Today I'm participating in the Clockwise blog tour hosted by Missy over at Missy's Reads & Reviews. Clockwise is a YA time-traveling rom/com by Elle Strauss. (It's sequel Clockwiser will be coming out later this year.)
I first heard about Clockwise from The Indelibles blog (which Elle is a part of). I was intrigued about its summary and placed it on my TBR list. Then when Missy asked for blogger-participants for her Clockwise tour and I jumped at the chance. Today I'll be reviewing the book and next week I'll have an interview with the author to share as a part of the tour.
And as another part of this blog tour, the author Elle Strauss is offering an e-copy of Clockwiser to any commenter who likes her Facebook page. (See Rafflecopter form below. And please remember to leave your email address in the comment section. I promise it wouldn't be used for anything else.)
The Book...
by Elle Strauss
"Casey Donovan has issues: hair, height and uncontrollable trips to the 19th century! And now this --she’s accidentally taken Nate Mackenzie, the cutest boy in the school, back in time. Awkward.
Protocol pressures her to tell their 1860 hosts that he is her brother and when Casey finds she has a handsome, wealthy (and unwanted) suitor, something changes in Nate. Are those romantic sparks or is it just “brotherly” protectiveness?
When they return to the present, things go back to the way they were before: Casey parked on the bottom of the rung of the social ladder and Nate perched high on the very the top. Except this time her heart is broken. Plus, her best friend is mad, her parents are split up, and her younger brother gets escorted home by the police. The only thing that could make life worse is if, by some strange twist of fate, she took Nate back to the past again.
Which of course, she does." (via goodreads)
My Thoughts...
Adorable. Adventurous. Awesome. These are the words that came to my mind after finishing Clockwise. It was a book that had me rolling with laughter, catching my breath in suspense or anticipation, and reaching for a tissue as tears filled my eyes. It started off as a cute tale about the odd complications of the main character's time-traveling habits, but it quickly turned into an adventure about growing up, being true to yourself, and making the best out of any situation. Plus it has time-traveling in it! (And I'm a girl who loves her some time-traveling! *wink*)
1) Characters: Casey is a realistic, loveable, and spirited heroine. She has to deal with her family, friends, school, and her unique ability to time-travel. She only wants to blend in and survive, but as the story unravels she learns important lessons about herself and growing up. I found it very easy to relate to her despite the unusual situations she found herself in. Her best friend Lucinda was hilarious and acted as a voice of reason (as a good friend should be). Casey's love/hate interest Nate was also realistic and charming. He and Casey's interactions are a important part of the story, but it's more about their growing friendship and possible other feelings that an actual "romance" (which is some ways made it more realistic to me). And the Watson family that take in Casey and Nate in 1860 are so heart-warming. Though the story is not without its "villains"!
2) Plot: The basic plot of the book is a simple one: girl meets boy, girl can time travel, girl accidentally time travels with boy (several times), and then complications arise! But I felt the book was more about the characters' journey and discoveries than a typical "adventure" tale. There were several unexpected twists arose that gave me goosebumps and made it giddy with anticipation. Casey lives in two "worlds", the present and the past in 1860. In the present , she must face life including her family issues and her school issues like any typical high-schooler. But in the past, she must survive and keep her time-traveling secret. When she takes Nate back in time, it causes her two worlds to collide and she begins to learn that in order to survive in either one she must keep her wits about her and make the best of the situation.
3) Setting: As I mentioned above, the characters interact between two time periods, but they stay in the same location around Boston, MA. It's interesting to read about the differences between the modern and nineteenth century versions of the same area. Casey and Nate's school is in the middle of a vacant forest back in 1860s near the Watson family farm. Each "world" was well described and easy to distinguish.
4) Time-Traveling: I'm a fan of time-traveling mostly because I'm such a huge history fan, and this book didn't disappoint with its historical tidbits. I won't give them away since they're crucial to the story, but I'll hint that it's 1860 in a Northern state in the United States (and Lincoln hasn't been elected president yet.) The daily chores, clothing, and etiquette of the nineteenth century also appeared well researched and easily integrated into the story.
Definitely recommend this book to any time-traveling/history fan or anyone who wants a heart-warming adventure tale of a unique heroine and her odd travels.
You can also read the first chapter over at Elle's website! Check it out here!
1) Characters: Casey is a realistic, loveable, and spirited heroine. She has to deal with her family, friends, school, and her unique ability to time-travel. She only wants to blend in and survive, but as the story unravels she learns important lessons about herself and growing up. I found it very easy to relate to her despite the unusual situations she found herself in. Her best friend Lucinda was hilarious and acted as a voice of reason (as a good friend should be). Casey's love/hate interest Nate was also realistic and charming. He and Casey's interactions are a important part of the story, but it's more about their growing friendship and possible other feelings that an actual "romance" (which is some ways made it more realistic to me). And the Watson family that take in Casey and Nate in 1860 are so heart-warming. Though the story is not without its "villains"!
2) Plot: The basic plot of the book is a simple one: girl meets boy, girl can time travel, girl accidentally time travels with boy (several times), and then complications arise! But I felt the book was more about the characters' journey and discoveries than a typical "adventure" tale. There were several unexpected twists arose that gave me goosebumps and made it giddy with anticipation. Casey lives in two "worlds", the present and the past in 1860. In the present , she must face life including her family issues and her school issues like any typical high-schooler. But in the past, she must survive and keep her time-traveling secret. When she takes Nate back in time, it causes her two worlds to collide and she begins to learn that in order to survive in either one she must keep her wits about her and make the best of the situation.
3) Setting: As I mentioned above, the characters interact between two time periods, but they stay in the same location around Boston, MA. It's interesting to read about the differences between the modern and nineteenth century versions of the same area. Casey and Nate's school is in the middle of a vacant forest back in 1860s near the Watson family farm. Each "world" was well described and easy to distinguish.
4) Time-Traveling: I'm a fan of time-traveling mostly because I'm such a huge history fan, and this book didn't disappoint with its historical tidbits. I won't give them away since they're crucial to the story, but I'll hint that it's 1860 in a Northern state in the United States (and Lincoln hasn't been elected president yet.) The daily chores, clothing, and etiquette of the nineteenth century also appeared well researched and easily integrated into the story.
Definitely recommend this book to any time-traveling/history fan or anyone who wants a heart-warming adventure tale of a unique heroine and her odd travels.
You can also read the first chapter over at Elle's website! Check it out here!
Meet the Author...
Elle Strauss writes Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction. She's a
married mom of four, and lives in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, famous
for beaches and vineyards. She's fond of Lindt's sea salt dark
chocolate and hiking in good weather. Her Young Adult rom/com
time-travel CLOCKWISE and contemporary/otherworldly Middle Grade IT'S A
LITTLE HAYWIRE are now available on Amazon. (via her website)
Find Elle On
Twitter: @elle_strauss
Facebook : Elle Strauss - Author
Goodreads: Elle Strauss Goodreads Author
Google+: Elle Strauss
Wattpad: Elle Strauss
Facebook : Elle Strauss - Author
Goodreads: Elle Strauss Goodreads Author
Google+: Elle Strauss
Wattpad: Elle Strauss
What do you think: would you enjoy trips to
the past? Would you know your history well enough to survive? And if you
could travel, where/when would you like to go?
a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
(Elvish Farewell)
No comments:
Post a Comment