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The Day Tripper
It’s 1995, and Alex Dean has it all: a spot at Cambridge University next year, the love of an amazing woman named Holly and all the time in the world ahead of him. That is until a brutal encounter with a ghost from his past sees him beaten, battered and almost drowning in the Thames.
He wakes the next day to find he’s in a messy, derelict room he’s never seen before, in grimy clothes he doesn’t recognize, with no idea of how he got there. A glimpse in the mirror tells him he’s older—much older—and has been living a hard life, his features ravaged by time and poor decisions. He snatches a newspaper and finds it’s 2010—fifteen years since the fight.
After finally drifting off to sleep, Alex wakes the following morning to find it’s now 2019, another nine years later. But the next day, it’s 1999. Never knowing which day is coming, he begins to piece together what happens in his life after that fateful night by the river.
But what exactly is going on? Why does his life look nothing like he thought it would? What about Cambridge, and Holly? In this thrilling adventure, Alex must navigate his way through the years to learn that small actions have untold impact. And that might be all he needs to save the people he loves and, equally importantly, himself.
He wakes the next day to find he’s in a messy, derelict room he’s never seen before, in grimy clothes he doesn’t recognize, with no idea of how he got there. A glimpse in the mirror tells him he’s older—much older—and has been living a hard life, his features ravaged by time and poor decisions. He snatches a newspaper and finds it’s 2010—fifteen years since the fight.
After finally drifting off to sleep, Alex wakes the following morning to find it’s now 2019, another nine years later. But the next day, it’s 1999. Never knowing which day is coming, he begins to piece together what happens in his life after that fateful night by the river.
But what exactly is going on? Why does his life look nothing like he thought it would? What about Cambridge, and Holly? In this thrilling adventure, Alex must navigate his way through the years to learn that small actions have untold impact. And that might be all he needs to save the people he loves and, equally importantly, himself.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published March 19, 2024
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24664 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 580 reviews
February 22, 2024
Time travel is one of my favorite tropes, so I was sadly disappointed when this book did not work out for me. I did not like how it started at all. There was no world building. When you are going to be jumping around every single chapter, you need to prepare the reader for this somehow, or have such compelling writing that they want to stick it out to see if things are revealed. Neither of these were present. The writing fell flat for me on several levels. As stated, there was no world building, and the protagonist, Alex, was one-dimensional and an unappealing character. Not only did I not connect with him, but I plain did not like him. I also found the pacing to be slow, which was counterintuitive as we were jumping through time every few pages.
I think that in concept this book could have been great, but the execution was severely lacking.
Thank you to the publisher Harlequin Trade Publishing, Mira and Netgalley for this e-arc.
I think that in concept this book could have been great, but the execution was severely lacking.
Thank you to the publisher Harlequin Trade Publishing, Mira and Netgalley for this e-arc.
April 25, 2024
The first few chapters of this book left me cold, completely unable to engage. I can't tell you how close I came to walking away and finding something else. But somehow I hung on, determined to persevere because the unique time traveling premise had so much potential.
Now I've just finished and I'm sobbing. In my six decades of life, only a handful of books have ever touched me like this one has. The Day Tripper realized its potential and then grew into something unparalleled and deeply inspiring. Those last ten chapters were some of the most satisfying I've read in years.
Don't let the time-jumping chaos and life-wasting-away-on-alcohol put you off. It's necessary, and all part of the unflinching process. And if you're expecting something jaunty like Groundhog Day, please look elsewhere. The Day Tripper offers second chances and redemption, but first we must jump through the hell of a life of addiction, abusive relationships, and misguided motivations in order to even identify where to begin.
As James Goodhand so persistently shows us, spring's renewal is most beautiful after enduring the harshest of winters.
Now I've just finished and I'm sobbing. In my six decades of life, only a handful of books have ever touched me like this one has. The Day Tripper realized its potential and then grew into something unparalleled and deeply inspiring. Those last ten chapters were some of the most satisfying I've read in years.
Don't let the time-jumping chaos and life-wasting-away-on-alcohol put you off. It's necessary, and all part of the unflinching process. And if you're expecting something jaunty like Groundhog Day, please look elsewhere. The Day Tripper offers second chances and redemption, but first we must jump through the hell of a life of addiction, abusive relationships, and misguided motivations in order to even identify where to begin.
As James Goodhand so persistently shows us, spring's renewal is most beautiful after enduring the harshest of winters.
April 23, 2024
The story in this book starts in 1995 when Alex Dean is a young man who met the love of his life and has a bright future ahead of him. Or this is what he thinks. But after a fight and trauma to his head, he starts to live every day in a different year of his wrecked life. How could it happen that he had such a disaster in life and killed the woman he loved? And the most important is can he change something?
