Scan barcode
A review by sk24
3:59 by Gretchen McNeil
5.0
4.5/5 stars
3:59 is told in third person from Josie's perspective. Josie is a teenage girl who feels as though her life is falling apart. Her parents are getting a divorce and her boyfriend just cheated on her with her best friend. She would definitely switch places with someone else if given the chance. So, when she discovers a portal leading to a parallel life seemingly the same as hers only better, she jumps at the chance to switch places with her "other self", Jo. But, once she experiences life in Jo's shoes, she quickly discovers that it's not as great as she thought. In fact, she can't wait to get back to her own life.
I really enjoyed 3:59, even more than I expected to. I thought the characters were great. With so many characters that were so similar in so many ways, it could have been easy to get lost with the development of each character. But, McNeil did a very good job. The characters were all developed very well and they all had their own unique personalities along with their own quirks to separate them from the others.
The story was really good and captivating. I really enjoyed it. The only complaint I would have is actually a pretty big mistake (hopefully they catch it and change it before the final copy comes out). Later in the book, Josie discovers that she is invincible to the attacks of the Nox (these strange and creepy creatures that attack, kill, and feed on humans). However, she was attacked by them near the beginning when she first entered Jo's universe. It just doesn't add up and it's a serious mistake in the storyline. At the end, they can't sense her and can't attack her, yet they already did earlier? It didn't ruin the story or anything, but it is a mistake that needs to be resolved!
McNeil did a good job telling this story with its parallel universes. I wasn't confused about anything having to do with the concept of the different universes. The story was unique and creatively told. There were also a bunch of twists and turns that I honestly didn't see coming, which is always awesome. I really loved the (not-so-perfect) ending! I would highly recommend this book.
Check out my other reviews on SIK Book Reviews
3:59 is told in third person from Josie's perspective. Josie is a teenage girl who feels as though her life is falling apart. Her parents are getting a divorce and her boyfriend just cheated on her with her best friend. She would definitely switch places with someone else if given the chance. So, when she discovers a portal leading to a parallel life seemingly the same as hers only better, she jumps at the chance to switch places with her "other self", Jo. But, once she experiences life in Jo's shoes, she quickly discovers that it's not as great as she thought. In fact, she can't wait to get back to her own life.
I really enjoyed 3:59, even more than I expected to. I thought the characters were great. With so many characters that were so similar in so many ways, it could have been easy to get lost with the development of each character. But, McNeil did a very good job. The characters were all developed very well and they all had their own unique personalities along with their own quirks to separate them from the others.
The story was really good and captivating. I really enjoyed it. The only complaint I would have is actually a pretty big mistake (hopefully they catch it and change it before the final copy comes out). Later in the book, Josie discovers that she is invincible to the attacks of the Nox (these strange and creepy creatures that attack, kill, and feed on humans). However, she was attacked by them near the beginning when she first entered Jo's universe. It just doesn't add up and it's a serious mistake in the storyline. At the end, they can't sense her and can't attack her, yet they already did earlier? It didn't ruin the story or anything, but it is a mistake that needs to be resolved!
McNeil did a good job telling this story with its parallel universes. I wasn't confused about anything having to do with the concept of the different universes. The story was unique and creatively told. There were also a bunch of twists and turns that I honestly didn't see coming, which is always awesome. I really loved the (not-so-perfect) ending! I would highly recommend this book.
Check out my other reviews on SIK Book Reviews