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Rewinder #1
Rewinder
From Book 1:
You will never read Denny Younger’s name in any history book, but the world as you know it wouldn’t be the same without him. Denny was born into one of the lowest rungs of society, but his bleak fortunes changed the day the mysterious Upjohn Institute recruited him. The role: “verifier of personal histories.” The job title: Rewinder. After accepting the offer, Denny discovers he’ll have to do his research in person…by traveling through time.
Using a device capable of opening a portal into any era from the past, Denny is sent back to serve as an eyewitness to significant moments in human history. But as he journeys across the centuries, he begins to suspect that his missions to “observe and report” have a much darker purpose. When a time jump drops Denny into the midst of a rebellion, he finds himself in over his head in a deadly game where even the smallest choices can have catastrophic consequences.
Armed only with his wits and his time-travel device, Denny’s adventures take readers on a pulse-pounding journey of page-turning twists. But will everything he’s got be enough?
Revised edition: This edition of Rewinder includes editorial revisions.
8 pages, Audible Audio
First published August 21, 2014
483 people are currently reading
2999 people want to read
About the author
Brett Battles
90 books1,058 followersBrett Battles is a NEW YORK TIMES bestselling and Barry Award-winning author of forty novels, including the Jonathan Quinn series and its Excoms spinoff, the Project Eden series, and the time bending Rewinder series. He’s also the coauthor, with Robert Gregory Browne, of the Alexandra Poe series. He is one of the founding members of Killer Year, and is a member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. He lives and writes in Ventura County, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 429 reviews
November 14, 2016
In a dystopian world, children just out of puberty, are chosen from all ten levels to be tested on their ability to learn and retain historical facts. Usually it is just the top five levels that make the cut, but on a fluke a young man from level eight tests higher than any they have seen before. The ones that pass are paired with a teacher at the "institute" to learn how to travel back in time and confirm historical facts.
This was a pretty good, clean and fast paced read that held my attention. There was a great twist about half way through that was a nice surprise and kept it exciting all the way through to the ending. Not really my genre but I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. Vikas Adam's narrative was pleasant and added believable voices.
This was a pretty good, clean and fast paced read that held my attention. There was a great twist about half way through that was a nice surprise and kept it exciting all the way through to the ending. Not really my genre but I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. Vikas Adam's narrative was pleasant and added believable voices.
November 28, 2015
Denny Younger isn’t from around here… A Level Eight resident of New Cardiff in the American territories of the British Empire in 2015, Younger is among the most recent of recruits to the Upjohn Institute. His job as a rewinder is to verify the familial lineages of their clients through observation. As a rewinder, Younger is, simply put, a time traveler. During one rewind mission, he makes a simple mistake that forever alters the course of the British Empire and finds the landscape of 2015 remarkably different.
While Rewinder is a compelling story, it’s not entirely without fault. And although I enjoyed it quite a bit, there were a few hangups in the narrative that nagged at me.
First, the good: I truly dug the alt-timeline approach that Battles takes, establishing Younger and his compatriots as citizens of the British Empire. It’s a well realized world and an interesting setting, one that provides an intriguing jumping off point for what follows.
I also really enjoyed the relationship between Younger and Iffy, the actually American-American girl, that he finds himself attached to after his temporal mishap alters the shape of history. At first, she comes across as strange and aloof and more than a bit stalker-ish, but as their story together develops there’s a grounded in-story explanation for her behaviors and what Younger means to her. Their burgeoning love comes across as natural and ended up being one of the more intriguing elements of the book’s latter half.
On the topic of companionship then, the one element that felt really half-baked and never quite had me convinced of its authenticity was the issue of companions. Each rewinder has a companion that stays put in their home time, and whose sole job is suffer the painful effects caused by time travel. So while the rewinder gallivants through the eras largely unhindered, there’s a companion at the Institute doped up on painkillers to minimize the debilitating migraines, nausea, and associated sicknesses for them. Sure, it’s an interesting concept and the illnesses that go hand-in-hand with the unnatural travels seem like a natural fit, the idea of companions themselves never seem to make much sense. Brett Battles asks us to simply believe that the mechanical devices rewinders use for their travels is somehow able to lock on a particular DNA match to pass off the ill effects. The technological gobbledygook is kept to a minimum, and Younger glosses over it with a “I’m no scientist!” approach, but I found myself wanting to actually know the scientific ins and outs of all this. Without a grounded explanation, the idea simply feels incomplete and exists solely to cause drama later on (but even then, it’s never explored as fully as it should be). As it stands, I never felt truly convinced that this notion of companions would actually work or that there is any actual scientific basis for it.
That said, the issue of companions does tie nicely into the caste system the British world operates on. On the other hand, it never grows beyond the superficial. As a Level Eight, Younger is pretty close to the bottom of the heap and we’re reminded of this quite a bit. While his isn’t quite a rags-to-riches story, I would have appreciated more depth to the British Empire depicted here. I found myself very interested in the rules and operations of this alternate timeline, but got very little in the way of depth and exploration. Most of the problem stems from the first-person narration, which prohibits what we as readers are allowed to know and witness. We’re confined solely to Younger’s experiences, and I found myself desperately wanting to break away from him in order to explore the world.
It doesn’t help much that his temporal mistake results in making “our” world a reality. I already know about this world, so it’s rather difficult to share Younger’s fascination with our mobile phones and the wide variety of “carriages” or what we call automobiles. While I can appreciate his status as an outsider, it makes for some boring narration. I already know about cell phones and cars and 7-Elevens. What I don’t know about is New Cardiff and the whole spectrum of alternate history that made the British a global empire. There’s a far more interesting story buried in Battle’s narrative that we’re never made privy to, and it’s frustrating. It’s all superficial gloss laid over a truly interesting concept that never quite develops as richly as it should.
And although I had a few issues with Rewinder, and found myself more than once wishing for an alternate timeline edition of this story, I still found myself largely engaged enough to enjoy it. Most of this comes down to the characters and a few mysteries they represent, namely Maria, another rewinder and mentor to Younger, and Iffy, whose time on the page was always entertaining. Enough so that I’ll be diving into Destroyer, book two in this series, momentarily.
[I received this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
While Rewinder is a compelling story, it’s not entirely without fault. And although I enjoyed it quite a bit, there were a few hangups in the narrative that nagged at me.
First, the good: I truly dug the alt-timeline approach that Battles takes, establishing Younger and his compatriots as citizens of the British Empire. It’s a well realized world and an interesting setting, one that provides an intriguing jumping off point for what follows.
I also really enjoyed the relationship between Younger and Iffy, the actually American-American girl, that he finds himself attached to after his temporal mishap alters the shape of history. At first, she comes across as strange and aloof and more than a bit stalker-ish, but as their story together develops there’s a grounded in-story explanation for her behaviors and what Younger means to her. Their burgeoning love comes across as natural and ended up being one of the more intriguing elements of the book’s latter half.