The book is a bit slow at the beginning and is very confusing because it is hard to understand the story from such different points in Alex's life, but after a while, the reader gets used to it and we see the events that led to bad decisions. Later under Alex's actions the past and the future start changing and Alex becomes a different better version of himself.
I read a few books about time travel and this one is good, in my opinion. It leaves us to wonder and analyze our own lives to decide that we made the best decisions in the course of it.
The book is a bit slow at the beginning and is very confusing because it is hard to understand the story from such different points in Alex's life, but after a while, the reader gets used to it and we see the events that led to bad decisions. Later under Alex's actions the past and the future start changing and Alex becomes a different better version of himself.
I read a few books about time travel and this one is good, in my opinion. It leaves us to wonder and analyze our own lives to decide that we made the best decisions in the course of it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2024
I love the time travel trope in stories. Especially when it comes to traveling through times in one’s own life. Having the chance to fix mistakes and realize things you’ve taken for granted. That is what drew me to this book.
After reading it, I’m honestly a little surprised I haven’t seen higher rated reviews for it! I really enjoyed it! I will agree that it wasn’t necessarily sophisticated in the way I’ve seen in other time travel novels. But I don’t mind that.
Alex’s life was in a spiral and heading down a dark and dangerous path. Through his journey, he learned to cherish those he was taking for granted. He learned to accept responsibility for his actions. He learned to put petty grievances behind him and see what was really important in life.
I thought the story was heartwarming and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read it.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio for the chance to listen to and review this audiobook.
After reading it, I’m honestly a little surprised I haven’t seen higher rated reviews for it! I really enjoyed it! I will agree that it wasn’t necessarily sophisticated in the way I’ve seen in other time travel novels. But I don’t mind that.
Alex’s life was in a spiral and heading down a dark and dangerous path. Through his journey, he learned to cherish those he was taking for granted. He learned to accept responsibility for his actions. He learned to put petty grievances behind him and see what was really important in life.
I thought the story was heartwarming and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read it.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio for the chance to listen to and review this audiobook.
February 4, 2025
This was an interesting idea and I think in its essence could have been really good story and although somewhat thought provoking in and existential sense, it lacked full execution and the delivery wasn’t as satisfying as it should be.
Similar to The Midnight Library in vibe, but the MC wasn’t as likeable and at times felt like I couldn’t connect with him as a character.
Time travel books aren’t something I read often but I felt like it didn’t quite hit the spot for me.
Similar to The Midnight Library in vibe, but the MC wasn’t as likeable and at times felt like I couldn’t connect with him as a character.
Time travel books aren’t something I read often but I felt like it didn’t quite hit the spot for me.
January 6, 2024
"Change comes about from a commitment to making a difference."
I have always been fascinated by time travel stories; from the original Back to the Future movies, to the TV series Quantum Leap, and the books The Time Travelers Wife, The Midnight Library, and Oona Out of Order. Each of these stories have their own plots, problems, and solutions. The thing that they all have in common is that you are unsure how it will all work out until the end.
In The Day Tripper, the main character, Alex Dean, is definitely living his life out of order. Each day he wakes up he is a different age. One day he is 20, the next 35, and the day after that 43, then 23, and so on. (I'm sure you get the picture). He finds himself in the same city with some of the same people, but his memories can't seem to catch up with him.
This story is ingenious, thought-provoking, and kept me entranced. It started out slow, but once Alex became caught up in his daily time switch, I was reeled in, I could feel his frantic confusion and his frustration while trying to figure out what was happening to him.
He begins to realize that small changes to parts of his life have caused "updates" to other areas of his life. A cause-and-effect type of scenario. He starts to "own up" to his mistakes and learns how to bring about change and improvements, but also finds out that he can't change everything. The story ultimately becomes a testament to the power of love and leaves the reader asking themselves, If I could change something in MY past would I, and what would it be?
This book is a "must read' for fans of time travel novels, but I would also recommend it to just about everyone. This might be a good discussion book for book clubs also.
My sincere thanks to BookBrowse.com and the publisher, MIRA, for giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. Publication date: March 19, 2024.
I have always been fascinated by time travel stories; from the original Back to the Future movies, to the TV series Quantum Leap, and the books The Time Travelers Wife, The Midnight Library, and Oona Out of Order. Each of these stories have their own plots, problems, and solutions. The thing that they all have in common is that you are unsure how it will all work out until the end.
In The Day Tripper, the main character, Alex Dean, is definitely living his life out of order. Each day he wakes up he is a different age. One day he is 20, the next 35, and the day after that 43, then 23, and so on. (I'm sure you get the picture). He finds himself in the same city with some of the same people, but his memories can't seem to catch up with him.
