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Backward Glass
Crack your head, knock you dead, then Prince Harming's hunger's fed.
It's 1977, and Kenny Maxwell is dreading the move away from his friends. But then, behind the walls of his family's new falling-apart Victorian home, he finds something incredible--a mummified baby and a note: "Help me make it not happen, Kenny. Help me stop him."
Shortly afterwards, a beautiful girl named Luka shows up. She introduces Kenny to the backward glass, a mirror that allows them to travel through time. Meeting other "mirror kids" in the past and future is exciting, but there's also danger. The urban legend of Prince Harming, who kidnaps and kills children, is true--and he's hunting them. When Kenny gets stranded in the past, he must find the courage to answer a call for help, change the fate of a baby--and confront his own destiny.
It's 1977, and Kenny Maxwell is dreading the move away from his friends. But then, behind the walls of his family's new falling-apart Victorian home, he finds something incredible--a mummified baby and a note: "Help me make it not happen, Kenny. Help me stop him."
Shortly afterwards, a beautiful girl named Luka shows up. She introduces Kenny to the backward glass, a mirror that allows them to travel through time. Meeting other "mirror kids" in the past and future is exciting, but there's also danger. The urban legend of Prince Harming, who kidnaps and kills children, is true--and he's hunting them. When Kenny gets stranded in the past, he must find the courage to answer a call for help, change the fate of a baby--and confront his own destiny.
336 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2013
9 people are currently reading
1291 people want to read
About the author
David Lomax
7 books23 followersBorn in Scotland and raised in Toronto, David Lomax divides his time between four great passions – writing, reading, teaching high-school English, and his wonderful family. He lives in Toronto with his awesome wife and three precocious children.
His debut novel, Backward Glass is out now from Flux Books.
David, the author and teacher, is now offering FREE Lessons/rubrics (gr 7-10) & Questions for Book clubs available for Backward Glass at: http://wp.me/p1hz0K-8Y
His facebook fan page is http://www.facebook.com/DavidLomax100
His debut novel, Backward Glass is out now from Flux Books.
David, the author and teacher, is now offering FREE Lessons/rubrics (gr 7-10) & Questions for Book clubs available for Backward Glass at: http://wp.me/p1hz0K-8Y
His facebook fan page is http://www.facebook.com/DavidLomax100
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
December 4, 2013
Wow!
For a debut book, this was really quite good. I wasn't sure what to expect from the story when I first picked it up, but I certainly wasn't expecting to become so engrossed in Kenny's story that I didn't want to put it down. I'm thinking the author is going to make a nice splash with this book.
First, let me say that although this is a YA book, it reads like a coming of age story that adults can easily relate to, as well. So, if you normally shy away from this genre because of melodramatic love triangles and angsty characters, don't be afraid to try this one out. Think of it as The Wonder Years meets Dr.Who...ish
So, why not 5 stars? Well, I've grown picky about what I label that highly, and this wasn't a perfect book. Most of the problems I had with it stemmed from confusion over The Rules of time-travel, and not with the actual plot itself. And since I have the attention span of a gnat, this could very well be mostly my fault, because I tend to skim and scan the technical (aka boring) aspects of books. I kept finding myself thinking, "Huh? I thought they couldn't do that?". Then again, I am also the kind of reader who is too lazy to go back and check out previous pages to see if I'm right or not. Sorry, but if I don't catch it the first time around, I'm just going to assume I missed something important...and keep on chugging. I know, I know. Somebody worked really hard to pour their heart into writing a book, so it deserves your full attention.
Hey, don't judge me. In fact, you're probably skimming this review right now.
Ha! Caught ya!
At the same time, I really liked the fact that Lomax actually had rules to traveling through the mirrors. I've read books that allowed all kinds of things to happen willy-nilly because of some sort of time-travel device/powers, and it gets old...fast. How annoying is it to read an entire story, only to have a giant Reset! button pushed on you at the end?
Very.
For me, these kinds of stories work better when there is a limited amount of change or damage that can be done by the travelers. That aspect of the book is one of the ways that Backward Glass manages to really shine. Can you change the way things turn out, without being able to change anything? A running theme in this book is that you can't necessarily control Fate, but you can control your Soul. It's also the main lesson that Kenny and his friends learn during their amazing year with the mirror. In life, much of what happens to you is beyond your control. I've always believed that the only thing in life you can truly control is the way you react to what is thrown at you. What you say or do when something goes wrong, determines who you are and who you will become. Can you change the course of Fate? Maybe. But even if you can't, you can have the knowledge that you did the right thing and at least tried to make it better.
The story starts in 1977 with a boy named Kenny. Wait. No, it doesn't. It starts decades before, and decades after Kenny finds a dead baby and a mysterious note begging for help.
Cool, huh?
Add that to a creepy urban legend about a mysterious figure called Prince Harming (who may or may not be stalking the mirror kids through time) and you have a sci-fi mystery to die for.
The dynamic between Kenny and Luka was also pleasantly surprising, especially considering this was written by a male author.
Hmmmm. That sounded less sexist in my head...
*shrugs*
Oh, well.
Kenny isn't some super-powered guy who has all of the answers, and Luka isn't some fainting schoolgirl who expects him to protect her. She's smart, brave, feisty, and ends up saving his butt several times over. Luka equals Batman, and Kenny is her Robin.
And a guy wrote it that way?
Yep.
Don't get me wrong, Kenny isn't some bumbling idiot, but he is just a teenager. He makes mistakes, gets scared, and loses his way occasionally. His heart is in the right place, though, and I found myself totally rooting for this kid to find his way toward a Happily Ever After.
And does he?
Let's just say that the last pages left me with a big old fat grin on my face.
The ending ties everything up quite nicely, but there is also enough wiggle room left over for more books. And since I have no shame, I pestered Mr. Lomax to find out what his plans are regarding these characters. I'm happy to report that if all the stars align just right, there could potentially be two more books. The first would feature Luka as the protagonist, and the second...well, I don't want to spoil the ending of Backward Glass for you, so you'll just have to read it and figure that one out for yourself.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC
For a debut book, this was really quite good. I wasn't sure what to expect from the story when I first picked it up, but I certainly wasn't expecting to become so engrossed in Kenny's story that I didn't want to put it down. I'm thinking the author is going to make a nice splash with this book.
First, let me say that although this is a YA book, it reads like a coming of age story that adults can easily relate to, as well. So, if you normally shy away from this genre because of melodramatic love triangles and angsty characters, don't be afraid to try this one out. Think of it as The Wonder Years meets Dr.Who...ish
So, why not 5 stars? Well, I've grown picky about what I label that highly, and this wasn't a perfect book. Most of the problems I had with it stemmed from confusion over The Rules of time-travel, and not with the actual plot itself. And since I have the attention span of a gnat, this could very well be mostly my fault, because I tend to skim and scan the technical (aka boring) aspects of books. I kept finding myself thinking, "Huh? I thought they couldn't do that?". Then again, I am also the kind of reader who is too lazy to go back and check out previous pages to see if I'm right or not. Sorry, but if I don't catch it the first time around, I'm just going to assume I missed something important...and keep on chugging. I know, I know. Somebody worked really hard to pour their heart into writing a book, so it deserves your full attention.
Hey, don't judge me. In fact, you're probably skimming this review right now.
Ha! Caught ya!
At the same time, I really liked the fact that Lomax actually had rules to traveling through the mirrors. I've read books that allowed all kinds of things to happen willy-nilly because of some sort of time-travel device/powers, and it gets old...fast. How annoying is it to read an entire story, only to have a giant Reset! button pushed on you at the end?
Very.
For me, these kinds of stories work better when there is a limited amount of change or damage that can be done by the travelers. That aspect of the book is one of the ways that Backward Glass manages to really shine. Can you change the way things turn out, without being able to change anything? A running theme in this book is that you can't necessarily control Fate, but you can control your Soul. It's also the main lesson that Kenny and his friends learn during their amazing year with the mirror. In life, much of what happens to you is beyond your control. I've always believed that the only thing in life you can truly control is the way you react to what is thrown at you. What you say or do when something goes wrong, determines who you are and who you will become. Can you change the course of Fate? Maybe. But even if you can't, you can have the knowledge that you did the right thing and at least tried to make it better.
The story starts in 1977 with a boy named Kenny. Wait. No, it doesn't. It starts decades before, and decades after Kenny finds a dead baby and a mysterious note begging for help.
Cool, huh?
Add that to a creepy urban legend about a mysterious figure called Prince Harming (who may or may not be stalking the mirror kids through time) and you have a sci-fi mystery to die for.
The dynamic between Kenny and Luka was also pleasantly surprising, especially considering this was written by a male author.
Hmmmm. That sounded less sexist in my head...
*shrugs*
Oh, well.
Kenny isn't some super-powered guy who has all of the answers, and Luka isn't some fainting schoolgirl who expects him to protect her. She's smart, brave, feisty, and ends up saving his butt several times over. Luka equals Batman, and Kenny is her Robin.
And a guy wrote it that way?
Yep.
Don't get me wrong, Kenny isn't some bumbling idiot, but he is just a teenager. He makes mistakes, gets scared, and loses his way occasionally. His heart is in the right place, though, and I found myself totally rooting for this kid to find his way toward a Happily Ever After.
And does he?
Let's just say that the last pages left me with a big old fat grin on my face.
The ending ties everything up quite nicely, but there is also enough wiggle room left over for more books. And since I have no shame, I pestered Mr. Lomax to find out what his plans are regarding these characters. I'm happy to report that if all the stars align just right, there could potentially be two more books. The first would feature Luka as the protagonist, and the second...well, I don't want to spoil the ending of Backward Glass for you, so you'll just have to read it and figure that one out for yourself.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC
January 24, 2016
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: One mirror, every ten years a kid is picked, but not older than 17, and time traveling begins.
Opening Sentence: “Here’s what you need to know: You’re my son and you’re something like negative twenty-two, because that’s how long it will be before you’re born.”
The Review:
Kenny is 14 when his parents buy this old house that is a total fixer upper, and while cleaning out the place and checking everything out he stumbles across a dead baby and a note with several names on it, including his. He also finds some other notes and carvings that lead him to believe he can travel through the mirror, but he isn’t interesting in testing that theory until the night he meets Luka. The girl from 1987, and she explains the rules he wrote. Every ten years the mirror picks a kid and they can go backward, when they return home they can pull the kid from the past forward and after midnight you can always get home. Once the mirror chooses you, you can always travel through the mirror no matter your age.