On the topic of companionship then, the one element that felt really half-baked and never quite had me convinced of its authenticity was the issue of companions. Each rewinder has a companion that stays put in their home time, and whose sole job is suffer the painful effects caused by time travel. So while the rewinder gallivants through the eras largely unhindered, there’s a companion at the Institute doped up on painkillers to minimize the debilitating migraines, nausea, and associated sicknesses for them. Sure, it’s an interesting concept and the illnesses that go hand-in-hand with the unnatural travels seem like a natural fit, the idea of companions themselves never seem to make much sense. Brett Battles asks us to simply believe that the mechanical devices rewinders use for their travels is somehow able to lock on a particular DNA match to pass off the ill effects. The technological gobbledygook is kept to a minimum, and Younger glosses over it with a “I’m no scientist!” approach, but I found myself wanting to actually know the scientific ins and outs of all this. Without a grounded explanation, the idea simply feels incomplete and exists solely to cause drama later on (but even then, it’s never explored as fully as it should be). As it stands, I never felt truly convinced that this notion of companions would actually work or that there is any actual scientific basis for it.
That said, the issue of companions does tie nicely into the caste system the British world operates on. On the other hand, it never grows beyond the superficial. As a Level Eight, Younger is pretty close to the bottom of the heap and we’re reminded of this quite a bit. While his isn’t quite a rags-to-riches story, I would have appreciated more depth to the British Empire depicted here. I found myself very interested in the rules and operations of this alternate timeline, but got very little in the way of depth and exploration. Most of the problem stems from the first-person narration, which prohibits what we as readers are allowed to know and witness. We’re confined solely to Younger’s experiences, and I found myself desperately wanting to break away from him in order to explore the world.
It doesn’t help much that his temporal mistake results in making “our” world a reality. I already know about this world, so it’s rather difficult to share Younger’s fascination with our mobile phones and the wide variety of “carriages” or what we call automobiles. While I can appreciate his status as an outsider, it makes for some boring narration. I already know about cell phones and cars and 7-Elevens. What I don’t know about is New Cardiff and the whole spectrum of alternate history that made the British a global empire. There’s a far more interesting story buried in Battle’s narrative that we’re never made privy to, and it’s frustrating. It’s all superficial gloss laid over a truly interesting concept that never quite develops as richly as it should.
And although I had a few issues with Rewinder, and found myself more than once wishing for an alternate timeline edition of this story, I still found myself largely engaged enough to enjoy it. Most of this comes down to the characters and a few mysteries they represent, namely Maria, another rewinder and mentor to Younger, and Iffy, whose time on the page was always entertaining. Enough so that I’ll be diving into Destroyer, book two in this series, momentarily.
[I received this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
October 22, 2014
So it goes:
1. Time travel is dangerous...
2. ...Especially when carried out by High School kids you shanghai...??
3. ...Because no one really cares...???
4. ...Until the plot kinda demands it????
5. AMERICA, FUCK YEAH!
Clearly the author had steps 1 and 5 in mind first, and then just filled in 2-4 with whatever predictable contrived story came to mind. Individual parts make sense, but when put together it's a mess.
They invent time travel and use it to A)check lineage B)blackmail. One of those is horribly stupid. The other is pointlessly dangerous as you could more easily make money safer any number of ways with time travel if you've decided to ignore the crazy dangers of it. Or don't care if you replace reality. Which brings me to:
So there are people who are actively trying to do this and the guy who's been on the job for like 2 days figures it out accidentally when they've had years and all of time to do it before now? Right.
His Chaser glombs onto the closest DNA match if the original Companion dies...this makes sense, until you give it the slightest thought: It's all SUPER secret. So why give the power to 18 year old's you don't even warn...I mean, if the companion bites it, then you end up zipping off towards their parents/siblings/relatives who aren't in the program and oopsie!
So the entire setup is a mess, and the world ruled by the British is crap. Lets fix it:
1 person is a threat to his plan, pulls a knife on him, attacks him, then he knocks her down and...gives her the chance to fuck everything up, instead of bashing her head in with a branch he uses to send her back in time.
Then he starts ripping off drug dealers (1000's of miles away at least, partial credit) instead of just winning the lotto, placing bets, gambling etc stuff that won't get him killed if he uses the small amount of smarts the 1000's of miles away thing shows he has.
And a bunch of other problems like that. The details of this book...not so good. But look, literally proof America is awesome. Least it got that right.
1. Time travel is dangerous...
2. ...Especially when carried out by High School kids you shanghai...??
3. ...Because no one really cares...???
4. ...Until the plot kinda demands it????
5. AMERICA, FUCK YEAH!
Clearly the author had steps 1 and 5 in mind first, and then just filled in 2-4 with whatever predictable contrived story came to mind. Individual parts make sense, but when put together it's a mess.
They invent time travel and use it to A)check lineage B)blackmail. One of those is horribly stupid. The other is pointlessly dangerous as you could more easily make money safer any number of ways with time travel if you've decided to ignore the crazy dangers of it. Or don't care if you replace reality. Which brings me to:
So there are people who are actively trying to do this and the guy who's been on the job for like 2 days figures it out accidentally when they've had years and all of time to do it before now? Right.
His Chaser glombs onto the closest DNA match if the original Companion dies...this makes sense, until you give it the slightest thought: It's all SUPER secret. So why give the power to 18 year old's you don't even warn...I mean, if the companion bites it, then you end up zipping off towards their parents/siblings/relatives who aren't in the program and oopsie!
So the entire setup is a mess, and the world ruled by the British is crap. Lets fix it:
1 person is a threat to his plan, pulls a knife on him, attacks him, then he knocks her down and...gives her the chance to fuck everything up, instead of bashing her head in with a branch he uses to send her back in time.
Then he starts ripping off drug dealers (1000's of miles away at least, partial credit) instead of just winning the lotto, placing bets, gambling etc stuff that won't get him killed if he uses the small amount of smarts the 1000's of miles away thing shows he has.
And a bunch of other problems like that. The details of this book...not so good. But look, literally proof America is awesome. Least it got that right.
February 8, 2018
2/8/18 Kindle Daily Deal $1.99. Book 2 is also $1.99 today.
Really, really enjoyed this. The twist on the messing up history and having to fix it trope was brilliant.
Really, really enjoyed this. The twist on the messing up history and having to fix it trope was brilliant.
January 13, 2015
So many time travel books, so little time. Something like that.
I enjoyed this one. At first, it reminded me of one of my all-time favorites – Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card. The school where historians observe the past through time travel is similar. In this story, Great Britain rules the present day world and maintains a rigid caste system.
We don’t have to wait too long for the time traveling and the story takes off once it starts. The main character pins down a key point in history that could have changed everything, which shows what a difference a matter of seconds can make and how accidental history can be.
The writing is very story oriented so it’s a quick read. In a way, it’s a little too quick. I would have liked more details with more character development, but it’s hard to find that balance between pure entertainment and something more. Anyone who likes fast-paced time travel novels will like this one.
I enjoyed this one. At first, it reminded me of one of my all-time favorites – Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card. The school where historians observe the past through time travel is similar. In this story, Great Britain rules the present day world and maintains a rigid caste system.
