Hourglass

Highly Anticipated and a Sure Not to Miss Title

Hourglass is released this month and it is a long awaited title for me.
I have to say that the cover enthralled me the many months ago that I saw it online and it portrays the elements in the story perfectly.

Hourglass brings us into the topsy-turvy world of Emerson Cole, who at fourteen began seeing ghosts of history blending into her present day reality.

What Emerson has coming for her will turn her world upside down. What happens when the past flows too fully into reality and the only one experiencing it is you?

Emerson is about to experience a whole new way of looking at her future when her brother hires a new consultant to help with Emerson's abilities. Michael Weaver steps in and changes her whole world forever after he reveals to her the scope of her time-space abities.

Hourglass asks us: How far would you go to change the past? How far would you go for love? How much is too much?

Hourglass will change the way you look at the time that we have, and make you fall in love with it's characters and their stories.

Hourglass is a great first book in a series and I cannot wait to see what the consecutive books have in store for us in our own reading as well as the plight of these amazing characters.

I loved how the title of the book also tied so well into the story since on the cover you see everything turned around and the name of the organization helping/hunting Emerson is the Hourglass. Amazing author, and amazing read. Here is a book not to miss.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Possibly My New Favorite Book of All Time

Hourglass is snarky, sarcastic, funny, romantic, action-packed, and surprising. And there's two hot guys. Emerson easily makes my list of Lovely Badass Heroines. Is there anything else I can say besides I loved it with the passion of a burning suns? Which, may sound crazy but is totally true?

No matter what, 2011 is an excellent year for YA and this one is definitely one of my favorites. And Myra McEntire is DEFINITELY an author to watch.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Awesome Time Travel Novel

One of the first things that attracted me to this book was the cover. This is one of the most beautiful covers I've ever seen.

And the book only got better from there. :)

I went into HOURGLASS thinking it was going to be about ghosts, but the story was a little more awesome than that. While Emerson sees people that have died, she isn't seeing their ghosts, she's seeing their imprint on time. Because she has the ability to travel to the past.

Only she doesn't know it, and she thinks she's crazy. Which, I think, was a completely realistic reaction.

With her brother's intervention in seeking out Michael's help from Hourglass, Emerson learns how little she really knows about herself. (And in an incredible, didn't see this coming twist near the end, she learns how little she really knows about her past.)

I loved Emerson's personality and voice. And I really enjoyed the plot. I liked how the whole time travel aspect was handled. Kind of like in X men, some people are born with special abilities. Hourglass is a secret organization that deals with people who have abilities relating to time. Not everyone can time travel, and time travel seems to be a one way street. You either have the ability to travel to the past or to the future, but not both unless you pair up with someone who has the opposite ability. And pairing up--you travel to the past, he/she travels to the future--is like the ultimate in opposites attracting.

So there is some heavy attraction at first sight when Emerson runs into her other half. Attraction that leads to love. There is also a bit of a love triangle that happens when Emerson is introduced to others who have defected from Hourglass as the new person director doesn't care so much about helping people deal with their abilities as he does about power. The third side to the triangle is Kaleb, the dead founder of Hourglass's son, who is an empath. And to be honest, as great as Michael is, I really liked Kaleb better in some ways even though he wasn't as straight laced.

Michael is very intense and, at times, overprotective of Emerson. There were a few times I wanted to smack him, but I didn't have to because Emerson did it for me. I understood his reasoning as the story unfolded, but I appreciated that Emerson fought back when his need to protect her became too constrictive. Kaleb, on the other hand, didn't try to protect her from the hard realities of what was going on. He was there to support and help her, but wanted her to know what she was dealing with so she could make her own informed decisions. Something Michael was learning to do closer to the end of the story.

All in all, I really enjoyed HOURGLASS, and can't wait for the sequel to come out. I want to know what happens with the bad guy, more about the Powers that Be, and the repercussions of Emerson going back in time--once on a mission to save the founder of Hourglass, and once more to save Michael's life.

*crosses fingers that it's next year*

There is some mild swearing and kissing. I received a review copy from the publisher.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Addictive and Refreshing

Addictive and refreshing, this time-traveling romance had me glued to its pages right down to the very last. HOURGLASS was a delightful surprise. I got so much more than what I expected - I was utterly captivated.

What's not to love about Emerson? This girl is a fighter. She's had to endure so much since seeing her so called ghosts. Coping with the death of loved ones, being committed into an institution, and now she must face the fact that maybe she's not crazy after all. With aid from gorgeous heart-throb Michael, Em finally understands her gift. The chemistry between these two sizzles. Em had me cracking up with what she calls her "edit button." When things came out of her mouth unfiltered, especially her thoughts about Michael, I was constantly laughing out loud.

