Book Review: Hourglass

Title: Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Release Date: June 14, 2011
Publisher: Egmont USA
Pages: 397 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Hourglass is a great combination of paranormal and sci-fi. Emerson has been seeing ghostly apparitions for years and naturally believes she is crazy. She has a very supportive and loving family and a friend but still feels like freak and an outsider. When she meets Michael and the other consultants from the Hourglass, she realizes that she is not crazy and not alone with her abilities.

The concept behind Hourglass is original and I enjoyed it. I read this book at a great time because I needed something different. I loved the things Emerson saw: the people, the scenery and the way Myra McEntire describes them. The characters are well rounded and likable. While I did not love the hot and cold relationship between Emerson and Michael and the bit of a love triangle that developed with Kaleb, the book’s sci-fi elements more than made up for them. Also, I want to know more about Emerson’s friend Lily and I hope we will in the future.

While Hourglass does have a satisfying ending (hooray for no cliffhangers!), the book leaves you wanting to know more about the characters and their abilities. I am looking forward to the sequel.

Content: Kissing, mild profanity and some violence.