Book Review: Timepiece

Title: Timepiece by Myra McEntire
Release Date: June 12, 2012
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 336 pages
Genre: Paranormal, Science Fiction

Goodreads Summary: A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...

Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?

Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results.
Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...

I really liked Hourglass, the first book in this series. I don’t often read YA books on time travel and Hourglass was very cool with a plot that featured both paranormal and science fiction elements. When I saw that my library got the sequel, Timepiece, I made sure to reserve my copy so I could read it right away.

The science/time travel aspects of the plot in Hourglass were intricate and I understood them while I was reading that first book but since that was a year ago, I can’t remember what they were. I spent most of this book trying to remember how and why the whole thing worked and the confusion took away from the plot for me. However, McEntire’s descriptions of the time rips are great and the characters’ different paranormal powers are very cool.

Unlike the first book which was told from Emerson’s perspective, Timepiece is told from Kaleb’s which didn’t bother me. I did not like Kaleb in the first book. He was a cocky, self-destructive bad boy and I disliked the love triangle that was developing with him, Emerson and Michael. I’m happy that McEntire gave Kaleb his own love interest and that the reader got inside his head to see why he behaved the way he did. I finished Timepiece liking Kaleb a lot more than I did before. Interestingly enough, Emerson annoyed me in this book with her constant need to be assured and canoodled by Michael.

Timepiece is an OK book which would have been much better for me if I had read it back to back with Hourglass. The book does not end with a cliffhanger (yay!) but there are enough loose ends left to warrant another book in the series.

Content: Kissing, sexual situations and violence.

My Rating: Just Fine

Book Review: Waterfall

Title: Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren
Release Date: Feb. 1, 2011
Publisher: David C. Cook
Pages: 352 pages
Genre: Historical, Christian
Rating: 5 stars
Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary: Lisa Tawn Bergren's new YA series, River of Time, is romantic, historical fiction in which the plucky heroine doesn't have to fear a vampire's bite but must still fight for her life.

In Waterfall, American teenager Gabi Betarrini accidently finds herself in Fourteenth-Century Italy . . . Knights. Swords. Horses. Armor. And Italian hotties. Most American teens want an Italian vacation, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives there with their archaeologist parents. Stuck on yet another hot, dusty dig, they are bored out of their minds... until they place their hands atop handprints in an ancient tomb and find themselves catapulted into the Fourteenth Century and in the middle of a fierce battle between knights bent on killing one another.

Bored and annoyed that they are going to spend yet another summer at an archeological site and not allowed to touch anything, Gabi convinces her sister Lia to sneak into the site with her where Gabi is accidentally sent through time and finds herself in the middle of battle between neighboring castles. The action starts right away as Gabi is rescued by the swoon worthy Marcello and his men. Not knowing if Lia traveled through time as well, Gabi works to find her, find a way back home and protect herself from falling for Marcello…

I have seen tons of glowing reviews for Waterfall and have been dying to see what all the hype is about but it’s not hype if the book really is that good! Waterfall is an awesome mix of time travel, romance, fast paced action/adventure and political intrigue.

Gabi is a very likable character. She is smart, resourceful and can ride a horse and wield a sword like it’s nobody’s business. Having archeologists for parents, she speaks Italian and has a decent grasp on medieval history. The novel is told in first person from Gabi’s point of view so while she has to speak in a manner appropriate to the time period, her thoughts are that of any modern teenager and she is hilarious. Gabi is devoted to her family and I love her relationship with Lia (who is very Katniss-esque with a bow and arrow). Clearly, the girls in Waterfall rock and while Marcello is clearly the leading man in this story, his older brother Fortino and his cousin Luca are awesome as well and I can’t wait to learn more about them.

The one and only thing that I did not love about the story is that when Marcello meets Gabi, he is engaged to someone else and despite the relationship being arranged by their parents and the girl being not very nice, it still bothered me just a bit.

Waterfall is the kind of book that as soon as you finish it, you need to read the sequel right away so I am very happy that Cascade has already been released. The books are classified as historical Christian fiction, a genre that I like a lot. I know many readers avoid Christian fiction like the plague but the Christian elements in Waterfall are not overwhelming and flow very well with the story.

From other reviews I have seen, Waterfall has immense crossover appeal and I hope publishers are taking note. Christian YA can have the heart stopping romance, adventure, cool supernatural elements, be fun and successful and still stay true to the genre. Waterfall, and the entire River of Time Series by Ms. Bergren, are exactly my kind of books and I would love to read more like them.

Content: Kissing and violence.

Book Review: Found

Title: Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Release Date: April 22, 2008
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing
Pages: 320 pages
Genre: Science Fiction, Middle Grade
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: An unidentified airplane appears out of nowhere. When the aircraft is boarded, its only occupants are babies; once they are removed, the pilotless plane vanishes. Jonah and Chip, now teenagers, discover that they were among the "airborne orphans." Rather than forgetting the past, the two boys decide to venture into it, risking their survival to right the wrongs of time.

