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Troubled teen Emerson Cole returns to her Southern hometown and old "haunts" in this genre-blending story.
Despite her cushy new life with her older brother Thomas and his wife Dru, Em can't overcome her dark past; she started seeing ghosts at 13, shortly before her parents' tragic accident. Caught talking to seemingly empty space too often, Em is verbally and physically defensive, unable to completely confide in Thomas, Dru or her best friend Lily. When Thomas hires handsome college-aged Michael Weaver (a consultant from the mysterious Hourglass institute) to help Em with her "hallucinations," predictably tempestuous romance and unexpected adventure ensue. After meeting an X-Men–esque group of former Hourglass students—and the dangerous but sexy Kaleb Ballard, Michael's rival for her affections—Em learns that she's not crazy but gifted, and that she might be able to change the past as well as see it. Em is an entertainingly cheeky narrator and appealingly resilient heroine; when she meets Michael's friends, she wryly comments, "Team Freak. Wonder if we could get jerseys." First-time author McEntire deftly juggles plot, characters and dialogue; her portrait of grief is particularly poignant.
The ambitious combination of paranormal romance and sci-fi action leads to some pacing problems but also makes for a refreshing read. (Fiction. 12 & up)
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.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.RememberingJulie
Posted April 4, 2011
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.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.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.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 28, 2011
ALL PEOPLE WHO ENJOY TIME TRAVEL AND ROMANCE WITH A PINCH OF SUSPENCE, THIS BOOK MAY BE FOR YOU!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.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.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.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.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.deadtossedwaves
Posted November 29, 2012
Based on ARC.
I was really excited to be apart of the Fire and Ice ARC tour. Especially with this novel which I'd been anticipating. I mean, look at that cover. It's completely intriguing.
I read this book in one day. While it started off slow, the plot really fed you a lot of information that kept me interested enough to continue on. Once I got into the meat of the book, I just didn't put it down.
For me, the southern spin was really refreshing. It also made it easier for me to relate to Emerson, along with her witty sense of humor. I really got a feel for her in this novel and understood her motives. She really was the stand out character for me.
I did really enjoy this novel. It does come off predictable at times, but I really thought Myra handled the time travel aspect very nicely. I honestly wanted more of it. Had there been more development there I would have loved this novel to death. I felt the connection. This was a great debut, and I can't wait for the sequel.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.CaptivatedRding
Posted June 11, 2012
Have you ever read a book where you couldn't decided if it was great or whether you just wanted it it be great? Yeah, that's HOURGLASS for me.
I really did enjoy this book, though. In fact, I read it in two days (which for me, with four small children to take care of, is quite an accomplishment) because I just kept wanting to find out what happened next. I think Emerson is probably one of my favorite female characters. I do think that she was flawed--I found myself, quite frequently, yelling at her to get her head together in certain parts, but I can't say that I don't find myself doing that with <i>most</i>
of the books I read. I think Emerson is strong, intelligent, and has a great sense of humor. Buuuuuttttt, when it comes to guys, I think she has a whole lot to learn!
I had a hard time with the way she sometimes would just throw herself at Michael. I get that because of her past, she's all about 'carpe diem' and all that, but I still feel like she should have kept a little bit more of herself locked away until she was sure of Michael's feelings. I will admit, however, that this is just MY opinion. I'm sure not everyone will agree with me here. I also feel like there was a whole lot of back and forth between Emerson and Michael. It just seemed as if we were supposed to just support their relationship, no matter how "off" it seemed, because they had "chemistry". Okay, I'm done harping on that. I will say that I liked how the DTR (defining the relationship) went at the end. Okay, now I'm REALLY done.
I really appreciated the time-travel aspect of the book. I am kind of a sucker for time-travel, and I think this one was done very well. I didn't get confused and have a "oh-my-gosh-I'm-SOOO-lost" moment, like I do with some time-travel stories. Ms. McEntire kept the science part of the story simple and easy to comprehend. And I am totally excited to see where she takes the story.