We don’t have to wait too long for the time traveling and the story takes off once it starts. The main character pins down a key point in history that could have changed everything, which shows what a difference a matter of seconds can make and how accidental history can be.
The writing is very story oriented so it’s a quick read. In a way, it’s a little too quick. I would have liked more details with more character development, but it’s hard to find that balance between pure entertainment and something more. Anyone who likes fast-paced time travel novels will like this one.
February 2, 2015
Finally a time travel book that does not bore me to tears. Rewinder delivers a well-paced and intelligent narrative that explores the old question of what if?
The author sets the scene with a well thought out and developed alternative reality where the British Empire lives on. Within this narrative we are introduced to our main character that lives in the lower castes of society. He is introduced to a secret world in which his job is to travel through time and to check first hands historical facts. At first this new world is full of wonderment but as time passes cracks start to appear. What lies beneath these cracks is far from savoury and this is when the story really becomes interesting.
This book excels at exploring the butterfly ripple effect and by doing so develops a story that sets its hooks in and takes you along for the ride. Rewinder is a book that leaves you pondering about it long after it is back on the shelf gathering dust.
The author sets the scene with a well thought out and developed alternative reality where the British Empire lives on. Within this narrative we are introduced to our main character that lives in the lower castes of society. He is introduced to a secret world in which his job is to travel through time and to check first hands historical facts. At first this new world is full of wonderment but as time passes cracks start to appear. What lies beneath these cracks is far from savoury and this is when the story really becomes interesting.
This book excels at exploring the butterfly ripple effect and by doing so develops a story that sets its hooks in and takes you along for the ride. Rewinder is a book that leaves you pondering about it long after it is back on the shelf gathering dust.
August 4, 2018
In a dystopian future, a boy is chosen for the time travel corps.
He learns to time travel, and along the way, learns that the regime is using time travel for its own ends. This causes him to rebel and try to fight back.
Doesn't induce too bad a headache.
He learns to time travel, and along the way, learns that the regime is using time travel for its own ends. This causes him to rebel and try to fight back.
Doesn't induce too bad a headache.
March 27, 2016
When I was younger, I used to watch a show called The Ray Bradbury Theatre. Every week it would be a different story. One of my favorites was an episode where the characters got to go back in time. Rule number one was to not mess with your surroundings as you had no idea of the ripple in time you could cause. Of course, someone stepped on a butterfly and their world was irreparably changed. So began my love of time travel stories.
I mentioned this because Battles uses a similar rule in Rewinder
The premise to the story is that there is an institute that has the ability to time travel. They use this technology mainly to go back to verify or discredit people's histories. Our protagonist Denny is a time travel student so we get to learn the rules. Not affecting your surroundings and the people of the time you have jumped to was incredibly important. Of course Denny does this and alters his world. In this case, for the better.
The first part of the story reminded me of PKD's The Man in the High Castle. In this case, Denny's world occurred because America lost the revolution and were controlled by the British. It was fun to read about Battles' view of how this world would look, even though I disagree with it wholeheartedly. He did add some truly British references which added to the authenticity such as referring to someone's weight in stones rather than pounds or kilograms.
After changing the world to how it is currently, Denny realizes it's better this way and works to keep it but he does one thing that ruined it for me. If you do time travel, you have to stick to the rules. I can't get past the paradox when Denny went back in time to save his sister. In Denny's real time, his sister died. This left him with a Father who wasn't really there so Denny threw himself into learning, especially history, which is how he was chosen to be a time traveler. By saving his sister, he should have created a time loop.
I know, I know. I'm overthinking the whole thing. I do this every time I read a time-travel book that focuses on the past rather than the future. And I have only Ray Bradbury to blame.
I mentioned this because Battles uses a similar rule in Rewinder
The premise to the story is that there is an institute that has the ability to time travel. They use this technology mainly to go back to verify or discredit people's histories. Our protagonist Denny is a time travel student so we get to learn the rules. Not affecting your surroundings and the people of the time you have jumped to was incredibly important. Of course Denny does this and alters his world. In this case, for the better.
The first part of the story reminded me of PKD's The Man in the High Castle. In this case, Denny's world occurred because America lost the revolution and were controlled by the British. It was fun to read about Battles' view of how this world would look, even though I disagree with it wholeheartedly. He did add some truly British references which added to the authenticity such as referring to someone's weight in stones rather than pounds or kilograms.
After changing the world to how it is currently, Denny realizes it's better this way and works to keep it but he does one thing that ruined it for me. If you do time travel, you have to stick to the rules. I can't get past the paradox when Denny went back in time to save his sister. In Denny's real time, his sister died. This left him with a Father who wasn't really there so Denny threw himself into learning, especially history, which is how he was chosen to be a time traveler. By saving his sister, he should have created a time loop.
I know, I know. I'm overthinking the whole thing. I do this every time I read a time-travel book that focuses on the past rather than the future. And I have only Ray Bradbury to blame.
December 28, 2017
I feel like my opinion kept changing throughout this book. I kept flip-flopping from liking to disliking it. Maybe it was the main character or the story but I have no idea. In my opinion, Rewinder did have some flaws but I don't really want to dive into those because I did like the book.
I thought it was pretty cool that Denny was a time traveler and that he wasn't supposed to interfere or change history. It kind of reminds me of the new show, Timeless. Because in the end, someone has to interfere. History changes.
Now in Rewinder Danny is living in a future where George Washington never became president. They also live in districts, kind of like Hunger Games. However, one day on accident Henry creates a new world - the world we live in today. Well, not today because it's based in the year 2015 - but yeah, it's today guys (go with it).
I guess I can go into the things I didn't like (even though I said I wouldn't). One thing I didn't like was the weird tests, how people didn't really go to school after a certain age, and how they didn't accept change. When Danny hopped into a new 2015 he freaked the fuck out. BUT he started to like this new version because who wouldn't? He lived in a really shitty situation with super shitty and evil people. So yeah Danny, go live in the new and cooler 2015 where you aren't in a creepy district. Oh, and he can fall in love with whatever her name is. Yes, I forgot her name but I also haven't had an ounce of coffee - so uh, yeah. When I figure out her name I will definitely edit this review.
I'm still debating if I want to get the next book in this series. Rewinder was free on my KU account. So, if the next book is free then I will probably get it. I hope it get's better and I really hope I remember that girls name...
I thought it was pretty cool that Denny was a time traveler and that he wasn't supposed to interfere or change history. It kind of reminds me of the new show, Timeless. Because in the end, someone has to interfere. History changes.
Now in Rewinder Danny is living in a future where George Washington never became president. They also live in districts, kind of like Hunger Games. However, one day on accident Henry creates a new world - the world we live in today. Well, not today because it's based in the year 2015 - but yeah, it's today guys (go with it).
I guess I can go into the things I didn't like (even though I said I wouldn't). One thing I didn't like was the weird tests, how people didn't really go to school after a certain age, and how they didn't accept change. When Danny hopped into a new 2015 he freaked the fuck out. BUT he started to like this new version because who wouldn't? He lived in a really shitty situation with super shitty and evil people. So yeah Danny, go live in the new and cooler 2015 where you aren't in a creepy district. Oh, and he can fall in love with whatever her name is. Yes, I forgot her name but I also haven't had an ounce of coffee - so uh, yeah. When I figure out her name I will definitely edit this review.
