Hourglass: A Dystopian Thriller

by Elizabeth Means, Virtual Voice (Narrator)

What would you do if you knew exactly when you would die?

Like everyone else in the 24th century United States, ambitious young scientist Evergreen Mason knows the precise minute she will die. When she hears that a sixteen-year-old girl has surpassed her predicted lifespan, she is compelled to solve the existential riddle of what allowed her to be the only known survivor of her biological clock.

But Evergreen’s unrelenting search for answers is not without peril. The shocking truth could bring society to its knees, and those in power will stop at nothing to keep it secret.

Can Evergreen expose the government’s ghastly plot, or will the next clock that stops be her own?

If you like Black Mirror or books by Michael Crichton, Margaret Atwood, and Hugh Howey, you’ll love the themes of technology and society gone wrong told through the eyes of Means’s compelling characters. Hourglass Is the next thrilling dystopian read for your list!

Buy Hourglass and strap in for a futuristic thriller today.

Genres: Dystopia, Science Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy

Audible Audio

Published June 25, 2025

About the author

Elizabeth Means is a Medical Laboratory Scientist and currently works in a hospital. She is a novice ballerina, avid reader and has traveled to thirty-one countries. Elizabeth grew up in Dearborn, Michigan but lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband Mark, and their two rescue dogs Franklin and Henry.

Reviews

[Alina · Rating 3 out of 5]

***Note: I received a copy curtesy of Netgalley and MonkeyTree Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent premises: a dystopian world in which everyone knows at birth their life expectancy and is thus guided to an appropriate schooling system and career.
Unfortunately, I found the characters rather bland, and the twist didn't present any surprise at all, and there were some highly unbelievable scenes (like the lack of surveillance systems in a big lab from a company really concerned with confidentiality), but I rather liked the realistic ending.

2.5★ rounded up:
* Plot: 4★
* World building: 2★
* Characters: 3★
* Coherence/Consistency: 2★
* Language/Humor/Witticism: 3★
* Enjoyability: 3★

[Kirsty Carson]

DNF @ 40%

[Carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember being in college and my teachers telling me that whenever I wrote a paper in my specific study/work field I should write it so people who had no clue about the subject would still understand what they were reading about. That’s exactly what Elizabeth Means did in Hourglass. This book featured a lot of scientific talk, but it was written in a way where you could properly follow what was happening. It also features descriptions of self-harm, so I’ll leave this trigger warning.

I highly enjoyed reading it. I might be biased because I love me some dystopian, conspiracy type of books and this was exactly what Hourglass was. This is the type of book I envision being adapted to the big screens and if that were to happen, I’d totally watch it.

The book follows people in a dystopian future where you’re told how much time you will have to live, right after you are born, which will separate people into three Lifetime Potential groups: low, mid, or high. People’s Lifetime Potential, or LP, will give them their role in society and everyone’s happy to follow the rules until Lucy Hanson doesn’t meet her predicted lifespan. As I was reading about the people in the 24th century I couldn’t help but think that no matter the circumstances, there’s possibly a pattern we all follow as society, which is funny. You could change the setting, but we can still see the same actions and stigmatized behavior.

I was pleasantly surprised with the characters. I thought they were fun and interesting in their own way. I always enjoy reading about characters that are connected throughout the story somehow.

This isn’t the best book I’ve ever read but it’s a solid start to the series, since the next installment is coming in 2022 – and after those last chapters and I will be definitely reading it.

I received an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review. Thank you MonkeyTree Publishing and Netgalley!

[Ta || bookishbluehead · Rating 3 out of 5]

How would society change if everyone knew the day they die? What would you do? A concept that is discussed in many Sci-Fi books, movies and shows.

So, the concept isn’t new, but the execution is different from other mediums in that genre, which I found entertaining. The notion that the whole population of earth is divided in different classes on the premise how long they are going to live, so that everyone has the chance to live their best life (according to the government), was interesting.