Soon Kenny, Luka, Jimmy and the others begin a journey to save the dead baby, and try to stop Prince Harming. Along the way Kenny ends up trapped in the past with Peggy and Lilly, and they begin figuring out the connections between them and who the baby is. Kenny also begins to workout making doorstops that allow them to travel 30 years back instead of just ten, and that keys allow for longer jumps forwards and backwards.
He also finds out that sometimes no matter how hard you try to help, you just can’t undo things and sometimes it’s your messing around that causes problems. Will Kenny be able to save the baby and figure out who Prince Harming is so he can stop him from hurting his new friends?
This book was a total gem, and I was more than a little sad when I found that it’s not part of any series or trilogy. I was sucked in and reading from the moment Kenny started figuring everything out. I had to know what was going to happen. I will say in some places if you aren’t paying attention you can get confused because as with anything concerning time travel, it can get crazy if you aren’t really reading. That being said, I loved the world building and I loved the discovery process, and the connections. It was so amazing to see how this mirror picked kids randomly, but along the way you find it isn’t that random.
The mystery itself wasn’t that hard to figure out once the story gets going, but the suspense of confirming it really keeps you invested, and wrapping your head around who Prince Harming is totally feels like a reward at the end. I enjoyed every minute of this book and can only wish there was more. Seriously, I do wish for more, not because the end wasn’t satisfying, but because it was just that good.
Notable Scenes:
“If I went out there, and nothing happened, my ticket into the story I had been living in my head would turn out to be a forgery I had made myself.”
“The last thing I heard in 1987 before I shoved my face into iced molasses sounded like a slap.”
“In every decade we could, there seemed to be nothing more than rumors and legends.”
“You’ll go down the backward glass.”
“It didn’t even register at first that he had shot me.”
“I guessed he made a pretty decent wise old man, though I had been hoping for a little more wisdom about the way the force worked and how to handle a light saber.”
FTC Advisory: Flux provided me with a copy of Backward Glass. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: One mirror, every ten years a kid is picked, but not older than 17, and time traveling begins.
Opening Sentence: “Here’s what you need to know: You’re my son and you’re something like negative twenty-two, because that’s how long it will be before you’re born.”
The Review:
Kenny is 14 when his parents buy this old house that is a total fixer upper, and while cleaning out the place and checking everything out he stumbles across a dead baby and a note with several names on it, including his. He also finds some other notes and carvings that lead him to believe he can travel through the mirror, but he isn’t interesting in testing that theory until the night he meets Luka. The girl from 1987, and she explains the rules he wrote. Every ten years the mirror picks a kid and they can go backward, when they return home they can pull the kid from the past forward and after midnight you can always get home. Once the mirror chooses you, you can always travel through the mirror no matter your age.
Soon Kenny, Luka, Jimmy and the others begin a journey to save the dead baby, and try to stop Prince Harming. Along the way Kenny ends up trapped in the past with Peggy and Lilly, and they begin figuring out the connections between them and who the baby is. Kenny also begins to workout making doorstops that allow them to travel 30 years back instead of just ten, and that keys allow for longer jumps forwards and backwards.
He also finds out that sometimes no matter how hard you try to help, you just can’t undo things and sometimes it’s your messing around that causes problems. Will Kenny be able to save the baby and figure out who Prince Harming is so he can stop him from hurting his new friends?
This book was a total gem, and I was more than a little sad when I found that it’s not part of any series or trilogy. I was sucked in and reading from the moment Kenny started figuring everything out. I had to know what was going to happen. I will say in some places if you aren’t paying attention you can get confused because as with anything concerning time travel, it can get crazy if you aren’t really reading. That being said, I loved the world building and I loved the discovery process, and the connections. It was so amazing to see how this mirror picked kids randomly, but along the way you find it isn’t that random.
The mystery itself wasn’t that hard to figure out once the story gets going, but the suspense of confirming it really keeps you invested, and wrapping your head around who Prince Harming is totally feels like a reward at the end. I enjoyed every minute of this book and can only wish there was more. Seriously, I do wish for more, not because the end wasn’t satisfying, but because it was just that good.
Notable Scenes:
“If I went out there, and nothing happened, my ticket into the story I had been living in my head would turn out to be a forgery I had made myself.”
“The last thing I heard in 1987 before I shoved my face into iced molasses sounded like a slap.”
“In every decade we could, there seemed to be nothing more than rumors and legends.”
“You’ll go down the backward glass.”
“It didn’t even register at first that he had shot me.”
“I guessed he made a pretty decent wise old man, though I had been hoping for a little more wisdom about the way the force worked and how to handle a light saber.”
FTC Advisory: Flux provided me with a copy of Backward Glass. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
December 4, 2013
ARC provided by NetGalley and FluxBooks
Fantastic debut! My mind is still spinning with it all! I’m a huge fan of Doctor Who and of course I jumped on the opportunity to read Backward Glass. I read this book in less than six hours. That’s how mid blowing it was!
Right from the first page you are sucked in. How can you not? The book starts off with a set of seven rules that are meant to be followed. Next it opens to a prologue that seems as if it might be a letter from Kenny (main character) to his future son. Kenny begins to tell a story about himself when he was fourteen years old in 1977. The letter states that this story took place a year and a half ago when he found a dead baby behind a wall. With this mummified baby, Kenny finds a list with his name and several others on it along with years and what seems as dates of birth. The story takes off after that. I promise you, you are instantly hooked!
How can you not after an introduction of rules, creepy list and a mummified baby that is wrapped in newspaper that dates all the way back to 1947? While Kenny puzzles over the baby and the list, he notices a note addressed to him and only him. A note that begs for his help in saving the baby. Cryptic right? How did a list with his name and several others, with dates and a message for only him, come to be behind a wall in a house that he just moved into?
Being the new kid Kenny dreads going to school only to find that he is instantly the town gossip with the finding of the baby. Local kids begin to tell him a local legend about how girls have gone missing from the house he now lives in. Kids have had their heads smashed in and left to die. And along with those haunting tales a creepy rhyming song accompanies the legend. “Crack your head, knock you dead, then Prince Harming’s hunger’s fed.”
As Kenny begins to wonder and question the sanity of himself and the town his family now calls home, Luca, a pretty, charismatic and odd speaking girl shows up and introduces Kenny to the backward glass. A mirror that connects to the house and the message that Kenny knows by heart. Luca explains to Kenny that the mirror is special and allows them to travel back or forward in time, but rules are to be followed. Kenny doesn’t buy this at first, but then Luca shows him and Kenny instantly finds himself back in time. There he meets other kids that have the ability to travel through time all by using the same mirror that is sitting at the guest house of his home. Fun right? Pretty awesome. At first. Soon danger creeps in from the future and the past. Kids begin getting hurt, odd messages are left, and Kenny receives a warning that he is next. Racing against time, Kenny finds himself stuck in the past running from a legend who wishes to see him dead. Running out of time, Kenny must figure out the clues left for him to help save the baby while trying to stay alive in a past he knows little about.
Backward Glass is fast paced and action packed. Each page held a new clue and because I’m one who hates spoilers I won’t give any here. I will tell you this though, if you were a fan of Back to the future, or Doctor Who or even the Time Travelers Wife, this book will not disappoint you!
I will be honest and say at times it became confusing with trying to remember the rules from the beginning of the story and the characters that were introduced later on into the book. But all in all I loved it! It had everything you could want in a thrilling adventure! This is one that I can’t wait to add to my stack of books I’m obsessed with! Brilliant and captivating!
Fantastic debut! My mind is still spinning with it all! I’m a huge fan of Doctor Who and of course I jumped on the opportunity to read Backward Glass. I read this book in less than six hours. That’s how mid blowing it was!
Right from the first page you are sucked in. How can you not? The book starts off with a set of seven rules that are meant to be followed. Next it opens to a prologue that seems as if it might be a letter from Kenny (main character) to his future son. Kenny begins to tell a story about himself when he was fourteen years old in 1977. The letter states that this story took place a year and a half ago when he found a dead baby behind a wall. With this mummified baby, Kenny finds a list with his name and several others on it along with years and what seems as dates of birth. The story takes off after that. I promise you, you are instantly hooked!
How can you not after an introduction of rules, creepy list and a mummified baby that is wrapped in newspaper that dates all the way back to 1947? While Kenny puzzles over the baby and the list, he notices a note addressed to him and only him. A note that begs for his help in saving the baby. Cryptic right? How did a list with his name and several others, with dates and a message for only him, come to be behind a wall in a house that he just moved into?
Being the new kid Kenny dreads going to school only to find that he is instantly the town gossip with the finding of the baby. Local kids begin to tell him a local legend about how girls have gone missing from the house he now lives in. Kids have had their heads smashed in and left to die. And along with those haunting tales a creepy rhyming song accompanies the legend. “Crack your head, knock you dead, then Prince Harming’s hunger’s fed.”
As Kenny begins to wonder and question the sanity of himself and the town his family now calls home, Luca, a pretty, charismatic and odd speaking girl shows up and introduces Kenny to the backward glass. A mirror that connects to the house and the message that Kenny knows by heart. Luca explains to Kenny that the mirror is special and allows them to travel back or forward in time, but rules are to be followed. Kenny doesn’t buy this at first, but then Luca shows him and Kenny instantly finds himself back in time. There he meets other kids that have the ability to travel through time all by using the same mirror that is sitting at the guest house of his home. Fun right? Pretty awesome. At first. Soon danger creeps in from the future and the past. Kids begin getting hurt, odd messages are left, and Kenny receives a warning that he is next. Racing against time, Kenny finds himself stuck in the past running from a legend who wishes to see him dead. Running out of time, Kenny must figure out the clues left for him to help save the baby while trying to stay alive in a past he knows little about.
Backward Glass is fast paced and action packed. Each page held a new clue and because I’m one who hates spoilers I won’t give any here. I will tell you this though, if you were a fan of Back to the future, or Doctor Who or even the Time Travelers Wife, this book will not disappoint you!