I'm still debating if I want to get the next book in this series. Rewinder was free on my KU account. So, if the next book is free then I will probably get it. I hope it get's better and I really hope I remember that girls name...
July 27, 2015
THE TRUTH.
When I realized I was about to finish the book, hardly a few pages were left. I'm still having a hard time believing I actually finished it.
MY TIMELINE.
NOT YOURS.
I started reading this book a few days ago. I've read the first chapter, found it dull and just left it there to start another time. Today, I picked it up again only to get something done and started reading, expecting only to be bored even more and giving it a bad rating.
Only half of it was the case. After around the halfway mark of the second chapter, I was completely pulled in and could hardly keep my eyes off the pages. It was amazing to read. Not that much to review.
The problem is, the book is a mess. If there was any characterization, I couldn't find it. If the author has actually thought of any particular details apart from the major plot points, I haven't realized any proper consistency. All I found out was plot holes so huge I could fall and die in them.
The writing style? Character development? Character descriptions, apart from that huge guy described early on, whom I don't remember even the name of? Let's not go there.
Still, it wasn't dull, in fact it was exciting to read for me and was a great quick read if you are on a bus or something and need something short to waste some time on. If you are looking for something well-crafted, you'll have to look somewhere else. 1.5/5
When I realized I was about to finish the book, hardly a few pages were left. I'm still having a hard time believing I actually finished it.
MY TIMELINE.
NOT YOURS.
I started reading this book a few days ago. I've read the first chapter, found it dull and just left it there to start another time. Today, I picked it up again only to get something done and started reading, expecting only to be bored even more and giving it a bad rating.
Only half of it was the case. After around the halfway mark of the second chapter, I was completely pulled in and could hardly keep my eyes off the pages. It was amazing to read. Not that much to review.
The problem is, the book is a mess. If there was any characterization, I couldn't find it. If the author has actually thought of any particular details apart from the major plot points, I haven't realized any proper consistency. All I found out was plot holes so huge I could fall and die in them.
The writing style? Character development? Character descriptions, apart from that huge guy described early on, whom I don't remember even the name of? Let's not go there.
Still, it wasn't dull, in fact it was exciting to read for me and was a great quick read if you are on a bus or something and need something short to waste some time on. If you are looking for something well-crafted, you'll have to look somewhere else. 1.5/5
April 13, 2015
This book was awesome!! I've never heard of any of the authors work but I have to say that is this is any indication, then I will have to check out more from him.
The world building was amazing! Denny lives in a world where class is measured by numbers, 1 being the best. Denny is an 8 which means he is among the lowest class. Everyone has to take a test when they come of age and that test will give them their jobs for life. Denny expects to do something mundane like his father but the day of the results dawn and Denny is informed that he must resit the test. From then on Dennys world changes forever!! He is offered a job on the spot, only catch is that he won't know what the job involves until he accepts it! He will also be promoted to a level 5. He accepts, of course, cause there has to be more to life than being a lowly 8!!
He finds out that he is a Rewinder and has the power to jump back to any date in time! His job is to take notes and keep hidden but when something accidentally happens to alter history and his world as he knows it, he struggles with whats the right thing to do, should he fix the past and bring back his world or leave it and keep the world as we know it?
Character wise, Denny is a worthy hero. He is studious, smart and kind. He is offered the job of a lifetime and immediately accepts. When he learns that he will be a Rewinder, a person that can travel into the past, he is so happy. History was always his favourite subject. Denny questions everything and has a strong sense of right and wrong. I loved his spirit!
Plot wise, it was so well thought out and executed! I was sucked in from the very first page and swept along in a breathtaking journey for the whole book. The Rewinders job is to go back in time and observe only!! Never to interfere and never to deviate. They mainly go back into a wealthy persons history and map it for them, but is that all they do?
The Rewinder aspect was fascinating. If you left yourself think to much about the intricacies of what they were doing then it would boggle the mind!! Denny first goes back into time with his instructor and while there there are about 5 or 6 other groups, with the same woman instructor. She says that she always brings the first timers here so each of them are her from a different time! I'm not making sense but when you read it it does!! Denny also sees himself in different times and can talk to himself. It's quite complex but the author nails it and at no stage was I confused!
In all, Rewinder was a fast paced and very exciting read. It's the type of book thats so hard to put down because you need to see what happens next. There are quite a few twists and you cant tell what is going to happen. It's a well written and thought out book and one you will devour. I loved everything about it and really hope we see more from Denny in the future.
I listened to the audio and once again Vikas Adam did an amazing job. He pulls you in and easily distinguishes each character. His tone and inflection are perfect. There are a few narrators that have made my favourite list and Vikas Adam is right up there at the top. He never fails to deliver!! Highly recommend the audio.
The world building was amazing! Denny lives in a world where class is measured by numbers, 1 being the best. Denny is an 8 which means he is among the lowest class. Everyone has to take a test when they come of age and that test will give them their jobs for life. Denny expects to do something mundane like his father but the day of the results dawn and Denny is informed that he must resit the test. From then on Dennys world changes forever!! He is offered a job on the spot, only catch is that he won't know what the job involves until he accepts it! He will also be promoted to a level 5. He accepts, of course, cause there has to be more to life than being a lowly 8!!
He finds out that he is a Rewinder and has the power to jump back to any date in time! His job is to take notes and keep hidden but when something accidentally happens to alter history and his world as he knows it, he struggles with whats the right thing to do, should he fix the past and bring back his world or leave it and keep the world as we know it?
Character wise, Denny is a worthy hero. He is studious, smart and kind. He is offered the job of a lifetime and immediately accepts. When he learns that he will be a Rewinder, a person that can travel into the past, he is so happy. History was always his favourite subject. Denny questions everything and has a strong sense of right and wrong. I loved his spirit!
Plot wise, it was so well thought out and executed! I was sucked in from the very first page and swept along in a breathtaking journey for the whole book. The Rewinders job is to go back in time and observe only!! Never to interfere and never to deviate. They mainly go back into a wealthy persons history and map it for them, but is that all they do?
The Rewinder aspect was fascinating. If you left yourself think to much about the intricacies of what they were doing then it would boggle the mind!! Denny first goes back into time with his instructor and while there there are about 5 or 6 other groups, with the same woman instructor. She says that she always brings the first timers here so each of them are her from a different time! I'm not making sense but when you read it it does!! Denny also sees himself in different times and can talk to himself. It's quite complex but the author nails it and at no stage was I confused!
In all, Rewinder was a fast paced and very exciting read. It's the type of book thats so hard to put down because you need to see what happens next. There are quite a few twists and you cant tell what is going to happen. It's a well written and thought out book and one you will devour. I loved everything about it and really hope we see more from Denny in the future.
