Timepiece (Hourglass #2)

PREFACE:
I loved Myra McEntire's debut novel, Hourglass, so of course I was going to read the sequel, Timepiece. And when I found out that it was from a different character's perspective, specifically a character I adored from the first book, color me EXCITED. I was lucky enough to get my hands on it early, but did it live up to my expectations?

Um, Yes. So much YES.

WRITING:
McEntire's writing is clean and effortless (at least to read, lol). I loved that even though this book feels much like the first, the character of Kaleb, the narrator this go around, fits every word. I didn't feel like I was hearing Emerson when I was supposed to be hearing Kaleb. The description level is spot on and the dialogue is awesome. The characters do so much back and forth and I loved every minute of it.

SETTING:
For Timepiece, we're back in the Tennessee town of Ivy Springs, which I love. The town feels real and everything is easy to imagine. The same goes for when Kaleb and company take a little jaunt to Memphis, which was super fun to read about. I love that McEntire makes the places in the story important and distinct without making them the focus of the novel.

CHARACTERS:
As much as I liked Emerson and Michael, the protagonist and love interest from Hourglass, I can't help but be completely enamored by Kaleb. He was a stand-out character for me last go around, and to have him be the focus of this novel blew me away. I loved every second I spent reading from his perspective and would do so again in a heartbeat.

Another great thing about this book was that a minor character from Hourglass came to the forefront, and her name is Lily. Lily is Emerson's best friend and I had an inkling about her after reading the first book, and I was glad to be right. I was also glad that she nearly stole the show from Kaleb. I love them as a pair and their chemistry was every bit as palpable as Emerson's and Michael's, just think less literal electricity and more steam. ^_^

The rest of the cast from the first book came back, though some in more minor roles and others in more major roles due to the shift in narrator. What I loved about the overall set up of the characters is how many relationships, not just the romantic ones, are explored. It gave everyone another level of depth and made the story feel richer.

COOL STUFF:
One of the best things about this book is the amount of laughing and squeeing I did while reading. It was that kind of book that made you feel all the feels. The amazing characters just draw you in and you feel for them every step of the way. I usually have a tough time relating to book characters, but not with this series.

The action in this book was also taken up a few notches from Hourglass and it was great. So many exciting/scary things happen that keep the tension up and have you fearing for the characters. The book also had a killer ending that makes me excited to read the next installment, Infinityglass.

Speaking of Infinityglass, it looks like we're in for anther narrator shift, which I am totally on board with. I think not only has McEntire written a unique series, but changing the point of view allows you to get to know more characters while keeping the reader on his or her toes, which just makes things more fun.

VERDICT:
Timepiece was everything I wanted and so much more. As much as I loved Hourglass, I think Timepiece surpassed it. It has all the humor and mystery of the first book but more warmth and action. The characters, especially Kaleb and Lily, are well-developed and operating in settings that McEntire brings to life. If you at all loved Hourglass or enjoy a really good, all-the-feels kind of book, Timepiece should be at the top of your to-read list.

*10/10*

My experience with time travel and books is pretty small, in fact, the only one I had read before Myra McEntire's series was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. But, if every time travel book is as interesting as the Hourglass series, then count me in!

I was thrown at first because I did not realize that Timepiece was going to be written from Kaleb's perspective, and I was somewhat upset that I wouldn't get to see more of Michael and Emerson's romance (still a little upset about that), but I did get a sneak peak into a guy's head. Plus, I did get some romance with Kaleb.

The best part of this book is the twists and turns. There is also plenty of action as the Hourglass members rush to try and locate Jack. Thank goodness there was plenty of action and questions to keep me guessing because I might have lost interest with the lack of romance.

I really liked that Myra introduced a bit of mythology into the mix with the idea of Chronos. We are left with more questions than answers in this book, but I do think it was a good set-up for the next book.

Overall, it was nice to get a guy's point of view (especially a hottie with a side of brokeness--very sexy!), but I still found myself missing that girl connection. What can I say--I like to imagine myself as the protagonist! I felt like all that emotion and connection that was built up between the reader in Hourglass was just thrown aside because we really don't see much of her at all in this book.

