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Next Stop: Nina
Nina never was one who felt comfortable in this world. As she struggles to cope with the pain of her present and past, the young girl's life is changed through the beauty of art. When Nina grows up and winds up in over her head in a dark place, she finds herself somehow transported to another time when nothing is quite what it seems. She must fight the horrors of her past all over again. Along the way, she faces greater challenges than she imagined. This is a character-driven novel with a heroine who faces life, love, and overcoming suicidal depression on her own terms.
242 pages, Paperback
First published July 18, 2015
567 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
September 21, 2015
Depression, a dark and lonely place to be. Debut author Robin Raven’s Next Stop: Nina enters this world with a unique take that promises to be a sign of a great future for this author! (Yep, no pressure!) Written in a bold style, often jagged and choppy feeling, a severely depressed woman revisits her life, filled with her take on each “revisitation” a kind of what if a butterfly flapped its wing kind of thing. Has Nina really gone back to see her painful past? Is this the first step in her quest to live instead of dying? Is it possible to change the past in order to have a happy present and future or is it all a matter of how one treats the events that led up to the present?
Follow Nina in her various “reincarnations” as she reconnects with the man she loves and experiences the pain of never having him, of having an even more light-hearted relationship and feel how deep their love is. Are they soul mates, destined to always find each other? Has Nina been given a gift to correct her life and learn to appreciate the one she has?
Completely character driven, Lenz and Nina have shared a love that encompassed art as well as each other. Will any change affect their present and future? Magical and filled with emotion, Robin Raven jumped in with both feet, showing her creative chops right out of the gate! Mesmerizing reading, often as sad and disjointed as Nina’s mental state, will she learn what is to be treasured in life?
I received this copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: July 18, 2015
Publisher: Batham Press
ISBN-13: 9780692406298
Genre: Time Travel | Romance
Print Length: 243 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Follow Nina in her various “reincarnations” as she reconnects with the man she loves and experiences the pain of never having him, of having an even more light-hearted relationship and feel how deep their love is. Are they soul mates, destined to always find each other? Has Nina been given a gift to correct her life and learn to appreciate the one she has?
Completely character driven, Lenz and Nina have shared a love that encompassed art as well as each other. Will any change affect their present and future? Magical and filled with emotion, Robin Raven jumped in with both feet, showing her creative chops right out of the gate! Mesmerizing reading, often as sad and disjointed as Nina’s mental state, will she learn what is to be treasured in life?
I received this copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: July 18, 2015
Publisher: Batham Press
ISBN-13: 9780692406298
Genre: Time Travel | Romance
Print Length: 243 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
November 6, 2015
Find this and other Reviews at InToriLex
When we're introduced to Nina, she is lost, like most of have been or may be in the future. Time travel allows her to confront her past, until she comes to terms with who she is. On a journey of self discovery, art and love inspire her and force her to selfishly figure out how to move on from the demons of her past. As Nina echo's through time in the novel, she experiences emotional turmoil, and is able to use the experiences to be present and carry out her life as she desires.This book had a wonderful and whimsical romance, that I wasn't expecting but I definitely enjoyed.
Often people can't get past what happened to them, or guilt they feel about the past. This book is about finding a way to forgive yourself, so you can focus on what's actually important. I'm really not into romance, but this one was done well, so I didn't cringe at inauthentic moments or forced chemistry. Nina and Lens are healthy additions to each other, they describe falling in love intimately and in a familiar way. The author effortlessly incorporates wonderful prose into a journey through depression with time travel mixed in.
This is definitely a character driven story as described in the synopsis, but that doesn't excuse a plot filled with holes. There's characters and different elements that are introduced, but never explained or tied into the story line. This didn't bother me too much, because all of the characters were likable in a unique way. But a great book balances character studies and plot equally, this didn't. I would recommend this to young women, and all women alike, because it's explores self love and learning to accept who you are.
When we're introduced to Nina, she is lost, like most of have been or may be in the future. Time travel allows her to confront her past, until she comes to terms with who she is. On a journey of self discovery, art and love inspire her and force her to selfishly figure out how to move on from the demons of her past. As Nina echo's through time in the novel, she experiences emotional turmoil, and is able to use the experiences to be present and carry out her life as she desires.This book had a wonderful and whimsical romance, that I wasn't expecting but I definitely enjoyed.
"Mad, unconditionally true love is ridiculous. There is nothing about it that makes any sense at all, and any attempt at normalizing it is stupid."
Often people can't get past what happened to them, or guilt they feel about the past. This book is about finding a way to forgive yourself, so you can focus on what's actually important. I'm really not into romance, but this one was done well, so I didn't cringe at inauthentic moments or forced chemistry. Nina and Lens are healthy additions to each other, they describe falling in love intimately and in a familiar way. The author effortlessly incorporates wonderful prose into a journey through depression with time travel mixed in.
This is definitely a character driven story as described in the synopsis, but that doesn't excuse a plot filled with holes. There's characters and different elements that are introduced, but never explained or tied into the story line. This didn't bother me too much, because all of the characters were likable in a unique way. But a great book balances character studies and plot equally, this didn't. I would recommend this to young women, and all women alike, because it's explores self love and learning to accept who you are.
"I mean if you're not getting compassion from those around you, it's comforting to give it to yourself even if it's overly indulgent and crosses the line to becoming a full force pity party."
August 28, 2015
What’s It About?
“Oh the joys we’d miss if we gave into the darkness that sometimes calls to very sensitive spirits.”
Nina, a troubled, suicidal woman with a dark past, finds herself reliving sections of her life that she would rather not revisit. Still, she finds art and unconditional love a solace to her pain, and she learns the secret to happiness is to not compromise who you are.
My Thoughts
My first initial impressions of Next Stop: Nina, was that it was choppy and had too many chapters. I soon after understood that the author meant this novel to read this way, because Nina’s life was choppy and all over the place due to her “echoing”, aka time traveling. The reader is meant to experience Nina’s life this way because it shifts randomly without warning.
“So my story shifted, and I began again. I discovered me.”
The third chapter ABSOLUTELY hooked me. It was dark and intriguing, and I was eager to read more to find out what would happen next. Chapter four blew me away. I would have read through the night and not have even stopped to blink if I didn’t have other commitments, you know, such as sleeping and being somewhat functional the next morning. :)
I liked reading this story through first person perspective. That is a rarity, now-a-days. It felt like the character was talking directly to me, or that I was reading her personal diary. I loved Nina, and enjoyed watching her character develop.
I particularly liked Nina’s connection to the painting in the novel, Autumn Joy, and how it was a continuing theme in the story, including that it inspired her to reach out to the man who painted it, which opened up a whole new world for her. I love a good romance, and a happily-ever-after!
The big revelation from the man who was following her gave me CHILLS, but I wished to know more. How did it happen? Why did it happen? How come she didn’t remember?
Next Stop: Nina is a book that will live in my heart for a long time. I also struggle with depression, and could relate to her, and her feelings. I felt so bad for her that she had to relive tragic situations, over and over again, but I was impressed that she tried her hardest to shift events in an attempt to prevent the inevitable.
“It’s hard to explain how one can be thankful for her blessings, and also want to commit suicide. If you’ve been there, though, I’m sure you know what I mean.”
Overall, I really enjoyed this debut novel of Author Robin Raven, and would recommend it to fans of time travel, with a romantic subplot!
What I Loved
Nina was a sympathetic, likable and relatable character.
First person POV.
Engaging, interesting plot with a time travel theme.
Romantic subplot
What I Disliked
I wished the big, shocking revelation in the car was elaborated on further.
(4 Star Rating: I really enjoyed this book! I would recommend it to readers who enjoy this particular genre! A well written story that is easy to get lost in and live vicariously through. I will probably read again.)
***In the interest of full disclosure, I received a copy of Next Stop: Nina, by the Author, in exchange for a fair, honest, and thoughtful book review. This in no way swayed my rating.***
Full book review: https://aprillwood.wordpress.com/2015...
“Oh the joys we’d miss if we gave into the darkness that sometimes calls to very sensitive spirits.”
Nina, a troubled, suicidal woman with a dark past, finds herself reliving sections of her life that she would rather not revisit. Still, she finds art and unconditional love a solace to her pain, and she learns the secret to happiness is to not compromise who you are.
My Thoughts
My first initial impressions of Next Stop: Nina, was that it was choppy and had too many chapters. I soon after understood that the author meant this novel to read this way, because Nina’s life was choppy and all over the place due to her “echoing”, aka time traveling. The reader is meant to experience Nina’s life this way because it shifts randomly without warning.
“So my story shifted, and I began again. I discovered me.”
