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Back Again

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Between life and death lies fate and one hell of a fight A single mom struggles with unexplained lost time. An angry young woman makes a fatal mistake, taking them on a collision course which will smash their lives to pieces.​

Since childhood, Dawn has "lost time." She awakens in strange places, far away from her last memory. Now she's just trying to be a good mom to her son while the fear of another blackout episode looms over her.

Kylie is over her dead-end cashier job. Her boss is on her back, an ex-boyfriend won’t stop harassing her and she hates the world. As she drives from the supermarket lot, she picks up her cell to send a text. In the next terrifying moment, she’ll realize the gravity of her mistake when Dawn’s and her destiny collide.

All is not lost though, for Dawn’s “lost time” now turns out to be an incredible gift. She discovers herself back again, reliving the most dreadful day of her life. Changing fate is now within her power, except fate doesn’t want a new course.

To save her son and free herself from repeating a nightmare forever, she will need to discover an elusive, simple truth before time runs out.

From international best-selling author Susan May comes a unique time travel story of hope, forgiveness and a mother’s tenacious love. It will touch your heart and might just change your life too.

314 pages, Paperback

First published June 17, 2014

1052 people are currently reading
733 people want to read

About the author

Susan May

313 books616 followers
To enjoy a Susan May starter library of two free books, join her reader's club at
susanmaywriter.net/free-books


I was four when I decided I would be a writer, packed a bag, and marched down the road looking for a school. But for forty-six years, I suffered from life-gets-in-the-way-osis. Setting a goal to write just one page a day cured me in 2010. This discipline grew into an addictive habit that has since borne several novels, and dozens of short stories and novellas--many of which are published award-winners in Australia, the US and the UK.

My childhood reading diet consisted of Edgar Allen Poe, O'Henry, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, plus horror comics like Tales From the Crypt. Anything out of this world like The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits had me glued to the television.

Inspired by these classics, I attempt to pen tales that are simply about the story and the characters and not about fancy words or beautiful descriptions. At the end of my stories I hope, wonderful reader, that you will feel you've enjoyed a journey into the fantastic with a neat twist at the end.

Every day I pinch myself that I am able to do what I love and be in control of every facet of it. And I can wear my track suit pants and slippers while doing it. Bliss.

Most days I'm just an average mother and wife living in Perth, Western Australia, but this darn imagination of mine keeps constantly venturing into the crevices of dark worlds, whether I want to go there or not.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
Profile Image for Angel.
24 reviews17 followers
Read
December 6, 2024
so...I just read my last Susan May's book...what can I say? amazing as all the others...kept me hooked from start till end...what an imagination Susan has! and what a way to put it into words! please, do write something new as soon as possible! I can't believe there are no more books of yours out there....yet!!
Profile Image for Jonetta.
2,593 reviews1,325 followers
May 7, 2017
Dawn Graham had a peculiar experience as a young teen that forever changed her life. Occasionally plagued with what she called "slips" where she lost track of time, Dawn developed coping mechanisms to prevent these occurrences. Then tragedy struck and she was destined to repeat that same period of time, over and over again, desperately attempting to change the horrible outcome.

This was a very strange story that developed slowly, taking almost half of the book for me to grasp what was going on. Even when it became clearer, there was still much to untangle. I was hooked early but when Dawn began reliving that tragedy over and over again, the repetition became a bit tedious. I know it was necessary but lots of the details could have been trimmed.

Despite the tedium found late in the story, this book was compelling, reminiscent of my beloved old TV series, The Twilight Zone. It's a puzzler that's highly interesting, eerie and bizarre, which is a really good thing! Highly recommend. 3.5 stars

(I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review)
Profile Image for Brenda.
5,074 reviews3,012 followers
October 4, 2015
3.5s

From a very young age, Dawn had known she was different. When she and her sister Anna were only girls, exploring the nearby tree laden mountains became an almost daily past-time. But the day the adventurous Anna went on ahead, leaving Dawn to struggle down the cliff in pursuit of Anna, the horror of finding her body at the bottom began what would be known as fugue states in Dawn’s life.