Still, I devoured this book quickly and enjoyed seeing inside Kaleb's head.

I'm interested to know whose pov the next book will be in--hopefully we will get both, differing from chapter to chapter.(

I was very eager to read this book since the previous book ended with too much unfinished business for my liking. TIMEPIECE has been on my watch list, ever since I finished Hourglass (Hourglass #1), and although this newest installment answered a lot of my questions, new ones have been posed. All this intrigue is keeping me on my toes and making me wish I had the rest of the story in my hands, right now!

The Hourglass series is about a group of people with special abilities that revolve around time travel. Some can actually time travel and see rips (or clips) of the past or the future. Others can see or sense other peoples memories and emotions through time. In this sequel, the author has added more to the mix and introduced us to a new twist, the Infinityglass. This object is rumored to enable people the ability to steal time related gifts. We don’t learn much about this Infinityglass but I’m sure it will be an important object in the next book. Another new twist is fragility of time. Rips are starting to fuse with reality and time related powers are starting to go wonky, just enough to keep the readers interested.

In this sequel, I’m glad the author switched the point of view (POV) to Kaleb instead of continuing with Emerson’s POV from Hourglass. Emerson, although a strong female lead, started getting on my nerves at the end of the previous book. I’ve noticed more and more YA books using a male’s point of view these days and I’m enjoying the refreshing outlook on life with all of these male narrators. Since Kaleb is such an interesting character I had no problem reading from his POV.

Life for Kaleb has never been easy. Sensing other people’s emotions has often been annoying for him, especially with his mother in a coma, and his father back from the dead. Also, his father, Liam, is constantly keeping secrets from him, which is taking a toll on their already rocky relationship. One of the things I really like about this book is the relationships between the all the characters. Kaleb is very jealous of Michael (someone he has always considered like an older brother) but ever since bad things have been happening in the Hourglass world, Liam has been confiding in Michael instead of Kaleb. Kaleb’s developing relationship with his new love interest Lily is really fun to follow, since Kaleb has always been a flirt and a ladies’ man. The I-don’t-like-you dialogue between the two is very appealing and kept me interested in the story, for sure. I find Myra McEntire relies a lot on dialogue when writing her books and since she’s so go at it, it really works for her.

I have to admit, time travel books aren’t my favorite because thinking about the consequences of changing the past makes my head hurt. Fortunately, Myra McEntire writes very well and even if I did get lost a few times in a time travel hurricane, the flow of the story was never ruined. All I can say is, if it doesn’t make sense, keep reading, and everything will come together in the end.

There’s one quote from the book that I really love and want to share it with all of you. It’s more or less a way of saying “seize the moment” or “live in the now”, but I believe Myra’s way of voicing it is much prettier:

“The exact spot where the hourglass filters the sand from the future to the past. That’s where we have to live […]. Before all the sand runs out, or before somebody shakes it all up again.”

Although TIMEPIECE might not necessarily make my list of top books for the year of 2012, the series is worth a second look. I noticed an improvement in the the author’s writing, after only one book and I think we can expect great things from her.

The publisher provided me with a e-ARC of Timepiece. No goody bags, sponsorship, material goods, or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Now, it’s been quite awhile since I read Hourglass and I have to admit that I was pretty confused for like the first quarter of the book. I’d highly recommend you re-read Hourglass because Myra dives right into it without giving details of what really happened in the last book. You should also know that Timepiece is told from Kaleb’s perspective rather than Emerson’s, which I liked a lot since you all know I’m a sucker for a male’s POV.

I like how Myra draws you in right from the start, even though I didn’t really know what was going on, there’s a lot of action and drama from the very beginning that piqued my interest and made me want to know more. Kaleb is so awesome, I love that he’s one of those playboy types, but he’s also very sweet and fiercely loyal. As we get to know his character more you really feel for him, all that he’s had to go through, and I loved watching his romance with a certain someone develop. I think Kaleb’s romance was very well-written and believable, a perfect addition of emotions to an exciting story about time travel.