I will be honest and say at times it became confusing with trying to remember the rules from the beginning of the story and the characters that were introduced later on into the book. But all in all I loved it! It had everything you could want in a thrilling adventure! This is one that I can’t wait to add to my stack of books I’m obsessed with! Brilliant and captivating!
November 18, 2013
I have never really been a huge time travel fan but the blurb for this book really had me curious, so I had to give it a try. Though at times I felt a bit confused it really was an enjoyable book.
Kenny is from 1977 and when his family moved into their new home it contained a old carriage house. One day Kenny and his father was working on the carriage house and they opened up a wall and found a baby wrapped in newspaper. A piece of paper dropped from it and when Kenny picked it up it changed his whole life. The paper asked him to help make it not happen. Save the baby. Then later that night a girl comes through the mirror in his attic room.
Luka is from 1987 and she knows that she is suppose to help Kenny save the baby, but doesn’t know a lot more than that. She takes Kenny to 1987 to visit through the mirror. Soon Kenny goes through the mirror on his own and it takes him down to 1967. There are a few rules about using the mirror and how you can take someone up time with you or down time with you.
During their time in an out of the glass they learn about Prince Harming and there are several different skipping songs about him. He is suppose to be a child killer and they think that he is responsible for killing the baby. Kenny has to go all the way to 1917 to the girl who is pregnant and he meets all the different children of the mirror. They all have a role to play in what they are suppose to do.
I feel the book is hard to explain without giving away something important so I won’t go into anything more. I am amazed at the plotting of this book and I give kudos to the author for creating such an extensive back and forth time traveling story and him being able to keep everything straight as to what is going on from one era to another. That being said it didn’t keep me from getting a little confused sometimes.
From the blurb I thought it was going to be a little bit more about the scary sounding Prince Harming, but it’s really mainly about trying to figure out how to save the baby and then the last part is mostly about the baby. Prince Harming is only a small part of the story and then it was surprising to find out who he really is.
Over all I found the book to be enjoyable and I would recommend it for those who like YA and time travel books.
Kenny is from 1977 and when his family moved into their new home it contained a old carriage house. One day Kenny and his father was working on the carriage house and they opened up a wall and found a baby wrapped in newspaper. A piece of paper dropped from it and when Kenny picked it up it changed his whole life. The paper asked him to help make it not happen. Save the baby. Then later that night a girl comes through the mirror in his attic room.
Luka is from 1987 and she knows that she is suppose to help Kenny save the baby, but doesn’t know a lot more than that. She takes Kenny to 1987 to visit through the mirror. Soon Kenny goes through the mirror on his own and it takes him down to 1967. There are a few rules about using the mirror and how you can take someone up time with you or down time with you.
During their time in an out of the glass they learn about Prince Harming and there are several different skipping songs about him. He is suppose to be a child killer and they think that he is responsible for killing the baby. Kenny has to go all the way to 1917 to the girl who is pregnant and he meets all the different children of the mirror. They all have a role to play in what they are suppose to do.
I feel the book is hard to explain without giving away something important so I won’t go into anything more. I am amazed at the plotting of this book and I give kudos to the author for creating such an extensive back and forth time traveling story and him being able to keep everything straight as to what is going on from one era to another. That being said it didn’t keep me from getting a little confused sometimes.
From the blurb I thought it was going to be a little bit more about the scary sounding Prince Harming, but it’s really mainly about trying to figure out how to save the baby and then the last part is mostly about the baby. Prince Harming is only a small part of the story and then it was surprising to find out who he really is.
Over all I found the book to be enjoyable and I would recommend it for those who like YA and time travel books.
September 11, 2016
[See the full review at thoughts and afterthoughts.]
Rating: 4.75/5
Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr spoiler-less version:
-If time-travelling is your niche, this is a pretty stellar read.
-A suspenseful, thought-provoking literary piece that will have you trying to fit the pieces of a puzzle.
-Characters are generally relatable and can be rooted for.
-Definite information overload (and voids) at times that with persistence will come full circle; hard work pays off.
Initial Thoughts:
What the (expletive goes here) am I reading?
That was me with this book. And by no means is this a bad thing. Nah. I was totally reeling in how intricate all the pieces ended up fitting together in this narrative. Everything was definitely thought through: from the nuances in dialogue to the historical inclusions (c’mon, this dude referenced Star Wars and Nintendo—so many feels, and yes I classify these as historical. Problem?). So for his debut novel (at least I think so) Backward Glass is great for all the right reasons.
Honestly though, I felt like I was reading some sci-fi mystery with tinges of Criminal Minds going on: having to profile the shit out of everyone and everything all for a long deceased baby. But wait, time traveling, changing history; all that good stuff to start the whirlwind of Kenny’s mission and by proxy the plot. So despite many aspects being cryptic and seemingly confusing at times, the journey was quite thought-provoking. But I’d like to think that it was value-added to the story telling so all my grief in note taking was well worth it.
Enough about the overall, let’s start with the basics:
The opening line in the synopsis is so eerie to me; it’s (another expletive goes here) children’s rhyme. That is just dandy. Imagine if you heard that while walking through a porcelain doll shop (in a child’s voice no less). I’d shit myself. The rest of the synopsis presented itself to me like the childhood television show: ‘Are You Afraid of the Dark?” which is awesome in its own right. The spook and thrilling factor was enough to get me to pick this book up. And then it begins with a page of (time-travel) rules that provided no context but hit all the marks of intrigue and confusion that essentially pulls you right into this story.
It’s pretty difficult to review this novel without giving away too many spoilers, but I’ll try my best despite not having too many issues with this well crafted novel.
Let me elaborate on all of this:
Disclaimer: Potential spoilers inherent to this review from here onward.
Rating: 4.75/5
Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr spoiler-less version:
-If time-travelling is your niche, this is a pretty stellar read.
-A suspenseful, thought-provoking literary piece that will have you trying to fit the pieces of a puzzle.
-Characters are generally relatable and can be rooted for.
-Definite information overload (and voids) at times that with persistence will come full circle; hard work pays off.
Initial Thoughts:
What the (expletive goes here) am I reading?
That was me with this book. And by no means is this a bad thing. Nah. I was totally reeling in how intricate all the pieces ended up fitting together in this narrative. Everything was definitely thought through: from the nuances in dialogue to the historical inclusions (c’mon, this dude referenced Star Wars and Nintendo—so many feels, and yes I classify these as historical. Problem?). So for his debut novel (at least I think so) Backward Glass is great for all the right reasons.
Honestly though, I felt like I was reading some sci-fi mystery with tinges of Criminal Minds going on: having to profile the shit out of everyone and everything all for a long deceased baby. But wait, time traveling, changing history; all that good stuff to start the whirlwind of Kenny’s mission and by proxy the plot. So despite many aspects being cryptic and seemingly confusing at times, the journey was quite thought-provoking. But I’d like to think that it was value-added to the story telling so all my grief in note taking was well worth it.
Enough about the overall, let’s start with the basics:
The opening line in the synopsis is so eerie to me; it’s (another expletive goes here) children’s rhyme. That is just dandy. Imagine if you heard that while walking through a porcelain doll shop (in a child’s voice no less). I’d shit myself. The rest of the synopsis presented itself to me like the childhood television show: ‘Are You Afraid of the Dark?” which is awesome in its own right. The spook and thrilling factor was enough to get me to pick this book up. And then it begins with a page of (time-travel) rules that provided no context but hit all the marks of intrigue and confusion that essentially pulls you right into this story.
It’s pretty difficult to review this novel without giving away too many spoilers, but I’ll try my best despite not having too many issues with this well crafted novel.
Let me elaborate on all of this:
Disclaimer: Potential spoilers inherent to this review from here onward.
March 12, 2015
"Time travel gives me a headache."
When one of my Goodreads friends shelved it as 'wants-to-read', I didn't hesitate to do too so since I found the cover beautiful and the blurb seemed interesting. And to tell you, this is really an interesting book like, seriously. And the writer's such a great storyteller that Backward Glass really caught my attention, my interest.
In general, the plot was fantastic, compelling and engaging. And I can't deny the fact that I am really hooked to that since our main character here, Kenny Maxwell, together with his friend Luka, has a mission to do, a discovery to make, a truth to search by travelling uptime and downtime through a mirror. Yes, a mirror that has it's own rule of travelling. How fun is that? We also have here these very interesting characters (and when I say very interesting, IT IS.) from every decade that has become friends with Kenny and helped Kenny in his time journey. I admit I quite got confused with these characters with the decades they are on but I managed to cope up.
And the twists and revelations blew me away. It's unpredictable. OH MY GOD. I can't contained my shock, excitement and giddiness when the answers to my questions were came to me piece-by-piece.
And with that, I will surely reread this any time soon so as I fully and whole-heartedly appreciate the holiness of this book. If you enjoyed time-travel books, you should read this one.
January 23, 2015
*I received a free ARC of Backward Glass from Flux Books via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review*
Very well done time-travel story.
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
Very well done time-travel story.
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
March 20, 2014
I'd never heard of David Lomax, but the premise of this novel sounded good so I picked it up. I'm glad I did. This YA sci-fi novel has time travel, action, realistic dialogue, and a great mystery/puzzle plot. It's emotionally engaging. And this is Lomax's debut novel. I'm looking forward to more from him.
August 20, 2023
Backward Glass
By David Lomax
October 1, 2013
Kenny Maxwell moves away from his friends and everything he knows into an old Victorian house; what he finds is more than just a few dust bunnies and cobwebs, he finds a mummified body and a mysterious note. Kenny is soon being haunted by Prince Harming, an urban legend, who kidnaps children. Kenny ends up trapped in a magic mirror.
All in all a very good time traveling, science fiction book.
Thank you to Flux and NetGalley for this review copy.
By David Lomax
October 1, 2013
Kenny Maxwell moves away from his friends and everything he knows into an old Victorian house; what he finds is more than just a few dust bunnies and cobwebs, he finds a mummified body and a mysterious note. Kenny is soon being haunted by Prince Harming, an urban legend, who kidnaps children. Kenny ends up trapped in a magic mirror.
All in all a very good time traveling, science fiction book.
Thank you to Flux and NetGalley for this review copy.
October 10, 2013
Looking for a time traveling sci-fi novel with exciting twists and turns? BACKWARD GLASS is definitely something you should pick up!
