Hourglass

I loved Hourglass! This book captivated me from the very first page. Before reading Hourglass, reading about time travel never seemed very interesting to me. Myra McEntire makes this story jump off the page and you instantly fall in love with her characters and the world she has created. Emerson, Michael, and Kaleb are quite the trio. I still can't decide; Michael, Kaleb, Michael, Kaleb...Kaleb...Michael. It's a tough decision, read it and you'll see why!

I can't wait to see what happens in the sequel. I'm hoping there are more scenes with Emerson's best friend, Lily. She is a great friend to Emerson and has her own special story as well. I'm also hoping for a lot more Kaleb and Michael. :)


If you've always thought (much like me) that a book on time travel couldn't be that much fun to read, PLEASE pick this one up. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

(I originally read & reviewed this back in June 2011)

I picked up this book for a couple of reasons, 1) It was highly recommended and 2) The cover is pretty stinkin' cool! It has a nice color scheme but if you look closely, you see that the girl looks as if she's drawn/pulled (almost magnetically) to the wall/door she's in front of. *hint* *hint*

I normally don't get into the SciFi scene mainly because all that stuff is over my head and I wasn't sure I was going to like this story too much. I.was.wrong. My first impression was that it felt like a blend of Time Traveler's Wife, X-Men and The Sixth Sense (all good stuff) but the word that keeps coming to mind is "electric". This book was ELECTRIC!

The story centers around Emerson or "Em" and her special abilities. You can't help but feel for her and all she's been through up to this point. Her parents were killed in a horrific car accident four years prior, which she didn't handle well and you mix that with the fact that she has a tendency to see people who aren't exactly "alive" and it's just the right mix of "crazy". Once you get to know more of her story it's not hard to understand why she uses sarcasm as her defense mechanism. She's moved back to live with her brother Thomas and his wife, Dru to finish out her senior year and the only other person who loves and has stood by Em is her best friend Lilly. No one knows Em like they do, that is, until Michael shows up on the scene.

Michael (did I mention he's gorgeous?) works for The Hourglass, an organization set up to help Emerson and other people with abilities like hers. Thomas has contacted Michael in the hopes that he'll be able to help Emerson somehow, get back to normal again. Michael is not much older than Em and seems to understand her. He even sees the things that she does...the same things. To top it off, whenever they get close to each other there's this strange electricity that happens, like lights bursting, electricity. It's pretty cool, or hot, you know, however electricity is supposed to feel.

Michael also explains to Em that the world of time doesn't really work like she thinks it does and that time travel is possible. He tells her that her ability is actually a gift, one she can use to help other people. This knowledge opens up a whole new world for her, one that includes new people, like Kaleb (who is all kinds of yummy) and tough choices to make. One of those choices is one that might alter her future, benefiting just her or one that would benefit a greater group of people.

This book is full of good characters who would make nice "real" people too. Thomas, Dru and Lilly all love Emerson for who she is and have stuck by her even through her worst times.

Lilly is the epitome of a BFF as far as I'm concerned and when you read the cafeteria scene you'll understand why. She's got spunk too which is fun to read.

Kaleb, who happens to be Michael's best friend comes across as a bad boy bent on making those around him suffer as much as he has but you quickly see that it's his way of masking the hurt and pain of all he's been through. His own ability to take another's pain on as his own is enough to melt even the coldest of hearts. He's also pretty yummy which never hurts.

My only disappointment was when my "Trilodar" went off (my own supernatural ability to tell whether or not a book is part of a trilogy and/or series by page 5) and I realized I wasn't going to have my happy ending by the time I finished reading and would have to wait for the next installment. I guess I need to watch a Disney movie like Emerson does to get that happy ending. ;)

*This books deals with time travel, paranormal - empaths, clairvoyance, & seeing people who aren't exactly "alive" so if you have any objection to those, don't read the book. If you want to read an interesting, imaginative, heart racing story about friendship, family, love and an electrifying romance then you will LOVE this book! Enjoy!

I'm not sure I can accurately express how much I adored Myra McEntire's Hourglass. It's one of those books I'll be happy to read over again, and I can't wait to see how Myra fleshes out the rest of the series.

Here are just a few of the reasons why I wouldn't mind snuggling up to Hourglass again and again:

Emerson - Even though Em knows martial arts and has a tough skin due to her past, she's not afraid to be a girl. It seems (at least to me) a lot of stereotypical kick-butt heroines shun makeup, dressing up, or anything deemed "girly," as though those things would make them less tough. But not Em. I found it refreshing that she was comfortable in her own skin, comfortable being feminine, and comfortable kicking some butt along the way.

Em's bff, Lily - Thank you, Myra McEntire, for ditching the cliched "ugly" or overweight best friend who's really only there to serve as comedic relief. Lily has her own life outside being Em's bestie, which makes her character all the more believable. And another refreshing reason to love Lily and Em's relationship? They don't spend their time quibbling over boys. They have real, meaningful conversations. They love each other and have stuck by each other through the worst of times. I came out loving Lily just as much as Em does.

Michael - He's not your token YA bad boy. He's an amazing friend, mature, intelligent, and loyal to the core. He doesn't for one second feel entitled to Em or act obsessive over her. His relationship with Em is an unconventional one, to say the least, but there's a reason for everything he says and does. Trust me. Just keep reading!

Em's family - Through it all, Em's brother, Thomas, and sister-in-law, Dru, have stuck by her. They believe in her and are committed to doing whatever it takes to help Em lead a normal life. Em couldn't have a better support group, and I loved immersing myself in their healthy, hilarious, and at times heart-breaking family dynamic.

Simplicity - Yes, Hourglass is a sci-fi, time travel novel (with a bit of paranormal and romance mixed in), but you don't have to have a degree in quantum physics to understand how Em's world works. McEntire takes actual scientific theory and explains it in a way that's both easy to grasp and fun to explore. Hourglass isn't just for sci-fi or time travel fans.

Southern wit - I've read too many novels set in the South that focus so much on the culture and the sayings that it just feels fake. I start to wonder, has this author ever even been to the South? But Myra McEntire is a true Southern girl, which makes Em's voice authentic and addictive. And the humor! If not for anything else, pick this book up for the wit. I found myself laughing out loud throughout the entire novel, as well as shedding a few tears.

The voice - McEntire's writing voice is effortless to read. From the very first hook, she holds readers safely in her grasp so we can just sit back and enjoy the ride. No tripping over awkward prose, no going back to reread paragraphs. In fact, you might want to have some caffeine ready if you start this one late in the day. Plan on staying up until it's finished!

I can't recommend Hourglass enough. It's clean, fun, deep, witty, and downright charming. When you mix humor, spunk, and Southern attitude with unexpected twists and turns, electric characters, and hot romance, you know you've got a hit.