As Dawn grew to adulthood, she experienced these states often; she was on medication, fussed over by her parents and doctor – also the very much alive Anna. In her mid-thirties with ten year old Tommy as her pride and joy; the absolute delight of her life, she felt her life was finally on track. But when tragedy struck and Tommy died in Dawn’s arms, the grief was something she felt she would never survive. Until she went into one of her fugue states – and had to relive that last day again, including Tommy’s death.

As Dawn continued to travel back again to that day, and relive Tommy’s last few hours on earth, she was desperate to change fate. Somehow she had done it with Anna’s death all those years ago, but she didn’t remember how. Was this strange state Dawn went into a gift, or was it a curse? The overwhelming grief was exhausting her – could she possibly change what had happened that day, or would she just give up?

Back Again by Aussie author Susan May was a very different and unusual novel. I was riveted in the first half, but thought it slowed down as it moved through Tommy’s death and Dawn’s fugue states as she relived that day over and over again. It was a fascinating concept though, and not your usual run of the mill time travel book either. I would definitely recommend Back Again to lovers of time travel, mystery and intrigue.

With thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.
Profile Image for Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while).
2,625 reviews2,473 followers
December 13, 2015
We have all said it - "if only......if only we could go back and change things; if only we hadn't gone that way; if only we had left five minutes earlier (or later); if only we'd said 'I love you' more often.

Dawn witnesses the horrific death of her only son when a car goes out of control and hits him as he is putting his guitar in the boot of her car after his music lesson.

But she has been in this situation before.....when her sister Anna died after a fall on the mountain Dawn was somehow able to go back and change her fate. Her sister is now very much alive and well.

But can she change the fate of her son?

This book ran hot and cold for me...there were parts of it where I could not bear to put it down, and other places where I felt it just 'went on' a little too much. But overall, an interesting read, and one that poses the question "if we had the chance to keep doing things over and over until we got them right - would we?"
Thank you to author Susan May for the gift of this book in exchange for an honest review.



Profile Image for Lela.
375 reviews103 followers
July 1, 2015
A pretty good read. I think it would have been a five star with better editing. The concept isn't new - time travel (think Wells) but what the writer does with it is new and interesting. Some characters were well developed and others not so much. The plot, too, held my interest and I really wanted things to change for the main character. Really, don't many of us wish we could travel back through time and effect change? But, some copy editing and lots of content editing would have helped. I've read worse but the repetition made me want to skim. Not what a writer desires from a reader I'm sure! However, I still think it was worth the time it took to read it. I wouldn't go back and change that even if I could!

Thanks to librarything.
Profile Image for BookzBookzBookz.
Author 12 books73 followers
May 2, 2017
Back Again was deep and brooding at times. I found it a bit wordy at times, but nothing that hurt the story. I can say that the constant repetition was beginning to annoy me, but it was necessary for the story to finally come to it's fruitful ending. I wish there'd been more on Kylie's part. She seemed to bring more the to tale at the end, especially when it's discovered, she too was experiencing Dawn's phenomenon. It was like, "Ooooo, I love that!" but then it was over. I don't know if Kylie even began to realize there was a lesson in there- other than saving a boy's life. But oh no, I"ve said too much! NO SPOILERS!

Now because I received this as an audiobook, I have to make just one complaint: Anne Johnstonbrown. It's not that her voice didn't match up, it's just that her rendition of children vs teenagers and adult voices was awful! And then she read some portions of the narration in the child's voice, when it was suppose to be the narrative. It was painful to deal with, but it wasn't throughout the entire story, just parts. If she had simply read, it probably would have been boring, but when you're switching up, you have to do it at the right time, or the listener (me) will get confused. I almost switched to the ebook, but I did a lot of running that day. I needed the audio.