After discovering he can travel through time in an old mirror, Kenny, with the help of the travelers from the past and future, goes on a whirlwind adventure to save a baby from dying and to capture a crazy man of legend. The plot was very fresh and unique and had my attention from the get go. I loved the concept of this backward glass and Kenny, Luka, and the other's sense of adventure led them to face some scary and entertaining events.
The whole concept of how the backward glass works was, to be honest, very confusing. We are immediately told some of the most important rules about how it works but it sort of is a muddled mess. None of it makes sense. It's only after experiencing Kenny travel that the reader can understand how it all works. There are lots of rules about days and years that traveling works, other days where it doesn't. Like I said, a bit confusing but if you can go into this not trying to immediately understand everything, you'll enjoy it a lot more. The physics behind is actually way more simple than it seems: you can only travel back a decade. If a person from the decade after you travels to your time, they can take you back up to the future with them. But without them, you can only go backwards. There are a whole lot of other rules I made the mistake of trying to comprehend too early but it's what I just said that really is the most important. New rules are added on as Kenny tests the mirror's limits, but those will make more sense later.
I really enjoyed all the characters Lomax has created in this novel. They are all very interesting to learn more about and each end up contributing something very important in the past that affects the future. They all have great personalities and while some may be flawed, they have good intentions. There are lots of names to remember, I'll go ahead and tell you. There is a new traveler kid each decade from 1917 all the way to 2017. We are given a list with all the names at the beginning but since I read an ebook copy, it was a lot harder from me to flip back to it as a reference. If you buy the book, flag that page so you can quickly look up who is from what year!
Time is a complicated thing. Time travel is even more complicated. I haven't read a book in this genre like this before and I'm quite glad I had the opportunity to do so. It was unique and definitely makes you put on your thinking cap, which is probably one of my favorite things about it. If you want to just sit down and mindlessly read a book for a couple of hours, this is not the book for you. BACKWARD GLASS will have you taking notes trying to piece together everything that has happened. You'll be shocked what happens and who Prince Harming ends up being. Trust me. Despite being a bit complicated and overly wordy and lengthy at times, BACKWARD GLASS is definitely something science fiction fans would enjoy.
I received an ebook copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
This review can be found at: The Bookish Daydreamer
After discovering he can travel through time in an old mirror, Kenny, with the help of the travelers from the past and future, goes on a whirlwind adventure to save a baby from dying and to capture a crazy man of legend. The plot was very fresh and unique and had my attention from the get go. I loved the concept of this backward glass and Kenny, Luka, and the other's sense of adventure led them to face some scary and entertaining events.
The whole concept of how the backward glass works was, to be honest, very confusing. We are immediately told some of the most important rules about how it works but it sort of is a muddled mess. None of it makes sense. It's only after experiencing Kenny travel that the reader can understand how it all works. There are lots of rules about days and years that traveling works, other days where it doesn't. Like I said, a bit confusing but if you can go into this not trying to immediately understand everything, you'll enjoy it a lot more. The physics behind is actually way more simple than it seems: you can only travel back a decade. If a person from the decade after you travels to your time, they can take you back up to the future with them. But without them, you can only go backwards. There are a whole lot of other rules I made the mistake of trying to comprehend too early but it's what I just said that really is the most important. New rules are added on as Kenny tests the mirror's limits, but those will make more sense later.
I really enjoyed all the characters Lomax has created in this novel. They are all very interesting to learn more about and each end up contributing something very important in the past that affects the future. They all have great personalities and while some may be flawed, they have good intentions. There are lots of names to remember, I'll go ahead and tell you. There is a new traveler kid each decade from 1917 all the way to 2017. We are given a list with all the names at the beginning but since I read an ebook copy, it was a lot harder from me to flip back to it as a reference. If you buy the book, flag that page so you can quickly look up who is from what year!
Time is a complicated thing. Time travel is even more complicated. I haven't read a book in this genre like this before and I'm quite glad I had the opportunity to do so. It was unique and definitely makes you put on your thinking cap, which is probably one of my favorite things about it. If you want to just sit down and mindlessly read a book for a couple of hours, this is not the book for you. BACKWARD GLASS will have you taking notes trying to piece together everything that has happened. You'll be shocked what happens and who Prince Harming ends up being. Trust me. Despite being a bit complicated and overly wordy and lengthy at times, BACKWARD GLASS is definitely something science fiction fans would enjoy.
I received an ebook copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
This review can be found at: The Bookish Daydreamer
September 19, 2013
I'm still struggling to find words best to describe this book. This is actually not a bad thing because the book left me quite speechless and I did not expect to love it but I ended up totally awed by it.
Backward Glass is all sorts of amazing, frightening and confusing at times with teenage angst and a big mystery thrown in. You get a whole bunch of teens chosen to be time travellers through a mystery mirror/glass and of course without their meaning to it, chaos does ensues as result of such adventures. At first, it's hard to keep up with all the rules that the mirror kids had to follow but after getting to know them, it's like being a part of a cool secret club that only a few people can join.
Kenny; the main protagonist is not without his fault and sometimes his goody two-shoes attitude is kind of annoying but his determination to change the past and prevent the death of a mysterious baby inspired his fellow mirror kids to do the same.
I love how they all come together to achieve this despite coming from different time and the end result although not totally satisfying actually give readers hope that all of the mirror kids did find their own happy endings.
I really hoped that there's more stories about the mirror kids since it was hinted that there are more mirrors out there in the world involving kids from even Asia and beyond. There was even mention that the mirrors actually originated from the future since it specified time zones which the ancient kids did not know of. A further story about the place between the mirrors which was called the Silverlands by Kenny and his gang could also be explored by the author if he wants to continue this wonderful world.
As I've said before, the possibilities are endless with a time travel plot and this book certainly hits the mark!
Backward Glass is all sorts of amazing, frightening and confusing at times with teenage angst and a big mystery thrown in. You get a whole bunch of teens chosen to be time travellers through a mystery mirror/glass and of course without their meaning to it, chaos does ensues as result of such adventures. At first, it's hard to keep up with all the rules that the mirror kids had to follow but after getting to know them, it's like being a part of a cool secret club that only a few people can join.
Kenny; the main protagonist is not without his fault and sometimes his goody two-shoes attitude is kind of annoying but his determination to change the past and prevent the death of a mysterious baby inspired his fellow mirror kids to do the same.
I love how they all come together to achieve this despite coming from different time and the end result although not totally satisfying actually give readers hope that all of the mirror kids did find their own happy endings.
I really hoped that there's more stories about the mirror kids since it was hinted that there are more mirrors out there in the world involving kids from even Asia and beyond. There was even mention that the mirrors actually originated from the future since it specified time zones which the ancient kids did not know of. A further story about the place between the mirrors which was called the Silverlands by Kenny and his gang could also be explored by the author if he wants to continue this wonderful world.
As I've said before, the possibilities are endless with a time travel plot and this book certainly hits the mark!
September 1, 2016
The teaser was really promising. And I am actually very excited during the first few chapters of the book. It has a mixture of thrill and mystery. Hell who wouldn't be thrilled when at the first chapter, the main protagonist seen a barely 3 day old mummified-like baby? Not to mention a very disturbing note to himself?
Yeah, It was really good at the start, but as the story goes on.. the excitement and thrill was replaced by confusion and lots of questions left unanswered.
First is the Characters. The author didn't give much of an idea or introduction about the characters. I was actually left confused of who is who and from what time or year they are from. It gets more confusing when I realize that the whole plot is actually about time travelling. WRONG BOOK. I have never been a fan of time travelling kind of book. And I surely don't enjoy this book as much I thought I would.
Second is the Style of Writing and Pacing. Just like I said earlier, the story started really good, but as the story goes on I felt like I was totally lost. I just can't understand what was happening, I really did tried to understand but there wasn't really any build up interms of the plot and world-building. I just can't understand why the characters keep on going back and forth the whole time. Kids going from present to past, past to present. ITS A VERY OUT OF THIS WORLD CONFUSING. So yeah. I really didn't enjoy it.
Yeah, It was really good at the start, but as the story goes on.. the excitement and thrill was replaced by confusion and lots of questions left unanswered.
First is the Characters. The author didn't give much of an idea or introduction about the characters. I was actually left confused of who is who and from what time or year they are from. It gets more confusing when I realize that the whole plot is actually about time travelling. WRONG BOOK. I have never been a fan of time travelling kind of book. And I surely don't enjoy this book as much I thought I would.
Second is the Style of Writing and Pacing. Just like I said earlier, the story started really good, but as the story goes on I felt like I was totally lost. I just can't understand what was happening, I really did tried to understand but there wasn't really any build up interms of the plot and world-building. I just can't understand why the characters keep on going back and forth the whole time. Kids going from present to past, past to present. ITS A VERY OUT OF THIS WORLD CONFUSING. So yeah. I really didn't enjoy it.
September 22, 2013
The book is so exciting! I love the time traveling and it has a lot of adventures where I obviously enjoyed. I love how the main character tries to change everything just for his friends. I also love the twists of the story, it's like I'm solving a puzzle. It's awesome!
February 10, 2014
Time travel... Done right! :)
December 23, 2013
Read more: http://www.sarcasmandlemons.com/2013/...