The execution of this book was good, I enjoyed reading it, I wanted to know what was going on, even though I didn’t completely like the characters and couldn’t connect with them. The ending of the book was the best part, at least for me and it made the whole experience better.

[Neil & Elaine Barton · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting plot. But it seems irresponsible given the current pandemic.

This concept gives fuel to conspiracy theorists and may cause others not to be vaccinated against the current pandemic.
The plot is interesting and full of surprises. Characterisation is well developed.
Let's hope readers have common sense and perspective and it doesn't lead to anti-vaccination.

[Bridgette Portman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

The premise of this book drew me in immediately. Hourglass is set in a future world in which people know precisely when they will die—down to the second—and Means does a fantastic job of exploring the social and psychological consequences of this. There’s a new class system, in which “high Lifetime Potential” individuals enjoy privileges compared to those with mid and low-LP. Teenagers attend the wakes of their friends and classmates as they might attend a sweet-sixteen party, and later attend their own wakes in a morbidly fascinating death ritual. Means explores the psychology of three central characters with differing life expectancies; each of them is well-drawn and nuanced. The character of Lucy stands out to me as particularly compelling, not only because of what happens to her—I’m not sure I drew a breath during her entire wake scene, which was a masterful exercise in tension-building—but also because of how her failure to die as expected affects her emotionally in complex ways. While the narrative occasionally feels exposition-heavy, the question of Lucy’s survival sets up a central mystery that propels the plot forward, and the revelations, when they come, feel satisfying.

Hourglass is a memorable, engrossing tale that explores timeless questions about mortality in a unique way.

[Alina Vale · Rating 1 out of 5]

1/5. Thanks to Netgalley and the author for a copy of the novel.

I really wanted to like this book. But alas, this is going to be full of complaints.

I hated Evergreen from the moment I saw that name on the book. She’s arrogant, annoying and has serious misogyny issues. Any time she sees a female friend, she immediately thinks about how much better they’d be if they didn’t get male attention. Like stfu, just because you can’t get bitches..
Although no one will accept this, evergreen lives for male validation. Which isn’t the worst, but needs to be issued and discussed in a piece of media made for young girls.
None of the other characters are better than evergreen, but mere cardboard cutouts that are there just to fill up space.

The plot and worldbuilding were lacking of substance. I’m sure that this world will be pretty different in three centuries. Here, however, everything is so similar to today. The only thing distinguishing the two realities is the weird pop culture-ish way everyone acts. The plot, though intriguing, is so badly crafted that it has no significance anymore.

The language is too much. Not because it’s complex or lyrical. Because again, reading this book is like watching a cast of TikTok ears in hype house. Which is not suitable for a piece of literature.

In conclusion, I’m profoundly disappointed with this book. But I think this was already established.

[J.E. Leak · Rating 5 out of 5]

The minute I read the blurb for this book, I knew I wanted to read it. The author does a great job creating the future world of Hourglass and imagining the fallout from such a catastrophic shift in the status quo.

In the twenty-second century, science and medicine have advanced so much that everyone knows when their biological clock will stop; in fact, society is built around this knowledge. When a sixteen-year-old girl outlives her predicted death, science and society must find a way to maintain normalcy as long held truths are shattered.

As a scientist, Evergreen Mason is compelled to find answers; what she finds changes her life forever and plunges her into the unimaginable.

The world the author built around the science and the societal changes is fascinating. It makes you wonder what would actually happen in a future like that and how you would react.

Good book. I enjoyed it!

[Karen Barber · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the moment you are born, the day you will die is known. Every decision made about your life is a reaction to your expected life. While this doesn’t always seem fair, most people have become accustomed to life like this.
Evergreen is the daughter of a renowned scientist, and she is thrilled to get a job working for the same group her father works for. Keen to progress, she is excited to develop her understanding of the vaccination program and is hopeful she can find some way to make her mark.
When sixteen year old Lucy Hanson does not die on the day predicted, nobody knows why. Evergreen thinks that learning more about Lucy could provide her breakthrough. What she couldn’t foresee is that someone in government knew about this, Lucy is not the first and someone has a reason to keep this news hidden.
An intriguing idea, and the big cover-up hinted at a potentially explosive read. The timing of this marred slightly, and it took a long time to get any answers. The ending opened up possibilities but cut off just as I was finding myself interested.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this in advance of publication.

