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

Reader Reviews

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Mark_S

Magical Possibilities
I usually stay away from sci-fi, but I am glad the time travel hook was enough to get me to read this one. Moriarity idoes an amazing job of crafting a story with multiple POVs (even that is tricky) that keep readers immersed in the plot and invested in the characters. This is one that definitely needs to be reread because I am sure I missed things that will make more sense a second time through. While the primary focus is on time travel, the family, parenting, and relationship angles were a perfect complement. The characters were surprisingly likable and even the necessary conflicts were offset by some really funny moments that would appeal to younger and older readers. Using the text chains and reviews was also clever. This one is definitely a keeper!

Linda_B1

Kept me guessing til the end!
This was quite a ride. Several times along the way I was convinced that I knew what was going on. And some of those guesses did pan out although I think I just got lucky. The rest of the time I was in a state of enjoyable confusion. I really liked it, although I did feel that the end dragged on a bit, but I guess it was necessary to wrap up all the separate plot lines.

I really enjoyed how the book caused me to think about the importance of each seemingly minor decision we all make throughout each day. And I really loved the surprise twist for one of the plot lines where we were sure we knew who was "to blame" for the bad thing happening only to find out that things may not always be what they seem.

Overall a great read and I am really glad I was selected to receive this book as an ARC (my review is optional and is my personal and independent opinion.). I look forward to reading more from this author.

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.

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