Do you love nursery rhymes? Of course you don't, they're creepy as hell. Which is why they make the perfect backdrop for this eerie time travelling mystery that starts with a dead baby in the wall and ends with a startling revelation. Now, time travel can get janky, but Lomax does it well. You can only travel 10 years up or back. Only between the Mirror. Only Mirror Children can go. And nothing can change. Lomax does a damn good job of twisting together events and playing with the idea of the past and future depending on each other. It killed my brain but in a good, interesting way. The only problem was towards the end, where it got a little too confusing for me to hold onto the story. However, I got on board with the characters and stuck with them. I wished there had been more of the feisty Luka, but Kenny as a narrator really grew on me. His is a slightly naive, hopeful voice that gives perspective to the dark story. I won't soon forget this story.
plot . 4/5
You start with a mummified baby in the wall and a note--Help me save him--so you know it's gonna get good. Then a girl falls out of Kenny's mirror, and suddenly we're racing through time searching for the nefarious Prince Harming with one purpose: stop the baby from dying. The problem? The rules of time travel say that you can't change the past. What's happened has already happened. That doesn't stop Kenny from trying. It's an exciting race between Kenny and the mirror children, who are convinced that Prince Harming killed the baby, vs Prince Harming, who's convinced that Kenny is going to murder his wife sometime in the past. What comes out is a thrilling mystery with complex threads and the kind of reveal that made me smack myself in the forehead. Lomax does a great job of working within the rules of time travel while still making a compelling story. The only rough part is when the threads all start to converge and I started to lose the story. Luckily, I picked it up in time for a very satisfying, open ending.
concept . 5/5
Time travel can be done very, very poorly. Or it can be waved aside with wibbly wobbly timey wimey doublespeak if you're bold (and good) enough. Lomax finds the sweet spot and doesn't compromise on the rules. If you really think about all the pieces, they fit together in a way that makes almost complete sense with maybe one or two tiny little plot holes. Not easy to do when you're working with multiple timelines. It's also (mostly) not too complicated to follow along if you're not a quantum geek. Plus, adding in the mystery of the dead baby and the creepy nursery rhyme softens the sci-fi and pumps up the intrigue.
characters . 4/5
Kenny annoyed me a lot at first. I'm not sure why. Rubbed me the wrong way. Was a little bit of a goody-goody. He grew on me quickly, particularly after the introduction of Luka. She brings out the more interesting side of him, that adventurous, capable side. Luka herself was fantastic and underutilized. Same with the other two girls, actually. We get the most of Rose, the baby's mother, and wild John. They're cool characters, especially John, but it would have been nice for the other girls to get more of the action. Especially Luka, who's a lot more dynamic than Kenny and disappears for half the book. However, it does help that in her absence, Kenny has to find himself rather than relying on her skill. I just think there could have been some fleshing out of the minors, especially the man who's ultimately Prince Harming.
style . 4/5
Kenny's voice really sounds authentic. I harp on this a lot, but I lose interest when teen characters don't sound like teens. Kenny, however, hits the nail. I'm not so sure if his 70s slang is all well and proper (or if it differs enough from the slang of the mirror kids in other decades), but I'm also not an expert in the subject. What I really appreciated was Lomax's use of Middle English for the 1700s guy John. I'm much more familiar with that style, and he did a great job making it comprehensible enough but also obscure. In general, there were some really nice descriptions speckled throughout.
mechanics . 5/5
This book was polished and paced well. Debut novels often drag for some unknown reason, but Lomax clearly knows how to speed you along. In fact, I might have even slowed down in a few places to give more time for character development. Or maybe not. I don't really have complaints here.
take home message
A thrilling murder mystery founded in time travel and nursery rhymes.
Do you love nursery rhymes? Of course you don't, they're creepy as hell. Which is why they make the perfect backdrop for this eerie time travelling mystery that starts with a dead baby in the wall and ends with a startling revelation. Now, time travel can get janky, but Lomax does it well. You can only travel 10 years up or back. Only between the Mirror. Only Mirror Children can go. And nothing can change. Lomax does a damn good job of twisting together events and playing with the idea of the past and future depending on each other. It killed my brain but in a good, interesting way. The only problem was towards the end, where it got a little too confusing for me to hold onto the story. However, I got on board with the characters and stuck with them. I wished there had been more of the feisty Luka, but Kenny as a narrator really grew on me. His is a slightly naive, hopeful voice that gives perspective to the dark story. I won't soon forget this story.
plot . 4/5
You start with a mummified baby in the wall and a note--Help me save him--so you know it's gonna get good. Then a girl falls out of Kenny's mirror, and suddenly we're racing through time searching for the nefarious Prince Harming with one purpose: stop the baby from dying. The problem? The rules of time travel say that you can't change the past. What's happened has already happened. That doesn't stop Kenny from trying. It's an exciting race between Kenny and the mirror children, who are convinced that Prince Harming killed the baby, vs Prince Harming, who's convinced that Kenny is going to murder his wife sometime in the past. What comes out is a thrilling mystery with complex threads and the kind of reveal that made me smack myself in the forehead. Lomax does a great job of working within the rules of time travel while still making a compelling story. The only rough part is when the threads all start to converge and I started to lose the story. Luckily, I picked it up in time for a very satisfying, open ending.
concept . 5/5
Time travel can be done very, very poorly. Or it can be waved aside with wibbly wobbly timey wimey doublespeak if you're bold (and good) enough. Lomax finds the sweet spot and doesn't compromise on the rules. If you really think about all the pieces, they fit together in a way that makes almost complete sense with maybe one or two tiny little plot holes. Not easy to do when you're working with multiple timelines. It's also (mostly) not too complicated to follow along if you're not a quantum geek. Plus, adding in the mystery of the dead baby and the creepy nursery rhyme softens the sci-fi and pumps up the intrigue.
characters . 4/5
Kenny annoyed me a lot at first. I'm not sure why. Rubbed me the wrong way. Was a little bit of a goody-goody. He grew on me quickly, particularly after the introduction of Luka. She brings out the more interesting side of him, that adventurous, capable side. Luka herself was fantastic and underutilized. Same with the other two girls, actually. We get the most of Rose, the baby's mother, and wild John. They're cool characters, especially John, but it would have been nice for the other girls to get more of the action. Especially Luka, who's a lot more dynamic than Kenny and disappears for half the book. However, it does help that in her absence, Kenny has to find himself rather than relying on her skill. I just think there could have been some fleshing out of the minors, especially the man who's ultimately Prince Harming.
style . 4/5
Kenny's voice really sounds authentic. I harp on this a lot, but I lose interest when teen characters don't sound like teens. Kenny, however, hits the nail. I'm not so sure if his 70s slang is all well and proper (or if it differs enough from the slang of the mirror kids in other decades), but I'm also not an expert in the subject. What I really appreciated was Lomax's use of Middle English for the 1700s guy John. I'm much more familiar with that style, and he did a great job making it comprehensible enough but also obscure. In general, there were some really nice descriptions speckled throughout.
mechanics . 5/5
This book was polished and paced well. Debut novels often drag for some unknown reason, but Lomax clearly knows how to speed you along. In fact, I might have even slowed down in a few places to give more time for character development. Or maybe not. I don't really have complaints here.
take home message
A thrilling murder mystery founded in time travel and nursery rhymes.
October 11, 2013
Two-second recap: Backward Glass is an adventurous, atmospheric and exceptionally well-written debut novel that will captivate you, intrigue you, and seriously, seriously, entertain you.
***
Full review:
I love time travel stories, full stop.
So when I saw Backward Glass on NetGalley and read the description, I was intrigued. The idea of a teen, literally racing against the clock through time was too cool to pass up.
I requested the arc and fortunately for me, Flux granted my request!
***
Things that worked:
* The characterizations
Lomax absolutely nails down the teenaged voice with Kenny. He's smart, curious, snarky, and brave.
(Because honestly, if I experienced some of the things that Kenny experienced, I probably would have run away screaming or curled up in a corner, and become a gibberish mess.)
There is a whole host of secondary characters too, who are intriguing, beautifully written and smart in their own right. They aren't perfect, but that's the beauty of David's world. He's populated his story with characters that I think will have readers speculating for hours.
* The world-building
The heart of Backward Glass is the strength and unique nature of the story.
Without giving any spoilers away, I've read quite a few time travel stories in my time, and I don't think I've ever quite read anything like this.
There are certain rules to the world-building that are so detailed, you can almost see David Lomax with notecards/post-its, organizing his world. This is a world that you will be able to envision, and be able to guess at what the characters could possibly be doing, long after you're done reading.
* The plotting
This is one of those books where you go into the story not really knowing what to expect, and you get bombshells that will both delight you, and pull you through the story.
I spent the first 90% of the book frantically hitting my kindle screen, and then I spent the last 10% of the book almost not wanting to look, because well... you'll have to read it to find out.
* The ending
It's ridiculously satisfying, and leaves room for a sequel. (Or two).
***
Things that didn't work/Things to consider:
My one minor quibble with Backward Glass was the fact that the fundamental rules behind the time traveling were a wee bit confusing to me.
However, I'm going to chalk this up to the fact that I've gotten a bit lax with assuming time travel in fiction works a certain way, and I probably just needed to reread the explanation.
***
Final verdict:
I generally don't read books like Backward Glass, but I'm so ridiculously happy I gave this book a try. David Lomax has created a creepily fantastic tale, with a lot of room for a sequel.
(And if he does write a sequel, I will definitely be back!)
I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys science fiction, but also for people who are just looking for something different and unique, in general.
***
Disclaimer: I received an e-arc from Flux via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
***
Full review:
I love time travel stories, full stop.
So when I saw Backward Glass on NetGalley and read the description, I was intrigued. The idea of a teen, literally racing against the clock through time was too cool to pass up.
I requested the arc and fortunately for me, Flux granted my request!
***
Things that worked:
* The characterizations
Lomax absolutely nails down the teenaged voice with Kenny. He's smart, curious, snarky, and brave.
(Because honestly, if I experienced some of the things that Kenny experienced, I probably would have run away screaming or curled up in a corner, and become a gibberish mess.)
There is a whole host of secondary characters too, who are intriguing, beautifully written and smart in their own right. They aren't perfect, but that's the beauty of David's world. He's populated his story with characters that I think will have readers speculating for hours.
* The world-building
The heart of Backward Glass is the strength and unique nature of the story.
Without giving any spoilers away, I've read quite a few time travel stories in my time, and I don't think I've ever quite read anything like this.
There are certain rules to the world-building that are so detailed, you can almost see David Lomax with notecards/post-its, organizing his world. This is a world that you will be able to envision, and be able to guess at what the characters could possibly be doing, long after you're done reading.
* The plotting
This is one of those books where you go into the story not really knowing what to expect, and you get bombshells that will both delight you, and pull you through the story.
I spent the first 90% of the book frantically hitting my kindle screen, and then I spent the last 10% of the book almost not wanting to look, because well... you'll have to read it to find out.
* The ending
It's ridiculously satisfying, and leaves room for a sequel. (Or two).
***
Things that didn't work/Things to consider:
My one minor quibble with Backward Glass was the fact that the fundamental rules behind the time traveling were a wee bit confusing to me.
However, I'm going to chalk this up to the fact that I've gotten a bit lax with assuming time travel in fiction works a certain way, and I probably just needed to reread the explanation.