For the full review: http://www.areneehunt.com/the-reviews...
Back Again
Susan May
Createspace Independent Publishing
April 6, 2016
Profile Image for Anne Martin.
706 reviews14 followers
August 4, 2015
an excellent and moving book.
I'm trying to know what words to use. When emotionally over stressed, the heroine enters a "fugue" according to her psychiatrists. They think she totally loses contact with her surroundings and floats until she comes back in the real world. It happened one day when her sister and her were walking into slippery woods. Dawn and Anna lost each other, and Dawn found Anna by the river, dead. The fugue seems to enable her to travel in time, by thinking "if only...". Anyway, when Dawn is found, her sister is alive and well. Dawn tries to explain to psychiatrists she relived the event hundreds of time, but they don't believe her.
A few other flips occur, but until the awful morning of her son's death, Dawn is very careful not even to think "if only". Now the ultimate horror is here, and Dawn wonders if by changing something, a look, a smile, she could save him. Is she time traveling or entering parallel universes? She has to get close to the person responsible for the accident and try to extend the gift of grace to her.
Only grace -divine, of course, can change the process...
Profile Image for Jennifer Byars.
Author 12 books32 followers
August 28, 2015
This was a fantastic book!
From the opening first sentence I was drawn in. New twist on time travel in a very exciting way. Two lives intertwine by fate and what a mother will endure to get her son back.
I would sit down and read it again.
Profile Image for Jo-Ann Duff .
316 reviews20 followers
November 22, 2014
Imagine being able to turn back time. Not in a ‘Cher’ type way by straddling a torpedo in a slither of lycra and a giant 80’s perm, but in a very real way. If you could slip back through time with the possibility of stopping a tragic event or accident, would you want the power and would you want to go?

Dawn doesn’t have the luxury of when the ‘slips’ happen. Since childhood, she has experienced loss of time at random moments in her life, which no amount of medication, meditation or psychologists could ever really get to the bottom of. Being able to manage it and cover it up as much as possible has got her through the years and to where she is today. A single mum to her adorable 10 year old son Tommy, a boring part-time job and an arsehole of an ex-husband.

Tragedy strikes one afternoon outside Tommy’s music class and within a few seconds, due to a silly mistake, a cruel twist of fate snatches the life of little Tommy. In a dense fog of grief and despair, Dawn vows to ‘slip’ back and save her son. The problem is she has no idea how to control the slips, or how they work, but she is willing to try anything. Could you relive the loss of your son every day? Would you go through those harrowing moments time after time in the hope of saving him?

Back Again started life as a short story which has been expanded into an incredible suspense novel. It’s a fast paced read which keeps you thinking, feeling and guessing all the time. The characters, particularly Kylie, Tommy and Dawn are so detailed, you get a real sense of them and at times Dawn’s grief was almost too heart-wrenching to read. A clever, unique book, which somehow makes the possibility of time travel a very real one.

Get your copy of Back Again here

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Four our of five stars from me!


Profile Image for Deborah (debbishdotcom).
1,457 reviews139 followers
December 10, 2014
I've met Susan (the author) so was a little worried about reading this novel in case I didn't like it. "What would I say?" I wondered.

Well, there was no danger of that because I really enjoyed Back Again. I was pretty much hooked from the beginning - the concept of the 'do-over' (or indeed an alternative reality) is of interest to me and I've written about it a little in my blog.

We learn that Dawn experiences fugue states and when she comes out of these states time has passed and - on occasion - events leading up to her 'turn' (to quote Dawn's mother!) have changed. So when Dawn's only son is killed she can only hope she has the opportunity to re-live the moment and change fate. But obviously it doesn't work like that and it seems that she may be forced to constantly re-live her son's death and the days following, again and again.

The strength of the novel for me was in the plot itself and the hypothetical question of whether we can try to change fate and - whether we SHOULD? (The whole butterfly effect thing!)