Jonah and his friend Chip, both adopted, receive ominous letters in the mail telling them they are one of the missing and that people are coming back for them. At first they think it’s a prank but working with Jonah’s sister, Katherine, they dig deeper and find themselves at the center of a mystery and cover-up that may lead to them finding out who they really are and where they came from.

Found is a fast paced middle-grade book that both boys or girls can enjoy. Jonah is a likable, well adjusted 13-year-old who has a loving relationship with his parents and a typical love/disgust relationship with 11-year-old Katherine. Jonah likes his life and is not really interested in finding out about his birth parents or the circumstances behind his adoption.

Chip, on the other hand, is a bit of a brat but you get the impression that his behavior stems from the difficult relationship with his absentee parents who prefer to buy him things than spend quality time with him or effectively communicate with him. Because of his relationship with his adopted parents, Chip is driven to find his birth parents and Jonah, out of a sense obligation to his friend, joins him to find answers. Believing the letters have something to do with their adoptions, Jonah and Chip along with Katherine unravel the mystery and find out more about themselves than they bargain for.

Found is fairly easy to read and I would recommend it to younger teens or tweens who are reluctant readers. The mystery moves the story forward, the science fiction elements are not unique but are done in a fresh way and the action, especially at the end, adds to the excitement. The book does end with a cliffhanger, so be prepared to get a copy of the other books in the series, Sent, Sabotaged and Torn for your young reader as well. Torn will be available on August 23, 2011.

Content: Violence

Free Ebook!

Title: Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren
Publisher: David C. Cook
Release Date: Feb. 1, 2011
Get the free ebook at Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Goodreads Summary: American teenager Gabi Betarrini accidently finds herself in Fourteenth-Century Italy . . . Knights. Swords. Horses. Armor. And Italian hotties. Most American teens want an Italian vacation, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives there with their archaeologist parents. Stuck on yet another hot, dusty dig, they are bored out of their minds... until they place their hands atop handprints in an ancient tomb and find themselves catapulted into the Fourteenth Century and in the middle of a fierce battle between knights bent on killing one another.

Why I want it: I have heard amazing things about this book and the entire River of Time series. The combination of romance, time travel and adventure sounds irresistible. I have wanted to start Waterfall for awhile and getting the first book free is just the push I need to start the series. Book two, Cascade, is already available and book three, Torrent, will be available next month. I’m not sure how long Waterfall will be free so get it as soon as you can!

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.

Review of Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach

Release Date: March 31, 2011
Publisher: Speak
Pages: 306 pages
Author Website: http://lisacach.com/
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary: A haunted castle, a handsome young man dead for four hundred years, one heck of a scary portrait of a witch, and a treasure hunt -- not to mention a princess for a roommate! -- all await 15 year old American girl Caitlyn Monahan when she earns a scholarship to a French boarding school.

There are secrets behind the stone walls of Chateau de la Fortune, buried for centuries along with the mystery of who killed Raphael, the charming ghost who visits Caitlyn at night. But as Caitlyn unearths the history of the castle, nothing scares her as badly as the secret she learns about herself, and the reason she was chosen to come to the Fortune School. And nothing breaks her heart as badly as falling in love with a dead guy.

Review: In Wake Unto Me, we meet Caitlyn Monahan, a 15-year-old girl who knows she is different from everyone else and always feels misunderstood and alone. She has very vivid, frightening dreams that feel very real to her but in the past, when she told her father and stepmother about them, they thought she was going crazy. Caitlyn is desperate to get away from her small Oregon town and when she gets an unsolicited and fully paid offer to attend an exclusive private school in France, she jumps at the chance for a new start.

Wake Unto Me has a little bit of everything. Mixed in the unique paranormal elements are bits of European history, some real, some created by the talented author and a gorgeous castle setting in rural France. This story is not what I expected. It starts a little slow, but the mystery behind it keeps you reading and it does pick-up. I don’t want to give too much away, the novel’s mysteries are best discovered layer by layer.

Something that bothered me was how depressed Caitlyn got. She felt so unloved in Oregon and even though she does not have a very emotional relationship with her father, her stepmother and friends were very affectionate but Caitlyn made no effort to reciprocate. It seems like she chose to be lonely. It’s hard for me to read that a 15-year-old decides to give up on her (loving) family and prefers to use some tarot cards her dead mother deals her in a dream to guide her through her life instead. She also gets very depressed toward the end of the book as well, not healthy behavior.

Wake Unto Me is a haunting, well written story with a satisfying ending. I am not sure if there will be a sequel, but it works as a standalone book. I am giving this book away, so stay tuned, I will be announcing the winner of the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop!

Content: Profanity (in French), Caitlyn uses someone else’s prescription drugs to help her fall asleep and induce dreams.