The third chapter ABSOLUTELY hooked me. It was dark and intriguing, and I was eager to read more to find out what would happen next. Chapter four blew me away. I would have read through the night and not have even stopped to blink if I didn’t have other commitments, you know, such as sleeping and being somewhat functional the next morning. :)
I liked reading this story through first person perspective. That is a rarity, now-a-days. It felt like the character was talking directly to me, or that I was reading her personal diary. I loved Nina, and enjoyed watching her character develop.
I particularly liked Nina’s connection to the painting in the novel, Autumn Joy, and how it was a continuing theme in the story, including that it inspired her to reach out to the man who painted it, which opened up a whole new world for her. I love a good romance, and a happily-ever-after!
The big revelation from the man who was following her gave me CHILLS, but I wished to know more. How did it happen? Why did it happen? How come she didn’t remember?
Next Stop: Nina is a book that will live in my heart for a long time. I also struggle with depression, and could relate to her, and her feelings. I felt so bad for her that she had to relive tragic situations, over and over again, but I was impressed that she tried her hardest to shift events in an attempt to prevent the inevitable.
“It’s hard to explain how one can be thankful for her blessings, and also want to commit suicide. If you’ve been there, though, I’m sure you know what I mean.”
Overall, I really enjoyed this debut novel of Author Robin Raven, and would recommend it to fans of time travel, with a romantic subplot!
What I Loved
Nina was a sympathetic, likable and relatable character.
First person POV.
Engaging, interesting plot with a time travel theme.
Romantic subplot
What I Disliked
I wished the big, shocking revelation in the car was elaborated on further.
(4 Star Rating: I really enjoyed this book! I would recommend it to readers who enjoy this particular genre! A well written story that is easy to get lost in and live vicariously through. I will probably read again.)
***In the interest of full disclosure, I received a copy of Next Stop: Nina, by the Author, in exchange for a fair, honest, and thoughtful book review. This in no way swayed my rating.***
Full book review: https://aprillwood.wordpress.com/2015...
December 13, 2015
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
This is an intriguing time travel story. I enjoyed it, with some reservations.
Nina is an intriguing character. Unfortunately, although I empathized with her, I just couldn't find it in me to like her. She is a young woman in her thirties, who has suffered a traumatic childhood. Suffering with depression (un-diagnosed), she finds herself thrust back in time to her eight year old self, unable to change a crucial event in her life.
I started reading this book and, although I hate to admit it, was not really hooked by the story. I am normally one of the first people to admit that I love time travel stories. Unfortunately, I felt that the story was too long-winded. In a way, it was a mix of Groundhog Day and Freaky Friday (though without the body swapping).
Nina, as a character, felt slightly one dimensional and, unfortunately, so did the other characters. The one thing that did shine through was the author's love of art. Her descriptions of the paintings were vivid and brought them to life. Nina's journey of going back to that awful event and making different choices over and over again quickly became a little stale. However, I felt her love of Leonard (Lens) became obsessional in the end, rather than heartfelt.
Nina is a character who seems to have slipped through the cracks and did not get the medical assistance she needed after the traumatic event in her young life and spiraled into depression as she grew up. I guess the time travelling was a way for her to learn valuable lessons in life and love. Depression is a very difficult and complex emotion to deal with. Many sufferers feel unloved, unwanted, ugly and suicidal. They suffer with low self esteem and self loathing. Whether brought on by physical trauma or emotional overload, many people who suffer in silence are the ones that really need the help. The hardest lesson to learn for someone who suffers with depression is that they are loved, are wanted and are beautiful.
I reached the end of the book with mixed thoughts. I was happy that Nina managed to find what was important in her life, but wished she had found out a lot sooner! As an outsider looking in, I could see she needed help, but no-one else in the book ever did apart from Lens. But, if you decide to read this book, you may have a different take.
This is Robin Raven's debut novel. I enjoyed her writing style, but felt that she needs to work on her characterizations. They didn't feel as lifelike as they could have done and needed a little more fleshing out. The flow of the tale was a little bogged down by the repetitive nature of the story, but it was fast paced enough for me to keep turning the pages. I urge her to keep writing, as I feel she has potential to become a wonderful author.
Unfortunately, this book was just not my cup of tea. However, I recommend this book if you love time travel, coming of age or romance genres. - Lynn Worton
This is an intriguing time travel story. I enjoyed it, with some reservations.
Nina is an intriguing character. Unfortunately, although I empathized with her, I just couldn't find it in me to like her. She is a young woman in her thirties, who has suffered a traumatic childhood. Suffering with depression (un-diagnosed), she finds herself thrust back in time to her eight year old self, unable to change a crucial event in her life.
I started reading this book and, although I hate to admit it, was not really hooked by the story. I am normally one of the first people to admit that I love time travel stories. Unfortunately, I felt that the story was too long-winded. In a way, it was a mix of Groundhog Day and Freaky Friday (though without the body swapping).
Nina, as a character, felt slightly one dimensional and, unfortunately, so did the other characters. The one thing that did shine through was the author's love of art. Her descriptions of the paintings were vivid and brought them to life. Nina's journey of going back to that awful event and making different choices over and over again quickly became a little stale. However, I felt her love of Leonard (Lens) became obsessional in the end, rather than heartfelt.
Nina is a character who seems to have slipped through the cracks and did not get the medical assistance she needed after the traumatic event in her young life and spiraled into depression as she grew up. I guess the time travelling was a way for her to learn valuable lessons in life and love. Depression is a very difficult and complex emotion to deal with. Many sufferers feel unloved, unwanted, ugly and suicidal. They suffer with low self esteem and self loathing. Whether brought on by physical trauma or emotional overload, many people who suffer in silence are the ones that really need the help. The hardest lesson to learn for someone who suffers with depression is that they are loved, are wanted and are beautiful.
I reached the end of the book with mixed thoughts. I was happy that Nina managed to find what was important in her life, but wished she had found out a lot sooner! As an outsider looking in, I could see she needed help, but no-one else in the book ever did apart from Lens. But, if you decide to read this book, you may have a different take.
This is Robin Raven's debut novel. I enjoyed her writing style, but felt that she needs to work on her characterizations. They didn't feel as lifelike as they could have done and needed a little more fleshing out. The flow of the tale was a little bogged down by the repetitive nature of the story, but it was fast paced enough for me to keep turning the pages. I urge her to keep writing, as I feel she has potential to become a wonderful author.
Unfortunately, this book was just not my cup of tea. However, I recommend this book if you love time travel, coming of age or romance genres. - Lynn Worton
November 3, 2015
http://fallenoverbookreviews.blogspot...
I received this book to give an honest review.
I am not too big on time travel books but I wanted to give this book a try just in case I might enjoy it. For me this was just okay I was a bit confused at times as to why was Nina the only one back in time. What was up with the little girl Nina saw and was very secretive it seemed like she might have some clue as to what was going on.
Nina has gone back into time when she is relieving her childhood over and over again her childhood wasn't pretty so she copes with that, she finds love, finds heartache and does it all over again. I have to say the big reveal with the dude in the car was pretty cool.
I thought Nina coming to learn to love herself and to be happy with life was a good thing to have within this story even if it took Nina multiple times to get this down.
This book just wasn't my cup of tea I wasn't finding myself with my nose in this story as it just wasn't fully calling to me. But if you like time travel stories, short chapters then give this book a read.
I received this book to give an honest review.
I am not too big on time travel books but I wanted to give this book a try just in case I might enjoy it. For me this was just okay I was a bit confused at times as to why was Nina the only one back in time. What was up with the little girl Nina saw and was very secretive it seemed like she might have some clue as to what was going on.
Nina has gone back into time when she is relieving her childhood over and over again her childhood wasn't pretty so she copes with that, she finds love, finds heartache and does it all over again. I have to say the big reveal with the dude in the car was pretty cool.
I thought Nina coming to learn to love herself and to be happy with life was a good thing to have within this story even if it took Nina multiple times to get this down.
This book just wasn't my cup of tea I wasn't finding myself with my nose in this story as it just wasn't fully calling to me. But if you like time travel stories, short chapters then give this book a read.
September 29, 2015
Nina has had a difficult life. She faced abuse as a child and again as an adult. She feels worthless and hates herself. In her late thirties she can't take any more and decides to end her life. When she sees a painting she loved from childhood, it makes her put off killing herself. She awakens the next day to find herself in past as a ten year old again. Armed with knowledge of what will happen, Nina tries to change her life.
This was a great read. It was easy to get into and you can sympathise with Nina. There are plenty of things we would all like to change about our past but you do wonder if it would change who we are or whether we were supposed to go through things in order to grow. I would definitely recommend this book.