I listened to the audio and once again Vikas Adam did an amazing job. He pulls you in and easily distinguishes each character. His tone and inflection are perfect. There are a few narrators that have made my favourite list and Vikas Adam is right up there at the top. He never fails to deliver!! Highly recommend the audio.
December 14, 2014
This book sort of kept me around long enough to see Denny through his mistake. Denny is a Rewinder, which means he uses a time travel device to go and observe certain situations proving or disproving a family history. Supposedly, by screwing up for 12 whole seconds on a recent time travel trip, he completely destroyed the world as he knew it and a world he came from because he interacted with the past instead of just observing like he was trained.
Here's my problem with all of this:
While making his way through his current world, he's learning how different things are, how to use the currency, learn our English slang, read every history book he can get his hands on and meets a new friend who he learns is most likely a decedent of his companion Palmer back in the world that existed before he left, because frankly, Palmer no longer exists so the "chaser" somehow latched on to one of Palmers relatives since Palmer was never born. Um....ok
Not long after, Lidia finds him. This is where the author makes a huge mistake in my eyes. This is not a paradox, nor something that's even feasible.
Lidia or anyone from the past world that Denny came from cannot exist at all. It doesn't matter if she or any other Rewinder were time jumping when Denny screwed up or not. Denny was the one who ridiculously and massively changed history, so not only could Lidia never find Denny in this "new world", but none of the other Rewinder's can come find Denny in the new world Denny created either because they DO NOT EXIST ANYMORE. Poof. Gone.
When you change history, you change it in one fell swoop. The entire planet has been changed according to the new set of ripples Denny cast out; starting with his few moments in the tavern.
The author allows Iffy to be Denny's new companion, because Palmers life was erased, yet Lidia and the others still exist?
No way.
If so, we would then be assuming Lidia and everyone else was still born, by the same parents and still became Rewinder's and somehow the UpJohn Institute still exists. I don't buy it. How can the institute still be around alongside this new reality Denny created? A different realm perhaps? No.
And, since we're thinking of things that shouldn't be and in no way even qualify for ANY type of explainable paradox, Denny shouldn't have had his chaser anymore once he jumped to a completely different world. Honestly, he should have also winked out of existence, because he was never born. Just because he was the one who created this "new world", he gets a free ride and gets to survive? MAYBE the same parents got together and gave birth to him, but alllllllllllll the other ones at the institute? Lord, I need to stop.
I also can't swallow that Denny's 12 seconds created everything he was part of now. Give me a break.
As the reader keeps going, your brains cells start dying one by one because it keeps getting weirder and weirder. Soon there are two Denny's and he's back in his first world before his 12-second screw up. The author is saying that people at the UpJohn Institute still thrived and set about to correct the mistake one of the Rewinder's made. How can they? They don't exist once the change was made. Both sets of worlds cannot exist along side each other, that allows one set of people to infiltrate another, like Lidia did with Denny. If one Rewinder changes history, and if those changes wink out the existence of the UpJohn Institute, then no one from there can exist anymore. Gawd, I need a nap. I'm completely exhausted. Since I'm down a few brains cells, what I'm writing now may not even make sense. I read some other lower rating reviews on this book and saw other readers had a difficult time with multiple Denny's back at the institute. They said they had to re-read the paragraphs over and over again to make sense of it all. I didn't get that far and couldn't have. Two Denny's was too much for me. Hard to believe there were actually more than that if you keep reading.
I did not finish this (75% thereabouts), because I never got a break from all the overlapping strangeness. Even IF I accepted that Denny could live after changing all of our worlds history, I do not accept Lidia and everyone else surviving it, because they were never born. There's no way to get around that either. Sorry. Just because you're a time jumper, doesn't give you a get-out-of-jail free card that somehow allows you to continue to exist when someone changes the world.
Perhaps I would have bought only ONE Rewinder surviving, but the reason would have needed to be convincing to readers.
I also wondered how the UpJohn Institute would allow all these people to jump time anyways.
Denny couldn't have been the first person to screw up by interacting too much with history. The potential for changing things is too great. If I were an institute that could do this, I'd never ever have dozens of teenagers messing with time. I don't care how much training they had.
I would expect quite a bit of history change from not only Denny but from all of the others as well. Many times, it's unavoidable. You cannot possibly know the moves each and every person, animal or vehicle made in any given day or year. One small thing and you change history and like the butterfly effect, it ripples out and small, medium and large things change.
Very very little of this book worked.
When you sit down to write and dig into subject matter like this, having a seemingly good idea is not enough to pull it off.
Here's my problem with all of this:
While making his way through his current world, he's learning how different things are, how to use the currency, learn our English slang, read every history book he can get his hands on and meets a new friend who he learns is most likely a decedent of his companion Palmer back in the world that existed before he left, because frankly, Palmer no longer exists so the "chaser" somehow latched on to one of Palmers relatives since Palmer was never born. Um....ok
Not long after, Lidia finds him. This is where the author makes a huge mistake in my eyes. This is not a paradox, nor something that's even feasible.
Lidia or anyone from the past world that Denny came from cannot exist at all. It doesn't matter if she or any other Rewinder were time jumping when Denny screwed up or not. Denny was the one who ridiculously and massively changed history, so not only could Lidia never find Denny in this "new world", but none of the other Rewinder's can come find Denny in the new world Denny created either because they DO NOT EXIST ANYMORE. Poof. Gone.
When you change history, you change it in one fell swoop. The entire planet has been changed according to the new set of ripples Denny cast out; starting with his few moments in the tavern.
The author allows Iffy to be Denny's new companion, because Palmers life was erased, yet Lidia and the others still exist?
No way.
If so, we would then be assuming Lidia and everyone else was still born, by the same parents and still became Rewinder's and somehow the UpJohn Institute still exists. I don't buy it. How can the institute still be around alongside this new reality Denny created? A different realm perhaps? No.
And, since we're thinking of things that shouldn't be and in no way even qualify for ANY type of explainable paradox, Denny shouldn't have had his chaser anymore once he jumped to a completely different world. Honestly, he should have also winked out of existence, because he was never born. Just because he was the one who created this "new world", he gets a free ride and gets to survive? MAYBE the same parents got together and gave birth to him, but alllllllllllll the other ones at the institute? Lord, I need to stop.
I also can't swallow that Denny's 12 seconds created everything he was part of now. Give me a break.
As the reader keeps going, your brains cells start dying one by one because it keeps getting weirder and weirder. Soon there are two Denny's and he's back in his first world before his 12-second screw up. The author is saying that people at the UpJohn Institute still thrived and set about to correct the mistake one of the Rewinder's made. How can they? They don't exist once the change was made. Both sets of worlds cannot exist along side each other, that allows one set of people to infiltrate another, like Lidia did with Denny. If one Rewinder changes history, and if those changes wink out the existence of the UpJohn Institute, then no one from there can exist anymore. Gawd, I need a nap. I'm completely exhausted. Since I'm down a few brains cells, what I'm writing now may not even make sense. I read some other lower rating reviews on this book and saw other readers had a difficult time with multiple Denny's back at the institute. They said they had to re-read the paragraphs over and over again to make sense of it all. I didn't get that far and couldn't have. Two Denny's was too much for me. Hard to believe there were actually more than that if you keep reading.