This story is ingenious, thought-provoking, and kept me entranced. It started out slow, but once Alex became caught up in his daily time switch, I was reeled in, I could feel his frantic confusion and his frustration while trying to figure out what was happening to him.
He begins to realize that small changes to parts of his life have caused "updates" to other areas of his life. A cause-and-effect type of scenario. He starts to "own up" to his mistakes and learns how to bring about change and improvements, but also finds out that he can't change everything. The story ultimately becomes a testament to the power of love and leaves the reader asking themselves, If I could change something in MY past would I, and what would it be?
This book is a "must read' for fans of time travel novels, but I would also recommend it to just about everyone. This might be a good discussion book for book clubs also.
My sincere thanks to BookBrowse.com and the publisher, MIRA, for giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. Publication date: March 19, 2024.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2024
Alex Dean has everything going for him, including a place at Cambridge University - until something happens that turns his life upside down. He almost died from being in a fight in 1995 when he was 20, and now, he’s living his life out of order. He wakes up in another year every day. He’s very confused at first, but he gradually realizes what’s happening and gets a bit more used to it. The problem is his life has gone all wrong! He’s broke, he’s an alcoholic, and what happened to the love of his life, Holly? As he wakes up in different years every day (and not in chronological order, either!), he’s determined to figure out what happened to up-end his seemingly bright future.
This book is a great example of the butterfly effect - that little decisions/acts can have a big impact. The book got a bit predictable/repetitive in the middle, but it was still a good story. I kept following along because I, too, wanted to know what had happened and whether Alex could “fix things” by changing a little something here and there, as he journeyed, out of order, through time.
I have to admit that Alex wasn’t the most likable character, but I eventually got to really feel for him and was glad that the book had a hopeful ending. Of the various side characters, I loved Jazz the most, and was happy to see that Alex would “bump into” him on a number of his out-of-order days. I also loved that Holly had been named after Buddy Holly and that music, especially Buddy Holly’s music, played such a large role in the story.
If you are a fan of books like The Midnight Library, I think you’ll like The Day Tripper. (I wasn’t a huge fan of The Midnight Library - I liked this one much better.) I haven’t read it, but Oona Out of Order is another one that seems to have a similar theme.
Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. I bounced between the review copy and the published audiobook, courtesy of my public library. The narrator, James Meunier, did a great job with the various voices and accents. All opinions are my own.
This book is a great example of the butterfly effect - that little decisions/acts can have a big impact. The book got a bit predictable/repetitive in the middle, but it was still a good story. I kept following along because I, too, wanted to know what had happened and whether Alex could “fix things” by changing a little something here and there, as he journeyed, out of order, through time.
I have to admit that Alex wasn’t the most likable character, but I eventually got to really feel for him and was glad that the book had a hopeful ending. Of the various side characters, I loved Jazz the most, and was happy to see that Alex would “bump into” him on a number of his out-of-order days. I also loved that Holly had been named after Buddy Holly and that music, especially Buddy Holly’s music, played such a large role in the story.
If you are a fan of books like The Midnight Library, I think you’ll like The Day Tripper. (I wasn’t a huge fan of The Midnight Library - I liked this one much better.) I haven’t read it, but Oona Out of Order is another one that seems to have a similar theme.
Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. I bounced between the review copy and the published audiobook, courtesy of my public library. The narrator, James Meunier, did a great job with the various voices and accents. All opinions are my own.
June 17, 2025
4 stars Thank you to BookBrowse and Mira for a copy of this ARC. This review is my own refection. Publishes March 19, 2024
Do you have trouble remembering what day it is? How would you like to wake up to a morning in 2014 one day and then a morning in 1998 the next day? Quite confusing. That is the life of Alex Dean. You wake up not recognizing your surrounding, not knowing who you are. A happily married man, a drunken homeless bum, a man married to a woman he doesn't love, the man holding the hand of his dying mother. Who will you be? What year will it be? How do you survive?
I was not sure that I was going to like this book, but I ended up loving it. Once I got with the rhythm of the story, and the reasoning behind the year changes, I settled in for a good story telling. A bit historical, a bit futuristic, a lot of cause and effect, a bit of time and space alignment, but all in all a good book.
My first by this author and I am anxious to see where he goes from here.
Reread (scanned basically) for in person book club!
Do you have trouble remembering what day it is? How would you like to wake up to a morning in 2014 one day and then a morning in 1998 the next day? Quite confusing. That is the life of Alex Dean. You wake up not recognizing your surrounding, not knowing who you are. A happily married man, a drunken homeless bum, a man married to a woman he doesn't love, the man holding the hand of his dying mother. Who will you be? What year will it be? How do you survive?