I was a bit interested in Dawn's fugue states and wondered what happened to her during them. I gathered she's reliving events from the past while in those states, but found myself wondering where 'she' went. Physically? (After the dog / park incident as a child for example.)

This is a great read and will have you pondering the concept of fate and amount of control we have over our beliefs, actions and indeed our lives.

Profile Image for Doseofbella.
195 reviews42 followers
November 17, 2014
Back Again (Novel)
By: Susan May
2014 Early Release Ebook Pages. 261
Copy Courtesy of Author
Reviewed by: tk

“If only…”

Have you ever wanted to change an event, or make a wish? Dawn and Kylie experience such events in the amazing story of courage, love, heartbreak, and endless hope. As many mother’s, Dawn will be put through the paces to keep her son safe, and to retain her sanity during time of intense grief, and the unknown.

A fabulous transition from novelette to novel. Susan May takes the short story and expands it to a breathtaking novel of mind-blowing proportions. The characters of Dawn, Kylie and Tommy could be your family, friends, or neighbors. They have realistic fears, and hopes of everyday people. Their journey’s spin into a tangled web of the most dreaded tragic events.

I can’t say enough about this story. Read it. Then you to will become a devoted fan/reader of the talented, inventive, and phenomenal new master of suspense.
Highly recommended. 5/5
Profile Image for Janeandjerry.
622 reviews21 followers
January 19, 2016
Dawn has been through so much in her lifetime. First when she was little she lost her sister Ann or that's the way it was to Dawn. She later lost a friend at the park...or she thought, but the worse one she didn't expect to lose was Tommy in a freak accident caused by Kylie. Things that happened with Dawn and Kylie just kept turning BACK AGAIN...
If you haven't read any of this authors books yet then I would suggest reading them all. This one author to keep your eyes opened for. I've read every one of her books and with this being the last I just can't wait for her new books to come out sometime in the near future. Susan will keep you on the edge of your seat with each turning of the page and will keep you up all night reading and wanting more....DEADLY MESSENGER is another great book you should check out as well by this author...JANE
Profile Image for Barb Evans.
3 reviews
November 18, 2014
If only...

Dawn has always had 'slips' in time.

The trauma of witnessing her son's death and the days that follow causes Dawn to slip back in time to relive those days again and again. She desperately tries to change events, just one little difference could be enough for her son to live. Just one tiny change, an action, a word. If only...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It kept me enthralled from the outset. The premise of time travel is well handled, there's no little blue box, Dawn is in the present one second, then she's back in the past. The struggle of the 'present Dawn' to change the actions of the 'past Dawn' is well written, I kept finding myself holding my breath, wondering if she would manage to change anything.

A great read. Well done, Susan.
Profile Image for Jo Iles.
Author 8 books4 followers
January 21, 2015
I liked the concept and the characters were well-written, particularly the mum. Once I got into it and Dawn was stuck in her timeline, I found myself rooting for her and eager to know what would happen next, which I think is the sign of a good book.

However, I couldn't give it the full five stars because there were errors in the text which were frustrating. I bought the pre-order version, so I wonder if a different file has since been uploaded??

I wouldn't know how to start turning a short story into a full length novel so on the whole, well done Susan May!
Profile Image for Seamus.
285 reviews
December 22, 2014
I love this book as a short story / novelette, but now that it has been fledged out into a full grown novel, it's even better.

Thanks Susan for taking the time & care to let this story develop as it needed to.
Profile Image for Peter Dudgeon.
Author 4 books36 followers
May 14, 2015
Review of Back Again - Susan May - 4/5 Stars

Back again is the story of Dawn, who has the ability to travel through time. Unlike, H.G. Wells or others since, who have more recently covered this topic, there are no mechanics to the time travel and, therefore, this ability could equally be described as a curse; particularly as Dawn has to use this ability in an effort to avoid the death of her beloved son Tommy - reliving the moment in an attempt to change his fate.