I did not finish this (75% thereabouts), because I never got a break from all the overlapping strangeness. Even IF I accepted that Denny could live after changing all of our worlds history, I do not accept Lidia and everyone else surviving it, because they were never born. There's no way to get around that either. Sorry. Just because you're a time jumper, doesn't give you a get-out-of-jail free card that somehow allows you to continue to exist when someone changes the world.
Perhaps I would have bought only ONE Rewinder surviving, but the reason would have needed to be convincing to readers.
I also wondered how the UpJohn Institute would allow all these people to jump time anyways.
Denny couldn't have been the first person to screw up by interacting too much with history. The potential for changing things is too great. If I were an institute that could do this, I'd never ever have dozens of teenagers messing with time. I don't care how much training they had.
I would expect quite a bit of history change from not only Denny but from all of the others as well. Many times, it's unavoidable. You cannot possibly know the moves each and every person, animal or vehicle made in any given day or year. One small thing and you change history and like the butterfly effect, it ripples out and small, medium and large things change.
Very very little of this book worked.
When you sit down to write and dig into subject matter like this, having a seemingly good idea is not enough to pull it off.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2016
I received a free ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rewinder is book 1 in the series.
This book follows Denny Younger who is from one of the lowest castes. He is recruited by the Upjohn Institute for something that the recruiters won't tell him, unless he accepts the offer; which he does. And so he finds out about the Rewinders and is on his way to becoming one himself!
A change in history, if only 12 seconds, makes a huge difference to the future, which Denny soon finds out. But maybe the change was for the best...
I truly enjoyed reading this book as I haven't read many books regarding to time travel.
Rewinder is book 1 in the series.
This book follows Denny Younger who is from one of the lowest castes. He is recruited by the Upjohn Institute for something that the recruiters won't tell him, unless he accepts the offer; which he does. And so he finds out about the Rewinders and is on his way to becoming one himself!
A change in history, if only 12 seconds, makes a huge difference to the future, which Denny soon finds out. But maybe the change was for the best...
I truly enjoyed reading this book as I haven't read many books regarding to time travel.
January 1, 2018
Listened to audio; last three quarters of book was a little convoluted
August 26, 2025
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
At the risk of sounding overenthusiastic- THIS BOOK IS AMAZING.
I have heard a lot of great things about Brett's other books in the past, yet for some crazy reason this is the first one I have read. And now I have a lot of catching up to do. You know those authors you find and you love their writing style so much you will just blindly buy anything they put out? Yeah. That.
Denny Younger comes from an alternate present time where he's pretty low in the caste system. However his studious nature earns him some impressive test scores and he ends up with the opportunity of a lifetime. The only catch being that he will not be told what this prestigious job is until he has accepted. So Denny, with not much to lose, jumps blindly into the life altering occupation of a Rewinder.
Now, you might think you see where this is going- boy becomes time traveler, boy messes up something in the past, boy must stumble around trying to fix his error... but you'd be wrong. Well, technically all of that happens, so you'd be right... But only partially right. It is SO much more than that. Trust me.
The plot moves along at a great pace through the beginning of the book and then you get about half way and... BOOM. At this point you'd better have a few hours set aside, because you're not going to want to put it down until you've finished. I don't want to give anything away, but here's a summary of my thoughts while reading:
"What?" "Wait... WHAT??" *stunned silence* "NO. WAY." *gasp* "Denny- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!" " Ooh, THAT'S what you were doing!"
Etc... You get the point.
So at the risk of sounding repetitive- THIS BOOK IS AMAZING.
The characters are well developed and interesting, the pacing is excellent, and the plot is pure genius. I highly recommend this to everyone. I'll be telling all my friends to read it. And if you see a crazy lady handing them out on a street corner yelling, "Read this book! Everyone! You must!" well, maybe bring me a drink or something. Accosting strangers is thirsty work.
5 exuberant stars!!!
At the risk of sounding overenthusiastic- THIS BOOK IS AMAZING.
I have heard a lot of great things about Brett's other books in the past, yet for some crazy reason this is the first one I have read. And now I have a lot of catching up to do. You know those authors you find and you love their writing style so much you will just blindly buy anything they put out? Yeah. That.
Denny Younger comes from an alternate present time where he's pretty low in the caste system. However his studious nature earns him some impressive test scores and he ends up with the opportunity of a lifetime. The only catch being that he will not be told what this prestigious job is until he has accepted. So Denny, with not much to lose, jumps blindly into the life altering occupation of a Rewinder.
Now, you might think you see where this is going- boy becomes time traveler, boy messes up something in the past, boy must stumble around trying to fix his error... but you'd be wrong. Well, technically all of that happens, so you'd be right... But only partially right. It is SO much more than that. Trust me.
The plot moves along at a great pace through the beginning of the book and then you get about half way and... BOOM. At this point you'd better have a few hours set aside, because you're not going to want to put it down until you've finished. I don't want to give anything away, but here's a summary of my thoughts while reading:
"What?" "Wait... WHAT??" *stunned silence* "NO. WAY." *gasp* "Denny- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!" " Ooh, THAT'S what you were doing!"
Etc... You get the point.
So at the risk of sounding repetitive- THIS BOOK IS AMAZING.
The characters are well developed and interesting, the pacing is excellent, and the plot is pure genius. I highly recommend this to everyone. I'll be telling all my friends to read it. And if you see a crazy lady handing them out on a street corner yelling, "Read this book! Everyone! You must!" well, maybe bring me a drink or something. Accosting strangers is thirsty work.
5 exuberant stars!!!
April 10, 2015
ABR's full Rewinder audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
Time travel, alternate history and a nest of paradoxes.
The rewinders are a group of scholars who go back in time to verify the lineage of the 21st Century British aristocracy who pay for the service. In this reality, the American Revolution never occurred and all is British and bleak. The rewinders must only observe the past and never risk changing anything. Obviously, that’s what happens.
Rewinder is a generally good twist on the much used themes of alternate history and time travel. The historical references and detail ring true and give the story weight. Within the time travel elements, there are plenty of paradoxes and self-duplications. Battles just explains them away as that’s just what happens when you time travel and they don’t matter. It does make you think about the difficulty of it all, that even a small change could affect everything.
The story is written in the first person, present tense, so you are inside the main character’s head the whole time. This can get claustrophobic at times. Other times it gets tedious, as he enters our time and explains what we call phones and cars. Uh, we know what a car is.
Narration by Vicas Adams, who does an adequate job. His voice has a specific tone and quality that took this listener some getting used to. It is recommended that you listen to the audio sample and decide if this is a deal breaker. The production quality is excellent and he is certainly a professional.
Rewinder is not ground breaking, but is a pleasant listen. At about the length of a cross country plane flight and back, it is easy to stay with it.
Audiobook purchased for review by ABR.
Time travel, alternate history and a nest of paradoxes.