***
Final verdict:
I generally don't read books like Backward Glass, but I'm so ridiculously happy I gave this book a try. David Lomax has created a creepily fantastic tale, with a lot of room for a sequel.
(And if he does write a sequel, I will definitely be back!)
I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys science fiction, but also for people who are just looking for something different and unique, in general.
***
Disclaimer: I received an e-arc from Flux via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2013
This review and others like it available at confessionsofanadultteenreader.blogspot.ca
I’m a chronic note taker when I’m reading something that I will review. A subconscious tell that I absolutely love a book, is when I become so engrossed, that I completely forget to take notes. I didn’t write down a single word while reading Backward Glass.
When Kenny Maxwell’s home flipping parents buy the old Hollerith house – a home notorious for the disappearances of the kids that live there – an entire series of events that have both not happened, and that are decades old, are set into motion. In a broken down wall, Kenny finds a long deceased baby, along with a note written specifically to him. The note asks Kenny to change the past, by stopping Prince Harming from killing the baby. It takes a girl, from ten years in the future, to step out of the Backwards Glass – an old mirror that came with the house – for Kenny to get an idea of how he could possibly prevent a death that already happened.
Backward Glass is constructed the way a seasoned storyteller tells a story. With a clear voice, and engaging tone, you are instantly drawn in and kept in suspense about what will happen next. The entire time I read Backward Glass I was working overtime to solve a puzzle whose pieces were revealed in such an expert way, that there was no chance of figuring everything out until you are supposed to. I had such a strong emotional response to this story and especially the ending because of how involved I became in the characters lives. On the surface the concept of the novel seems very complex – a mirror opens for one year a decade, allowing one kid the chance to travel back and forth through time – but the way its presented is straightforward, giving the illusion that the concept is simple.
The way time moves, and how time travel is approached, was very smartly done. Kenny’s travels through the mirror are always the central focus. Even if the setting is anything but linear time wise, Kenny’s story moves linearly. I really liked the select looks at what life was like for the past and future time traveler kids. Each traveler was relatable, unique, and played a specific and significant role in the outcome of the story. Everything and everyone was connected, even if it didn’t seem like they were in the beginning. Finding out the connections was extremely satisfying for me as a reader. I have a perpetual need to solve the puzzle whether I’m reading or watching a movie, but I almost didn’t want to solve the mystery or make the connections early, because I just wanted to savor the story, and not have it end.
Backwards Glass is a perfectly paced, completely engrossing mystery novel that I absolutely adored. The story is unique, the characters interesting, and the setting familiar, yet ever evolving. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
Rating 10/10
** I received a copy of this novel from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was in no way compensated.
I’m a chronic note taker when I’m reading something that I will review. A subconscious tell that I absolutely love a book, is when I become so engrossed, that I completely forget to take notes. I didn’t write down a single word while reading Backward Glass.
When Kenny Maxwell’s home flipping parents buy the old Hollerith house – a home notorious for the disappearances of the kids that live there – an entire series of events that have both not happened, and that are decades old, are set into motion. In a broken down wall, Kenny finds a long deceased baby, along with a note written specifically to him. The note asks Kenny to change the past, by stopping Prince Harming from killing the baby. It takes a girl, from ten years in the future, to step out of the Backwards Glass – an old mirror that came with the house – for Kenny to get an idea of how he could possibly prevent a death that already happened.
Backward Glass is constructed the way a seasoned storyteller tells a story. With a clear voice, and engaging tone, you are instantly drawn in and kept in suspense about what will happen next. The entire time I read Backward Glass I was working overtime to solve a puzzle whose pieces were revealed in such an expert way, that there was no chance of figuring everything out until you are supposed to. I had such a strong emotional response to this story and especially the ending because of how involved I became in the characters lives. On the surface the concept of the novel seems very complex – a mirror opens for one year a decade, allowing one kid the chance to travel back and forth through time – but the way its presented is straightforward, giving the illusion that the concept is simple.
The way time moves, and how time travel is approached, was very smartly done. Kenny’s travels through the mirror are always the central focus. Even if the setting is anything but linear time wise, Kenny’s story moves linearly. I really liked the select looks at what life was like for the past and future time traveler kids. Each traveler was relatable, unique, and played a specific and significant role in the outcome of the story. Everything and everyone was connected, even if it didn’t seem like they were in the beginning. Finding out the connections was extremely satisfying for me as a reader. I have a perpetual need to solve the puzzle whether I’m reading or watching a movie, but I almost didn’t want to solve the mystery or make the connections early, because I just wanted to savor the story, and not have it end.
Backwards Glass is a perfectly paced, completely engrossing mystery novel that I absolutely adored. The story is unique, the characters interesting, and the setting familiar, yet ever evolving. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
Rating 10/10
** I received a copy of this novel from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was in no way compensated.
December 17, 2014
I received an ARC through NetGalley.
Time travel is quickly working its way up my favorite genres list, and I absolutely loved how it operated in Backward Glass. Kenny’s family moves into an old house that has been rumored to be haunted, since there’s tales of a mad man in the woods surrounding it and several kids had gone missing over the years. But Kenny soon learns the truth behind these rumors: there’s a mirror that allows you to travel back and forth in time, and sometimes you don’t come back. The story doesn’t start with a mirror though. It actually begins with finding a dead baby shoved in a wall. Morbid? Most definitely. Intriguing? Heck yes! Now Kenny (and the other mirror kids) are on a mission to discover who the dead baby is and save it, wherever in time it may be.
While I did really enjoy all of the science fiction aspects and the excitement of Backward Glass, I was hoping that the whole dead baby thing would just be the catalyst that gets the story rolling. I didn’t really want the whole thing to be centered around saving some mystery infant from times long past, but in the last third or so, this definitely becomes the case. There’s a pregnant girl in the past who wants Kenny’s help, and Kenny tries to play hero, and there’s old fashioned childbirth and ew. No thanks! I was much more interested in the creepy skipping rhyme about Prince Harming, who is somehow involved with the mirror and the dead baby. The variations on the rhyme and the tale are weird and kept me reading, especially when Prince Harming actually makes an appearance. He’s definitely not what me or Kenny were expecting.
The actual time traveling set up is awesome! There’s no crazy, intense, complicated quantum physics in Backward Glass. The mirror is actually very simple and we’re told all of the rules along the way. The basic idea is that you go in and come out 10 years in the past, then you can go back to your own time when you’re ready. However, travelers can also do a kind of chain to get further past or even into the future. Eventually other more complicated stuff gets introduced and my head started spinning, but over all I loved all of this. Kenny gets to meet a bunch of other characters who help him on his mission; my favorite being John Wald from 17th century Scotland.
In the end, I liked Backward Glass a lot. It started to lose me towards the end when the whole baby saving mission came back to the foreground. Babies gross me out, so yeah. I would have enjoyed it much more if that Prince Harming legend had played a larger role and was the main focus. I loved visiting all of the different time periods, particularly the 80s! Kenny’s crash course into Nintendo and Star Wars was hilarious!
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
Time travel is quickly working its way up my favorite genres list, and I absolutely loved how it operated in Backward Glass. Kenny’s family moves into an old house that has been rumored to be haunted, since there’s tales of a mad man in the woods surrounding it and several kids had gone missing over the years. But Kenny soon learns the truth behind these rumors: there’s a mirror that allows you to travel back and forth in time, and sometimes you don’t come back. The story doesn’t start with a mirror though. It actually begins with finding a dead baby shoved in a wall. Morbid? Most definitely. Intriguing? Heck yes! Now Kenny (and the other mirror kids) are on a mission to discover who the dead baby is and save it, wherever in time it may be.
While I did really enjoy all of the science fiction aspects and the excitement of Backward Glass, I was hoping that the whole dead baby thing would just be the catalyst that gets the story rolling. I didn’t really want the whole thing to be centered around saving some mystery infant from times long past, but in the last third or so, this definitely becomes the case. There’s a pregnant girl in the past who wants Kenny’s help, and Kenny tries to play hero, and there’s old fashioned childbirth and ew. No thanks! I was much more interested in the creepy skipping rhyme about Prince Harming, who is somehow involved with the mirror and the dead baby. The variations on the rhyme and the tale are weird and kept me reading, especially when Prince Harming actually makes an appearance. He’s definitely not what me or Kenny were expecting.
The actual time traveling set up is awesome! There’s no crazy, intense, complicated quantum physics in Backward Glass. The mirror is actually very simple and we’re told all of the rules along the way. The basic idea is that you go in and come out 10 years in the past, then you can go back to your own time when you’re ready. However, travelers can also do a kind of chain to get further past or even into the future. Eventually other more complicated stuff gets introduced and my head started spinning, but over all I loved all of this. Kenny gets to meet a bunch of other characters who help him on his mission; my favorite being John Wald from 17th century Scotland.
In the end, I liked Backward Glass a lot. It started to lose me towards the end when the whole baby saving mission came back to the foreground. Babies gross me out, so yeah. I would have enjoyed it much more if that Prince Harming legend had played a larger role and was the main focus. I loved visiting all of the different time periods, particularly the 80s! Kenny’s crash course into Nintendo and Star Wars was hilarious!
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
February 27, 2014
I love love loved this book because of the deep, brooding mystery inherent in the premise of the plot: there is a mysterious mirror that allows time travel to happen. There's a killer out there who appears intent on eliminating all the time travelers in their respective time brackets. And, of course, there is a frickin' dead baby found inside a wall wrapped in some newspaper from 1947.
With great complexity, the story flourishes into a multi-layered and oftentimes confusing string of events that trails and loops back and forth, back and forth. It's difficult to keep up with at times. I went along thinking I understood what was going on but then I would find that something had completely gone past me. However, my eyes kept sailing across all those lines and all those pages anyway because I really, really wanted to know what happened - and it was great!
Despite most of the mysterious highlights of the story being explained, I remain slightly disturbed by the implications of time travel, the moments of mystery from the beginning where Kenny and Luca discover notes left to them, by themselves. And then there's the false lead of the girl in the "Silverlands," the one with the angry uncle who was not Prince Harming but rather some distant sorcerer (?) of another person's story. In which case, despite the cheesiness of that premise (it seemed a little too fairy-tale to me) I still wanted to know more about it. I wanted to know why those mirrors were created in the first place, and who made them. I really liked the way the John Wald implies, in explaining why he did not keep travelling into the past in order to find out the origins of his mirror, that time is ultimately a circle. There was no sense in travelling so far in the past when the origin, instead, lay the other direction. What a trip.