I enjoyed reading about some of the secondary characters and their abilities. One character in particular captured my heart. The ever charming Kaleb, who's also Michael's best friend, was a constant joy. With the time traveling elements, sizzling chemistry between the characters, and the special abilities that the surrounded the Hourglass inhabitants, at times I forgot I was reading a book. It was quite the page turner for me. I can't wait for the sequel!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Hourglass...the book that sent my mind forward in time as the pages of the book turned!

ALL PEOPLE WHO ENJOY TIME TRAVEL AND ROMANCE WITH A PINCH OF SUSPENCE, THIS BOOK MAY BE FOR YOU!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Will Make Your Head Spin

In a good way, of course.

This is by far the greatest and most clever young adult book I have ever read.

I purchased the HOURGLASS ebook, because I couldn't get to the book store this morning. My husband said, "Fine, but please don't turn around and buy the hardback next week." I wasn't sure at the time. I told him we'd see. He rolled his eyes.

See, I have a thing for owning the actual books, but I can't own them all. Not until I'm rich, which I WILL be one day. Until then, ebooks are great for feeding my expensive reading appetite. However, there are certain books I want on my shelf now. Okay, books I have to have on my shelf now. HOURGLASS is the first young adult book that I HAVE TO HAVE ON MY SHELF ASAP. Sorry, dear.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Un-freakin-believable!(:

This by far is at the top of my top ten list. I finished it in two days;it would have beem shorter but my mother dearst told me i had othe thing to do. I love books like this and a romance alwas makes a book better, in my oppinon. Though my only complaint is wen the pace blew up i was lok totally confused but tht might b cause th pages were sticking.:P

Fast-paced and delicious!

Wow. This book was incredible! I love the mind-bending concept of time traveling and I'd never read a book about it before. It's just so cool, even though if I think too much into the details it's a bit hard to wrap my head around - like what traveling to the past and making any changes would do to the future. And paradoxes. Whaa - it's like the dream within a dream within a dream stuff from Inception. Makes my brain hurt!

Let's start with Emerson. She's everything I want in a female protag that I wish many other books had. I absolutely adored her and right from the start I made a connection with her. Why, you ask? She's witty and fluent in sarcasm (automatic brownie points), wears Converse, hates dresses, knows karate, and she's short. Okay, so maybe I don't know karate (even though I wish I did), but she's lot like me. I loved her from the moment she punched Michael in the stomach and my thought was, she and I could be best friends in real life...
I loved her even more when she told Michael, "Most of what comes out is complete truth. My edit button is broken." YES! Mine too, girl! :D
A couple of quotes that made me relate to her:
"Lily's the kind of girl who causes men to run into street signs and trip over chairs because they're too busy looking at her to walk. If she didn't have a wicked sense of humor and more loyalty than a Saint Bernard, I would probably hate her on principle alone."
"The only way I'd ever experience children would be vicariously, as the spinster aunt living in a tiny house with thirty cats." DUDE, I don't know how many times I've joked about this being my retirement plan. This was definitely my favorite quote.

To see the rest of this review and other reviews, visit my book blog at geobobspinelli[dot]blogspot[dot]com

Such a great book!

I am really looking forward to the nexr book!

Good for a vacation reading!!

I'm a collage student, the story was good written and good plot. Easy to understand if I'm bilingual person. The story was really cute and amazing. I could say was the best book I read about ghost this holidays.

There's a reason just about everyone gave it 5 out of 5 stars!

This book is absolutely AMAZING!

First of all: Look at that cover, is it not gorgeous?

Everything about the book is fantastic, I couldn't put it down! If you're looking for a good read over the holidays this is it. =)

Mad, Crazy LOVE for this book!

Picked up this book and could not put it down. It's sassy, smart, and unique. Emerson latches onto your heart from the first page and never lets go. I had to force myself to go to sleep without finishing it because my eyes were tearing from exhaustion. Then, grabbed it the second I woke up the next day and devoured the ending. I¿ll read any book Myra McEntire writes based on Hourglass alone. It¿s a gem of a book that I¿m so happy I discovered. I¿ve already pre-ordered Timepiece ¿ CAN¿T WAIT!!!

intriguing, innovative plot

It's been a while since I read this book, and yet, I still remember the storyline and characters pretty vividly. I loved it when I first read it, and it's stuck with me for the past couple of months- and considering how much I read, that says a lot.


The storyline is a bit misleading at first; your impression of what's going on at the beginning of the book turns out to not really be the case. Moreover, there is much, much more to it than first meets the eye.