I really loved the premise of the book. Susan May avoids the temptation of trying to explain how time travel is possible - which is a real strength for me. It reminds me of the debate between King and Kubrick over The Shining. King hated Kubrick’s ending (amongst other things), which left so many unanswered questions. Kubrick’s argument was that the mysterious should not be explained - I get where he was coming from. So a thumbs up to Susan May, for leaving this a mystery - if you want an explanation of the inexplicable - pick up a different book.

I also loved the characters, especially Kylie, who was just perfect. The author’s voice shifts perfectly into character, and doesn’t pull any punches in exploring how Kylie views the world. Susan May is a very visual writer, and by that I mean I can picture the movie playing in my mind, as I’m reading - which tells me that she was picturing it well, as she was writing. This writing style was most powerful in the first half of the book, which tells Dawn’s vivid and enthralling backstory, as well as giving you an insight into Kylie (that character’s staying with me!)

What would have made it a five star book, for me? Because of the intriguing premise, and the way Dawn’s experience of time travel works (he says vaguely, not wanting to give too much away) much of the second half of the story centres around Dawn’s visceral emotions. As you can imagine, reliving your child’s death is fraught and it’s exceptionally hard to carry a long stretch of prose with such angst. This is probably a personal thing and might have something to do with me not being a mother - these parts didn’t quite sing as much as the parts with Kylie and Dawn’s early adventures.

I would also have loved to have known Tommy a bit more. He’s, understandably, portrayed through the eyes of Dawn, and I wondered what his world felt like, to make me as desperate to save him as his mother was.

I would recommend Back Again to those who - like me - don’t need a technical explanation of time travel and just want to enjoy experiencing the possibility.
Profile Image for Sarah-Jayne Briggs.
Author 1 book47 followers
March 14, 2016
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I always find Groundhog Day-style stories quite interesting to read... and I thought it was good to see that the focus was on a mother and her son. While I did get a bit confused with the constant time slips, it didn't take long for me to become absorbed in the story.

I did think the first scene of the story did a really good job of setting the scene and although it took a while for the story to catch up with the first scene at the beginning, it was a good journey to take and be able to get to know the characters... though I did feel that many of my perceptions of the secondary characters were coloured by how Dawn saw them.

I found Dawn an easy character to empathise with, even though there were problems... but then again, parents aren't perfect. And I found it interesting to see how Tommy put voice to that.

Although it took quite a long time for the storyline to reach the point where Dawn was reliving the time over and over, I did appreciate the opportunity to get to know the characters... I just felt that the main plot of the book wasn't given very much time in the actual story.

I was quite confused about how Kylie fit in the whole book, but that did make more sense as the book went on. I did also like the opportunity to see how the slips worked before the main one occurred... and I thought there were some really good scenes in the book, despite the difficulty in staying involved in the storyline when it kept flashing back to Dawn's childhood.

I think I would have liked to see a bit more of some of the secondary characters, especially Tommy's father. There were also some really good tense moments in this book, especially when the slips occur.

I did like the ending of the book, although I was still left with a lot of unanswered questions. Some of the things didn't make much sense, but I was still drawn into the storyline and I would be interested in reading more books by this author in the future.
315 reviews8 followers
September 9, 2019
Back Again by Susan May