Just putting this out there: John Wald reminded me of Doctor Dethridge in the Stravaganza series. The "antique person" with the weird accent, who guides the teen characters through their angst and adventure. This book, by far, has a lot more going for it.
And one last thing: I like that they made Prince Harming (the name, though, is a bit contrived and random) a human. He wasn't some goblin creature from another realm bent on bringing misery to everyone; he was a man in so much pain that he was practically driven mad. The focus then became on stopping his actions rather than extinguishing his life. How intricate, how impressive a plot twist that was.
I want to read more books from this author about Luka's adventures, and Connor's, as well as the origins of the mirrors.
Great job, Lomax, your book was a great dish that gave me great satisfaction to consume in its juicy entirety.
With great complexity, the story flourishes into a multi-layered and oftentimes confusing string of events that trails and loops back and forth, back and forth. It's difficult to keep up with at times. I went along thinking I understood what was going on but then I would find that something had completely gone past me. However, my eyes kept sailing across all those lines and all those pages anyway because I really, really wanted to know what happened - and it was great!
Despite most of the mysterious highlights of the story being explained, I remain slightly disturbed by the implications of time travel, the moments of mystery from the beginning where Kenny and Luca discover notes left to them, by themselves. And then there's the false lead of the girl in the "Silverlands," the one with the angry uncle who was not Prince Harming but rather some distant sorcerer (?) of another person's story. In which case, despite the cheesiness of that premise (it seemed a little too fairy-tale to me) I still wanted to know more about it. I wanted to know why those mirrors were created in the first place, and who made them. I really liked the way the John Wald implies, in explaining why he did not keep travelling into the past in order to find out the origins of his mirror, that time is ultimately a circle. There was no sense in travelling so far in the past when the origin, instead, lay the other direction. What a trip.
Just putting this out there: John Wald reminded me of Doctor Dethridge in the Stravaganza series. The "antique person" with the weird accent, who guides the teen characters through their angst and adventure. This book, by far, has a lot more going for it.
And one last thing: I like that they made Prince Harming (the name, though, is a bit contrived and random) a human. He wasn't some goblin creature from another realm bent on bringing misery to everyone; he was a man in so much pain that he was practically driven mad. The focus then became on stopping his actions rather than extinguishing his life. How intricate, how impressive a plot twist that was.
I want to read more books from this author about Luka's adventures, and Connor's, as well as the origins of the mirrors.
Great job, Lomax, your book was a great dish that gave me great satisfaction to consume in its juicy entirety.
October 3, 2013
In 1977, Kenny Maxwell finds a mummified baby wrapped in newspapers in the wall of the carriage house on his family's new property. Along with it is a note written _to him_ asking for his help to stop it from happening. How can he stop something from happening in the past? He soon finds out when he meets a girl - Luka - who's from 1987, ten years in the future. There's a mirror in the carriage house that lets a chosen kid visit ten years in the past, for one year, every ten years. It gets a little complicated here, but not too bad to understand after a few minutes. One kid is chosen every ten years to be the mirror traveler, and they can only visit ten years in the past by using the mirror. However, the kid from the future can take the present kid through to their time, and the kid from the present can take the future kid with them to the past. So, Luka can take Kenny up to 1987, and Kenny can take Luka back to 1967. Slowly, Kenny meets the other mirror kids from past and future decades, but it's hard to orchestrate meetings since the mirror has a lot of rules and limits. These rules set this world apart from other time travel stories where pretty much anything can happen and time travel is the answer to all problems.
It's a little hard to remember all the rules and follow the twistings and turnings as Kenny runs into things his future self did. But it is a time travel novel, so that's to be expected! I thought it was a bit confusing at first, but as the plotline gets more convoluted, the explanations sort of get clearer so you aren't completely lost (at least, no more lost than Kenny himself). The twists were pretty well choreographed and made sense within the rules of time travel in the novel.
This reminded me a little of When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, because of the time travel aspect. It's like if that novel was told from the time-traveler's perspective. I'd recommend Backward Glass to middle schoolers, 6th grade+. There's a bit of strong language, fighting, and scary imagery involving the dead baby from the beginning and the main "villain". There's no sexual content and I don't think the violence is glorified.
I received this book as a galley through netgalley.
It's a little hard to remember all the rules and follow the twistings and turnings as Kenny runs into things his future self did. But it is a time travel novel, so that's to be expected! I thought it was a bit confusing at first, but as the plotline gets more convoluted, the explanations sort of get clearer so you aren't completely lost (at least, no more lost than Kenny himself). The twists were pretty well choreographed and made sense within the rules of time travel in the novel.
This reminded me a little of When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, because of the time travel aspect. It's like if that novel was told from the time-traveler's perspective. I'd recommend Backward Glass to middle schoolers, 6th grade+. There's a bit of strong language, fighting, and scary imagery involving the dead baby from the beginning and the main "villain". There's no sexual content and I don't think the violence is glorified.
I received this book as a galley through netgalley.
December 17, 2013
(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I was pulled very quickly into this book. I found it a really good read with interesting characters and a plot that made me want to keep reading to find out what was going to happen.
Time travel is always a bit of a sticky thing to use as a plot device. I think falling into the parallel universe thing is always a danger - and then, of course, there are paradoxes; or the butterfly effect, a concept explored in the film of the same name.
I thought that this book did a really good job of tying all of the loose ends together, though I did keep getting confused with the rules and the different kids. It didn't seem that the rules were broken (at least not to begin with), but I'm still not sure I totally understand how it was possible to travel further and further back into the past.
I really felt that the whole Prince Harming thing worked really well, without giving too much away. I didn't expect some things about the book, but they came across in ways that made sense after being revealed.
I did notice a few times where periods of time were skipped over in the next paragraph. It wasn't anything too major, but it sometimes gets a bit confusing when I'm reading about what a character's doing - and then it's suddenly a week or more later.
I would definitely be interested in reading more books by this author and I think it would be really good if there were sequels or prequels to this - I feel that there are a lot of stories that could be further explored and although the ending was satisfying, it still left a lot of room for certain plots to be explored further.
I would definitely recommend this book to people I think may like this type of genre. It was a good, entertaining read with strong, likable, intelligent characters. And it's such a breath of fresh air after the huge amount of young adult books that contain love triangles involving a human, vampire/werewolf/other.
(This review may contain spoilers).
I was pulled very quickly into this book. I found it a really good read with interesting characters and a plot that made me want to keep reading to find out what was going to happen.
Time travel is always a bit of a sticky thing to use as a plot device. I think falling into the parallel universe thing is always a danger - and then, of course, there are paradoxes; or the butterfly effect, a concept explored in the film of the same name.
I thought that this book did a really good job of tying all of the loose ends together, though I did keep getting confused with the rules and the different kids. It didn't seem that the rules were broken (at least not to begin with), but I'm still not sure I totally understand how it was possible to travel further and further back into the past.
I really felt that the whole Prince Harming thing worked really well, without giving too much away. I didn't expect some things about the book, but they came across in ways that made sense after being revealed.
I did notice a few times where periods of time were skipped over in the next paragraph. It wasn't anything too major, but it sometimes gets a bit confusing when I'm reading about what a character's doing - and then it's suddenly a week or more later.
I would definitely be interested in reading more books by this author and I think it would be really good if there were sequels or prequels to this - I feel that there are a lot of stories that could be further explored and although the ending was satisfying, it still left a lot of room for certain plots to be explored further.
I would definitely recommend this book to people I think may like this type of genre. It was a good, entertaining read with strong, likable, intelligent characters. And it's such a breath of fresh air after the huge amount of young adult books that contain love triangles involving a human, vampire/werewolf/other.
January 12, 2014
I love the time travel genre, and this one did not disappoint. This is the story of Kenny who moves into a house in 1977 with his parents. In the "carriage house," which is a second little house on the property, he and his father find the bones of a long dead dead baby wrapped in Kenny's t shirt and newspapers from 1947.
This starts Kenny's journey with the Backwards Glass, an indestructible mirror in the carriage house that allows a chosen teenager to travel back in time 10 years. He gets a note from himself to save the baby and trust John Wald.
The Backward Glass a lot of rules such as you must be a kid, it only happens in years that end in 7, and you can only go back 10 years (until they discover "keys"), etc.
This is a great debut novel. It was fast paced, didn't have a lot of slow parts, and was a real page turner.
I did read other reviews that said they felt this was a coming of age story for Kenny. I just didn't feel that way. Yes, he learned to survive as the little "hobo boy" when he was stuck out of time, but as soon as he got back home, he was right where he was. His parents locked up the mirror and refused to let him near it. They didn't recognize any maturity in him from this experience, and he didn't seem to push for it either.
My only complaint is a little one about the little tidbits of clues throughout the story. They seemed extremely obvious to me. But, that could just be me as those little clues are what I search for and find in stories so I know well in advance "who did it," so to speak.
I would love this story to turn into a series since Kenny met another girl who had her own mirror inside the Backward Glass, and as the story progressed, the mirrors from the past and future kept getting wider and wider apart. I have so many questions! What does that mean? Who are these other kids in other mirrors? Who made it?
Great story, will keep you hooked until the very end!
This starts Kenny's journey with the Backwards Glass, an indestructible mirror in the carriage house that allows a chosen teenager to travel back in time 10 years. He gets a note from himself to save the baby and trust John Wald.
The Backward Glass a lot of rules such as you must be a kid, it only happens in years that end in 7, and you can only go back 10 years (until they discover "keys"), etc.
This is a great debut novel. It was fast paced, didn't have a lot of slow parts, and was a real page turner.
I did read other reviews that said they felt this was a coming of age story for Kenny. I just didn't feel that way. Yes, he learned to survive as the little "hobo boy" when he was stuck out of time, but as soon as he got back home, he was right where he was. His parents locked up the mirror and refused to let him near it. They didn't recognize any maturity in him from this experience, and he didn't seem to push for it either.
My only complaint is a little one about the little tidbits of clues throughout the story. They seemed extremely obvious to me. But, that could just be me as those little clues are what I search for and find in stories so I know well in advance "who did it," so to speak.
