Book Summary and Reviews of Time Travel for Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty

Reader Reviews

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Elizabeth V. (Bellbrook, OH)

Take Me Back Again
This book checked a lot of boxes for me. I love Australia, I love books and literary allusions and I love (well done) books about time travel. Add to that finely drawn characters that I would love to spend time with in real life, a fast pace and an interesting plot and you have a winner. The way the separate plot points came together at the end was brilliant. I enjoyed this book from start to finish. I hope this is the start of a series because I would be happy to visit Anna and her friends at the Time Travel Agency many more times.

Elizabeth_L1

Clever
I enjoyed this book quite a lot. The main characters were well drawn; each had their own complete journey. I don't want to say too much about the plot itself: more astute readers undoubtedly picked up on the twist, I just thought it was an odd coincidence. But the emotional groundwork with the characters had been laid so that when the twist came - and afterwards - it was very moving. And the secondary twist(s) were tidily wrapped up.

Sue P. (Hollister, CA)

Time Travel for Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty
Thank you to Berkeley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this imaginative and enjoyable book.

Based on the title alone, I expected something along the lines of a Ray Bradbury novel or maybe even a time-crossed romance. Then when I saw the author's last name, I immediately wondered if the writer is a member of the extraordinarily talented Moriarty family. Yup, she is, and I couldn't wait to start reading! This book has humor, creativity, interesting characters throughout, and I found it very entertaining.

The story is nominally about a time travel agency, but one of the questions running in the background of the story is whether the time travel offered by the agency is real or just a clever psychological trick. The book is strongly character driven, with each character's unique point of view expressed by communication style. There are journal entries, social media, conversations, and experiences used as well as some jumping back and forth between present and past. I think the author may have used these different styles as a way to move the story forward without having to offer any complicated time travel theories or rationale. This did make it a bit confusing since the reader is left to figure that out without explanation. I was a few chapters in before I realized that.

As soon as I finished the book, I went back and read it again to make sure I hadn't missed something. Luckily I enjoyed the book so much I didn't mind at all reading it a second time!

Kathleen_L

Loved Time Travel for Beginners!
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I ended up loving everything about it. The story was so interesting - it's about family, and love, and grief, and our relationship with the past. The characters felt so real to me. In addition, the writing sparkles! I loved the humor mixed with seriousness, and I thought the time travel component played out in such an interesting way. The setting, mainly Sydney, Australia, was intriguing, too. I ended up reading the whole book in three days; I had that delicious feeling of being lost inside the story. I only came up for air when absolutely necessary. A fun and thought-provoking book. I would recommend it for those who like love stories, family stories, and light fantasy or science fiction - but the best part about this book is that it combined all three.

Mari_A

A Wonderful Way to Escape
I enjoyed this book! It makes an excellent vacation read! Perfect format to pick up and pop right back into the story. The characters are so lovable! I also love the idea of time travel. I'm a believer!

Rebecca_H

Unusual and Compelling Time Travel Novel
I devoured this book in a few sittings, then immediately went back to the beginning and read it through again, to see how the twisting storyline could possibly have lead to the concluding chapters. The action shifts between the POV of three characters, Anna, Teddy, and Jade, and timelines that don't only shift between past and present, but between alternate universes. The characters engage the reader's attention immediately, and the story is quirky, sad, funny, and mind-bending in the best way. Time Travel for Beginners is the kind of different, creative novel that is not only fun to read, but intensely thought-provoking, and one I'll continue to think about for a long time.

...18 more reader reviews