All-in-all, I would definitely recommend this book to those of you who enjoy time-travel, a spunky heroine, and some mystery. I'm really looking forward to digging into TIMEPIECE.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 8, 2013
OMG I love this book !!!
I have recently read the Hourglass by Myra McEntire and I absolutely loved it!! This is definitely a book for
teenagers like me. The book is filled with suspension, drama, and romance, which got me hooked to the book !
I just had a feeling I would like this book, the cover was very intriguing, the picture reeled me into the Hourglass!
The book was 390 pages and it was hard to put it down, every chapter had a new twist! There is no movie version
but it would be awesome if there was one! I am usually not into reading science fiction novels, but the Hourglass
might have changed that for me!! I thought the author's style in this book was creative; the author would always leave
me predicting what will happen next!
Anonymous
Posted April 5, 2013
I absolutely loved the book. At first i was just reading it for a book report, but ending up reading it again. I'm not much of a reader, but I loved the book. I liked how the story was- romantic and suspensful- after i read this I went to see if there were more to the series, and there was! Im going to read the second book again and waiting for the third. Its an amazing series and i loved every minute of it. I highly reccomend it.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 8, 2013
Really awesome
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 30, 2012
An enjoyable quick read. Well written; a nice teen read.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I hate the summary of this book. It makes it sound like some cheesy paranormal romance, and - besides that being the wrong genre - Hourglass is so much more than that.
One, I classify it as science fiction. I'm not quite sure what the rules would be (I'm not a science girl m'self) but there's a definite rule set and science theory that applies to the book. I mean, come on - she might have to deal with 'ghosts', but there's theory to it. This is science fiction, and I wish there was more in YA.
Two, though there is romance, it's not the focus. Yes, her relationship with Michael is played on throughout the book - hello, what is a book without romance? - but I can't help but think that there's more to this book than that. There's stuff about good and bad and write and wrong and the fine line between that. There's humor and lines that make me laugh out loud. There's friendships and family and tension.
But once we move past the summary (and that cover! More on that later), I can tell you - if you're a fan of sci-fi or anything bordering paranormal, I recommend reading Hourglass. I've been fortunate enough to come across a lot of well developed characters lately - characters with interesting back story, who (well, Michael and Ava aside) aren't hideous, but aren't drop dead gorgeous. They've got their own brand of wit and humor about them that make them fun to read. None of them are the same.
And that, I think, is one of the reasons I like Hourglass as much as I did. Besides having an interesting plot - can she really travel in time? Can she do it without ripping the space time continuum apart!? - there were interesting characters to go with it. Anybody who reads WORD regularly knows I'm a sucker for good characters, and Hourglass delivers.
And, of course, a strong and interesting plot, witty writing, and a swoon worthy boy make this book a fantastic addition to most shelves.
GabbieJ
Posted December 1, 2012
My Review
Favorite Quote(s):
"'I have to go away for a day or two. I thought if we were both buckled in, I could have an actual conversation with you before I left. It's important. So don't touch me.' He made a noise that resembled a growl. 'I mean, again.'"
"'Aren't you just a knight in shining armor? ... Wherever do you keep your horse? And who scoops up the crap it leaves behind?'"
Favorite Character: Emerson because she was a very strong female character, and I can definitely look up to her.
First Line:
"My small Southern hometown is beautiful in the haunting way an aging debutante is beautiful."
My Musings: Very interesting story! I haven't read many books about kids with gifts--the only one that comes to mind is the Gifted series. This novel was very exceptional--although not astounding, it was interesting. The writing was great, the characters were great, and the romance was great. Everything was great!
I liked that the novel was written in Emerson's point of view. It gave a great prospective of the main character and allowed me to become one with Emerson. Seeing everything as she saw it made me feel a familiarity with her as well as the other characters in the book. The writing was moderately descriptive, with a fast paced plot that kept my nose in the book. It took me a bit to warm up to the concept of the character's gifts and well as the background on who killed who, who was evil, and all the like, but once I did, the book became that much better.
