Review Detail
Young Adult Fiction
183
Unique Premise
Overall rating
3.3
Plot
N/A
Characters
N/A
Writing Style
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
What I Loved:
A unique premise and a tense, emotionally fraught climax will give readers plenty to think about after finishing BACKWARDS. Readers who enjoy having a mystery worth unraveling will find much to love in this story. Clues are fed to the reader after events have already unfolded, and the stakes continue to rise as the clock rewinds.
The book deals with some heavy subject matter but still manages to be a fairly quick read. There are hints of romance, but readers looking for a book that focuses more on mystery will be satisfied to know that the romance doesn't overshadow the plot. Relationships are examined within the story, but rather than simply the relationship between Dan and Cat, every relationship in Dan's life, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is put under a microscope, all within the context of an unwinding clock that is hurtling the narrator toward a terrible fate he can't figure out how to avoid.
What Left Me Wanting More:
The narrative style is very matter-of-fact, and both the narrator and Dan feel distant and removed from the reader. That made it hard to truly connect with and care about either of them. The narrator also didn't sound like a teenager, and sometimes his descriptions didn't sound authentic for a boy. Readers who need to connect emotionally to the characters or who are distracted by a YA narrator who doesn't sound YA may have some difficulty with the story.
Final Verdict:
A unique, thought-provoking premise and an exciting climax help make BACKWARDS an interesting story for readers who prefer matter-of-fact mysteries over emotionally rich narratives.
A unique premise and a tense, emotionally fraught climax will give readers plenty to think about after finishing BACKWARDS. Readers who enjoy having a mystery worth unraveling will find much to love in this story. Clues are fed to the reader after events have already unfolded, and the stakes continue to rise as the clock rewinds.
The book deals with some heavy subject matter but still manages to be a fairly quick read. There are hints of romance, but readers looking for a book that focuses more on mystery will be satisfied to know that the romance doesn't overshadow the plot. Relationships are examined within the story, but rather than simply the relationship between Dan and Cat, every relationship in Dan's life, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is put under a microscope, all within the context of an unwinding clock that is hurtling the narrator toward a terrible fate he can't figure out how to avoid.
What Left Me Wanting More:
The narrative style is very matter-of-fact, and both the narrator and Dan feel distant and removed from the reader. That made it hard to truly connect with and care about either of them. The narrator also didn't sound like a teenager, and sometimes his descriptions didn't sound authentic for a boy. Readers who need to connect emotionally to the characters or who are distracted by a YA narrator who doesn't sound YA may have some difficulty with the story.
Final Verdict:
A unique, thought-provoking premise and an exciting climax help make BACKWARDS an interesting story for readers who prefer matter-of-fact mysteries over emotionally rich narratives.
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