The rewinders are a group of scholars who go back in time to verify the lineage of the 21st Century British aristocracy who pay for the service. In this reality, the American Revolution never occurred and all is British and bleak. The rewinders must only observe the past and never risk changing anything. Obviously, that’s what happens.
Rewinder is a generally good twist on the much used themes of alternate history and time travel. The historical references and detail ring true and give the story weight. Within the time travel elements, there are plenty of paradoxes and self-duplications. Battles just explains them away as that’s just what happens when you time travel and they don’t matter. It does make you think about the difficulty of it all, that even a small change could affect everything.
The story is written in the first person, present tense, so you are inside the main character’s head the whole time. This can get claustrophobic at times. Other times it gets tedious, as he enters our time and explains what we call phones and cars. Uh, we know what a car is.
Narration by Vicas Adams, who does an adequate job. His voice has a specific tone and quality that took this listener some getting used to. It is recommended that you listen to the audio sample and decide if this is a deal breaker. The production quality is excellent and he is certainly a professional.
Rewinder is not ground breaking, but is a pleasant listen. At about the length of a cross country plane flight and back, it is easy to stay with it.
Audiobook purchased for review by ABR.
February 9, 2019
2 Stars, not for lack of trying.
1. the book is basically a movie waiting to happen, or a series. I mean the skeleton is there, all it needs is a good producer to get on it.
2. The characters were basically flighty at best. Denny is pretty shallow in character development. But so are the others. I am not mad about it, but it is something to watch out for.
3. The love scenes are annoying. How does he fall in love with this girl out of nowhere? It seems contrived. I am not s fan of silly love build ups for the sake of having them.
4. The ending made me mad and happy at the same time. There were so many instances where I wondered how it all worked, and so many questions left unanswered. I was happy to hear that Denny made social security numbers for him and his sister. But what you're telling me is that homeboy couldn't give himself a job or something? Not impressed at all.
5. Lydia is interesting in that she had potential. She lied about where she was and such, but it is not pressed upon. What was she doing? She could be Azula of the Rewinder series with better development.
6. Marie was my favorite character because she was flighty from beginning to end.
I will likely read the other books within the series. Read the books if you want something cute and quick. Definitely not super deep.
1. the book is basically a movie waiting to happen, or a series. I mean the skeleton is there, all it needs is a good producer to get on it.
2. The characters were basically flighty at best. Denny is pretty shallow in character development. But so are the others. I am not mad about it, but it is something to watch out for.
3. The love scenes are annoying. How does he fall in love with this girl out of nowhere? It seems contrived. I am not s fan of silly love build ups for the sake of having them.
4. The ending made me mad and happy at the same time. There were so many instances where I wondered how it all worked, and so many questions left unanswered. I was happy to hear that Denny made social security numbers for him and his sister. But what you're telling me is that homeboy couldn't give himself a job or something? Not impressed at all.
5. Lydia is interesting in that she had potential. She lied about where she was and such, but it is not pressed upon. What was she doing? She could be Azula of the Rewinder series with better development.
6. Marie was my favorite character because she was flighty from beginning to end.
I will likely read the other books within the series. Read the books if you want something cute and quick. Definitely not super deep.
December 18, 2015
I have enjoyed the author’s thrillers featuring “The Cleaner” and have been surprised that they are not more popular or available as they are very well done indeed. And now Mr Battles tries his hand at a time travel story/series. Now time travel stories can be a lot of fun if done right, and this has been done right and it is a lot of fun.
We start with an interesting premise, the ‘today’ we are presented with has a caste based British Empire that is morally corrupt. A young man is given an opportunity to be an authorised time traveller to “observe and report” on key points in the past that can support the lineage of the current elite.
A mistake and our young man is trapped in a different time with the power and ability to decide in which direction “history” will go.
As always with these sorts of novels you have to “go with the flow” a little, if you spend hours trying to follow threads of logic this may not work for you, but I think Brett Battles is having a lot of fun and wants you to just relax and enjoy.
I very much enjoyed this one.
We start with an interesting premise, the ‘today’ we are presented with has a caste based British Empire that is morally corrupt. A young man is given an opportunity to be an authorised time traveller to “observe and report” on key points in the past that can support the lineage of the current elite.
A mistake and our young man is trapped in a different time with the power and ability to decide in which direction “history” will go.
As always with these sorts of novels you have to “go with the flow” a little, if you spend hours trying to follow threads of logic this may not work for you, but I think Brett Battles is having a lot of fun and wants you to just relax and enjoy.
I very much enjoyed this one.
April 4, 2020
Es un libro de ficción realmente bueno, me gustó mucho la historia y como se desarrolla. Los giros que tiene el libro realmente son muy buenos, y el tema de los viajes en el tiempo son geniales; me encanta el hecho de que cambiar sólo una cosa en el pasado puede cambiar todo un futuro; también amé mucho las referencias históricas, los personajes también fueron especiales, no sentía un feeling especial por ninguno pero aún así fueron muy buenos con unas personalidades muy bien descritas, además de que el protagonista principal es muy sencillo, a veces divertido y a veces demasiado serio para su edad, Y aunque no sentí feeling con el, sí me agradó mucho y sentí empatía en ciertas escenas ❤️ fue un buen libro que acabo de enterarme que es una trilogía, Así que definitivamente esperaré a que traduzcan los próximos libros.
July 20, 2015
REVIEW: REWINDER by Brett Battles
Ever wished to go back and change the past? Utter witty repartee, make a decision different, try the path less traveled? In prolific author Brett Battles' near future, alternate- history caste society, a group of "personal historians" can. Of course, they're only supposed to "verify" events (specifically family histories), but they-and their technology--can alter history
Ever wished to go back and change the past? Utter witty repartee, make a decision different, try the path less traveled? In prolific author Brett Battles' near future, alternate- history caste society, a group of "personal historians" can. Of course, they're only supposed to "verify" events (specifically family histories), but they-and their technology--can alter history
February 25, 2018
4 Stars for Narration by Vikas Adam, 3.5 Stars for Story
Mini-Review:
Vikas Adam did a great job narrating the story. He hit the right balance of hesitant and nerdy for the main character, Denny Younger.
This is a story about time travel and alternative histories. What if the States lost the war against the Brits? What could be the potential fallout? How would it influence science, society and countries?
The story is interesting and it's cool to have a protagonist that isn't all about strength and action. Denny is a total bookworm and doing the right thing is etched into his very bones. The world that Denny considers home is a bit hazy to imagine. Not a whole lot of details are given out about it in the story. There's a caste system in place and Denny is towards the end of it. A mere 8. Yet, all of his studies have landed him a rare opportunity and he is whisked off to a secret organization. The sudden raise in status pales in comparison to the job he has accepted. He's going to learn how to travel back and forth in time.
I enjoyed the story. I know a good part of that is due to the narration. It has some fun concepts and brain twisters. I wondered why alternate realities are never mentioned in this book but I figure that would only complicate the story further. In some ways, this story made me think of Dark Matter. A fun little YA story that takes on the task of answering a 'What if...' question.