This is the second book I have read by author Susan May and definitely not my last. I am thrilled to have found her and doubly thrilled that she has graciously sent me a copy of this book. She did not ask for a review in exchange but because I want others to start reading her I am reviewing this book.
Have you ever said to yourself “if only”? If only I could not have done that. If only that had not happened. If only I could change…. Fill in the blank but be careful what you wish for. In Back Again Dawn finds herself reliving an event in her life over and over again. But for what? Will she be able to change the events of that horrific day? You will have to read the story to find out as I am not going to tell you.
I will tell you that reading Back Again is worth your time. It will make you question events in your life. It will make you wonder why some things happen the way they do. Are they meant to be? In Judaism there is a word “b’shert” meaning meant to be. It is one way of explaining painful events in one’s life. But for Dawn was her sister meant to die? Was her son meant to die? Was she meant to say “If only…” and change the course of events in their lives and in hers?
Susan May is an excellent writer. From the very beginning of her story she grabs the reader. She immediately makes you want to keep going to find out what is going to happen next. While in this book I feel she brings Dawn back too often; she could have accomplished the same message with a few less returns, she gets her message across clearly and strongly.
Read Back Again. You will not be disappointed. And if you haven’t read anything else by Susan May go read Deadly Messengers…a must read!

09.28.15
Profile Image for Kathleen.
6 reviews2 followers
February 28, 2016
Thank you to the Read It & Reap program and the author, Susan May, for the free copy of Back Again.

Right from the first chapter I was hooked! Susan May's writing style easy to read; yet, the depths of situations and emotions are not lost to the reader. The premises of time traveling was unique and I had feared that it would distract from the story, but it was done so well that it only added. The plot line of Dawn losing her son in such away is heart breaking often leaving the reader in tears. Dawns pain and anger is so strong that it make it all the better to see how she comes to terms with her loss, and how she comes to forgive both herself and the girl (Kylie) who caused the accident.

It was nice to see development of characters on both sides of the accident. Kylie Travis is responsible for the car accident that killed Dawns son, and all because she was texting behind the wheel. At first Kylie is a frustratingly self adsorbed, blame the world for everything, rebel without a cause that just cannot accept responsibility. Her actions and thoughts in the beginning are irritating , but eventually Kylie grows and by the end her actions make you want to cheer! The ending couldn't have been better in bring all of this together.
Profile Image for Sarah Kernochan.
Author 4 books85 followers
April 18, 2015
From the very first chapter you know you're in the hands of a real writer. The quantum-physics premise is not a new one (but not a tired one, either) - that the main character travels back in time to prevent a tragedy. However, Susan May manages to bring fresh heart and intelligence to the formula. Dawn, her heroine, becomes addicted to a time loop which offers her a replay of her son's death over and over but offers her no chance to change the outcome - unless she can discover some window in the dense web of Fate. The author keeps the anguish of a mother raw and alive throughout, for it is Dawn's emotions which fuel the narrative as well as the decisive twist near the end. Lest you think this book is just an exercise in plot, however, there is profound spiritual truth that rewards the heroine - as well as the reader - in the final chapters. I'm very happy to have read this, and it will stay with me.
Profile Image for Peg.
438 reviews5 followers
August 13, 2015
I loved the short story so jumped at the chance to read the novel which I thoroughly enjoyed. I thought it was well-written, suspenseful, and flowed nicely.

Susan May is a talented author who takes 'time travel' to a whole new level. Without giving away the plot, this is a novel that has a well-developed protagonist, Dawn, and a secondary main character, Kylie, who will get your attention at the beginning and keep it until the very end. I just kept wondering what would happen next and was rooting for both characters.

You will gain new knowledge on just how strong a mother's love can be and how reliving a tragic accident over and over will give you hope that Dawn will succeed in her desire to be happy again. Highly recommended with 5 Stars.
Profile Image for James Hayward.
181 reviews1 follower
September 12, 2015
This is a very well written book and has a very complex plot so stay on top of things while you read it. The main character Dawn takes up most of the book with her slips back in time. I am glad the story ended the way it did as I was starting to think Dawn would be stuck in this time loop forever. I would have liked to have known why and how Dawn was slipping back in time and changing the past.
Profile Image for Lynn Mccarthy.
661 reviews28 followers
August 30, 2015
Another great book from this author this is the second book I have read by Susan both different but both really good if I could give both her books 6 stars I would...
I can not wait for her next book to come out will be looking for it great writing style give this Author a try you will not be disappointed...
Thanks to the Author for a chance to read her books.
15 reviews
June 28, 2016
Holy cow! I just discovered Susan May over the last weekend and have read EVERYTHING that she has on Kindle! I am hooked and I read "Deadly Messengers " first and the rest is history!

