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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Timebound is a good story with likeable characters. The story is engaging and fast paced. The usual and tedious "teen love triangle" is introduced but with the characters being in different time lines makes for an interesting spin on the YA norm. I feel like this first book has the potential to be an exciting and interesting series, but only time will tell if the story will evolve in a believable and compelling way.
For a YA book about time travel, I enjoyed it a lot more than I would have bet, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the sequel(s).
I fell into this book and finished it in just three evenings. Like a lot of books that push me into such a binge, I don't feel particularly fulfilled or enriched afterward, but it was definitely a fun way to spend those several hours. I vacillated between three stars or four, but it was such a quick tour through a world I'm glad I got to see that I decided to round up instead of down.
Time travel obviously has logical problems that this book doesn't address in any substantive way, and there definitely were a few places where I struggled with my suspension of disbelief or felt disappointed that the author used time travel as a convenience to skip some hard work in plot development that would have made the story feel more well-rounded. There were also a few more places where I was a little turned off by the kind of things that appeal most to teenage girls, like quick romance, and characters putting too much blind trust in friends. But I was able to overlook those small flaws without too much effort and focus on the good things this book has going for it.
The writing has an easy but engaging cadence, making it pretty easy for me to get into that almost effortless flow state of reading. The author usually strikes a good balance between setting a fast pace and thoroughly describing the world she's built. And a very engaging world it is - really quite fun to imagine and think about. The plot is pretty intriguing, too - I'm definitely curious about how the author plans to continue and eventually resolve the story.
I can't say I'm particularly enamored of Kate, the protagonist, but she's definitely very relatable. That I didn't like her more is a little unfortunate, and it's hard for me to judge if that's a failing of the author, or just a reflection of the fact that I have not been a teenage girl for some time now. But her older female relatives held enough appeal to more than make up for any lack of interest in the heroine. With those three women at least, I thought the author did a very good job - individuals with distinct personalities, strong and smart enough to be admired, but still flawed enough to be real. Each one, too, is affected by convincing family dynamics that range from nearly idyllic to severely dysfunctional, and I liked the result a lot. I really hope to see more of these women in the next book(s).
I fell into this book and finished it in just three evenings. Like a lot of books that push me into such a binge, I don't feel particularly fulfilled or enriched afterward, but it was definitely a fun way to spend those several hours. I vacillated between three stars or four, but it was such a quick tour through a world I'm glad I got to see that I decided to round up instead of down.
Time travel obviously has logical problems that this book doesn't address in any substantive way, and there definitely were a few places where I struggled with my suspension of disbelief or felt disappointed that the author used time travel as a convenience to skip some hard work in plot development that would have made the story feel more well-rounded. There were also a few more places where I was a little turned off by the kind of things that appeal most to teenage girls, like quick romance, and characters putting too much blind trust in friends. But I was able to overlook those small flaws without too much effort and focus on the good things this book has going for it.
The writing has an easy but engaging cadence, making it pretty easy for me to get into that almost effortless flow state of reading. The author usually strikes a good balance between setting a fast pace and thoroughly describing the world she's built. And a very engaging world it is - really quite fun to imagine and think about. The plot is pretty intriguing, too - I'm definitely curious about how the author plans to continue and eventually resolve the story.
I can't say I'm particularly enamored of Kate, the protagonist, but she's definitely very relatable. That I didn't like her more is a little unfortunate, and it's hard for me to judge if that's a failing of the author, or just a reflection of the fact that I have not been a teenage girl for some time now. But her older female relatives held enough appeal to more than make up for any lack of interest in the heroine. With those three women at least, I thought the author did a very good job - individuals with distinct personalities, strong and smart enough to be admired, but still flawed enough to be real. Each one, too, is affected by convincing family dynamics that range from nearly idyllic to severely dysfunctional, and I liked the result a lot. I really hope to see more of these women in the next book(s).
An interesting look at time travel. I sense a sequel :D
Read Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City first for some good background on the 1893 World's Fair. You can read this without it, but I think this book will make more sense with that info.
Some of the best pacing I have ever read! History! Serial killer! Badass characters! I learned stuff AND I was entertained! What a wonderful, thoughtful work of YA!
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
3.5 stars. Mixed feelings on this. Really interesting concept.
The first half of the book kind of dragged for me and I felt the Trey storyline was kind of rushed. The last part of the book was considerably better and faster paced.. enough that I'll probably read the next one.
The first half of the book kind of dragged for me and I felt the Trey storyline was kind of rushed. The last part of the book was considerably better and faster paced.. enough that I'll probably read the next one.
By pure chance, I started this book about the same time I decided to get caught up on Doctor Who. I had finished the Series 7 episodes that were out and was exceedingly dismayed that the next episode wouldn't be until the end of March. Ordinarily, I'm stuck when I'm in a Doctor Who mood because, really, what even comes close? But I must say, I've finally found something that fits when I'm in a mood for The Doctor...
Walker knows how to write a riveting story, starting with a scene that immediately pulls you in and compels you to continue reading until you know what will become of poor Kate.
Rysa Walker takes what could be a difficult and confusing progression of crossing timelines and creates scenes that are simultaneously charming, sometimes romantic, and with just the right amount of humor, keeping the reader wanting to sort out the web until it all makes sense.
And I loved how, at one point, Kate just sort of gives up on trying to figure out what verb tense to use when talking of something that is part of a person's past but is technically in the future (or vice versa). The English language really isn't designed for that sort of complications. It made me wonder if the language of the Time Lords has past future tenses or future past tenses. Certainly would make it a bit easier...
And I really liked Kiernan. Don't know why but he was a truly endearing character. The author does a good job with the characterization, which is something I've come to find as a marker of a well written book, along with proper editing and professional formatting, which Time's Twisted Arrow has as well.
All in all, Time's Twisted Arrow is well worth the read and I look forward to seeing what else Rysa Walker can do.
Walker knows how to write a riveting story, starting with a scene that immediately pulls you in and compels you to continue reading until you know what will become of poor Kate.
Rysa Walker takes what could be a difficult and confusing progression of crossing timelines and creates scenes that are simultaneously charming, sometimes romantic, and with just the right amount of humor, keeping the reader wanting to sort out the web until it all makes sense.
And I loved how, at one point, Kate just sort of gives up on trying to figure out what verb tense to use when talking of something that is part of a person's past but is technically in the future (or vice versa). The English language really isn't designed for that sort of complications. It made me wonder if the language of the Time Lords has past future tenses or future past tenses. Certainly would make it a bit easier...
And I really liked Kiernan. Don't know why but he was a truly endearing character. The author does a good job with the characterization, which is something I've come to find as a marker of a well written book, along with proper editing and professional formatting, which Time's Twisted Arrow has as well.
All in all, Time's Twisted Arrow is well worth the read and I look forward to seeing what else Rysa Walker can do.
I truly enjoyed reading this book. The writing was not remarkably sophisticated, but the storyline was captivating enough that I was able to overlook it.
adventurous
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No