I was not sure that I was going to like this book, but I ended up loving it. Once I got with the rhythm of the story, and the reasoning behind the year changes, I settled in for a good story telling. A bit historical, a bit futuristic, a lot of cause and effect, a bit of time and space alignment, but all in all a good book.
My first by this author and I am anxious to see where he goes from here.
Reread (scanned basically) for in person book club!
February 25, 2024
This was one of my most anticipated reads for 2024 and it didn’t disappoint me at all. I kept giving my kindle a hug. I didn’t want the book to end so I tried to read it slowly. But that didn’t last
Changing to a new day each day sometime in his life, he tries to figure it out or try to go back to his old life. I loved the theories of what time is and how it works. Those were some of my favourite parts of the book.
I can’t wait to get a hold of a physical copy of this. This is my favourite book of the year.
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and James Goodhand for an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Changing to a new day each day sometime in his life, he tries to figure it out or try to go back to his old life. I loved the theories of what time is and how it works. Those were some of my favourite parts of the book.
I can’t wait to get a hold of a physical copy of this. This is my favourite book of the year.
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and James Goodhand for an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
March 16, 2024
ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.
James Meunier does a fantastic job with the narration on this book! He effortlessly tells this story and made me feel like I was right there with the characters, running around England for answers. I really enjoyed the plot and love the spin the author puts on a time travel story! I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes science fiction mixed with romance and heartbreak!
James Meunier does a fantastic job with the narration on this book! He effortlessly tells this story and made me feel like I was right there with the characters, running around England for answers. I really enjoyed the plot and love the spin the author puts on a time travel story! I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes science fiction mixed with romance and heartbreak!
March 20, 2024
4.5*
While Day Tripper started out a *little* shaky for me, I ended up absolutely devouring it, and feeling so glad I stuck with it because it is incredibly worth the payout! When we meet Alex, he seems like a pretty typical guy, nothing crazy. But as we begin to jump around to various points in his life, we can see that as he aged, he kind of started to suck. It was depressing, and Alex was none too pleased with how he'd apparently chosen to live his life. Good news is, he keeps getting various chances to make differences.
I don't want to say too much, because this is best experienced for yourself, but it is incredibly thought provoking. What little changes in our daily lives would or could change its trajectory? And what would you change if given the chance? The story was lovely, watching Alex grow and develop and try to figure out what kind of man he wanted to be. I was so, so glad I stuck with it, it was truly a heartfelt journey.
Bottom Line: This one got me right in the feels, and was entertaining to boot!
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
While Day Tripper started out a *little* shaky for me, I ended up absolutely devouring it, and feeling so glad I stuck with it because it is incredibly worth the payout! When we meet Alex, he seems like a pretty typical guy, nothing crazy. But as we begin to jump around to various points in his life, we can see that as he aged, he kind of started to suck. It was depressing, and Alex was none too pleased with how he'd apparently chosen to live his life. Good news is, he keeps getting various chances to make differences.
I don't want to say too much, because this is best experienced for yourself, but it is incredibly thought provoking. What little changes in our daily lives would or could change its trajectory? And what would you change if given the chance? The story was lovely, watching Alex grow and develop and try to figure out what kind of man he wanted to be. I was so, so glad I stuck with it, it was truly a heartfelt journey.
Bottom Line: This one got me right in the feels, and was entertaining to boot!
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
January 8, 2024
This book owes a huge debt to one of my favorite novels--The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. While here again we have a protagonist living an "atemporal" life, his circumstances are a bit different than lovely Henry, Niffenegger's time traveler. While Alex starts off as a promising young man, as soon as he starts moving through time, waking up at a different point in his life every single morning, he quickly proves himself to be not so appealing.
He's a desperate man. He never went to college, is almost constantly broke, dirty, hungover, and in the grip of a fierce alcohol addiction. He is trying to reconnect with the love of his life, but is unreliable in almost every way. I get it, he has issues I don't. And, I also get that this is a redemption tale. But, ugh, this guy wasn't a lot of fun to spend time with!
I did think the book picked up a bit of momentun as it moved towards the conclusion. BUT, Niffenegger wisely never really tried to explain the cause of Henry's time travel. The explanation that Goodhand eventually posits is offensively dumb. Just let it be a leap of faith, dude!
He's a desperate man. He never went to college, is almost constantly broke, dirty, hungover, and in the grip of a fierce alcohol addiction. He is trying to reconnect with the love of his life, but is unreliable in almost every way. I get it, he has issues I don't. And, I also get that this is a redemption tale. But, ugh, this guy wasn't a lot of fun to spend time with!