"Back Again" was amazing, riveting and can't-put-my-Kindle-down worthy.

I love King and Koontz, and I love May the same way! Keep them coming, Susan! You are amazing!
Profile Image for Tami.
121 reviews2 followers
March 5, 2016
It's a good read. The author tackles some big issues; fate, forgiveness, a worse nightmare, and an answer to prayer. I still have some unanswered questions even though the story gets a bit long in the middle, but it was definitely worth reading.
12.6k reviews189 followers
April 27, 2018
Wow, totally agree, the next Stephen King, female version of course. Time travelling at it best. Loved every part of the book and any other by this talented author. Just kept me intrigued with the story and the characters.
47 reviews2 followers
November 23, 2014
I always try and put myself in the lead characters shoes when reading a book and imagine if I could do what they do or live like they live, but Dawn has a completely unenviable tragedy thrust upon her which made me realise that if I was in her position I'm not sure I could cope.

Dawn suffers from 'slips' in her life. She doesn't know how it works, or if it can ever be stopped but it terrifies her and makes her family treat her with kid gloves which frustrates her but there isn't anything she can do as they have every reason to worry since 'that' day on the mountain with Anna in 1990...
She was convinced she had lost Anna forever, a tragic accident claims the life of her sister and breaks Dawn's heart in an instant forcing her to accept a future without her beloved sister and then she wakes to find life as she thought she knew it had been flipped 180 and everything was ok again, except the fact that she 'lost' 24 hours of her life and things are very different to what she expected to find...

This signalled the beginning of a series of 'slips' that strike at the most random moments and even though each time they are different, they are still equally terrifying in their concept.

Now Dawn is a mum she fears the slips more than ever, what happens if she is out with Tommy when it happened? These thoughts scare her but she does her best to be a mum and dad to Tommy as his absent father has seemed to bother with his son less and less since the divorce 3 years ago. Richard never really understood Dawn, never really convinced that the slips were real. A little empathy would have been nice.

In another part of town is shop worker Kylie Travis. A self absorbed kind of girl, never really concerned with much that exists outside of her phone, never really caring of other people's care and worries as she was too concerned with her own. She hates her job only doing her best to cling onto it to afford the repayments on her car so when she starts having problems with her very ex-boyfriend Andrew it heralds the beginning of the worst day she will ever live through.

If only is something we all think from time to time but those two words have immense impact in this powerful, intense and thought provoking book. If you have ever been tempted to pick up your phone in the car and rattle off a quick text, this book is sure to bring into sharp focus just what a stupid decision that could be.

I ached at Dawn's pain throughout this story, I mean, imagine the pain of reliving the worst 10 days of your life again and again and again? That's the torture inflicted upon Dawn in a cruel twist of fate as she suffers her worst slip yet.

I loved the little hidden nod to one of Susan May's other books on page 102, I stopped and thought 'wow, that's cool!' and when the subtle change that proved to be so important happened in the store around page 228 nearly cried in joy! I thought that this may be Dawn's chance to change everything, and the last few chapters left me so compelled I couldn't stop reading until the very last page!

A thrilling book, it was just amazing, I can't wait until I have the ability to buy a paperback version of this book as I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from the lovely Susan herself. When I am a mum this will be perfect to give to my teenage child/children to let them understand the consequences of their actions before they start driving. In fact I would go as far as saying that this book should be on the school curriculum as essential reading because even though books like 'Pride And Prejudice', 'Jane Eyre' and 'To Kill A Mockingbird' are classics that deserve to be read, 'Back Again' is not only a future classic in my opinion but probably more relevant to today as phones never seem to be out of most peoples hands. I would go as far as saying that this book could change lives, maybe even save lives.