Myra does an excellent job at toying with your emotions and making you hold your breath at all the right moments. She grabs at you at pivotal points throughout the story and I found myself holding my breath at times. Everything is against Kaleb and his friends, who slowly learn how they’ve basically been pawns in this plot against time, and you’ll be flipping the pages at lightening speed to see how it all ends. Loved this and can’t wait for the next one!

I read Hourglass, the predecessor to Timepiece, and loved it. I knew the point of view was going to change from Emerson to Kaleb in Timepiece, and I wasn't so sure how I felt about the switch. I kept an open mind as I read Timepiece. I didn't love Timepiece; I LOVED it! It was an incredibly entertaining read! I anxiously await the release of the third book in the series! Myra McEntire is a phenomenal writer!!!

I was unsure about this book from the POV of Kaleb, but it really worked. Sometimes series get old because the author has to pull the same two people threw a lot of drama and make their relationship interesting. This was like reading a new story with familiar people. It really worked for me and I liked the new love story. The first book was better tho. I remember being blown away by the things that would happen in the first one and even tho this one has a couple intense moments it lacked that element of surprise, but again it is a second novel and with the first I had no idea what to expect. These books are for older teens. There is some heavy making out and some innuendo(that is very clever).

Overall, excellent book that will capture your attention from beginning to end!

For those of you not aware, the first book is Hourglass and it's narrated by Emerson (one of my favorite heroines ever). Book two is narrated by Kaleb. Kaleb's more of a mess than I am right now. He's full of emotions he can't really control (literally), his dad was dead but now he's not, his mom's in a coma, and he's a playboy that cooks. And I adore him.

I'm not going to lie, Michael still has my heart. But Kaleb? He made a valiant effort to steal it and was really close (maybe he didn't succeed because he kind of reminds me of my older brother. Hadn't noticed that before...). I love him in a different way. I love his kindness, his gentle soul. I love that even though he tries to be a tough dude, we're getting his side of the story and know it's not really him. I love that he is broken but he refuses to let that keep him down. I love his protective nature, his tenderness, and caring. I love who he becomes over the course of the novel.

I also want to cuddle Lily. She was just fierce and loyal and wonderful. She could be sweet, she could be vulnerable, she could be defensive and snarky. I think this is my favorite thing about Myra's books. Lily, Kaleb, Emerson, Michael...all her characters are just so real. They all have issues and love and self doubts and they're human. They're so, so human. Which is a large part of the reason I'm so attached to them.

Myra McEntire is a freaking fantastic writer, guys. She's witty and she knows how to balance the fun and the serious. Her dialogue is so clever and she always has the sarcasm put in perfectly. She can make you smile when the characters are having huge issues but they can't even handle it and need to joke. I guess the best way to put it is that Myra is the female John Green. Except instead of contemporary, she writes about time travel. Which may make her even cooler because...it's time travel. And have you read her kissing scenes? Myra's kissing scenes can be hotter than a sex scene in a romance novel.

Like the first book, there's never a dull moment in Timepiece. I've already reread this and I was still constantly trying to find excuses to read. I have to know what happens next, how do they fix this? There's always action and romance and friendships and family relationships and epic kissing scenes and science and it's just...wonderful. Myra's one of the most masterful story tellers ever. Ever.

Now, I'm not going to talk about the ending except to say that Myra is mean and I need book 3. We're going to leave it there, mmk?

The Short Version: Timepiece is pretty much the best sequel/companion ever. I could read Myra's books and almost nothing else (I mean...I'd miss some of my other favorites!) for the rest of my life, and if you aren't walking out the door to get this or clicking to your preferred book-buying website, THEN YOU ARE CRAZY PANTS WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?

On several occasions I have declared my love and adoration for Hourglass by Myra McEntire. More than once I offered to sell my soul for an ARC of the sequel to Hourglass, Timepiece. Luckily I did not have to actually sell my soul to get my hands on a copy. It turns out you just have to have really awesome friends who know of your obsession and take pity on you.

Those of you that I have discussed Hourglass with know that while I love Emerson and Michael that my heart belongs to Kaleb. When I discovered that Timepiece is from Kaleb's point of view there was a lot of fangirl squealing and there might have been some dancing around my house. And after reading Timepiece I can tell you that the awkward dancing was completely worth it- I loved this book!! I wish I could put into words how much I loved it. All I can say is that as soon as I finished it I started it all over again. Yes, it was that good!

