above "normal" people since they have an important job, and they have their own status in society.

I also enjoyed the culture the author created about time traveling, and how they develop their own expressions. They call their younger selves "green" and future selves "silver" because of the experience they obtain. And as they use the time machine and grow old, their views and personality also change.

The characters themselves were very interesting to read about but not remarkable. To me, what really stuck was the society Mascarenhas created and how she intertwines psychology with the usage of time machines. I also enjoyed the fact that a good chunk of the cast was queer, and it wasn't questioned by loved ones.

Overall, a very enjoyable and interesting read. I definitely see my "silver" self (get it?) rereading this and I look forward to this author's future works.

This arc was provided by Crooked Lane Books, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.