I did think the book picked up a bit of momentun as it moved towards the conclusion. BUT, Niffenegger wisely never really tried to explain the cause of Henry's time travel. The explanation that Goodhand eventually posits is offensively dumb. Just let it be a leap of faith, dude!
January 28, 2024
One of the dangers of writing books that play with time is that the story almost always becomes subservient to the concept, which rarely results in a good novel.
Such is a lot of the problem in The Day Tripper, which is so fixated on bending time that it sacrifices plot to the cause. I don’t mind fantasy novels that see characters traveling straight back or forward in time to participate in or alter an event, but that’s not what’s happening in this book, which is far more concerned with the manipulation of time than the events encountered.
The other major issue with this book is that it’s tragedy porn, which I find dull and manipulative. I was bored while reading for most of the story, endlessly waiting for something intriguing to happen and instead encountering nothing but story at cost of concept and a lot of wallowing in a depressing sequence of tragic events.
The writing itself is fine if a bit flat, and I always appreciate an author who tries to put a new spin on an old concept. This just wasn’t a successful attempt to do so.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Such is a lot of the problem in The Day Tripper, which is so fixated on bending time that it sacrifices plot to the cause. I don’t mind fantasy novels that see characters traveling straight back or forward in time to participate in or alter an event, but that’s not what’s happening in this book, which is far more concerned with the manipulation of time than the events encountered.
The other major issue with this book is that it’s tragedy porn, which I find dull and manipulative. I was bored while reading for most of the story, endlessly waiting for something intriguing to happen and instead encountering nothing but story at cost of concept and a lot of wallowing in a depressing sequence of tragic events.
The writing itself is fine if a bit flat, and I always appreciate an author who tries to put a new spin on an old concept. This just wasn’t a successful attempt to do so.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
April 29, 2024
There a few of these ‘time-travel’ tales around and this one is put together rather well. It takes time to get going and following the jumping dates takes some doing but all in all a rather good read.
Set up well for a sequel too!
Set up well for a sequel too!
August 9, 2025
Усещането - след няколко хубави книги - да се озовеш в посредствена си е вид културен шок.
Пътуването във времето е идея с потенциал, който тук - заедно с ужасното сегашно време - е напълно нереализиран. Да не говорим, че филми като “Завръщане в бъдещето” или онзи за вечно повтарящия се все един и същи ден, но с различни последствия, са казали страшно много по темата. Авторът тук не се е сетил за нищо по-оригинално от хаотично да разбърква датите. Останалото е пълна скука.
Пътуването във времето е идея с потенциал, който тук - заедно с ужасното сегашно време - е напълно нереализиран. Да не говорим, че филми като “Завръщане в бъдещето” или онзи за вечно повтарящия се все един и същи ден, но с различни последствия, са казали страшно много по темата. Авторът тук не се е сетил за нищо по-оригинално от хаотично да разбърква датите. Останалото е пълна скука.
March 4, 2024
The Day Tripper by James Goodhand. Thanks to @hive_htp for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️
It’s 1995 and Alex Dean is on a date with a woman he loves. When he sees an old childhood buddy, they get in a fight and nothing is the same. He begins waking up at different time periods.
I loved Oona Out of Order and this sounded similar. It was but it was a male protagonist. I enjoyed the time travel aspect and how everything came together and was resolved. I didn’t connect with the romance subplot that much and felt there could have been more of a deeper relationship show than an infatuation. The best part of this story was the time travel and seeing Alex develop and grow, out of linear time.
“We are all eternally surrounded by our own past and our own future.”
The Day Tripper comes out 3/19.
It’s 1995 and Alex Dean is on a date with a woman he loves. When he sees an old childhood buddy, they get in a fight and nothing is the same. He begins waking up at different time periods.
I loved Oona Out of Order and this sounded similar. It was but it was a male protagonist. I enjoyed the time travel aspect and how everything came together and was resolved. I didn’t connect with the romance subplot that much and felt there could have been more of a deeper relationship show than an infatuation. The best part of this story was the time travel and seeing Alex develop and grow, out of linear time.
“We are all eternally surrounded by our own past and our own future.”
The Day Tripper comes out 3/19.
May 13, 2024
5 Stars!
Absolutely loved this book! I devoured it in almost 24 hours!
One of my favorite sub genres is time travel. I am so fascinated by it, whether scientific aspects, or magical realism. The author executed this book so well! Told in chapters that bounced between years and ages of Alex’s life; there were so many messages along the way. I loved the way it concluded and was left in tears.
One of my favorites of 2024!
Absolutely loved this book! I devoured it in almost 24 hours!