This was a great read. It was easy to get into and you can sympathise with Nina. There are plenty of things we would all like to change about our past but you do wonder if it would change who we are or whether we were supposed to go through things in order to grow. I would definitely recommend this book.
August 14, 2015
What an excellent debut novel! I really enjoyed Next Stop: Nina, both for the time travel and the character development. Nina starts out as a lost soul, but eventually finds herself (and love) in this quick, exciting read filled with mystery and wonder. I can't wait to read more from Robin Raven!
April 29, 2019
This is a tale of suffering, loss, and hopelessness, followed by a chance at redemption. Without spoiling anything past the first few pages, Next Stop: Nina is about a woman with a troubled past of child abuse who has reached the point of suicide, only to find herself thrust back in time in the body of herself as a young child. She’s given the chance to live her life again, and she makes the most of the experience.
I really liked this book. It’s a light read in the sense that the story progresses quickly, but even without being dense with plot, it includes heavy themes and concepts that require a careful reader to stop and think between chapters. This is rare among novels; usually light stories are light both in thematic concepts and plot growth, and heavy novels have both deep conceptual ideas and complex story threads you have to keep track of. Next Stop: Nina manages to straddle both by using complex ideas while keeping the story itself light with an easy-to-follow narrative structure.
At first glance, Nina seems to be a Mary Sue, but this is an artifact of the book being told in the first person. As an outside reader, we’re able to explore the deep themes that Nina herself sometimes seems to miss. As each new complex idea is introduced by the author, I found myself upset with Nina for not munchkining an optimal solution – but this is exactly what the author intended. Nina is flawed in terms of how she executes her intentions, but her ideals are strong. I think this is why Nina almost appears to be a Mary Sue at first; her intentions are pure, but she’s far from perfect in how she goes about achieving her goals.
At heart, Next Stop: Nina is about Nina’s journey from the brink of suicide to some form of potential happiness. There is an aspect of wish-fulfillment here, when you consider that the story is about a child abuse victim who travels back in time to her childhood, but it doesn’t go the way you might expect, and the form that happiness might take has grave implications. Despite the quick pace and undeniably light thematic elements, the philosophical underpinnings of the story imply a harsh reality bubbling underneath. The concept of suicide, accomplishing good through charity, and the power of art are all turned on their head in a universe where time travel of this type is possible.
A subtheme of the book revolves around animal welfare and effective altruism. Nina’s brief explanations for why she is vegan and why she is an effective altruist really hit home in how obvious these concepts are from her point of view. Interestingly, this might be the very first time that the term “effective altruism” has appeared in published fiction of any kind.
My strongest criticism is probably the chapter lengths, which are short and numerous. We see Nina speed through years of her life in an instant, and we hardly get any time to see what happens in each iteration.
Given that the book is such a short read while at the same time introducing complex concepts that will make you want to think in-between chapters, I’d recommend this book, especially if you’re into time travel, romance, and the chance of redemption beyond child abuse.
I’d also like to say a few words about some of the deeper concepts introduced in this book, but that means SPOILERS are ahead. Stop reading here unless you’ve already read the book.
[SPOILERS BELOW]
At first, when Nina gets her chance to relive her childhood, it’s unclear how the time travel in this universe works. Nina appears to believe that she’s gone back in an ‘A’ theory of time situation (though she doesn’t use these terms), and is specifically regretful for not having paid more attention to world events other than 9/11. But she never bothers to mark world events, perhaps because she was assuming at first that the time travel would only occur once. When it happens again, there is no longer an excuse for her to ignore world events, but it seems that she is focused instead on Lens, rather than the world at large. At first, this seems to conflict with her adherence to effective altruism, but if there is only one ‘A’ theory timeline that keeps recurring, then this is a groundhog day scenario, and future goods can’t be achieved past the time jumps. Her charitable efforts appear to be erased at each jump, and so helping present individuals gets prioritized over future ones. This explains why she’s focusing on altruism in the way that she is.
But then Nina meets other time travelers and becomes aware that others might not experience the same realities that she has so far experienced. At this point, the reader realizes that Nina’s consciousness has been jumping between alternate realities, overwriting her younger version of herself each time. What was before a simple ‘A’ theory situation becomes a ‘B’ theory multiverse, and the implications are staggering. Yet, Nina doesn’t seem to even notice. While Nina is oblivious, we the readers suddenly realize that the earlier decisions made were not ideal, and the entire story takes on more weight as a consequence. This is a great twist on the George Bailey idea; in this story, Pottersville wouldn’t just be erased when Nina echoes again.
There were a few weird parts where story threads were hinted at, but never got picked up again. I would have preferred if the religion aspect were explored more deeply. Despite a human character being introduced who briefly explains why Nina began time traveling, Nina nevertheless seems to believe God may be a part of it, and she even remarks at one point that It would be good to experience the feeling of accepting Jesus. Strangely, this was not brought up later to either reinforce or dismiss the thread; it just hung loose at the end of the book.
Also, sex was handled very strangely in the book. Not just because Nina appeared to go on several dates over the course of weeks (maybe months?) before having sex with Lens, but also because Nina seemed to place so much emphasis on sex being a part of feeling happy and comforted. This is a weird combination; Nina is idealized as both being in praise of virginity, and yet also quick to turn to sex for comfort at the five year point of her relationship with Lens. This didn’t feel entirely realistic to me.
The time traveling explanation was weird, and a little confusing. She was killed unjustly, so he put her in what she thought was a time loop to make up for it? Since he did this on purpose, he must realize it’s a ‘B’ theory multiverse, so why not explain this to her? If she continues to mistakenly believe it is an ‘A’ theory timeline, then who knows what she might wreak on some unsuspecting universe?
Finally, Nina never seemed to learn how to properly munchkin her time travel opportunities, even after multiple jumps. Instead, she pursued Lens each time and was content with the money and love she received from him. But even in pursuing Lens, she refused to use any techniques for getting him to be with her. Nina instead relied on what looks like mostly luck when it came to Lens, and each time, she continually felt as though she did not even deserve the happiness she got from him.
Despite these small gripes, I really enjoyed the book. It was an easy short read and really made me think about how I’d react if I were in this situation. Plus, any book with effective altruism in it is worth a look, in my opinion. Thanks to Robin Raven for writing something so fun to read!
I really liked this book. It’s a light read in the sense that the story progresses quickly, but even without being dense with plot, it includes heavy themes and concepts that require a careful reader to stop and think between chapters. This is rare among novels; usually light stories are light both in thematic concepts and plot growth, and heavy novels have both deep conceptual ideas and complex story threads you have to keep track of. Next Stop: Nina manages to straddle both by using complex ideas while keeping the story itself light with an easy-to-follow narrative structure.
At first glance, Nina seems to be a Mary Sue, but this is an artifact of the book being told in the first person. As an outside reader, we’re able to explore the deep themes that Nina herself sometimes seems to miss. As each new complex idea is introduced by the author, I found myself upset with Nina for not munchkining an optimal solution – but this is exactly what the author intended. Nina is flawed in terms of how she executes her intentions, but her ideals are strong. I think this is why Nina almost appears to be a Mary Sue at first; her intentions are pure, but she’s far from perfect in how she goes about achieving her goals.
At heart, Next Stop: Nina is about Nina’s journey from the brink of suicide to some form of potential happiness. There is an aspect of wish-fulfillment here, when you consider that the story is about a child abuse victim who travels back in time to her childhood, but it doesn’t go the way you might expect, and the form that happiness might take has grave implications. Despite the quick pace and undeniably light thematic elements, the philosophical underpinnings of the story imply a harsh reality bubbling underneath. The concept of suicide, accomplishing good through charity, and the power of art are all turned on their head in a universe where time travel of this type is possible.
A subtheme of the book revolves around animal welfare and effective altruism. Nina’s brief explanations for why she is vegan and why she is an effective altruist really hit home in how obvious these concepts are from her point of view. Interestingly, this might be the very first time that the term “effective altruism” has appeared in published fiction of any kind.
My strongest criticism is probably the chapter lengths, which are short and numerous. We see Nina speed through years of her life in an instant, and we hardly get any time to see what happens in each iteration.
Given that the book is such a short read while at the same time introducing complex concepts that will make you want to think in-between chapters, I’d recommend this book, especially if you’re into time travel, romance, and the chance of redemption beyond child abuse.
I’d also like to say a few words about some of the deeper concepts introduced in this book, but that means SPOILERS are ahead. Stop reading here unless you’ve already read the book.
