Review: Hourglass

Title:  Hourglass
Series:  Hourglass #1
Author:  Myra McEntire
Publisher:   Egmont USA
Pages:  390
Format:  eBook

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 parent's 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 a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure.  But meeting Michael Weaver might not only change her future, it may also 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?

My Review:  I was pleasantly surprised when I started this book.  I had been under the impression it would be a ghost story.  I'm normally not I huge fan of ghost stories so I was more than a little hesitant.  I soon discovered that I had nothing to worry about - this is not a ghost story.  It is very unique, though.

We start off with Emerson who is quite a likable character.  She's realistic and easy to relate to - even though I have in no way gone through what she has.  She cares about her brother but is insecure about what is happening to her and what it means for her sanity.  I couldn't imagine how confusing it would be to be her - never knowing if what she's looking at it really there or not.  She was a strong character.  Then we have Michael who I personally liked a lot less.  I didn't feel like he complimented Emerson very well.  He was a little too wishy washy and inconsistent to me and I never really understood why he was doing what he was doing.  I felt like Emerson and Kaleb had a much much dynamic and chemistry.

The plot of the story, while interesting, was a bit slow and repetitive.  I found myself wishing an action scene would pop up every once in a while.  This story, until the end, was mainly just giving me information about Emerson's gift, the Hourglass, and the other characters.  There wasn't a lot of fast paced, heart pounding action - until the end that is.

I really love the idea though.  Time traveling?  Many different possibilities there.  I also found it fascinating to learn that people from the future were helping Emerson and the gang in the present.  Makes you think about what might happen next.

With a strong main character and a couple good supporting characters, an interesting plot, and a unique story idea, Hourglass was a book worth reading.  If you're hesitating, I would suggest checking it out and forming an opinion of your own.

Three Cards

Review: Of Poseidon

Title:  Of Poseidon
Series:  Of Poseidon #1
Author:  Anna Banks
Publisher:  Feiwel & Friends
Pages:  336
Format:  eBook

Summary:  Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen's not fully convinced that Emma's the one he's been looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves  that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. He needs her help--no matter what the risk.

My Review:  Normally, I'm very hard to please when it comes to books where the main characters are ocean dwellers.  There are a few I've read that were good enough to  reread but the others have too many potholes and don't make sense.  

I was torn after reading this one.  I liked the idea and the characters.  I liked the setting and the writing style.  What I didn't like was when things didn't line up right.  

For example, our heroine, Emma, who is actually very likable, couldn't breathe under water.  In fact, she spent a lot of the book trying to learn how to hold her breath for a long time.  But then she and Galen would go under water and she would talk.  How can you talk if you can't breathe?  That bugged me a lot during the book and took away some of the pleasure of just reading.  

But, besides a few problems like that, I really had fun reading this.  

The characters were all nice and easy to relate to and sympathize with.  I especially like the way Emma was so strong and stubborn.  She didn't just bow down to Galen and I had to respect her for that.  

The overall plot, though a bit predictable, was enjoyable.  I knew the ending from about mid book but I still thought that it was nice to read as the characters discovered it.  

All in all, I'd say this was an okay read.  It left me wondering what might happen next. 

Three Cards