One of my favorite sub genres is time travel. I am so fascinated by it, whether scientific aspects, or magical realism. The author executed this book so well! Told in chapters that bounced between years and ages of Alex’s life; there were so many messages along the way. I loved the way it concluded and was left in tears.
One of my favorites of 2024!
August 7, 2023
What a fun novel that really makes you think. Can’t wait until this one’s available for everyone to read!!
April 17, 2024
Honestly I am not sure if I loved or hated this book.
December 21, 2023
An emotional, character-driven time travel story, this book captures your heart.
Alex Dean isn't living his life in order. After a fateful injury, he begins randomly experiencing days from his life. One moment, he's in love and about to go off to Cambridge, the next moment he's years in the future, living in a dump and getting visits from his parole officer. Alex's desperate search to find out what went wrong and why he lost Holly will give him the chance to save his life.
I fell in love with Alex and Holly, despite Alex's terrible, but understandable, choices. The moments with he and Holly in the beginning were so sweet, which made it so bitter once the reader - and Alex himself - realized that he lost it all. As he started to put the pieces together, I was rooting for him so hard to find a way to change the course of his life.
Part love story, part reflection on the impact of our decisions, this book kept me hooked from the moment Alex woke up in his dreary future.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book.
Trigger warnings: alcoholism, sexual abuse
Alex Dean isn't living his life in order. After a fateful injury, he begins randomly experiencing days from his life. One moment, he's in love and about to go off to Cambridge, the next moment he's years in the future, living in a dump and getting visits from his parole officer. Alex's desperate search to find out what went wrong and why he lost Holly will give him the chance to save his life.
I fell in love with Alex and Holly, despite Alex's terrible, but understandable, choices. The moments with he and Holly in the beginning were so sweet, which made it so bitter once the reader - and Alex himself - realized that he lost it all. As he started to put the pieces together, I was rooting for him so hard to find a way to change the course of his life.
Part love story, part reflection on the impact of our decisions, this book kept me hooked from the moment Alex woke up in his dreary future.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book.
Trigger warnings: alcoholism, sexual abuse
February 28, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
The Day Tripper.
Time travel themed novels are tricky.
The narrative can get confusing and strange, and let's not forget the strangeness of everything and how it all depends on the reader's ability to suspend disbelief.
My biggest issue(s) include how:
1. The narrative dragged, especially with the time tripping.
I understand in these novels, the main character needs to figure out what is happening and why and the only info provided is each reiteration of themselves in different timelines but it got boring fast
2. I didn't care about Alex and Holly's love story, so his desire to find out what happens to her and where she is in each timeline wasn't important to me.
I was more curious as to why he was experiencing these time slips.
The author placed too much work and effort on establishing Alex and Holly's relationship in the beginning and from those descriptions I knew the narrative was going to be slow.
3. I'm still not exactly sure how the ending is the way it is, or why it 'worked out'
The writing is fine, and the premise had great potential but Alex isn't a compelling or interesting character and the narrative became repetitive very quickly.
Time travel themed novels are tricky.
The narrative can get confusing and strange, and let's not forget the strangeness of everything and how it all depends on the reader's ability to suspend disbelief.
My biggest issue(s) include how:
1. The narrative dragged, especially with the time tripping.
I understand in these novels, the main character needs to figure out what is happening and why and the only info provided is each reiteration of themselves in different timelines but it got boring fast
2. I didn't care about Alex and Holly's love story, so his desire to find out what happens to her and where she is in each timeline wasn't important to me.
I was more curious as to why he was experiencing these time slips.
The author placed too much work and effort on establishing Alex and Holly's relationship in the beginning and from those descriptions I knew the narrative was going to be slow.
3. I'm still not exactly sure how the ending is the way it is, or why it 'worked out'
The writing is fine, and the premise had great potential but Alex isn't a compelling or interesting character and the narrative became repetitive very quickly.
March 16, 2024
This book was incredibly difficult to follow. The author used a ton of British Slang which for me caused me to stop and figure out what it meant. That took away from the story for me.
When added to unlikeable and one dimensional characters, that tipped this novel over the line and into an almost DNF category for me.
If you are familiar with British slang then I say give this one a try.
I received a ARC of this book, all opinions are my own
When added to unlikeable and one dimensional characters, that tipped this novel over the line and into an almost DNF category for me.
If you are familiar with British slang then I say give this one a try.
I received a ARC of this book, all opinions are my own
October 12, 2025
Когато издателство Бард ми изпратиха тази книга, се сетих, че имаше хора, които се интересуваха от отзиви и мнения за сюжета. Затова се радвам, че имах възможността да я прочета и да пиша за нея.