I would love this story to turn into a series since Kenny met another girl who had her own mirror inside the Backward Glass, and as the story progressed, the mirrors from the past and future kept getting wider and wider apart. I have so many questions! What does that mean? Who are these other kids in other mirrors? Who made it?
Great story, will keep you hooked until the very end!
March 12, 2014
It all starts with a mirror. A simple thing that let's you see yourself. Or does it? Every ten years, in a year that ends in seven, the mirror will choose a kid to transport to ten years in the past. There are rules that come with this however. And you only have a year to solve the mystery of prince Harming.
I know right. Prince harming is the cheesiest name I have ever heard. However this book is pretty good.
Now usually I don't read time travel books. Why? I always overthink it. I don't know why but I do. well if this happens the. This person should know about it! But if he knows about it then this person wouldn't do this meaning this shouldn't happen but it did because this person didn't know! I overthink it like that, but this one I didn't overthink too much because the "rules" where complicated enough.
When I picked this book up at the library, I knew nothing about it. It wasn't on my to-read list. I thought Backward Glass was a cool title so I decided to give it a try. Plus the cover was cool.
People say don't judge a book by its cover, but that's all we do to books isn't it? I mean the cover defines a book. Would you put a picture of a blood splattered room on the cover of a little kid book about unicorns? No! You would put a unicorn on the front in assuming. So would you pick up a book with a unicorn on the cover if you hate unicorns? Probably not. Now I know that isn't always true. I wouldn't have discovered the awesomeness of many books because their covers suck, but a little more than half the time... It's the cover. I never understood that saying. Because the cover defines the book! Not always but most of the time. Wow I really got off topic. Well this book was good! *hopeful face*
I know right. Prince harming is the cheesiest name I have ever heard. However this book is pretty good.
Now usually I don't read time travel books. Why? I always overthink it. I don't know why but I do. well if this happens the. This person should know about it! But if he knows about it then this person wouldn't do this meaning this shouldn't happen but it did because this person didn't know! I overthink it like that, but this one I didn't overthink too much because the "rules" where complicated enough.
When I picked this book up at the library, I knew nothing about it. It wasn't on my to-read list. I thought Backward Glass was a cool title so I decided to give it a try. Plus the cover was cool.
People say don't judge a book by its cover, but that's all we do to books isn't it? I mean the cover defines a book. Would you put a picture of a blood splattered room on the cover of a little kid book about unicorns? No! You would put a unicorn on the front in assuming. So would you pick up a book with a unicorn on the cover if you hate unicorns? Probably not. Now I know that isn't always true. I wouldn't have discovered the awesomeness of many books because their covers suck, but a little more than half the time... It's the cover. I never understood that saying. Because the cover defines the book! Not always but most of the time. Wow I really got off topic. Well this book was good! *hopeful face*
June 15, 2015
My advice to people reading this book is to pay attention. You need to read closely and remember names and the year that they live in. I powered through and made out ok though. This is the first book in awhile that had a male protagonist. It was great to see a guy who was one of the good guys. I hate how the bad boys are always glamorized like they should be the role models for our girls. It seems to give the message that if only you love him enough, he will change or that underneath the bad boy exterior is something worth saving. Sometimes a guy is just an abuser, but the bad boy myth perpetuates the belief that girls need to stick it out to find the good boy underneath.
The characters in the book were all interconnected and woven together so expertly that you really need to step back from the ball of yarn and admire the handiwork. David Lomax does a great job of making characters distinct and deep. This many characters and time frames could have been a mess in the hands of someone less skilled.
I also appreciated Luka as being great character. She is the master of her fate and the captain of her destiny (I know I butchered that, sorry, David). She is no shrinking violet and has the skill set to get things done. I loved that she was proactive about her own destiny.
A job well done - I will be looking for more titles from this author.
The characters in the book were all interconnected and woven together so expertly that you really need to step back from the ball of yarn and admire the handiwork. David Lomax does a great job of making characters distinct and deep. This many characters and time frames could have been a mess in the hands of someone less skilled.
I also appreciated Luka as being great character. She is the master of her fate and the captain of her destiny (I know I butchered that, sorry, David). She is no shrinking violet and has the skill set to get things done. I loved that she was proactive about her own destiny.
A job well done - I will be looking for more titles from this author.
December 24, 2013
You know when you read some conspicuously placed anecdote in a novel and you just KNOW right away that it was put there on purpose and, surprise surprise, it turns out to be important? I can spot those from a mile away. i pride myself on how fast and easily my mind picks up one of those and its like pulling a thread and the entire book's plot unravels. Oh my goodness there were so many in this book that I missed. Because you read along and there's so many threads that you think, 'there's just no way every single one of these fits in.' But they do. They ALL do. (Mind = blown).
Finally time travel done right. David Lomax wins because he thought deeper and harder and better. No funny loopholes or convenient ways to pull out of bad plot cul-de-sacs. It's all so very thoroughly and cleverly worked out that even if you can figure bits and pieces out, theres still more. An awesome debut and definitely an author to watch out for.
Finally time travel done right. David Lomax wins because he thought deeper and harder and better. No funny loopholes or convenient ways to pull out of bad plot cul-de-sacs. It's all so very thoroughly and cleverly worked out that even if you can figure bits and pieces out, theres still more. An awesome debut and definitely an author to watch out for.
March 2, 2014
Boy discovers he can time travel with the help of a mirror. Boy discovers rules of the mirror, limiting what he can do. Boy discovers mysterious message telling him to save a baby--and then finds a dead baby hidden in the wall of the house he just moved into.
There are a lot of time travel calculations, to-ing and fro-ing from time period to time period (but all constrained within the area of the house) and action galore. Because of the vast time covered, as well as some constraints of the plot where the boy has to spend a long time trapped away from everybody that made the emotional development somewhat unsatisfying for me, but all in all a good tale.
Cool parts include an important-to-the-plot Star Wars reference, slow reveals of the boy's life related to the time traveling, a cool 17th Century Scottish dude, and truly eerie, creepy children's rhymes.
There are a lot of time travel calculations, to-ing and fro-ing from time period to time period (but all constrained within the area of the house) and action galore. Because of the vast time covered, as well as some constraints of the plot where the boy has to spend a long time trapped away from everybody that made the emotional development somewhat unsatisfying for me, but all in all a good tale.
Cool parts include an important-to-the-plot Star Wars reference, slow reveals of the boy's life related to the time traveling, a cool 17th Century Scottish dude, and truly eerie, creepy children's rhymes.
October 18, 2013
Disclaimer: I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
This is a book with something for everyone. There is time travel, a mystery, coming-of-age and an antagonist who has passed into local myth..
The lead character, Kenny, is lucky enough to be the 'chosen one' - the one child from 1977 allowed to travel backwards and forwards through time, via a mirror (don't let this put you off!).
He is soon dragged into an adventure, trying to solve a decades old mystery and put things right, all the time trying to dodge the murderous intentions of the mysterious Prince Harming.
Along the way he meets colourful characters from across the decades, some helpful, some not so much.
This is a fast-paced, well written book that will leave you hoping that there will be a sequel or two in the not too distant future..
This is a book with something for everyone. There is time travel, a mystery, coming-of-age and an antagonist who has passed into local myth..
The lead character, Kenny, is lucky enough to be the 'chosen one' - the one child from 1977 allowed to travel backwards and forwards through time, via a mirror (don't let this put you off!).
He is soon dragged into an adventure, trying to solve a decades old mystery and put things right, all the time trying to dodge the murderous intentions of the mysterious Prince Harming.
Along the way he meets colourful characters from across the decades, some helpful, some not so much.
This is a fast-paced, well written book that will leave you hoping that there will be a sequel or two in the not too distant future..
May 9, 2014
I picked this book up on a whim, visiting the new YA fiction shelf at my local library. I'm not supposed to be doing that, as I have so many books on hold, but I couldn't resist the blurb on the back of the book.
And WOW. I was just blown away by this book. It's not for the faint of heart, as it takes some thought to keep everything straight with all the time travel, but it's so well written that even if the reader gets a little lost, it doesn't really matter.
I really loved how Lomax was able to tie all the mirror kids together in some way. The entire premise that there is a "magic" mirror that allows kids to time travel, ten years at a pop for a whole year, is just incredible. The sheer creativity, and the time and effort to put together a book that flows this well, shines through with every sentence.
Highly recommend this book. You won't be sorry you read it!
And WOW. I was just blown away by this book. It's not for the faint of heart, as it takes some thought to keep everything straight with all the time travel, but it's so well written that even if the reader gets a little lost, it doesn't really matter.
I really loved how Lomax was able to tie all the mirror kids together in some way. The entire premise that there is a "magic" mirror that allows kids to time travel, ten years at a pop for a whole year, is just incredible. The sheer creativity, and the time and effort to put together a book that flows this well, shines through with every sentence.
Highly recommend this book. You won't be sorry you read it!
October 22, 2013
Wow! Amazing, riveting, ingenious! Those are only a few words to describe this book!! Backward glass keeps you guessing till the last second!! I read it in one sitting and not because it lacked in content because I couldn't put it down!!! The characters are colorful, the story line is intense right when u think u have it figured out,you don't!
I hope to read more by Mr. Lomax, his debut novel just showed he's a writer who has what it take to capture his audience and guide them thru adventures one after another!!
P.s. Maybe a second book about John Wald?? I'm fascinated by his character and wonder what he'll find at the end of his journey or how many others kids obi-wan will guide in the future! :)
I hope to read more by Mr. Lomax, his debut novel just showed he's a writer who has what it take to capture his audience and guide them thru adventures one after another!!
P.s. Maybe a second book about John Wald?? I'm fascinated by his character and wonder what he'll find at the end of his journey or how many others kids obi-wan will guide in the future! :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2016
In 1977, Kenny's dad makes him move to a creepy old house that totally deserves its reputation, because he immediately finds a dead baby inside the walls. He also finds a note asking him personally to save the infant, which makes a bit more sense once he discovers a mirror that lets him travel through time. There are some incredibly complicated rules governing its use, but the end result is a network of teens at ten-year intervals dedicated to solving the dead baby mystery without getting killed by the sinister Prince Harming. A creepy, convoluted puzzle box of a plot, but rigorously logical. I am supposed to add here that I got this ARC for free from the publisher, and they didn't offer me an inducement to say nice things about it.
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