Review for Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone!
Quick View Review
Overall Rating: **** (4/5)
Amazon Rating: **** (4.4/5)
One Sentence Review: A classic contemporary with an amazing sci-fi twist, this duology will capture you until the last page and have you wanting nothing but a happily ever after for Anna and Bennett.
Playlist: Don’t Let Me Down by the Chainsmokers & Daya
Stone by Alessia Cara
Out of this World by Emblem 3
U12 by Daya
Never Forget You by Zara Larsson & MNEK
Full Review
Anna lives in 1995 Chicago. Bennett lives in 2012 San Francisco. They may have been able to meet at some point in real time, but they definitely weren't supposed to fall in love.
Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?), Bennett possesses the ability to time travel, which allows him to develop a relationship with Anna. The problem, of course, is that he never knows when or if he'll get knocked back to his real life at home.
Anna has always had what Bailey's family (The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson) would call the "wandering spirit". She wants nothing more than to explore the world freely and discover all that traveling has to offer. Bennett can provide her with everything she's ever wanted, but will she risk the possibility of him suddenly disappearing for good? What consequences will the couple be able to take in order to maintain their connection?
This book was so, so good. A contemporary with a fantasy sci-fi twist, Anna and Bennett's perfect love will make you happy and heartbroken; mostly, though, it will make you terribly conflicted. At least that was my case.
When there was a happy moment, I wanted to jump and dance to an uplifting song. When tears were shed by the characters, I was almost always mirroring them. I could completely connect to Anna and loved. Loved. Loved. Bennett. But that shouldn't surprise you, I suppose.
The plot was what I would call classic contemporary, which isn't a template but a pattern; one in which the conflicts of such novels always take place at the same moments and are often solved in a similar manner. The emotions are similar and characters are always conflicted over a love interest. Authors find ways to make their stories unique while still following this pattern, though, with whatever wedge they place between the two character lovebirds, which is why the contemporary genre of YA is so diverse and successful (and so incredible! Just because it’s a pattern doesn’t always mean it’s predictable). So yes, this book followed that pattern, but Stone created a conflict so unique that this book was completely unlike anything other novel while also fitting perfectly into the contemporary genre.
Back to the characters. Anna was basically me (she's a reader, is committed to a sport, and wants desperately to travel), so I absolutely adored her. Bennett, like I said, was also perfect. One thing I think could have been improved: I wish Emma and Justin would've made more appearances and been more important. I just didn't find myself caring very much about them, and I feel like Justin could've been the epic best friend like Simon Lewis from the Mortal Instruments, but just didn't quite reach his full potential.
The writing, of course, was phenomenal. Tamara Ireland Stone is so great at what she does, and she did an incredible job creating these two wonderful novels.
Overall, I loved this duology. I wouldn't say it quite made it to the favorites shelf, but I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a classic contemporary who also enjoys the occasional fantasy read. This series is the perfect mix between the two.
Make sure to come back next Wednesday for a new review!
Happy reading!
Xoxo,
Jordan
