Version Zero by David Yoon

David is just one of those auto-buy authors for me. I was beyond thrilled to spend a weekend on the water reading his newest adult debut coming out this week! 

Thank you GP Putnam’s Sons for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Max, a data whiz at the Facebook-like social media company Wren, has gotten a firsthand glimpse of the dark side of big tech. When he starts asking questions about what his company is doing with the data they collect, he finds himself fired…and then blackballed across all of Silicon Valley. With time on his hands and inside knowledge about the biggest tech companies, Max and his longtime friend—and sometime crush—Akiko, decide to get even by…essentially, rebooting the internet. After all, in order to fix things, sometimes you have to break them. But when Max and Akiko join forces with a reclusive tech baron, they learn that breaking things can have unintended—and disastrous—consequences. And those consequences will ripple across the world, effecting every level of society in ways no one could have imagined. 

If you have read and loved his young adult novels, this may set you back a bit. It was definitely very different than his other novels, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. This fits the adult fiction genre well, but was a bit hard for me to get into. I’m not sure if it’s the style it was written (the chapters are written as versions of software systems), or if it’s how the novel started (we are introduced to a lot of characters at once), but I wasn’t as hooked as I have been in David’s previous novels. The silicon valley style satire throughout the novel was entertaining for sure. It really is the middle of the line for me. It reads a little like a roller coaster, fast paced in some parts and slow around the corners in others. It really makes you think twice about all the things you’ve given to social media without really knowing. Not a bad read, I think this will be talked about a lot this summer. A great book club book!

3/5 Stars

High Flying by Kaylin McFarren

Any book that sounds like a Twilight Zone episode is the kind of book I like to read!

Thank you Get Red PR and Creative Edge Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

TRIGGER WARNING: self-harm, suicide

Synopsis: Skylar Haines has struggled with personal demons most of her life, going to dark extremes to subdue anxieties rooted in her tragic past. On a perpetual hunt for the next adrenaline hit, she discovers a passion for flying and becomes a hard-edged stunt pilot, verging on obsession. In the sky, following her most daring airshow, she encounters a mysterious storm and almost collides with another aircraft, sending her into a perilous dive. Guided by a mysterious voice, she manages a safe landing but finds herself transported to another time. Eight months before she was born. One week before her father was murdered. Though baffled by her circumstances, Skylar soon arrives at a single certainty: Before her lies a remarkable chance to change her family’s destiny drastically for the better — or possibly even worse — depending on the choices she makes, before her window of opportunity closes.

The story starts off intense, but Kaylin is an amazing author. Her writing kept me at the edge of my seat the entire time. I’m just all for time travel stories these days! She beautifully paints each scene making me feel all the emotions along with Skylar. What a suspenseful story! I was highly surprised by this read and loved every minute of it! I still believe this should be a Twilight Zone episode.

4.5/5 Stars

The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas

I’m a sucker for time travel novels. And, isn’t this cover beautiful?! Thank you crooked lane books for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis from Goodreads: In 1967, four female scientists worked together to build the world’s first time machine. But just as they are about to debut their creation, one of them suffers a breakdown, putting the whole project—and future of time travel—in jeopardy. To protect their invention, one member is exiled from the team—erasing her contributions from history. Fifty years later, time travel is a big business. Twenty-something Ruby Rebello knows her beloved grandmother, Granny Bee, was one of the pioneers, though no one will tell her more. But when Bee receives a mysterious newspaper clipping from the future reporting the murder of an unidentified woman, Ruby becomes obsessed: could it be Bee? Who would want her dead? And most importantly of all: can her murder be stopped?

I LOVED the premise of this book – a story about 4 women scientists who’ve developed the ability to travel through time (woohoo, go girl science power)! The problem with this one was how quick the story went. I wanted more detail about how their scientific discovery went in the beginning of the book. The first few chapters were so crucial, I just felt like they flew by! The story takes a quick turn to focus on a murder mystery, almost leaving the revel of discovery behind in the dust. A very unique story, but I just wanted more.  I’m not sure if I liked having to switch to the mindset of being between a sci-fi novel, contemporary fiction novel, and a mystery.

3/5 Stars

Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen

After reading The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain earlier this year, I’ve been on a mission to read more time-travel books. This one caught my eye!

Thank you to Harlequin and Mira Books for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Kin works for a secret agency from the year 2142 where he is assigned missions to get rid of criminals who would alter the course of history. His latest mission lands him in the year 1996 where things start to go wrong. His method of being able to travel back to 2142 is shot and now he’s stuck, waiting for someone from his present time to come rescue him. 18 years later, that help comes. Although, it’s a little too late. He’s married, has a kid, and a new IT job. He’s completely forgotten what his past life was like. But now, he and his family is in trouble. He has to go back to 2142 and his family is in danger because they were never supposed to be married, and his daughter should have never existed. Will he be able to save his family from the year 2142? Will he be able to travel back to his family?

THIS BOOK! I LOVED IT! As soon as I saw the Star Trek references in the beginning, I knew I was in for a grand time. This is the perfect blend of a science fiction and contemporary fiction novel. I read this book in one night! The author did a wonderful job expressing the appropriate emotions between his family from 2142 and his family from 2014. There were a few events that happened that were sad and left me wanting to throw the book, but it was the best way the story could have gone. The ending was just perfect. It wrapped every cliff hanger up. This would be a wonderful movie, by the way!

4.5/5 Stars

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain

I have just recently become a Diane Chamberlain fan. Where has she been my whole life!? I have a lot of catching up to do with her books, but this was a great place to start.

Thank you St Martin’s Press for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Carly Sears has recently lost her husband in the Vietnam war and just found out that her daughter that she’s pregnant with has a fatal heart condition. For it being 1970, there is no sucess rate for the pregnancy. Carly is devestated. In comes her brother-in-law Hunter with a life-changing soultion. He can help her travel to the future to get the procedure needed and save her daughter’s life. Does she decide to make the travel? Does her daughter survive?

This book captured my attention right away and I could not put it down. I don’t want to give away too many details about this one because I feel like it spoils the whole experience for you if I do. I will say that about half way through the book, I got mad. I felt all the frustrations of Carly and I wanted to throw the book across the room. But, I digress….I had to keep going to find out what happened and I’m so glad I did. The twist at the end of the book was so well worth it and the ending was absolutely perfect.

4/5 Stars

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Don’t you just love when books sneak back up on you even if it’s been awhile since you’ve read it? I’ve been thinking on this book for days now…

Landline is a time travel novel based on a failing marriage. BAM. Already an adventurous start! Georgie works as a writer for a TV show and cares a little too much about work. So much that her husband has taken the kids to Christmas vacation without her. She’s pretty convinced that her marriage is over and realizes that she should probably do something to fix it. She picks up the phone to talk with her husband, only to realize that it’s not her present day husband.

This was such a cool book! I thoroughly enjoyed the story line and stayed up the entire night just to finish it. I wasn’t a huge fan of Georgie at times…her life decisions annoyed me and that’s probably a good thing because it made her more realistic than most. There were parts in the beginning that were slow, but the phone calls made up for that. I would read it again!

4.5/5 Stars