[Jenni · Rating 3 out of 5]

This dystopian book focuses on life as we know it 200 years in the future. Disease and cancers have essentially been wiped out, but every person is born with an identified LP (Lifetime Potential) meaning they know the exact time and date of death for each person. Because of this, people are grouped into low-LP, mid-LP, and high-LP tracts. Those living with a low-LP will pass as children or young adults and are not given the stresses (or opportunities) like those with higher LPs. Our story jumps around, following a scientist, a teenager whose time is supposed to be up (but who lives past her specific LP time and date) and a reporter who follows her story. It got to be a bit much and dragged on quite a bit before an unsatisfying ending.

[Juli Rahel]

When the state of the world is grim, my mind always leans towards dystopian thrillers. But when it then comes to actually dealing with them, I don't feel steady enough to engage with them. There are already so many uncertainties, why offer my mind even more? And yet, I can not resist the temptation and hence I found myself intrigued by Hourglass. While it took me longer to eventually get to it then I'd hoped, I devoured it in one sitting once I settled down for it. Thanks to MonkeyTree Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay!

One of the only things guaranteed in life is that you will die. Death is the great equalizer, to bring in another cliché, but the one thing none of us know is exactly when we will die. And so we spend our lives in a fragile balance, at once making the most of today and simultaneously worrying about tomorrow. But what if you knew exactly when you were going to die? And what if your role in society was predicated upon your life expectation? That's the concept behind Hourglass and I found it incredibly intriguing. After two major pandemics, 24th century America has managed to eradicate all diseases and has unlocked DNA to the extent that they know how long a life is predestined for everyone. For some, this is a long and happy life, for others it is only 16 years. This immediately triggered a question for me, however. If all diseases have been eradicated, why are some still doomed to a short life by their DNA? Admittedly, I don't really know anything about DNA, but this felt a bit plothole-y to me. It also sets the reader up for the big plot twist, in the sense that one is already primed for suspicion. The suspicion is a natural element of a thriller, but I felt Means could have perhaps explained this a little better to keep the reader guessing for a little longer.

Lucy is only 16 and preparing for her wake. She knows she will die today, she has always known she will die today. From birth, doctors had shared her time of death with her and her entire life has been shaped by her short lifespan. But then she doesn't die. What went wrong? Was the science wrong or is she, somehow, wrong? And what does her extended life mean for her society? Enter Evergreen Mason, the technical protagonist of Hourglass, who works at Virionics, the company behind the life-changing medical technology that allows people to know their death date. She is honoured to work there and has been working for a job there her entire life. Blessed with a long lifespan, her entire youth was dedicated towards learning and now she is ready to start giving back to her society. But things don't seem to add up. When she meets Axon, the journalist covering Lucy's case, the two start digging and everything starts unraveling. As you can maybe tell from my summary here, I kind of wish Lucy had been the real protagonist of the novel. Her story of expected death turned into unexpected life is fascinating and throws up all kinds of interesting questions. What do you do with the uncertainty? How do you plan for a life you never thought you'd have? Evergreen felt a little flatter to me as a character, blinded by her own faith in the system and occasionally quite judgmental about others. Axon's character is developed exactly to the point he needs to be, but no further. He works well in contrast to both Evergreen and Lucy, but all the questions I had about his life, his relationship with his boss and work, etc. remained unexplored. While the eventual twist didn't surprise me, I did enjoy the ending. While I don't want to spoil it here, I felt it followed in the tradition of 1984 and Brave New World in its bleakness, although not with quite the same impact.

