Timebound
This story has depth to it that borders on surreal. First of all, let me warn you: I started the sample and put it aside after a chapter or two for a couple of months. Why? Not that it was bad, but it didn't reach out and grab me. Plus, the beginning comes across like this will be a much more juvenile novel than it really is. Let me explain.The whole scene at the beginning with the object and grandma at dinner: it seems a bit hokey at first glance. I read and enjoy quite a bit of YA literature, so I didn't think this lightly. However, I did pick it back up and decided to give it a shot, as the overall story sounded intriguing.
And, boy, am I glad I did. That first scene doesn't seem quite so silly looking back, now that I know the backstory and so much more about the characters involved. In fact, that scene now holds a special place in the story for me.
I'll be honest: I have no clue how Rysa Walker handles the storyboard for the meandering plotlines involved in this story (and beyond into the rest of the series so far). I imagine her office to look like the scene in Heroes where all the timelines are strung up across the room. Okay, so bear with me here. It's not a light read. This book makes you think in the sense of forcing you to try to keep track of who is who and which who is which and where and when which who went... and you get the point. Parts can be confusing. But in the most exciting way! I swear you will probably either love or hate this book. But you have to give it a shot beyond a couple of chapters. The time travel mechanism and rules are some of the most well-thought out I've ever seen.
I really, really like the main character, Kate, and that isn't always the case for me with YA books. Kate is... normal. And I mean that in a good way. Yeah, she's a teenager. Yeah, she has flaws and makes mistakes. I want a main character that is human, who makes mistakes, but not every single time. And not because they are truly just annoying and selfish to their very bones. That is not a hero, or even an anti-hero. Anti-heroes are redeemable. Teenagers may be selfish to some degree in general, but they aren't all as bad as some authors would have you believe. That's all I'm saying people. And Kate is a normal girl. Thank you, Rysa Walker.
Nothing else about this book is normal though. The timelines get more complex as the story moves on, and some of it is crushingly sad in my opinion, but overall this is a wonderfully exciting thrill ride of a book...err... series. The second book is out, as well as the prequel. Both of them are awesome as well. This is definitely one of my top three series right now, and I cannot wait for the next book in the CHRONOS files to come out. Congrats to Ms. Walker on a job well done, and good luck to her in future endeavors! I'll be following this series and many more I'm sure.
Read the entire review on my blog:http://wp.me/p3UXmX-1mn
