Friday, August 16, 2013

ARC Review: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill (Nara)

Title: All Our Yesterdays
Author: Cristin Terrill
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Release Date: 1 August, 2013 (UK/ANZ), 3 September, 2013 (US)
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Goodreads | The Book Depository | Amazon

A brilliantly brain-warping thriller and a love story that leaps back and forth in time - All Our Yesterdays is an amazing first novel, perfect for fans of The Hunger Games.

Em is locked in a bare, cold cell with no comforts. Finn is in the cell next door. The Doctor is keeping them there until they tell him what he wants to know. Trouble is, what he wants to know hasn't happened yet.

Em and Finn have a shared past, but no future unless they can find a way out. The present is torture - being kept apart, overhearing each other's anguish as the Doctor relentlessly seeks answers. There's no way back from here, to what they used to be, the world they used to know. Then Em finds a note in her cell which changes everything. It's from her future self and contains some simple but very clear instructions. Em must travel back in time to avert a tragedy that's about to unfold. Worse, she has to pursue and kill the boy she loves to change the future.
Review by Nara

Note: yes, I realise it's weird that both Chantelle and I posted reviews of this book this week. I think Chantelle was supposed to post hers last week, but she forgot. lol. 

Wow. Freaking wow. I seriously don't think I've read a book this good in a while. This book is amazing. People in Australia/New Zealand/the UK- BUY IT NOW! People in the US- PREORDER IT NOW! And people who live elsewhere GET IT SOMEHOW! Frankly, everyone and anyone should be grabbing a copy of this book.

There is so much intrigue built up at the start- why are Finn and Em in custody? What formula? What papers? WHAT DA HECK IS HAPPENING?? I really love the way the novel is structured- throughout, there are these scenes a bit like flashbacks which show you the backgrounds of the characters. This meant that at times, you feel really sympathetic towards the villain (or the person he used to be). One thing though- the book is ridiculously predictable- pretty much all the "twists" are really obvious- but this doesn't take away from the story at all, because even though you feel like you know what's going to happen, you still want to see how exactly it unfolds. And near the very end- MASSIVE TWIST. Seriously was not expecting what happened to happen (sorry if that sentence sounds weird, trying not to spoil here). My status on Goodreads when I read that bit:
Oh. My. God. Oh my freaking god. NO! NO NO NO! OHMYGODAREYOUFREEAKINGSERIOUSWHATTHEHELLJUSTHAPPENED
I'm going to be honest, I teared up in that ending scene. It was so intense. AND SO HEARTBREAKING. And to the people who have read the book: how beautiful was the passage in italics near the very end with the conversation between Em and Finn. IT WAS SO AWESOME.

The romance: seriously, this book has one of the most bizarre and confusing love triangles (confusing as in hard to define, it's easy to understand) I have ever read in YA- what, with the whole time travel meaning that there are multiple of one person during one time period O.O I don't even know if you can call it a love triangle- a love mess, or a love tangle maybe.

The best thing about this book is the cast of characters- FINN IS AMAZING. I want me a Finn. Look at these awesome quotes! With Em:
"I know things are still kind of weird between us, and this is going to make me sound like a total girl, but..." He scoots closer to me in the dark. "Can I hold your hand?"
And with Marina:
His voice is so oddly kind when he says it that I burrow deeper into the quilt to get away from the sound of it and don't say anything back.
The ending was FREAKING PERFECT. Although the novel feels like it's a standalone, and it could actually finish here (as there's not really a cliffhanger), apparently the author is writing a sequel. Not sure how I feel about that because the ending was so amazing in this book and I feel like it should be left alone, but at the same time, I do want to read more about Finn and Em (mostly Finn).

Note: My bad for having a sporadic inability to turn off caps lock. BUT I'M SO EXCITED FOR PEOPLE TO READ THIS BOOK!
Another note: quotations taken from the ARC and may not be the same in the final edition.
Yet another note: Yeah I realise this review may read like a gushing mess. Well, alksdjfoawjef to that.

Favourite
Panacea Candidate

Ratings
Overall: 10/10
Plot: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Cover: 4/5


22 comments:

  1. OMG, I loved this too. It was such a fantastic story. So agree with your review. And I'm excited for Cristin. I interviewed her and am giving away an ARC. It's a very popular interview.

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    1. Oh wow I better take a look at this interview! How exciting! I already own a copy so I won't enter the competition though haha

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  2. It got 5 stars from me too. I've been telling everyone they need to read it RIGHT NOW!!! :D

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    1. BASICALLY! I got a few people to read it :D
      Such an amazing book!

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  3. I teared up a little at the ending too! I was surprised by how emotional this book was. I'm SO glad you loved this, Nara. I was pretty much blown away when I first read this, even if I did think some of the scientific explanations could have been a little further explored. AMAZING review! :)

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    1. haha snapsies! The very ending scene was so beautiful :')
      I do agree that there was a distinct lack of explanations about the science of the time travel, but I think that was okay, because the focus was definitely more so on the characters and the romance :)
      Thanks Sam!

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  4. Awesome! I really want to read this one, it looks SOOO good. There's so much good stuff going around about it!! I kind of got rejected when I requested it on Netgalley though, haha. I'll probably just get it when it hits the shelves!
    Awesome review Nara! :D

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    1. Awwww. I got approved on NetGalley, but then went and grabbed a copy because it was so amazing :D :D Definitely get yourself a copy when it releases! It'll be worth the wait!
      Thanks Emily :)

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  5. OMG THIS BOOK IS AMAZING AND I LOVE IT SO MUCHHHHHH! Finn is actaully MINE. LOL.

    Fab review, hon! <33

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    1. OH NO YOU DON'T! FINN IS MIIIIINE! #catfight hahaha

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  6. I loved this book so, so much! I just can't.

    And FINN. I want him for myself!! I just about melted every time he spoke!

    Great review :)

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    1. Finn is definitely in high demand haha. He was just so cute with both Marina and Em <3 <3
      HE'S JUST SO SWOONY!

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  7. My co-blogger and I have done the double review thing in one week too haha. All the capitals stood out at me, I can tell you definitely loved the book ;) I love how unpredictable it sounds.

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    1. IT'S SO AMAZING ALISE!
      You have to read it! ASAP! :D :D

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  8. Oh, this sounds interesting. I haven't read up much about it yet, but I'm intrigued. Most books are predictable nowadays, but glad that it doesn't detract from the the overall feel of the story. Great review!

    Vi
    Confessions of a Vi3tBabe
    Deity Island

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    1. The predictability definitely doesn't take away from the story! While you have inklings of what's going to happen, the actual execution is SO GOOD. There are actually quite a few reviews of All Our Yesterdays out there- and it seems that the majority of these are favourable. BECAUSE IT'S AMAZING :D

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  9. I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed this book! I am definitely getting it once it's release. I've heard tons of great things about it. I'm so excited for this book. Great review too!

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    1. I can pretty much guarantee that it won't disappoint!
      Thanks Ariel :)

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  10. AHHHH omg so glad you liked this one. I have a copy waiting to be read, and I don't know why I've put it off so much... much be all the homework -.- ANYWAY, your review has me super excited to read it! THANK YOU :D

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    1. AHHHH! GO READ IT RIGHT NOW! Put away all that homework! :D

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  11. SO glad you loved it!! I've been wanting to read this book for months now. Months. Every review has just raved over it. Cannot wait to read it!

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    1. It's rather amazing :)
      And it's finally out in the US as well, so EVERYONE can enjoy it :D

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