Elizabeth Means is both a writer and a Medical Laboratory Scientist, so she is very well-versed in the medical details behind her story. As I said, my knowledge of DNA is rudimentary at best, so I did like that she takes the time to explain some of the aspects behind the novel's science. At times this feels a little like an exposition dump, but I can forgive that since it was useful to me. I also liked the flow behind the novel. Means wastes no time and ensures the tension throughout Hourglass remains steady, something which should seem obvious for the genre but I have actually found lacking in other books. I did find myself questioning the timing of the novel, which is something Elizabeth Means absolutely could not influence. (Slight spoiler warning!) She mentions in the Acknowledgements that the novel had been in the works for eight years (I believe), which means that even though the 2020 pandemic is included, it was not written with it in mind. However, now that we are in the COVID-19 world, I find myself very hesitant about stories that suggest government entities might be messing with us through diseases and vaccines. Means, a medical professional herself, absolutely does not support any kind of conspiracy thinking, but her novel plays with that aspect. She could not have predicted where the world was going to go, but it does mean a slight warning comes with the book. Read it with a critical mindset. Fiction is not reality! (Spoiler over!) All in all, Hourglass is an intriguing but not very deep book. What I mean by that is that I very much enjoyed what Means was doing, but that it is more concept than extensive story. I didn't even entirely realise this was set in America, although I assumed it. Evergreen, Lucy, and Axon aren't developed as much as they could be, and their world has some very convenient aspects for the plot to take place. So while it is not super "deep", Hourglass is a good time.

Hourglass gave me a lovely and thrilling afternoon of frantic reading. I enjoyed the concept and plot Means built, although I wished she would have gone the extra mile on some of the world-building and characterisation. I do also feel sorry for the timing of the release, considering the COVID-19 pandemic and the topic of her book.

URL: https://universeinwords.blogspot.com/...

[LilliSt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars - intriguing premise, some faults

I'm pretty conflicted about this one!

Hourglass by Elizabeth Means has a great setup: in the future, mankind has conquered all ways of unnatural death. Viruses, bacteria, cancer, genetic defects - none of those things can take a life prematurely. Scientists have gained such a deep understanding of DNA that they are able to predict exactly when an individual's time is going to be "up" and so society is stratified along the lines of one's Lifetime Potential, or LP.

Children with a low LP get to spend their few years just enjoying themselves and noone expects them to contribute much to society. Mid-LPs do get an education and are expected to at least carry their weight and high LPs are the elite. They grow up with the responsibility to become high achievers and to make use of their many years.

In this society, Lucy, a teen with a low LP, just doesn't die when she should, which is a great mystery that Evergreen Mason sets out to explore. Evergreen has just started her very prestigious job with Virionics, THE company that provides the vaccines that keep everybody healthy. Evergreen is ambitious and finding out what sets Lucy apart from everybody else might be just the project to advance her career.
Unfortunately, there are some forces that very much do not want some uncomfortable truths to be uncovered and Evergreen might not know what she is getting herself and her unlikely ally (and possible love interest) Axon into with her investigations.

So, let's start with what I liked: as I said, the setup has plenty of potential and the story draws you right in. The characters had distinct and realistic personalities that reflected their respective different LPs very well. I was always compelled to keep reading and wanted to know how things would play out. Lucy in particular I thought was great. She was the most relatable and likeable character by far and I really felt for her vulnerable self that had to deal with preparing for early death, and then being left hanging in the air, not knowing how long she might have to live after all.

The whole world-building had an issue though and it was really glaring from the beginning. When there are no natural causes of death left, why should anybody die at a young age at all? Why is absolutely nobody in the book ever wondering how it can be that there are so many people with a low LP? How could a society be built on such a glaring logical pothole? This made suspension of disbelief a bit difficult at times, but you could maybe read it as a commentary on how far a society can go just on a constructed "truth" and consistent brainwashing. (Although I am not sure if the author actually intended it this way.)

