![Hourglass - Claudia Gray (- Paperback) book collectible [Barcode 9780732289690] - Main Image 1](https://www.icollecteverything.com/images/book/main/354/3549202_1.jpg)
![Hourglass - Claudia Gray (- Paperback) book collectible [Barcode 9780732289690] - Main Image 2](https://www.icollecteverything.com/images/book/main/354/3549202_2.jpg)
Title:
Hourglass
Genre:
Fantasy
Romance
Supernatural
Young Adult
Show More
Series:
Evernight
Series Order:
3
Binding:
Paperback
Narrative:
First Person
Type of Book:
Fiction
Number of Pages:
339
Number of Chapters:
23
Date Added:
2018-06-26 17:12:58
Synopsis:
Too much paranormal, but started out well. Needs editing, too long!
3.0 out of 5 stars A Promising Premise [3.5 Stars], May 3, 2011
By T. Adlam ”professional consumer” (South Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Hourglass (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What’s this?)
At thirteen, Emerson ”Em” Cole began seeing ghosts. Or, at least, she *thought* those people she saw were ghosts. Shortly after, her parents died in a tragic accident.
Four years later, while living with her older brother Thomas and his wife Dru, Em is introduced to Michael Weaver, who Em believes is just another con artist hired by her brother to help her with her visions. But, it turns out that Michael understands Em, and her ”gift”, better than she ever expected.
This is one of those stories which could easily be spoiled with too much information, so I’ll only mention that there’s more sci-fi than supernatural--a nice break from the genre--and it had a definite X-Men vibe. In fact, I truly loved the premise; it was dripping with potential, but beleaguered by unnecessary melodrama and uneven pacing.
Em, who narrates, would be easy to empathize with because of her lot in life: deceased parents, feeling like a burden in her brother’s and sister-in-law’s lives, and on top of that, seeing things which aren’t there to the point of needing heavy medication. However, she spends a good chunk of the book painting herself as a gritty badass, but not actually supporting it. Her character felt forced and other characters, with the exceptions of Lily and Kaleb, felt one-dimensional with little subtlety or nuance.
Also, every single woman had 10-mile-long legs and was gorgeous compared to Em’s tiny stature (of which she reminded us constantly), and every single man was traffic-stopping in his hotness. As icing on the cake, all of these men shirked the tall beauties to fawn over Em, much to her surprise. Unfortunately, the instalove romance and weak love-triangle steals some oomph from the amazing premise.
Where this book shines is in the plotting and intrigue. The plot had a few unexpected twists, some working more than others, and the book did an excellent job piquing curiosity about Em’s visions and each of the characters’ abilities and the Hourglass society, not to mention setting the scene for future installments, and rather than leave you hanging, there is a resolution to the story, with the hint of another story to come.
”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?”
”Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.”
3.0 out of 5 stars A Promising Premise [3.5 Stars], May 3, 2011
By T. Adlam ”professional consumer” (South Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Hourglass (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What’s this?)
At thirteen, Emerson ”Em” Cole began seeing ghosts. Or, at least, she *thought* those people she saw were ghosts. Shortly after, her parents died in a tragic accident.
Four years later, while living with her older brother Thomas and his wife Dru, Em is introduced to Michael Weaver, who Em believes is just another con artist hired by her brother to help her with her visions. But, it turns out that Michael understands Em, and her ”gift”, better than she ever expected.
This is one of those stories which could easily be spoiled with too much information, so I’ll only mention that there’s more sci-fi than supernatural--a nice break from the genre--and it had a definite X-Men vibe. In fact, I truly loved the premise; it was dripping with potential, but beleaguered by unnecessary melodrama and uneven pacing.
Em, who narrates, would be easy to empathize with because of her lot in life: deceased parents, feeling like a burden in her brother’s and sister-in-law’s lives, and on top of that, seeing things which aren’t there to the point of needing heavy medication. However, she spends a good chunk of the book painting herself as a gritty badass, but not actually supporting it. Her character felt forced and other characters, with the exceptions of Lily and Kaleb, felt one-dimensional with little subtlety or nuance.
Also, every single woman had 10-mile-long legs and was gorgeous compared to Em’s tiny stature (of which she reminded us constantly), and every single man was traffic-stopping in his hotness. As icing on the cake, all of these men shirked the tall beauties to fawn over Em, much to her surprise. Unfortunately, the instalove romance and weak love-triangle steals some oomph from the amazing premise.
Where this book shines is in the plotting and intrigue. The plot had a few unexpected twists, some working more than others, and the book did an excellent job piquing curiosity about Em’s visions and each of the characters’ abilities and the Hourglass society, not to mention setting the scene for future installments, and rather than leave you hanging, there is a resolution to the story, with the hint of another story to come.
”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?”
”Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.”
Author:
Claudia Gray
Show More
Publisher:
Barcode:
9780732289690
Country:
Australia
Publication Date:
2010-06-01
Publication Year:
2010
Number of Copies:
1
Editor:
Kindle
Paperback
Show More
Language:
English
Automatic Estimated Value:
~$11.39
Automatic Estimated Date:
2026-01-28
Date Added:
2018-06-26 17:12:58