Emerson, the character from whose viewpoint the story is told, is a young lady who is doing quite well, despite being a teenager who is learning to live with the death of her parents in a tragic accident, as well as her ability to interact with ghosts. Her brother makes a living restoring historic buildings, to make matters worse.


Said brother seeks help for his troubled little sister: enter the hottie who claims he can help her, Michael. And boy, do things get complicated fast.


This book features some good, strong characterization, as well as a setting that is well-crafted and lovingly described. The break-neck pace at which Emerson's relationship with Michael developed bothered me a bit, but since it really isn't the focus of the book, it was easy to put that aside in favor of focusing on the tantalizingly original mixture of paranormal ghosts and sci-fi time travel.


I highly recommend this one- a really fun read. :)

A MUST Read!!

You know those books that you love so much that you want to stand in the bookstore and give anyone that even thinks about going into the YA section a copy of the book? That's how much I LOVED Hourglass. I loved everything about this book- the cover, the setting, the plot, and the characters.

Oh, the characters! How I loved them- the sassy, fluent in sarcasm Emerson, the swoon worthy, compassionate, electrifying Michael (I wouldn't mind sharing a few zingers with him- wowza!) and the lovely, lovely Kaleb (Seriously? violet blue eyes, black hair, tattoos and a swimmer's body...*thud*.) I truly loved or hated every character in this book.

Hourglass made me laugh, swoon, cry, cringe and sob. I think I felt every emotion possible while reading it. It is full of twists and turns- some of them I saw coming and one that I did not. (That one completely threw me for a loop!) I am so excited to see where Myra takes us in the sequel. I just don't want to wait for it ;)

Amazing Time Slip Debut

Emerson "Em" Cole has been seeing people that aren't really there--like Scarlett O'Hara-esque Southern Belles on her doorstep--for several years now. It all started several months before both of her parents tragically died . . .


After one particular incident at her local school embarrassed Em and made nearly everyone think she was crazy, she's spent the last few years at a boarding school, trying to stay sane.
Now, though, her scholarship is gone and Emerson has come back home to finish high school. All while living with her much older brother and his wife--her ever well meaning brother who's always finding a psychic or someone who's sure they can help Em.

Understandably Em's more than a little apprehensive when her brother tells her he's found someone else to 'cure' her.
Willing to give one more person a shot, Em gives in . . . and meets Michael.

Michael who's barely older than Em, who doesn't look at her like she's crazy, who seems to believe her . . . and who wants her help in preventing a death he says should never have happened.

Then, of course, there's the electrical charge that goes through the room whenever they touch.


Myra McEntire's debut novel is amazing. It's a fresh concept executed beautifully. The reader gets pulled right into Em and her story right from the first page.

There's no filler or pointless pages, the story starts right from the first word, pulls you in and doesn't you go until the end (and even then it's debatable!). To say that Hourglass is time travel done right sounds like a broken record by now (and this with the book not even released yet) but it's also true. There's thought behind the how and actions are given consequences--all the things that leave most stories lacking.

Em is a character you can't help but love--a feeling that just grows as the story progresses. She has issues (who wouldn't seeing people that no one else can and having both parents die the way they died?) but those issues play into the story.

Can't forget Michael or Kaleb, either--literally you pretty much can't! Any book with two such strong male characters (and not in the chauvinistic sense of strong, but in the 'strong character' sense) should get extra points there.

All of this is on top of the great way Myra McEntire uses words. In the beginning the senses (touch, smell, sight, sound) are used a lot to really bring the reader into the scene and make you feel a part of what's happening. (Taste isn't used as much, but I suppose you could lick the book if you really want.)

Hourglass is an incredibly strong debut, the Doctor Who references certainly don't hurt, and I absolutely cannot wait to read more from Myra McEntire.

You wont be disappointed !

Hourlgass is a highly loveable book from the start! Myra McEntire really knows how to capture the reader, and the way she words everything makes you fall in love with the book over & over again! Emerson is sarcastic, strong willed, and is seriously my favorite character. This book has alot of action, but just as much romance! At first i was skeptical because im not so into Sci-Fi books, but Hourglass sure did change my mind! Read this book, i can honestly say that you wont regret it!

My new favorite

Cant wait till next summer when the second installment comes out!!! I love love love this book : ) And for the record can I just say that Em is probably the most adorable person imaginable! Totally want to hang out with her!

Loved this book!

Great read! Hope this becomes a series!

Different and captivating read

Great story. Loved that it was different. I couldnt put it down. Highly recommend.

A Must Read

This was such a great book, I started reading and I just couldn't put it down. YA reading is my new guilty pleasure, it is a nice break after a long hard day at the office!