However, what really put me off a lot is just how macho, superficial and misogynistic everyone is. You would think such an advanced society would have grown, but nope. Right in the beginning, Evergreen catches her boyfriend in bed with another woman. When thinking about that woman, Evergreen uses words like wh**e, or sl*t. Everybody judges everybody else by their looks. Apparently having meaningless sex is the epitome of "fun". Being "hot" is the one thing everybody desires most. Almost every character is sort of a jerk in that regard, actually.
There is one minor character and the way she was described almost made me DNF: it was a not very attractive woman and it was very much implied that she was just a feminist because she was ugly anyway and that she was just jealous of the pretty girls. This woman also apparently wanted nothing more than to be considered hot and bangeable and kept going on about her derriere being really great. She is described as being so unattractive in fact, that Axon has to get drunk just to be able to sleep with her. What the heck, Elizabeth Means?

Sure, this could be social commentary as well, but this stuff is so intervoven into all interactions and thoughts throughout the book that I am afraid that it is just a reflection of the author's view on people and women in particular.

So, while this was an engrossing read with lots of potential, the negative aspects did ruin quite a bit of the fun for me. I am still curious how the story will unfold but I am not sure yet if I am going to actually pick the sequel up.

I have received an advance review copy via NetGalley and voluntarily provide my honest opinion. Thank you very much!

[Anne Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set two or three hundred years in the future, premature death has been conquered. Leaving aside accidental deaths or suicides (code preterm), which carry punishments for anyone who survives as well as their immediate family, disease and illness are banished. Of course, eventually everyone must die, but only at their appointed hour. The exact timing of death is revealed shortly after birth by examining the indiviual’s DNA. How must that feel, to know your whole life when you are going to die? However long you have.

People are then immediately placed into three categories of LP, lifetime potential, low LP, mid LP and high LP. Those with a low LP will all die before the age of seventeen so they get to follow their interests, after they’ve mastered the basics like reading and writing. The mid LP’s go to an appropriate school where their education is geared towards the students being able to give something back to society for the resources they have enjoyed in the time they have alive; think low skilled and manual jobs.The high LP’s enjoy, or suffer, through an intense education where they compete constantly for access to the top jobs in the top fields.Their extended life span is worth the effort for society.

Evergreen Mason is a high LP, the daughter of a senior scientist at the Virionics company, a government body that works tirelessly to ensure everyone stays healthy. Evergreen has always wanted to work for Virionics, although there is no cronyism involved. When Evergreeen attends for interview, she has work hard all her life and deserves her place as a junior researcher. She is in.

Meanwhile we attend the wake of Lucy Hanson. She is sixteen years and eight months old and her death date has arrived. Lucy is rather relieved. Her boyfriend, the love of her life, died six months ago and she has been simply waiting to join him. Because of the complicated rules around pregnancy, her parents cannot have another child until she is dead and they are not young anymore. Their fertility window is closing. Lucy’s mother in particular has always kept Lucy at arm’s length, saving her love for the new baby she longs for. Still she has organised a beautiful wake for Lucy. Everyone joins in counting down the final seconds of Lucy’s life but when the counter reaches zero, she’s still here.

Axon Davis works for The Times as a wake correspondent. The paper uploads the carefully edited wake scenes Axon puts together and those sections are the most lucrative in terms of advertising revenue. Axon immediately sees the potential in the story of the girl who didn’t die and proceeds to cajole and bully his way into staying close to the family.

When Evergreen sees the news story about Lucy’s survival, she is intrigued. She has been looking for an area of individual research to explore as publishing papers is expected at Virionics at every level. She actually met Axon on a hook up a few weeks before. They meet up again and she suggests a collaboration, she’ll do the science and he can do the human story. What could possibly go wrong?

A really interesting premise with a strong plot. There’s a lot to think about here with the advances in technology for health and the question of just how far a government should act to safeguard the population. I liked the characters and their development. I liked the twist at the end. The only quibble I have is the occasionally clunky sentence that jarred on my ear. As the book neared the end, I could tell there was a lot of mileage left in the story. I was not surprised to learn there are another two books in the series. I shall look forward to reading them.

