Mundie Moms

Monday, June 20, 2011

Blog Tour & Book Review: Hourglass by Myra McEntire



Published by Egmont USA
Released on June 14th, 2011
Source- manuscript from author/ARC from publisher/bought book
5 stars- A Fabulous Debut
Order it from:
BooksAMillion has it HERE!

One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

What a fabulous debut! I absolutely love this mix of southern hospitality, snark, romance, plot twists, and mystery. Hourglass's fresh paranormal voice adds something new to the YA genre and left me wanting more.

I enjoyed getting to know each of Hourglass's characters, especially the main character Emerson. She's broken, but in a different way. Having dwelt with tragedy before and having an awesome paranormal ability has taught her to be a fighter. She's strong and isn't afraid to say what she's thinking and will go after anything she sets her mind to. Not to mention she's a relatable teenage girl and one of things I admire about her is how honest she is with herself. Plus anyone who says buttered biscuits and honey gets props in my book. I loved getting to meet Michael and Kaleb, and can I just say how much I loved the way Myra wrote the chemistry between Emerson and these two, especially with Michael. I'm a sucker for a well written love triangle, though this really isn't a love triangle per se.

One of the things I really liked about the romance in the story is that it's not a love at first site kind, but one with an undeniable connection. I felt that made the love story much more relatable and realistic. My inner teenage self had a few nice laughs at the way Emerson describes the two hotties, Michael and Kaleb. My favorite of the two is of course the broken boy Kaleb. There's so much more to him than what he wants people to see, and I loved how careful and sweet he is with Emerson. Plus these two provided the right amount of humor to the story. What I enjoyed the most about the characters is how Myra allowed me to get to know them, but didn't overly revealing everything about them, which makes me even more drawn to them.

I absolutely loved the way in which Myra combined paranormal and history into her story. I'm a huge paranormal fan and I love the different paranormal abilities characters have and the way Myra created the ability for some of them to time travel. I'm also a huge history fan and I really enjoyed the way in which Myra ties the ghosts Emerson can see into some of the more historical places in the story's TN setting, that Emerson's brother Thomas restores. Hourglass is a captivating story and I loved how every detail, big or small all ties into the story, either with the characters, the setting or the plot itself.

Hourglass is a fabulous debut that not only has a fresh voice, but it's an engaging, fast paced, fun read. It's one of those books that no matter how many times I read (3 times so far) I fall in love with it all over again. If you're looking for a unique paranormal mixed with time travel, ghosts, betrayal, lots of romance, engaging mystery, exciting plot twists, wonderful characters and a great setting, than I highly recommend picking up Hourglass. It's one of those books that you'll sit down to read and before you're know you'll be sucked into into the story. I'm really looking forward to what happens next and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel when it's released next year.


Be sure to visit us on Tuesday for our character interview with Kaleb and an ARC giveaway for Hourglass. You can go HERE to find out the rest of the stops for our Hourglass Blog Tour.

Mundane Monday #89

Happy Monday! I don't know why, but I find Jace's insults humorous. I don't know it's because it's coming from him or how I picture him saying it in my mind. For some reason it makes me laugh when he calls Simon a bloodsucker.

image found here

Simon shut the front door behind them. "How do you know that?"

"I can hear it." Jace looked at Simon speculatively. "And so could you if you tried, bloodsucker." He loped down the stairs a faint chuckle drifting behind him on the wind.

"I think I liked 'mundane' better than 'blooodsucker,' " Simon muttered.

"With Jace, you don't really get to choose your insulting nickname."

- City of Ashes, page 234

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