[SPOILERS BELOW]
At first, when Nina gets her chance to relive her childhood, it’s unclear how the time travel in this universe works. Nina appears to believe that she’s gone back in an ‘A’ theory of time situation (though she doesn’t use these terms), and is specifically regretful for not having paid more attention to world events other than 9/11. But she never bothers to mark world events, perhaps because she was assuming at first that the time travel would only occur once. When it happens again, there is no longer an excuse for her to ignore world events, but it seems that she is focused instead on Lens, rather than the world at large. At first, this seems to conflict with her adherence to effective altruism, but if there is only one ‘A’ theory timeline that keeps recurring, then this is a groundhog day scenario, and future goods can’t be achieved past the time jumps. Her charitable efforts appear to be erased at each jump, and so helping present individuals gets prioritized over future ones. This explains why she’s focusing on altruism in the way that she is.
But then Nina meets other time travelers and becomes aware that others might not experience the same realities that she has so far experienced. At this point, the reader realizes that Nina’s consciousness has been jumping between alternate realities, overwriting her younger version of herself each time. What was before a simple ‘A’ theory situation becomes a ‘B’ theory multiverse, and the implications are staggering. Yet, Nina doesn’t seem to even notice. While Nina is oblivious, we the readers suddenly realize that the earlier decisions made were not ideal, and the entire story takes on more weight as a consequence. This is a great twist on the George Bailey idea; in this story, Pottersville wouldn’t just be erased when Nina echoes again.
There were a few weird parts where story threads were hinted at, but never got picked up again. I would have preferred if the religion aspect were explored more deeply. Despite a human character being introduced who briefly explains why Nina began time traveling, Nina nevertheless seems to believe God may be a part of it, and she even remarks at one point that It would be good to experience the feeling of accepting Jesus. Strangely, this was not brought up later to either reinforce or dismiss the thread; it just hung loose at the end of the book.
Also, sex was handled very strangely in the book. Not just because Nina appeared to go on several dates over the course of weeks (maybe months?) before having sex with Lens, but also because Nina seemed to place so much emphasis on sex being a part of feeling happy and comforted. This is a weird combination; Nina is idealized as both being in praise of virginity, and yet also quick to turn to sex for comfort at the five year point of her relationship with Lens. This didn’t feel entirely realistic to me.
The time traveling explanation was weird, and a little confusing. She was killed unjustly, so he put her in what she thought was a time loop to make up for it? Since he did this on purpose, he must realize it’s a ‘B’ theory multiverse, so why not explain this to her? If she continues to mistakenly believe it is an ‘A’ theory timeline, then who knows what she might wreak on some unsuspecting universe?
Finally, Nina never seemed to learn how to properly munchkin her time travel opportunities, even after multiple jumps. Instead, she pursued Lens each time and was content with the money and love she received from him. But even in pursuing Lens, she refused to use any techniques for getting him to be with her. Nina instead relied on what looks like mostly luck when it came to Lens, and each time, she continually felt as though she did not even deserve the happiness she got from him.
Despite these small gripes, I really enjoyed the book. It was an easy short read and really made me think about how I’d react if I were in this situation. Plus, any book with effective altruism in it is worth a look, in my opinion. Thanks to Robin Raven for writing something so fun to read!
February 25, 2016
This review originally appeared on my blog at www.gimmethatbook.com.
Many thanks to the author for providing me with this review copy!
NEXT STOP: NINA is a book that will touch your emotions and send you into high and low places. I cringed when I read about Nina’s childhood and how innocent she was, always trying to forgive her abusive father. She feels she is never good enough, pretty enough, or strong enough to continue living, and considers suicide.
As she prepares to leave this world forever, something happens, and she finds herself back at home, talking to her beloved brother. Nina’s mental age and her physical age and appearance are very different. Has she gone back in time? Is this a hallucination or a dream?
The story continues with Nina trying to change the events of her past (and more depressing details about her life are revealed). She realizes that some events are always meant to be, and while this is heart wrenching to her, she understands she can grow and become a better person. She turns to philanthropic gestures, trying to help others by volunteering her time and seeing the light within herself grow.
Her first sense of true happiness occurs when she befriends a girl in school that no one ever talked to, in her “past life”. They become best friends and share many years together, bringing Nina more happiness and confidence.
One of Nina’s lifelong dreams was to meet an artist whose painting made an impact on her during her darkest times. To her endless surprise, once she finally does meet him at an event, they hit it off and eventually fall in love. She self-sabotages the relationship and they break up. At this point I became frustrated with Nina, because her lack of confidence and poor communication was really the issue.
All of a sudden, we find Nina as a young girl again, realizing she has to live her life over yet again, experiencing all the tragedy and loss. Her interactions with others are different and things don’t go as they did during her first reincarnation. As she repeats things she develops a kind of Groundhog Day attitude towards herself, learning to accept things, and learning to change for the better.
Her interaction with Leonard (the artist) develops again in a slightly different way; and we can see the shift in each of the characters as more layers are added to the story. This is the main takeaway of NEXT STOP: NINA — growth and acceptance. Nina still shows lack of communication skills at times, which I suppose was integral in showing just how deeply depressed her character was; but the scenes where all was good between Nina and Leonard were tender and sweet.
As I mulled over the story I wondered if the “back in time” was really just a hallucination or something more sci-fi. There is a sort of explanation towards the 75% mark, but it is vague and unsatisfying, coming from a mostly undeveloped character that seems to be out of place. I wasn’t sure what to do with that part of the story, and eventually I shrugged and kept on reading to see how the latest incarnation of Nina and Len would turn out.
It is easy for the reader to feel the heartbreak of Nina’s world; as author Robin Raven illustrates that beautifully. Reading about the tragedy in her life the first time was awful, and reading about it again, even though you knew how it would turn out, was no less horrifying the second or third time.
This was a book with an unusual premise and a positive message. Read it for yourself to discover if love truly saves the day for Nina.
Many thanks to the author for providing me with this review copy!
NEXT STOP: NINA is a book that will touch your emotions and send you into high and low places. I cringed when I read about Nina’s childhood and how innocent she was, always trying to forgive her abusive father. She feels she is never good enough, pretty enough, or strong enough to continue living, and considers suicide.
As she prepares to leave this world forever, something happens, and she finds herself back at home, talking to her beloved brother. Nina’s mental age and her physical age and appearance are very different. Has she gone back in time? Is this a hallucination or a dream?
The story continues with Nina trying to change the events of her past (and more depressing details about her life are revealed). She realizes that some events are always meant to be, and while this is heart wrenching to her, she understands she can grow and become a better person. She turns to philanthropic gestures, trying to help others by volunteering her time and seeing the light within herself grow.
Her first sense of true happiness occurs when she befriends a girl in school that no one ever talked to, in her “past life”. They become best friends and share many years together, bringing Nina more happiness and confidence.
One of Nina’s lifelong dreams was to meet an artist whose painting made an impact on her during her darkest times. To her endless surprise, once she finally does meet him at an event, they hit it off and eventually fall in love. She self-sabotages the relationship and they break up. At this point I became frustrated with Nina, because her lack of confidence and poor communication was really the issue.
All of a sudden, we find Nina as a young girl again, realizing she has to live her life over yet again, experiencing all the tragedy and loss. Her interactions with others are different and things don’t go as they did during her first reincarnation. As she repeats things she develops a kind of Groundhog Day attitude towards herself, learning to accept things, and learning to change for the better.
Her interaction with Leonard (the artist) develops again in a slightly different way; and we can see the shift in each of the characters as more layers are added to the story. This is the main takeaway of NEXT STOP: NINA — growth and acceptance. Nina still shows lack of communication skills at times, which I suppose was integral in showing just how deeply depressed her character was; but the scenes where all was good between Nina and Leonard were tender and sweet.
As I mulled over the story I wondered if the “back in time” was really just a hallucination or something more sci-fi. There is a sort of explanation towards the 75% mark, but it is vague and unsatisfying, coming from a mostly undeveloped character that seems to be out of place. I wasn’t sure what to do with that part of the story, and eventually I shrugged and kept on reading to see how the latest incarnation of Nina and Len would turn out.
It is easy for the reader to feel the heartbreak of Nina’s world; as author Robin Raven illustrates that beautifully. Reading about the tragedy in her life the first time was awful, and reading about it again, even though you knew how it would turn out, was no less horrifying the second or third time.
This was a book with an unusual premise and a positive message. Read it for yourself to discover if love truly saves the day for Nina.
August 28, 2015
3.5 stars
check out more reviews at http://mindlessnesschatter.blogspot.com
Disclaimer: I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an HONEST review.