[Danny Frankland · Rating 3 out of 5]

(ARC received in exchange for honest review at www.netgalley.com)

Elizabeth Means’ ’Hourglass’ is perhaps more relevant in 2021 than its author could ever have expected. Set in the 24th century, we find ourselves in a dystopian-tinged Earth. Science has advanced, and disease is but a memory, vaccinated into obsolescence. In fact, the essence of life itself has become a series of statistics, dividing society into three distinct strata - those with Low, Mid and High Life Potential. Humanity now comes with an expiry date; from birth, everybody knows the day they will die, and societal constraints govern their lifestyles and careers, with lower LP’s regarded as contributing little to human development. Alas, sometimes nature has other ideas, as Lucy discovers when her clock runs out…

Few are novels with the ability to instil dread at the existential level, but ‘Hourglass’ is subtle in its manipulation of the reader’s own fears. The general structure of Means’ world is disconcerting. Whilst her Earth really isn’t terribly different to our own, the tendrils of authoritarianism are ever present, weaving their way across the pages of her narrative. Her characters seem to embrace the biological clocks they march in time to; readers know acutely that their lives appear to be determined from birth, personal agency effectively having ceased to exist, yet the characters themselves appear disturbingly unaware. In addition, Means seems to imply parallels with our own reality in places, though the uncertainty she evokes in her writing left me wondering if it was intentional or the result of my own inherent fears. Similarly, Means’ combination of solid world-building and literary flair compliments her themes and allows the reader to visualise the terrifying perversion of our society that she has created. Meanwhile, by keeping her writing tight and her dialogue naturalistic, Means builds atmosphere that makes for a gripping read.

Unfortunately, a few prominent issues tarnish what is otherwise a remarkable piece of dystopian fiction. Whilst our POV characters speak and behave with realism few books can sustain, sometimes Means’ prose becomes clunky and wooden, hampering the reader’s immersion and pulling them out of the story. Thankfully, this doesn’t happen often, but the gravity of the story makes these foibles particularly distracting. However, what really damages ‘Hourglass’ is its failure to stick the ending. Means’ snappy pacing lends itself well to the suspense she builds as the story twists and turns; unfortunately, the last few chapters betray that expectation. Eventually Means compromises everything she’s worked for - our lead, Evergreen, forgets her motivations, whilst poor old Axon is just forgotten entirely. Although Lucy’s story comes to a more satisfactory close, some decisions made here feel like attempts to facilitate an ending that just doesn’t work, and in doing so Means wastes the tension she had built, despite how encouraging most of the book had been.

In summary, it pains me to score ‘Hourglass’ as low as this, but its conclusion is profoundly disappointing in the face of such an excellent premise and sharp writing. Means’ talent is without question and a sequel might mitigate some of the damage, but the ending is a massive stain on the face of what could have been a fantastic first foray into murky dystopia. I would still recommend giving it a read on the strength of its challenging existentialistic commentary, but expect its finale to leave you wanting.

[Kurt R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is set a couple hundred years in the future. In this timeframe, people know the exact date and time they will die when they are born. Diseases have been eradicated. People are categorized by how long they will live and their education and upbringing varies depending on their lifespan. There are also strong penalties against surviving family members for those who choose suicide. Things go off the rails when a girl doesn’t die when she is supposed to and a reporter and a scientist uncover some disturbing secrets and history behind the Lifetime Potential program, code name Project Hourglass.

I won’t post any spoilers, but I will add some of my thoughts…..

[1] This book definitely has an Orwell/1984 undertone to it.
[2] I personally found the idea of people describing things as “global”, “atomic”, and “bionic” a bit silly and immature.
[3] In some cases, situations happened that didn’t really seem to make much sense to the story or could have used more explanation. I felt at times things were set into motion that left me hanging.
[4] I won’t reveal the ending but it came out of nowhere and flipped the story upside down. It literally screamed Orwell/1984. I understand why it happened the way it did and wish it happened differently. For me, the end pretty much ruined the book for me.