Впечатлена съм от романа и в същото ме остави с противоречиви емоции по-скоро от гледна точка на това, че имаше твърде много пиене, алкохолизъм, пушене и грешно взети решения от страна на героя. Явно целта на книгата е да ни покаже, че добрите решения водят до по-добър живот, а грешните ни закопават и унищожават. Ако човек се остави на течението, както го направи Алекс в романа, без да се интересува, че опропастява живота си, то пропадането е неизбежно. Човек трябва да се стреми към нещо хубаво, да има цели, да обича и да бъде обичан. Ако пренебрегва поривите на сърцето, ще влачи безнадеждно съществуване и ще затъва повече.
Алекс среща жената на своите мечти, когато една случка преобръща целия му живот и довежда до неговото падение. Тогава придобива способността да пътува във времето. Дава му се шанс да осъзнае грешките си и да направи съзнателен избор за промяна. Понякога трябва да плуваме срещу течението, колкото и да е трудно, ако искаме шанс за по-добър живот.
Авторът пише интересно и ни прехвърля от една година на друга. По този нач��н ни кара да видим израстването на героя. Напомня малко като структура на книгата "Пътешественикът във времето и неговата жена", която не ми допадна заради хаотичността, но в този роман хаосът в годините за мен беше много по-подреден и разбираем.
Мога да определя книгата като библиотерапия за хора, които не могат да се измъкнат от съществуване, което ги дърпа надолу. Ако искат да направят съзнателен избор за промяна, тогава трябва да изоставят старите навици и да се опитат да вървят срещу течението. Книгата би харесала и на хора, които обичат да че��ат за драмите и за герои, които успяват да променят живота си.
Впечатлена съм от романа и в същото ме остави с противоречиви емоции по-скоро от гледна точка на това, че имаше твърде много пиене, алкохолизъм, пушене и грешно взети решения от страна на героя. Явно целта на книгата е да ни покаже, че добрите решения водят до по-добър живот, а грешните ни закопават и унищожават. Ако човек се остави на течението, както го направи Алекс в романа, без да се интересува, че опропастява живота си, то пропадането е неизбежно. Човек трябва да се стреми към нещо хубаво, да има цели, да обича и да бъде обичан. Ако пренебрегва поривите на сърцето, ще влачи безнадеждно съществуване и ще затъва повече.
Алекс среща жената на своите мечти, когато една случка преобръща целия му живот и довежда до неговото падение. Тогава придобива способността да пътува във времето. Дава му се шанс да осъзнае грешките си и да направи съзнателен избор за промяна. Понякога трябва да плуваме срещу течението, колкото и да е трудно, ако искаме шанс за по-добър живот.
Авторът пише интересно и ни прехвърля от една година на друга. По този нач��н ни кара да видим израстването на героя. Напомня малко като структура на книгата "Пътешественикът във времето и неговата жена", която не ми допадна заради хаотичността, но в този роман хаосът в годините за мен беше много по-подреден и разбираем.
Мога да определя книгата като библиотерапия за хора, които не могат да се измъкнат от съществуване, което ги дърпа надолу. Ако искат да направят съзнателен избор за промяна, тогава трябва да изоставят старите навици и да се опитат да вървят срещу течението. Книгата би харесала и на хора, които обичат да че��ат за драмите и за герои, които успяват да променят живота си.
March 23, 2024
Time Travel. Check.
Second chances. Check.
A plethora of what ifs? Check.
Alex Dean's life in 1995 looks like it's destined for great, happy things. Then all of the sudden it isn't. Until, maybe it can be?
This book jumps back and forth between time, focusing on one solitary random day in Alex's life. Sometimes he's 43, sometimes 33, sometimes 23. What lead him to the despair he finds in those times and is there anything he can do to change them? To undo what has been done?
There were times in the first half of the book that I felt that the alcohol abuse became monotonous, but it definitely picked up a faster and more emotional and satisfying pace from there.
If you're a fan of books about redemption, about how the tiniest change can alter the course of history, and of happy endings I highly recommend this one.
Fans of Midnight Library should definitely pick this one up.
TW: Alcohol and drug use. Domestic abuse in the form of controlling, manipulation and verbal abuse. Violence. Brief description of sexual assault of a child.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for the advanced copy. This was a fantastic read.
Second chances. Check.
A plethora of what ifs? Check.
Alex Dean's life in 1995 looks like it's destined for great, happy things. Then all of the sudden it isn't. Until, maybe it can be?
This book jumps back and forth between time, focusing on one solitary random day in Alex's life. Sometimes he's 43, sometimes 33, sometimes 23. What lead him to the despair he finds in those times and is there anything he can do to change them? To undo what has been done?