Next Stop: Nina is a book that tackles serious issues like suicide and depression but at the same it has a science fiction element to it with the time travel, which is very interesting and different from the usual books I typically read. I love the concept and plot but I did not like the way it was delivered by the Ms. Robin Raven. In the sense that it left me with a lot of unanswered questions, which should have be answered as I was reading the book. I wished the author elaborated more about the Nina’s past/childhood, (so that the reader could fully understand her, what led her to be the person she is currently, and the family dynamics she had) and the revelation in the car. Also, the book did not have a good transition between chapters; it left with a few open-ended chapters. The story line was just all around. I mean I get that it is meant to be that way since she is time traveling but it was just confusing, since like I said earlier it left me with a lot of unanswered questions like what happened to penny? What did Nina’s ex said to the mystery guy that led him to kill Nina? And I want to know more about the time traveling group that the mystery guy was saying to Nina in the car.
In terms of the writing, I love how it was poetically written with quotes like “Happiness is sustainable if you don’t compromise who your really are…” and “That kind of love can survive, but it has to get more flexible as it grow stronger. Otherwise, it becomes unhealthy and only sustainable at an unbearable expense to the two people who love so strongly.” The writing just speaks to me, and makes me reflect on those beautifully written words. There are some grammatical errors throughout the book but I’m not strict of that because everyone makes mistakes.
Furthermore, the characterization of Nina was on point she was very relatable we see her as a flawed character but she accepted her flaws at the end, which makes her human. The romance aspect of the book was also good. Nina and Lens are not the perfect character but the two of them together made them perfect. They compliment on another. They might fight once in a while but at the end they still love onw another. Overall, I still enjoyed the book and I thank Ms. Robin Raven for giving me an opportunity to read this book.
To Ms. Robin Raven, I can’t wait to read more from your book and I wish you the success you deserve. Thank you so much.
check out more reviews at http://mindlessnesschatter.blogspot.com
Disclaimer: I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an HONEST review.
Next Stop: Nina is a book that tackles serious issues like suicide and depression but at the same it has a science fiction element to it with the time travel, which is very interesting and different from the usual books I typically read. I love the concept and plot but I did not like the way it was delivered by the Ms. Robin Raven. In the sense that it left me with a lot of unanswered questions, which should have be answered as I was reading the book. I wished the author elaborated more about the Nina’s past/childhood, (so that the reader could fully understand her, what led her to be the person she is currently, and the family dynamics she had) and the revelation in the car. Also, the book did not have a good transition between chapters; it left with a few open-ended chapters. The story line was just all around. I mean I get that it is meant to be that way since she is time traveling but it was just confusing, since like I said earlier it left me with a lot of unanswered questions like what happened to penny? What did Nina’s ex said to the mystery guy that led him to kill Nina? And I want to know more about the time traveling group that the mystery guy was saying to Nina in the car.
In terms of the writing, I love how it was poetically written with quotes like “Happiness is sustainable if you don’t compromise who your really are…” and “That kind of love can survive, but it has to get more flexible as it grow stronger. Otherwise, it becomes unhealthy and only sustainable at an unbearable expense to the two people who love so strongly.” The writing just speaks to me, and makes me reflect on those beautifully written words. There are some grammatical errors throughout the book but I’m not strict of that because everyone makes mistakes.
Furthermore, the characterization of Nina was on point she was very relatable we see her as a flawed character but she accepted her flaws at the end, which makes her human. The romance aspect of the book was also good. Nina and Lens are not the perfect character but the two of them together made them perfect. They compliment on another. They might fight once in a while but at the end they still love onw another. Overall, I still enjoyed the book and I thank Ms. Robin Raven for giving me an opportunity to read this book.
To Ms. Robin Raven, I can’t wait to read more from your book and I wish you the success you deserve. Thank you so much.
August 2, 2016
3.5 stars, review coming soon
Many thanks go to the author, who provided a free copy of Next Stop Nina in exchange for an honest review.
The main character of this novel simply cannot catch a break - after a tragic childhood and a poisonous marriage, Nina is at her wit’s end and contemplating suicide. She’s ordered what little affairs she has, and rented a hotel room to do the deed, but just as she is gathering her courage, her eyes happen upon a painting in the hotel room, one that she first saw as a child and fell in love with. Deciding against suicide for the moment, she takes the painting down off the wall and falls asleep looking at it. When she wakes the next morning she is beyond shocked to discover that she is eight years old again, waking up in her childhood bedroom.
Bewildered, she picks up her life from there - trying desperately to prevent some of her previous losses. She is able to change some things about her life, and embarks on a love affair that she will repeat in every subsequent echo. While by the end of the novel Nina has finally accepted herself, I was left wanting something more, some explanation of why she was echoing back through time. At one point, a man comes to her and offers her a reason why this is happening, but Nina doesn’t pursue any of the knowledge he holds. At another point a little girl seems to recognize her as a fellow traveller in time, but no further information is given on that either. For the better part of the novel I was convinced that this entire story was all in Nina’s head and that she was in some sort of vegetative state due to a botched suicide attempt.
I can give kudos to anyone who manages to work their way through suicidal depression - even if it did take her some eight-plus lifetimes to do it.
Many thanks go to the author, who provided a free copy of Next Stop Nina in exchange for an honest review.
The main character of this novel simply cannot catch a break - after a tragic childhood and a poisonous marriage, Nina is at her wit’s end and contemplating suicide. She’s ordered what little affairs she has, and rented a hotel room to do the deed, but just as she is gathering her courage, her eyes happen upon a painting in the hotel room, one that she first saw as a child and fell in love with. Deciding against suicide for the moment, she takes the painting down off the wall and falls asleep looking at it. When she wakes the next morning she is beyond shocked to discover that she is eight years old again, waking up in her childhood bedroom.
Bewildered, she picks up her life from there - trying desperately to prevent some of her previous losses. She is able to change some things about her life, and embarks on a love affair that she will repeat in every subsequent echo. While by the end of the novel Nina has finally accepted herself, I was left wanting something more, some explanation of why she was echoing back through time. At one point, a man comes to her and offers her a reason why this is happening, but Nina doesn’t pursue any of the knowledge he holds. At another point a little girl seems to recognize her as a fellow traveller in time, but no further information is given on that either. For the better part of the novel I was convinced that this entire story was all in Nina’s head and that she was in some sort of vegetative state due to a botched suicide attempt.
I can give kudos to anyone who manages to work their way through suicidal depression - even if it did take her some eight-plus lifetimes to do it.
July 29, 2015
nsn
I have never read a time traveler novel until Robin approached me with Next Stop: Nina. I honestly did not know what to expect and had nothing to compare this book to. At times that is a good thing lol. This book hooked me almost from the get go. This is Robin Raven's debut! Lately I have been getting blown away by all the amazing debut books I've been reading and this one is another one of those WOW moments.
Nina has lived a life full of pain and loss. She has endured abuse from the time she was little. And just when instead of giving up she decides to live, Nina awakens as herself but at the age of 10. She still has the mind of an adult and the memories of the life she lead before the leap. Nina tries to change her past, sadly the main things she wants to change don't seem to be able to change no matter how she tries.
Just when Nina thinks that she might have figured things out there are more surprises…..I just don't want to give away the whole book. This is an amazing book. Robin Raven has written a book that will grab your attention and keep it. You will not want the book to end, you will want to live the life of Nina over and over. You will want to fall in love with the man who she loves in almost each of her lives. Read as she learns the how and why of how this has happened to her.
Seriously grab a drink, a comfy blankie, and just snuggle in with this book. It will take you to so many places. Just imagine what would you change about your life if you could. What relationships would you have not allowed to happen and how that may change your life later on. Read as Nina lives through those what if's and should'ves.
I was given a copy of Next Stop: Nina in exchange for an HONEST review
I have never read a time traveler novel until Robin approached me with Next Stop: Nina. I honestly did not know what to expect and had nothing to compare this book to. At times that is a good thing lol. This book hooked me almost from the get go. This is Robin Raven's debut! Lately I have been getting blown away by all the amazing debut books I've been reading and this one is another one of those WOW moments.
Nina has lived a life full of pain and loss. She has endured abuse from the time she was little. And just when instead of giving up she decides to live, Nina awakens as herself but at the age of 10. She still has the mind of an adult and the memories of the life she lead before the leap. Nina tries to change her past, sadly the main things she wants to change don't seem to be able to change no matter how she tries.
Just when Nina thinks that she might have figured things out there are more surprises…..I just don't want to give away the whole book. This is an amazing book. Robin Raven has written a book that will grab your attention and keep it. You will not want the book to end, you will want to live the life of Nina over and over. You will want to fall in love with the man who she loves in almost each of her lives. Read as she learns the how and why of how this has happened to her.
Seriously grab a drink, a comfy blankie, and just snuggle in with this book. It will take you to so many places. Just imagine what would you change about your life if you could. What relationships would you have not allowed to happen and how that may change your life later on. Read as Nina lives through those what if's and should'ves.