I still gave this book 5 stars because I like the way it was written, the story was well detailed, and I may not have liked the ending but I understand it. I’ve read many books that I’ve hated the endings of and still loved them. I read this book in one day because I was that into it.

NOTE - I RECEIVED A FIRST EDITION COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR FREE ON NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW. THIS IN NO WAY INFLUENCED MY REVIEW.

[Lani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really struggled between three and four stars on this one. Hourglass has such a cool premise - imagine living your whole life with a literal countdown clock ticking away the years, days, and hours until your death. That idea grabbed me from page one and made the book a genuine page-turner.

Where it stumbles is in the execution. The author starts a lot of character threads - interesting people you want to follow - but then leaves them hanging. You invest, and then… poof. No resolution, no closure.

And then there’s the ending. For most of the book, it feels like a Da Vinci Code style mystery: tense, thoughtful, puzzle driven. But then suddenly it swerves hard into Mission Impossible territory. Fun? Sure. But it didn’t really mesh with the characters we’d been following, and the shift was jarring enough to feel like someone swapped books on me in the last act.

Still, I can’t deny I was interested the whole way through. I genuinely wanted to know what happened next, and the central idea (the ticking death clock) is cool enough to carry a lot of weight. So, 4 stars it is

Fun read. Flawed execution. But if you’re into high-concept thrillers with a fresh hook, it’s worth a shot.

Fun fact: I picked this up through a “blind date with a book” — such a fun way to discover new authors! Thanks @losttheplotbooks !

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to netgally and monkey tree publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

***Trigger warning of self harm in this book***
First I want to say I really enjoyed this cover! It was eye catching and definitely tied into the storyline. I could not book this book down.
Knowing the exact time you will die down to the second, science comes along way in this futuristic book.
Lucy is ready to die at her reverse wake only to have that minute pass by and for her to keep breathing. This page turner takes you on a wild ride with a great ending I certainly wasn't expecting. The science talk that is in this book was very well written and I loved that Elizabeth wrote it in a way that didn't make the reader feel dumb and need to Google all the lingo just to read the book. The characters are all well written, the world building is some of the best I've read lately. Highly recommend this book!

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where can I start?! What an amazing book, such a great read, and without giving any spoilers, the ending really packs a punch.
I like how the characters had their ups and downs, moments when you found them annoying, redeeming features etc, it really kept me invested in their stories. In regards to this, the chapters flick between characters, more so in the beginning, and until you get a feel of each character, this can be a little distracting, and so it probably took me a little longer to really start getting into the book. However as the 3 main characters start meeting up and crossing paths, the chapters become a lot more fluid which allows the amazing storyline, with twists and turns, to flow.

All I can say is read this book. It kept me hooked the whole time, and I loved the interesting plot of the lifetime potential!

[Kimberlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was literally unable to put this one down.

I read it in two sittings, but it was only two because real life needs tending to occasionally, otherwise it would have been only one. I love all things Black Mirror-ish, and this story definitely fits into the category. Well fleshed out characters, phenomenal worldbuilding, and an amazing plot puts this book in my top three favorites this year.

Both Evergreen's and Lucy's stories are fascinating, I was captivated watching them unfold. Unimaginable secrets and processes reside behind the doors of Virionics. I cannot wait for more books by this author, who is an actual scientist which is really cool. She said she will be writing more in the Hourglass world and I am super excited about it.

[Sally Mander · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars, A good start but it came without a needed trigger warning

HOURGLASS by Elizabeth Means

The book started out as an interesting dystopian story, about knowing exactly the date and time that you will die. It had a lot of promise, but part-way through, it veered off into LGBT territory and I didn't sign up for that. There were no trigger warnings in the synopsis of the book, I have zero desire to read anything about that subject, but there it was.

Maybe if it didn't have that subject matter, I might have considered a higher rating.

Unfortunately, I received a complimentary copy of #hourglass from #netgalley #monkeytreepublishing @monkeytreepublishing I was under no obligation to post a review.