Profile Image for BookzBookzBookz.
Author 12 books73 followers
February 7, 2017
That answer is written across the pages of Back Again, by Susan May. Back Again is the story of Dawn, a mother who has a strange ability that shows up at the absolute worst of times. On one normal, regular day something terrible happens and she finds herself living the event over and over and over again.

But this tale is more than some dog day afternoon; Back Again carries determination and forgiveness- even a bit of redemption. All very good qualities to have in a novel, but was the story good? Yes.

The cogs on the cover look fab, but it didn't really take on the feel of the story to me. Good looking cover, but didn't put it all together for me, considering there were so many alternate possibilities for the story to travel. Anyway, the story was very good and emotional. To have to go through everything Dawn did, I'd have lost my mind.

Back Again was very deep and brooding at times. I found it a bit wordy at times, but nothing that hurt the story. I can say that the constant repetition was beginning to annoy me, but it was necessary for the story to finally come to it's ending. I wish there'd been more on Kylie's part. She seemed to bring more the to tale at the end, when I found out she was slightly experiencing what Dawn was going through. It was like, "Ooooo, I like that!" but then it was over. I don't know if Kylie even began to realize there was a lesson in there- other than saving a boy's life. But oh no, I"ve said too much! NO SPOILERS!

Now because I received this as an audiobook, I have to make a complaint: Anne Johnstonbrown. It's not that her voice was didn't match up or anything. She rendition of children vs teenagers and adults was awful! And then she read some portions of the narration in the child's voice! It was painful to deal with. If she was simply reading, she was fine, but those voices and not paying attention to the narration was a bummer for me. I almost switched to the ebook instead, but I did a lot of running that day. I needed the audio.

So all in all, I really enjoyed the tale. Bad narration, but good read. Check out Back Again while I move on to the next read!
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964 reviews5 followers
December 29, 2015
The concept of this book is fascinating: Dawn has been reliving days since she was young, but she doesn't realize it. She loses time. She blacks out. She remembers things differently from how they happened. The doctors call them "fugues." Her mother calls them "turns". She calls them "slips." She doesn't know why she has overlapping memories, and she doesn't figure it out until her 10 year old son is hit by a car and dies in her arms.

10 days later, Dawn gets into the shower and suddenly finds herself in the kitchen, buttering toast for Tommy, wearing the same clothes she was wearing the day he died. She realizes that she's reliving the day he died...can she save him? She thinks so...but it turns out she can affect no change. She's screaming inside, but outwardly she is going through the same motions, doing the same things, unable to do anything differently.

As a mom myself, I felt Dawn's pain each time she had to hold her son as he died. Every 10 days she had to go through it again. She resigned herself to just enjoying the little bit of time she had with him.

Then one day...something changed. And Dawn knew that the time loop was ending.

Susan May did a great job with this story. It moved along at a good clip, the characters were developed and relatable. Her copy editor could have been better, but the writing was good.

I was originally planning to tell you how it ended (I even clicked the little spoilers button) but I've changed my mind. You'll just have to read it.
1 review1 follower
January 5, 2015
In Back Again, Susan May transports the reader to a world where time travel is possible and, in Dawn’s case, necessary for changing fate. Since childhood, Dawn has experienced “slips” or “fugues”, a state from which she awakes to find past events having been changed. Dawn desperately clings onto the hope this supernatural gift provides when her son is involved in a tragic car accident. However Dawn struggles to gain control of this gift (or nightmare), which results in having to re-live the horror of seeing her son’s death again and again.

Susan May’s ability to develop credible and intriguing characters, amid all the back and forth of time travelling, is to be commended. In particular I found the transformation and the redemption of the egoistic, troubled, young Kylie to be very satisfying.

Back Again is fast paced and full of suspense. I couldn’t put it down until I found out how it all ended. I highly recommend Back Again to readers interested in an emotional and thought provoking read.
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