I was given a copy of Next Stop: Nina in exchange for an HONEST review
December 2, 2015
This was a unique, but weird story of life on repeat. Nina is a depressed 37 year old battling suicidal thoughts when she wakes up to discover she is 9 years old again. She is determined to fix the tragedy of the past that destroyed her self-esteem and sent her hurtling into despair and bad relationships. A painting she has always loved gives her hope to endure, and as an adult in this new second life (echo), she vows to meet the artist that has inspired her.
This struck me as a coming-of-age book, except this is done by the main character going back to childhood repeatedly and reliving life for another decade or two until she ‘echos’ again (kind of like Groundhog Day, except longer than one day). This life on repeat got a little old for me (not my favorite thing to read about in stories)…but I liked the overall theme of Nina discovering who she really was and coming to love everything about herself. Plot—3 (story line a little confusing at times with a character thrown in the middle that I felt really didn’t add anything). Characters—3 (depth, but MC inconsistent or confusing in their choices and feelings). Pacing—2 (very slow for first half of book; 2nd part picked up speed). Setting/background—4 (fun details from the 80's thrown in for those old enough to care). Theme—4 (good moral). Emotional connection—3 (I liked Nina, but didn’t connect enough to care about her in my dreams. Her problems didn’t keep me awake at night, but interested me enough to finish the story).
***I was given a complimentary copy of this story by the author in exchange for my fair and honest review.
This struck me as a coming-of-age book, except this is done by the main character going back to childhood repeatedly and reliving life for another decade or two until she ‘echos’ again (kind of like Groundhog Day, except longer than one day). This life on repeat got a little old for me (not my favorite thing to read about in stories)…but I liked the overall theme of Nina discovering who she really was and coming to love everything about herself. Plot—3 (story line a little confusing at times with a character thrown in the middle that I felt really didn’t add anything). Characters—3 (depth, but MC inconsistent or confusing in their choices and feelings). Pacing—2 (very slow for first half of book; 2nd part picked up speed). Setting/background—4 (fun details from the 80's thrown in for those old enough to care). Theme—4 (good moral). Emotional connection—3 (I liked Nina, but didn’t connect enough to care about her in my dreams. Her problems didn’t keep me awake at night, but interested me enough to finish the story).
***I was given a complimentary copy of this story by the author in exchange for my fair and honest review.
August 30, 2015
Next Stop: Nina
by Robin Raven
ASIN: B011ZPBRHS
Literary Fiction/Paranormal Romance.
Rating: 5
I received a copy of this book for reviewing from the author.
“I wonder whether I should kill myself or make toast. That’s a typical thought that races through my mind. I want to beat my own-self up, so I make excuses for why my ex-husband actually did. I let him though, and chose to save myself.
I just keep asking myself: Why?” (Next Stop: Nina)
For some of us in this world, our choices become that simple. Make toast or die. Nina is one such individual and she chooses to end her life alone in a cheap motel room. Something goes wrong and when Nina wakes up, she is a child again about to relieve one of the most traumatic events of her life.
Robin Raven’s debut novel is a masterfully crafted piece of literature with a unique paranormal twist that will enrapture the reader from the first page. Its premise is made believable by her complex and highly enjoyable story line. Nina’s character development is relatable, and the point of view of the story invites the reader into Nina’s most intimate thoughts and feelings so well that the reader develops a deep relationship with the character. Filled with humour and romance, this novel is a manifesto for hope.
I have been fortunate in the last little while to receive some excellent books for review. Next Stop: Nina is one of them. In my books, Robin Raven is an incredibly talented author and I encourage her to keep writing. It’s not very often that writing of this caliber comes along and I really would like to read more from her.
Brilliantly done!
by Robin Raven
ASIN: B011ZPBRHS
Literary Fiction/Paranormal Romance.
Rating: 5
I received a copy of this book for reviewing from the author.
“I wonder whether I should kill myself or make toast. That’s a typical thought that races through my mind. I want to beat my own-self up, so I make excuses for why my ex-husband actually did. I let him though, and chose to save myself.
I just keep asking myself: Why?” (Next Stop: Nina)
For some of us in this world, our choices become that simple. Make toast or die. Nina is one such individual and she chooses to end her life alone in a cheap motel room. Something goes wrong and when Nina wakes up, she is a child again about to relieve one of the most traumatic events of her life.
Robin Raven’s debut novel is a masterfully crafted piece of literature with a unique paranormal twist that will enrapture the reader from the first page. Its premise is made believable by her complex and highly enjoyable story line. Nina’s character development is relatable, and the point of view of the story invites the reader into Nina’s most intimate thoughts and feelings so well that the reader develops a deep relationship with the character. Filled with humour and romance, this novel is a manifesto for hope.
I have been fortunate in the last little while to receive some excellent books for review. Next Stop: Nina is one of them. In my books, Robin Raven is an incredibly talented author and I encourage her to keep writing. It’s not very often that writing of this caliber comes along and I really would like to read more from her.
Brilliantly done!
Read
September 27, 2015Review of ‘Next Stop: Nina’ by Robin Raven
When she was a child, art in general, and one painting in particular, became a focal point in Nina’s life. The beauty of art helped her forget her troubles for a while.
While she loved her family, life with them was hard. An abusive father, an enabler mother, and an older brother who dealt with his life with booze meant Nina was often on her own. After escaping the house the night when her family died in a murder-suicide, she lived in foster homes, then on her own, always very fragile emotionally.
After a failed marriage, and in her thirties, she wanted to ‘end it all’, she bought a gun and went to a motel where she saw a print of her favorite painting on the wall. She didn’t kill herself – she fell asleep looking at the painting.
Then … she woke up to discover she was nine years old again. Confused, she was an adult in a child’s body. Was this real, or a dream? In time, she realized she might be able to prevent the tragedy of losing her family, but that awful night happened again. As before, she survived, her family didn’t.
Later in her second life, she had a chance to meet her favorite artist, which developed into a relationship.
Over the years, she came to understand what was happening to her, was happening to other people, too.
This is an unusual book, with a different take on time travel. Getting used to the first person, the short chapters, and the emotionally-fragile main character took some time. But in the end, I didn’t NOT like the story, so I’m giving ‘Next Stop: Nina’ 4-stars.
By Dayna Leigh Cheser, Author
When she was a child, art in general, and one painting in particular, became a focal point in Nina’s life. The beauty of art helped her forget her troubles for a while.
While she loved her family, life with them was hard. An abusive father, an enabler mother, and an older brother who dealt with his life with booze meant Nina was often on her own. After escaping the house the night when her family died in a murder-suicide, she lived in foster homes, then on her own, always very fragile emotionally.
After a failed marriage, and in her thirties, she wanted to ‘end it all’, she bought a gun and went to a motel where she saw a print of her favorite painting on the wall. She didn’t kill herself – she fell asleep looking at the painting.
Then … she woke up to discover she was nine years old again. Confused, she was an adult in a child’s body. Was this real, or a dream? In time, she realized she might be able to prevent the tragedy of losing her family, but that awful night happened again. As before, she survived, her family didn’t.
Later in her second life, she had a chance to meet her favorite artist, which developed into a relationship.
Over the years, she came to understand what was happening to her, was happening to other people, too.
This is an unusual book, with a different take on time travel. Getting used to the first person, the short chapters, and the emotionally-fragile main character took some time. But in the end, I didn’t NOT like the story, so I’m giving ‘Next Stop: Nina’ 4-stars.
By Dayna Leigh Cheser, Author
November 19, 2015
Synopsis: "Nina never was one who felt comfortable in this world. As she struggles to cope with the pain of her present and past, the young girl's life is changed through the beauty of art. When Nina grows up and winds up in over her head in a dark place, she finds herself somehow transported to another time when nothing is quite what it seems. She must fight the horrors of her past all over again. Along the way, she faces greater challenges than she imagined. This is a character-driven novel with a heroine who faces life, love, and overcoming suicidal depression on her own terms."
My Review: This book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. This was an interesting book, I was originally drawn to it because the beauty of art can do amazing things for someone's outlook on life. I found though during reading that the book that it wasn't the art that the character looked to but more the artist. I found this book to have some interesting ideas however it was confusing to read. Nina goes back in time and has a chance to relive her life several times, but there are also flashbacks scattered through out the story so at times you are wondering if she went back again or is just remembering. It could be inspiring to those struggling with depression but also have the reverse effect because how many lifetimes does one get in the real world to find the good in life? It is a good story though if you read it as purely fiction and not an inspirational book.