Timepiece picks up shortly after where Hourglass ends. The gang at Hourglass is in the midst of a crisis and they realize very quickly that if they don't locate Jack that all of their lives will be permanently altered. Timepiece, like Hourglass, is full of adventure, mystery, romance (really, really swoony romance!!), kick-ass superpowers, and time traveling.

While I love all the action and adventure the emotional journey of Timepiece is what really touched me. I've admitted that I ugly cried over events in Hourglass but the moments that brought me to tears in Timepiece snuck up on me and caught me off guard with their impact. One of the many reasons I adore Kaleb is that he is so very broken. I don't want to spoil anything but Kaleb makes some huge emotional strides in this book. It's those moments that brought tears to my eyes. There is one really big emotional moment that took my breath away with it's beauty. Just thinking about it gives me chills!

Timepiece is a brilliant sequel to Hourglass. I can't say enough about this series- it has won a spot in my all-time-favorite series column. I'm so excited to see where the story goes in Infinityglass.

Those of you that are still insisting that you are Team Michael* all I can say is- come to the dark side, Kaleb will bake you cookies. He'll probably even bake them in his Kiss the Cook apron ;)

*Don't worry- I love Michael and think he's perfect for Em. I'm Team Kaleb for myself ;)

Timepiece starts with a bang. New, bigger bad guys are immediately introduced and the stakes are promptly upped. We were introduced to the basic mechanics of this time-slippy world in Hourglass; this time we get into details. We find out more about most of the secondary characters. The action increases significantly.

Bottom line: If you thought Hourglass was fun, Timepiece is going to blow your socks off.

I’ve got to admit, I was a little tentative at first about the switch to Kaleb’s point of view. I felt like I had developed a good relationship with Emerson in the first book, and I was comfortable viewing the world through her eyes. Plus, the Kaleb we meet in Hourglass, and at the beginning of Timepiece, is a crass, womanizing drunk. Charming, sure, but I spent a good portion of the first few chapters wanting to smack him upside the head.

Luckily, while I can’t say that I wound up agreeing with all of Kaleb’s choices, I was able to understand him, sympathize with him, and really like him. Even when he was being a womanizing drunk. He was a great narrator, and it was really interesting viewing this crazy world through his eyes.

It was also fun to see Emerson and Michael from someone else’s point of view. In Hourglass, their relationship is all fluttery feelings and absurd chemistry and sparks of electricity. In Timepiece, we can see how that gets a little annoying to the people around them.

We get to know the secondary characters better, especially Emerson’s best friend Lily, which made me super happy. I was really hoping we’d find out more about her, since I really enjoyed her character in Hourglass. There’s still a few characters I would like to know more about. Maybe the third book will use one of them as narrator?

Jack Landers is a great villain. He’s evil and scary and dark, but not cartoonish. He’s given a solid back story, so that you understand him but still don’t like him. He’s smart and cunning and not given to extensive monologuing or pointless vendettas. You can really understand why he would be two steps ahead of our group of heroes, without making him ridiculous or them stupid.

As far as the story in Timepiece, I was riveted from the first chapter through the last page. There is a ton of action in this book. The stakes are higher, the powers more developed, the craziness heightened. Like Hourglass, it had a few twists that I absolutely did not see coming, yet none of them felt contrived.

There is a love story in Timepiece, but it is not a love triangle, thank goodness. I was scared, going in, that I was going to have to put up with Kaleb and Michael being all angsty and territorial about Emerson throughout the book (as Kaleb obviously has feelings for Emerson in Hourglass), but that fortunately did not happen. As it was, I really like the way the romantic angle was handled. It felt real. It wasn’t all sparks and sighs and fluttery feelings, which is nice, because I don’t think that’s the way romance normally happens.

Overall, Timepiece was a fun and exciting story. I really enjoyed the characters and was never quite sure what was going to happen next. The book ends with an obvious setup for a third book, but while I am itching to read more about the world of the Hourglass (which will probably be a while, since Timepiece hasn’t even been officially released yet), I still felt completely satisfied at the conclusion.