[Darla Barar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me for a futuristic ride! Elizabeth Means did a great job of describing a world centuries in the future while keeping it relatable. Sometimes a little too relatable given the current real pandemic and the use of historical pandemics as a plot device in the novel. I found the characters to be compelling, though Evergreen felt a little bland at times. Lucy was the standout to me. And as much as I was hoping that we were racing toward a totally global ending, I was actually satisfied that things didn’t get wrapped up in a neat little bow. Thanks to #NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review! #HourglassElizabethMeans

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting premise and 99p on sale got me to read this but I wish I hadn't. the world building was so poor it seemed like the author spent a whole 30 seconds thinking about it - full of holes and lacking in creativity or intelligence. it's mostly like 2025 except with some medical advances. Most of the characters have ridiculous names - Evergreen, Susanne ('it's pronounced Sus-ahn'), Arizona, Silver, Axon... Evergreen is hugely annoying. There's an undertone of internalised misogyny throughout (externalised, I suppose, in the publishing of the book?). It's written in the style of a teenager on TikTok. Maybe TikTok teenagers will like that but it's not for me.

[Mihaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Just wow! I honestly wasn't expecting that ending, it blew my mind!
Ok, so initially the plot made me think of "In time" movie, starring Justin Timberlake, that I loved so much, so I got curious and asked for this ARC. 
Ending the book just 5 minutes ago I can say that the level of conspiracy in here measures up to "DaVinci Code".
If you're searching for a futuristic SciFi with a heavy dose of conspiracy, grab this book immediately!

5 stars

~ I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own ~

[Lori Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as review copy from NetGalley, this is an honest review. A wildly refreshing tale in the dystopian genre that calls into question how people are classed that will determine their fate of how long they to live. Within Lucy's story of an bizarre, harrowing mystery of why she didn't die but also of an ambitious scientist named Evergreen that sees beyond the veil of the haunting world created by those in power and discovering how to shape her future but of those around her. Highly recommended.

[Kristen V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I read the description for this book, I couldn't wait to read it! The premise was very intriguing and all the scientific info in the story was well explained. The characters were likeable and there weren't really any slow parts.
The only "criticism" I have is that the ending really didn't do it for me - it felt a bit rushed and I wanted to know more. All in all, I really liked this book and would recommend it!

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book*

[Margaret Burrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and was interested to see how the story developed. (The synopsis made me certain that I was going to read it.) The reason I’ve only given it 3 stars, however, is that it’s written much more in the style of teenage fiction than I was expecting - there were greater depths to be plumbed. Yes, the main characters were young, but it reminded me of the Divergent series, which is definitely in that genre.

[Sharon Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my usual read but I really enjoyed it. Set in 24th century where everyone knows when exactly they will die.
Evergreen Mason, a young American scientist discovers that someone has lived beyond their allotted time and sets out to find out how and why this happened and what it means.
Intense, well written and frightening- it somehow doesn’t seem unrealistic.
4 Stars ⭐️ Recommended reading

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review.

[Honey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would give this 3 or 4 stars if it were a standalone, but it’s not, and there’s no warning about that at the beginning. It starts slowly but does become really interesting after about 50%. But the end is utterly depressing and clearly a teaser for the rest of the series. Disappointed that the author wasn’t honest about this not being a standalone (and part 3 isn’t released yet) before I started it.

[Paula Richard]

Awesome

This book was so good. This was not my usual genre but i was like give it a try and it was worth the read. It is told from two different points of view that eventually combine.

The basic idea is everyone is aware when they will die so many live their life to the fullest. But as novel goes their is always a second side. Don’t skip out on this book.

[Mark Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this for 99p from Amazon so wasn't expecting much. I was, however, pleasantly surprised as it's well written with some engaging characters. The story moves along nicely although it's pretty easy to work out what's going on quite early in the book. The ending, I'm sorry to say, was a disappointment - almost as if the author was in a hurry to finish it but didn't know how to do it. That didn't spoil my enjoyment too much but it is the reason I went from a potential 4 stars to only 3.