Emerson was by far my favorite character. Although small in size, she shows that females can be strong characters. She was your typical female heroine, and I loved that she is stubborn and determined to do what was right. Michael also appealed to me. For once, I just love the name. Anyways, Michael's feelings for Emerson were adorable; I wish I had a guy that felt that way about me. He was determined to keep her safe, keep his best friend Kaleb safe, and to keep Kaleb's father safe. I loved seeing all the characters interact and form bonds, even though Kaleb kept trying to get in the way of my favorite couple!
Over all, the book was a great, interesting, quicker read. It showed you that trust shouldn't just be given; however, it also shows that love and determination can yield great results. This was a great read, and for those of you who like unique paranormal books, this is the one for you!
fourheadjen
Posted December 1, 2012
The ending left me completely satisfied and I honestly thought there wasn't going to be a sequel. Loved it! Love the cover.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.CaliW1
Posted November 30, 2012
I love this book and I recommend it to people that like space and time continuume books.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.bookworm0
Posted November 30, 2012
OMG, I love this book. It's such a great book. The storyline flows so easily and keeps you guessing. I tore through it, just wanting to know what was going to happen next. Fabulous! :)
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 13, 2012
Emerson Cole sees people from the past. No, they arent ghost and Em isnt an exorcist. She just tries to go on with her life, leaning on her best friend Lily, her much older brother Thomas, and his wife Dru. Em is a very likeable, believable character. She is an an orphan, but unlike most teen-lit orphans she actually mourns her parents, and her relationship with Thomas and Dru is genuine and compelling. And then theres Michael. Thomas hires Michael as a consultant to help Em deal with her.. gift. But Michael really cares about Em, and he's definatly love-interest material. This book is good for anyone high school aged and up, no ones hooking up or cussing like crazy(swearing is minimal and mild) but there are some allusions that probably wouldnt be cool for a middle schooler unlesd they were really mature. Otherwise the book is totally clean. Hourglass is a witty compelling novel with a heroine you'll love and an "oh my god that did not just happen" ending. Theres also a fun, semi-sci-fi twist. Two words. Time. Travel. But dont worry, you don't have to be a trekkie to love it. I promise, no space ships allowed.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.MarmaladeLibby
Posted August 1, 2012
**Originally posted at Libby Blog**
What if everything you believed was true...isn't?
Emerson Cole sees people who shouldn't be there that no one else can see. Of course, once others know you can (or know that you think you can) see people and talk to people who aren't there...there's medication, counseling, and even a facility. What do you do when you can see people who aren't there? How can you tell who's real and who isn't? What if they talk to you? What if they already know your name?
My thoughts: What the heck was I waiting for on this one? I can't believe this book, with a stinking GORGEOUS cover, has been in my HS LMC for a year and I didn't read it!
Ok, here's what I loved:
-Emerson! She rocks! I love that her "edit button is broken." I also love that she's broken and a bit crazy. All the best people are honestly.
-Thomas and Dru. What a wonderful brother and sister-in-law! How more wonderful could they be!?
-Lilly. She's such a great bff! Through it all she hasn't abandoned Emerson and has a great personality to boot! I'm really hoping she gets to be a bigger part in things in the future!
-Jack. He's such a great bad guy! You truly hate him so easily! I literally wanted to rip into the book and rip into him!
-Kaleb. Dang I want to meet this boy! AND, I want to see that tattoo! There's just something about a bad boy isn't there!?
-That I had no idea where the heck the story was going! I hate it/get really annoyed when I can see or guess exactly what's going to happen each step of the way in a book. That did NOT happen here! Holy cow! What a roller coaster ride of twists and turns! Brilliant Myra!
Final thought: I'm on to book 2...pause the world and shhh!
I loved this book the relationship between Emerson her brother Thomas and his wife I thought was great. I also loved when she met Michael and things they could together. I enjoyed meeting the friends of the Hourglass and how Emerson could help someone else in pain. Definitely a great book that I found myself wanting to read Timepiece. To see where the story leads to. OMG my new favorite author to say the least Ms. McEntire’s story telling was amazing!
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Overview
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...