My Review: This book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. This was an interesting book, I was originally drawn to it because the beauty of art can do amazing things for someone's outlook on life. I found though during reading that the book that it wasn't the art that the character looked to but more the artist. I found this book to have some interesting ideas however it was confusing to read. Nina goes back in time and has a chance to relive her life several times, but there are also flashbacks scattered through out the story so at times you are wondering if she went back again or is just remembering. It could be inspiring to those struggling with depression but also have the reverse effect because how many lifetimes does one get in the real world to find the good in life? It is a good story though if you read it as purely fiction and not an inspirational book.
January 5, 2016
I really enjoyed this novel. I think it is a very unique take on time travel and romance, though admittedly I don't read that many romances (The other realistic* sci-fi/romance I have strong memories of Goodbye For Now, which I would also highly recommend).
I especially enjoyed reading things in Nina's voice. I felt an almost instant kinship to the narrator, despite having a very different personality. Nina has had a very dark past, and she's often confused both by what's happening to her and the countless ways the world is f-cked up, but she tries to make the best of every situation and helps others, an attitude which I very much admire. The writing style feels very personal, and sometimes venture into "deep" territory without coming across as artsy-fartsy.
This novel is likely for you if you liked character/emotional- driven writing, but not if you expect to see action scenes with every novel, or explicitly deep philosophizing or hard science. That said, I also find that digging into the novel and rethinking it can be fruitful in terms of honing my intuition on concepts of altruism and the nature of self.
I felt like the ending was a bit rushed, and did not give me the sense of closure I wanted, but I guess that's par for the course for litfic and my disagreements with that is not enough, on balance, to subtract a full star.
If you read one romance for 2016, I will recommend this book.
*By "realistic" I meant more in the sense of "magical realism," albeit that this is sci-fi.
I especially enjoyed reading things in Nina's voice. I felt an almost instant kinship to the narrator, despite having a very different personality. Nina has had a very dark past, and she's often confused both by what's happening to her and the countless ways the world is f-cked up, but she tries to make the best of every situation and helps others, an attitude which I very much admire. The writing style feels very personal, and sometimes venture into "deep" territory without coming across as artsy-fartsy.
This novel is likely for you if you liked character/emotional- driven writing, but not if you expect to see action scenes with every novel, or explicitly deep philosophizing or hard science. That said, I also find that digging into the novel and rethinking it can be fruitful in terms of honing my intuition on concepts of altruism and the nature of self.
I felt like the ending was a bit rushed, and did not give me the sense of closure I wanted, but I guess that's par for the course for litfic and my disagreements with that is not enough, on balance, to subtract a full star.
If you read one romance for 2016, I will recommend this book.
*By "realistic" I meant more in the sense of "magical realism," albeit that this is sci-fi.
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March 9, 2016http://triciaciak.blogspot.com/2016/0...
My Review: (review copy provided)
3.5 stars
First I want to point out how cool this cover is.
I enjoyed this book and the concept of it. I related to Nina and some of her insecurities. The book was a quick read, fast paced and kept me intrigued throughout. What's going to happen? Is she going to get the ending she deserves? And will she find the answers she's looking for?
I guess what I found to be somewhat lacking was the back story. I wanted more of why Nina was the person she was.
"How terrible and unlovable I am if the two men I loved most in the world tried to kill me?"
I wanted more of her family history, and I wanted more of a buildup to her romance with Lens. I guess I just wanted to feel the connection to the two characters. The whole romantic element of the story felt rushed.
I do love how everything was explained at the end. This was a really original story and I loved the time travel. Without saying anything to spoil it and this is just my opinion, but I wished Nina could've went back in time and stopped the horrific events that occurred in her family. That would've been my ultimate HEA. :)
All in all this is a really unique story that kept my attention. I recommend checking it out.
Thank you to the author for providing me a copy.
My Review: (review copy provided)
3.5 stars
First I want to point out how cool this cover is.
I enjoyed this book and the concept of it. I related to Nina and some of her insecurities. The book was a quick read, fast paced and kept me intrigued throughout. What's going to happen? Is she going to get the ending she deserves? And will she find the answers she's looking for?
I guess what I found to be somewhat lacking was the back story. I wanted more of why Nina was the person she was.
"How terrible and unlovable I am if the two men I loved most in the world tried to kill me?"
I wanted more of her family history, and I wanted more of a buildup to her romance with Lens. I guess I just wanted to feel the connection to the two characters. The whole romantic element of the story felt rushed.
I do love how everything was explained at the end. This was a really original story and I loved the time travel. Without saying anything to spoil it and this is just my opinion, but I wished Nina could've went back in time and stopped the horrific events that occurred in her family. That would've been my ultimate HEA. :)
All in all this is a really unique story that kept my attention. I recommend checking it out.
Thank you to the author for providing me a copy.
January 11, 2016
This book really grabbed me in the beginning. The premise early on was really interesting; I came from a pretty messed up family life too, so I understood a lot about what she was saying. And, honestly, it remained a pretty good book up until her love interest was introduced.
At one point, Nina comments on unhealthy relationships and "obsessing" to her friend, and that's exactly what it turns into. Nina's love for Lens is borderline obsessive and really unhealthy, at one point she even says she can't be happy until he loves her. In my opinion, the story gets lost in the romance, and after a while, I started to dislike Nina as a character. I feel like it would have been better if it had ended a chapter earlier; with Nina learning to love herself rather than throwing Lens back in at the end. (Also they had sex at the oddest and most inappropriate times?)
Don't get me wrong, it was an interesting story, I did go back and forth on the writing style, the author tends to "tell" over "show" but over all it was a good book. There were a few grammatical errors, though, and some sentences that, no matter how many times I re-read them, just didn't make sense. Still, I think I'll be keeping an eye out for other books that this author puts out.
At one point, Nina comments on unhealthy relationships and "obsessing" to her friend, and that's exactly what it turns into. Nina's love for Lens is borderline obsessive and really unhealthy, at one point she even says she can't be happy until he loves her. In my opinion, the story gets lost in the romance, and after a while, I started to dislike Nina as a character. I feel like it would have been better if it had ended a chapter earlier; with Nina learning to love herself rather than throwing Lens back in at the end. (Also they had sex at the oddest and most inappropriate times?)
Don't get me wrong, it was an interesting story, I did go back and forth on the writing style, the author tends to "tell" over "show" but over all it was a good book. There were a few grammatical errors, though, and some sentences that, no matter how many times I re-read them, just didn't make sense. Still, I think I'll be keeping an eye out for other books that this author puts out.
August 17, 2015
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
A dirty hotel room. That’s where it was all going to end for Nina. There was nothing left for her to live for. All her life she struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts and the time has come for Nina to just end it. Deciding to lie down, Nina falls asleep and wakes up in a different time. How is that possible? Did she somehow go back in time? Nina struggles with the possibility of time travel and the whole situation has left her with more questions than answers. Not to mention her own demons are never far. Is it possible to go back and get a do over or was it a cruel trick that her mind was playing on her?
I had no idea what to expect from this book. From that first page I was hooked. I couldn’t seem to put it down! Nina is one of the most lovable characters I’ve read. She is not your typical female lead but I felt connected to her in a lot ways. I could relate to Nina on different levels. This book brought out all kinds of feels. I felt an immense pain in my chest as I fell in love with the story and didn’t want it to end. I am still in mourning. This is the first book from Robin Raven and what a fantastic debut. I can’t wait to read more from this author! I give this 5 stars
A dirty hotel room. That’s where it was all going to end for Nina. There was nothing left for her to live for. All her life she struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts and the time has come for Nina to just end it. Deciding to lie down, Nina falls asleep and wakes up in a different time. How is that possible? Did she somehow go back in time? Nina struggles with the possibility of time travel and the whole situation has left her with more questions than answers. Not to mention her own demons are never far. Is it possible to go back and get a do over or was it a cruel trick that her mind was playing on her?
I had no idea what to expect from this book. From that first page I was hooked. I couldn’t seem to put it down! Nina is one of the most lovable characters I’ve read. She is not your typical female lead but I felt connected to her in a lot ways. I could relate to Nina on different levels. This book brought out all kinds of feels. I felt an immense pain in my chest as I fell in love with the story and didn’t want it to end. I am still in mourning. This is the first book from Robin Raven and what a fantastic debut. I can’t wait to read more from this author! I give this 5 stars
November 12, 2015
Nina is depressed and almost at the point of contemplating suicide, when suddenly, she time travels to her past. The painful experience of reliving her nightmares is grueling. But along the way, she also discovers the sweetness of love. She has a chance to rebuild her broken self and become stronger.