There were times in the first half of the book that I felt that the alcohol abuse became monotonous, but it definitely picked up a faster and more emotional and satisfying pace from there.
If you're a fan of books about redemption, about how the tiniest change can alter the course of history, and of happy endings I highly recommend this one.
Fans of Midnight Library should definitely pick this one up.
TW: Alcohol and drug use. Domestic abuse in the form of controlling, manipulation and verbal abuse. Violence. Brief description of sexual assault of a child.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for the advanced copy. This was a fantastic read.
July 3, 2024
THE DAY TRIPPER blew me away and I wasn't expecting it to. While the beginning took a bit to get into, the body of the story had me completely hooked.
I love the concepts explored in Goodhand's book: time travel, speculative fiction themes, cause and effect, and the play on the concept of Schrödinger's Cat. I love the idea of what if and the exploration of everything surrounding it. I was just so deeply fascinated by it and how the MC's actions could have certain consequences.
I also enjoyed that the MC's character had so much character growth throughout the book, whether it was self-realization of the flaws we're aware of from the beginning, or the ones he slowly reveals that traumatized his life enough to have a negative effect on his choices. I like that he forged a new life for himself DESPITE the things that plagued him in the past.
Ugh, I'm just so in awe of this book and how much I enjoyed it. It was fun, but heartfelt; hopeful, but terrifying. I loved it, so much.
I need to read more books by this author!
Happy reading!
I love the concepts explored in Goodhand's book: time travel, speculative fiction themes, cause and effect, and the play on the concept of Schrödinger's Cat. I love the idea of what if and the exploration of everything surrounding it. I was just so deeply fascinated by it and how the MC's actions could have certain consequences.
I also enjoyed that the MC's character had so much character growth throughout the book, whether it was self-realization of the flaws we're aware of from the beginning, or the ones he slowly reveals that traumatized his life enough to have a negative effect on his choices. I like that he forged a new life for himself DESPITE the things that plagued him in the past.
Ugh, I'm just so in awe of this book and how much I enjoyed it. It was fun, but heartfelt; hopeful, but terrifying. I loved it, so much.
I need to read more books by this author!
Happy reading!
March 12, 2024
James Goodhand's 'The Day Tripper' was a captivating 5-star read. As a Doctor Who fan, I'm naturally drawn to anything wibbly wobbly timey wimey, but this book transcends its SciFi roots. Delving into a complex narrative where the timeline is all jumbled up so readers are treated to a multi-layered experience. Amidst the temporal chaos, a love story unfolds, themes of solving a murder, reconciling familial bonds, and grappling with protagonist Alex's tumultuous past and personal demons, including battles with both adversaries and addiction. 'The Day Tripper' is a masterfully crafted journey that transcends genre boundaries, offering a compelling narrative that will resonate with readers of many genres.
April 15, 2024
I was intrigued by the premise and ultimately enjoyed this poignant time travel novel featuring MMC Alex Dean. Each day after he is almost beaten to death, Alex wakes up in a new decade further from the life he imagined for himself and his love, Holly. He works to figure out how to make small but meaningful changes in order to save himself and the people he loves. The audio version was a bit slow for me at times with a single narrator. Overall a satisfying book, despite heavy themes and a dark overtone, thanks to a hopeful/happy ending. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for this audiobook. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for this audiobook. All opinions are my own.
March 11, 2024
I love a good time loop/atemporal reality story, unfortunately I think this one tried too hard to be a bit too much like The time traveler's wife and wasn't able to live up to the excellence that was that book.
I felt empathy for the main character who finds his life derailed with no memory of what happened only to slowly work his way through time trying to change the past and failing again and again.
It was okay on audio but definitely left me a bit disappointed if I'm completely honest. For fans of books like Oona out of order or Wrong place wrong time by Gillian McAllister.
CW: alcoholism
I felt empathy for the main character who finds his life derailed with no memory of what happened only to slowly work his way through time trying to change the past and failing again and again.
It was okay on audio but definitely left me a bit disappointed if I'm completely honest. For fans of books like Oona out of order or Wrong place wrong time by Gillian McAllister.
CW: alcoholism
June 6, 2024
Gosh. I am blown away by how much I enjoyed this story. A story of redemption, the moments that impact your life, and the people you meet along the way.
High praise for The Day Tripper 👏🏼
High praise for The Day Tripper 👏🏼
November 27, 2023
A time travel-y book done quite well!! I really enjoyed Alex's story--waking up every day at a different point in his life, trying desperately to alter his disastrous life to be. Such a unique story that I think many will enjoy. My only complaint was that while the story was immensely enthralling, I didn't care so much for the main character which created some disconnect from the story as a whole. Still, that didn't prevent me from devouring every page.
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