Firstly, I must admit that I have read very few time travel novels. The ones that I read before Next Stop: Nina were more concerned with technical aspects or fantastical elements. Nina uses the time travel genre to draw out the significance of the protagonist’s past—the challenges that came her way and the horrors that left her life in discord. Nina revisits her past to grow up again, grow up to be stronger. The scars reappear but she also experiences the bliss of falling in love. This love transforms her and leads to a kind of epiphany. I was touched by the story. It is poignant in some parts but it is also endearing and inspiring. The writing is close to being flawless. There is very little repetitiveness. I would recommend Next Stop: Nina to people who love reading a novel that strikes a chord in one’s heart. It deserves a readership beyond the realm of coming-of-age fiction.
Firstly, I must admit that I have read very few time travel novels. The ones that I read before Next Stop: Nina were more concerned with technical aspects or fantastical elements. Nina uses the time travel genre to draw out the significance of the protagonist’s past—the challenges that came her way and the horrors that left her life in discord. Nina revisits her past to grow up again, grow up to be stronger. The scars reappear but she also experiences the bliss of falling in love. This love transforms her and leads to a kind of epiphany. I was touched by the story. It is poignant in some parts but it is also endearing and inspiring. The writing is close to being flawless. There is very little repetitiveness. I would recommend Next Stop: Nina to people who love reading a novel that strikes a chord in one’s heart. It deserves a readership beyond the realm of coming-of-age fiction.
August 30, 2015
***book received in exchange for an honest review***
***Reviewed by Morgan at Twisted Soulmates Book Reviews***
This book was author Robin Raven's debut book, and it was wonderful! I didn't want to put this amazing books down and when you read it you will see why! Though I must warn any reader, this book does touch on some serious real life issues.
When we meet Nina, she seems happy. But then we delve into her past and find that life was not sunshine and rainbows. In fact it was dark, marred with thoughts of suicide and depression. But things change drastically when Nina decides to actually live. At that very moment she suddenly finds herself waking up in her ten year old self. As she lives through her childhood again she has to face the personal tragedies that happened and come to terms with them over again.But for Nina, in the end there is faith hope and love!
This story so was so beautifully told! I loved the different life's she experiences and the love that she finds! I loved the magical aspect of the story! And I love that it sent a message of never giving up even if you know, or will never know, the outcome of a situation. Excellent job Robin!
***Reviewed by Morgan at Twisted Soulmates Book Reviews***
This book was author Robin Raven's debut book, and it was wonderful! I didn't want to put this amazing books down and when you read it you will see why! Though I must warn any reader, this book does touch on some serious real life issues.
When we meet Nina, she seems happy. But then we delve into her past and find that life was not sunshine and rainbows. In fact it was dark, marred with thoughts of suicide and depression. But things change drastically when Nina decides to actually live. At that very moment she suddenly finds herself waking up in her ten year old self. As she lives through her childhood again she has to face the personal tragedies that happened and come to terms with them over again.But for Nina, in the end there is faith hope and love!
This story so was so beautifully told! I loved the different life's she experiences and the love that she finds! I loved the magical aspect of the story! And I love that it sent a message of never giving up even if you know, or will never know, the outcome of a situation. Excellent job Robin!
December 4, 2015
Some may call this a time travel romance book and they would be right but they would also be missing the main beautiful point of this story. This book delves into the mind of someone who is suicidal and suffers from crippling depression at times. Nina has had a very difficult and abusive past. But when she is about to end her life at the age of 37, she is suddenly thrown back in time to her 10 year old self. Why has this happened? How has this happened? Is she here to right wrongs of the past? Is she here to change her life for the better, change someone else's life for the better? And then as time passes, this book has her digging even deeper to come to terms with her own self-worth and all of the facets of love. Does she deserve true happiness and unconditional love or is it only fleeting?
I thought this debut novel by Robin Raven was very well written. It is an original story full of honest and heartbreaking emotion. I look forward to reading more from her.
I thought this debut novel by Robin Raven was very well written. It is an original story full of honest and heartbreaking emotion. I look forward to reading more from her.
June 8, 2016
The author, Robin Raven, gave me a copy of this novel in exchange for my review.
“Next Stop Nina” is a cerebral read. Nina is an adult that suffered a horrendous childhood when she’s thrown back into her 10-year-old body. She goes from the pit of despair that has left her feeling that her only option is to end it all and suddenly she’s back in a waking nightmare. She has the memories and experiences of an adult and, she believes, the strategies to change her past. No matter what the time traveling Nina does or how many times she lives her life again, nothing changes. She’s trapped reliving a nightmare. Nina survived once but can she do it again? Is there any point to surviving it again?
If you’re interested in human-interest stories dealing with important issues, give “Next Stop Nina” a shot. You won’t be disappointed.
“Next Stop Nina” is a cerebral read. Nina is an adult that suffered a horrendous childhood when she’s thrown back into her 10-year-old body. She goes from the pit of despair that has left her feeling that her only option is to end it all and suddenly she’s back in a waking nightmare. She has the memories and experiences of an adult and, she believes, the strategies to change her past. No matter what the time traveling Nina does or how many times she lives her life again, nothing changes. She’s trapped reliving a nightmare. Nina survived once but can she do it again? Is there any point to surviving it again?
If you’re interested in human-interest stories dealing with important issues, give “Next Stop Nina” a shot. You won’t be disappointed.
October 1, 2015
Next Stop Nina is a real page turner that keeps you engaged throughout. I have to say personally I struggled through the first couple of chapters but once I progressed past approximately 20 pages I couldn't put it down. This predominantly is a character led book and as the story progresses you get to know the characters better. The characters are well written and clearly show their flaws as well as there skills.
The author has a clear understanding of depression. This is clear in the way the main character is written. There is a strong message at the end of the book which many people will relate to.
The book covers a number of genre's from science fiction, romance, self help and contemporary. I urge anyone to pick this book up and read it you will not be disappointed.
The author has a clear understanding of depression. This is clear in the way the main character is written. There is a strong message at the end of the book which many people will relate to.
The book covers a number of genre's from science fiction, romance, self help and contemporary. I urge anyone to pick this book up and read it you will not be disappointed.
August 5, 2015
Next Stop Nina is a beautiful story about a woman who travels back in time. She is doomed to relive a childhood horror many times, and she spends several lives trying to make peace with the tragedy over and over again. While I'm not much of a romance reader, I enjoyed the romance aspect of this book. Nina finds love, even with the odds stacked against her, and she fights for her love through each lifetime she lives. The story is beautiful and I think anyone who likes to feel nostalgia and hope will enjoy it. This is only the 2nd book about time travel I've read, and it made me want to dig deeper into the genre.
October 29, 2015
***I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an HONEST review***
Ugh! I cried more than once for all the hell that poor Nina went through! But I loved, LOVED! that she was able to keep going, no matter what happened, no matter who or what she lost. This would make a cool movie, I think. For some reason, the scene with Susie (read it and you'll see who that is!) is what really made me think so.
Overall, I REALLY enjoyed this book. I was kind of iffy seeing the length of the chapters at first, but once I started reading, I understood completely. Nice flow, nice pace, great characters! Robin Raven can count me among her new fans!
Bob says: 4 Platypires!
Ugh! I cried more than once for all the hell that poor Nina went through! But I loved, LOVED! that she was able to keep going, no matter what happened, no matter who or what she lost. This would make a cool movie, I think. For some reason, the scene with Susie (read it and you'll see who that is!) is what really made me think so.
Overall, I REALLY enjoyed this book. I was kind of iffy seeing the length of the chapters at first, but once I started reading, I understood completely. Nice flow, nice pace, great characters! Robin Raven can count me among her new fans!
Bob says: 4 Platypires!
September 22, 2015
At first I thought this was going to be sci-fi (not one of my usual genres) but it's a compelling, haunting story of love and the struggle to rewrite tragedies and deal with loss - and love. The story of Nina's "echoes" (different lives relived) quickly drew me in. I read it in one sitting and I find I keep thinking about it. The power of the story-telling soon overcame my initial scepticism about time travel and I became immersed in the strange yet somehow familiar world of this novel.
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June 16, 2016I'd like to thank the author for giving me a copy in exchange of a honest review.
Unfortunately, I am not going to rate this book simply because I couldn't finish it. I've read a couple of reviews saying that this book was great but couldn't get past the first quarter of the book for the simple reason that I found out that it was not for me. Nonetheless, I'd like to thank the author for giving me such an incredible opportunity.
Unfortunately, I am not going to rate this book simply because I couldn't finish it. I've read a couple of reviews saying that this book was great but couldn't get past the first quarter of the book for the simple reason that I found out that it was not for me. Nonetheless, I'd like to thank the author for giving me such an incredible opportunity.
October 10, 2015
I went along this journey with Nina. I loved this book! It was great I felt I was with this character and all she went though in life. I didn't even mind the time traveling. I think you should give this book a chance you will enjoy it too. * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
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