Mini-Review:
Vikas Adam did a great job narrating the story. He hit the right balance of hesitant and nerdy for the main character, Denny Younger.
This is a story about time travel and alternative histories. What if the States lost the war against the Brits? What could be the potential fallout? How would it influence science, society and countries?
The story is interesting and it's cool to have a protagonist that isn't all about strength and action. Denny is a total bookworm and doing the right thing is etched into his very bones. The world that Denny considers home is a bit hazy to imagine. Not a whole lot of details are given out about it in the story. There's a caste system in place and Denny is towards the end of it. A mere 8. Yet, all of his studies have landed him a rare opportunity and he is whisked off to a secret organization. The sudden raise in status pales in comparison to the job he has accepted. He's going to learn how to travel back and forth in time.
I enjoyed the story. I know a good part of that is due to the narration. It has some fun concepts and brain twisters. I wondered why alternate realities are never mentioned in this book but I figure that would only complicate the story further. In some ways, this story made me think of Dark Matter. A fun little YA story that takes on the task of answering a 'What if...' question.
February 14, 2016
I expected this to be awful, just awful, and that I'd have to dnf it. That expectation probably largely came from how dramatic the description is and the awful, goofy way the narrator reads
"REWIND!"
in the sample. I also probably judged the cover a little bit. *judge judge judge* I gave it a shot because it does sound interesting despite the dramatics and the reviews weren't terrible. Plus: Kindle Unlimited. I could Whyspersynch it. Yassssss.
I ended up completely engrossed in the story. There's time travel and intrigue and bits of history and alternate history and it's all pretty cool. The narration wasn't awful - the most I can probably complain about was the "REWIND!" reading from the sample. (Oy, that was so bad.)
So four stars for all that, yeah. I thoroughly enjoyed this book for the plot and the pretty well explained timelines. But there were definite flaws that kept me from giving a five star rating and they were mostly to do with Denny.
If I could write a recipe for this book (yes, I know that's random and weird, shut up) this would be it:
The Rewinder
(makes two halves)
1 Male Protagonist, aged 18 years
1 Same Male Protagonist, aged 19 years
2 Cups Divergent
1 Tablespoon The Da Vinci Code
1 dash The Hunger Games
5 lbs character detail
3 Cups logic and reasoning
1 small romance (may be substituted with an unwanted, dead carp)
1. Discard character detail. This will not be used.
2. Divide logic and reasoning in half. Discard the second half.
3. Season Male Protagonist (18) with remaining logic and reasoning. DO NOT season with character detail!
4. Mix 1 Cup Divergent with the dash of Hunger Games. Add seasoned Male Protagonist. Bake until crispy.
for second half:
1. Take one Male Protagonist (19). DO NOT season. Mix with 1 Cup Divergent and 1 Tablespoon the Da Vinci Code. Bake until crispy.
2. Bludgeon with small romance.
Denny's more plot device than character. In his world/timeline, Denny was born into a low caste and the whole of his personality is essentially "I was born poor; then my sister died because poor and it made me sad. Also, I'm poor." I'd love to have gotten emotionally attached to Denny but there was just nothing there for me to grab on to. Same with the rest of the characters. Interesting things happened to them, but we never really got to know them.
My other gripe about Denny has to do with his reaction to some MAJOR SPOILERS. So. *spoiler tag*
TL;DR Cool story about cool time travely things. Don't expect character detail. Will absolutely read book 2.
I ended up completely engrossed in the story. There's time travel and intrigue and bits of history and alternate history and it's all pretty cool. The narration wasn't awful - the most I can probably complain about was the "REWIND!" reading from the sample. (Oy, that was so bad.)
So four stars for all that, yeah. I thoroughly enjoyed this book for the plot and the pretty well explained timelines. But there were definite flaws that kept me from giving a five star rating and they were mostly to do with Denny.
If I could write a recipe for this book (yes, I know that's random and weird, shut up) this would be it:
The Rewinder
(makes two halves)
1 Male Protagonist, aged 18 years
1 Same Male Protagonist, aged 19 years
2 Cups Divergent
1 Tablespoon The Da Vinci Code
1 dash The Hunger Games
5 lbs character detail
3 Cups logic and reasoning
1 small romance (may be substituted with an unwanted, dead carp)
1. Discard character detail. This will not be used.
2. Divide logic and reasoning in half. Discard the second half.
3. Season Male Protagonist (18) with remaining logic and reasoning. DO NOT season with character detail!
4. Mix 1 Cup Divergent with the dash of Hunger Games. Add seasoned Male Protagonist. Bake until crispy.
for second half:
1. Take one Male Protagonist (19). DO NOT season. Mix with 1 Cup Divergent and 1 Tablespoon the Da Vinci Code. Bake until crispy.
2. Bludgeon with small romance.
Denny's more plot device than character. In his world/timeline, Denny was born into a low caste and the whole of his personality is essentially "I was born poor; then my sister died because poor and it made me sad. Also, I'm poor." I'd love to have gotten emotionally attached to Denny but there was just nothing there for me to grab on to. Same with the rest of the characters. Interesting things happened to them, but we never really got to know them.
My other gripe about Denny has to do with his reaction to some MAJOR SPOILERS. So. *spoiler tag*
TL;DR Cool story about cool time travely things. Don't expect character detail. Will absolutely read book 2.
September 10, 2016
I have always been a sucker for time travel stories but not because I’m fascinated by going back and forward in time and see the world of the past or get a glimpse at our possible futures, but because I like how thinking about time traveling messes with my brain. I’m not very good at physics and time travel stories with a very scientific approach often give me a headache but I really like the challenges those kind of stories provide and I can get very obsessed with thinking about paradoxes and torture my brain with lots of „what if…“ questions that always lead from one problem to another and usually never end up in a flawless and logical explanation – it can be very stressful, but I love it. Another aspect I love about time travel stories is that they often result in alternate universes that are created by the characters’ decisions and actions. The scenarios that I find most intriguing are usually those that share a timeline with the world we know but at some point in the past took a different turn – often just a tiny detail – that created a whole new universe.
Time travel and an alternate universe
Brett Battles’ novel „Rewinder“ meets both criteria: it’s a book that deals with time travel and not only creates an alternate universe, but is even set in one. Battles’ protagonist Denny Younger grew up in a world where the British Empire has come out as winner from all the major conflicts and wars in the history of mankind and still rules the world in the 21st century. America is not much more than just a huge British colony and so Denny lives in a city called New Cardiff and living in a colony can be tough when you don’t belong to the British aristocracy: the society is divided into different rungs and Denny is a Level Eight, which means he grew up in one of the lowest castes of the system. Since the boy is not a dreamer Denny has accepted that life won’t have a lot in store for him and when he leaves school and takes the compulsory placement examination to sort him into a suitable profession basically all he hopes for is getting a job that takes him away from his uncaring loser dad. But you know how young adult stories work: history nerd Denny exceeds all expectations and gets chosen by the Upjohn Institute, a mysterious and powerful organization that offers him the chance of leading a life full of adventure and wealth he never even dared to dream of.
An institute for time-traveling historians
So far „Rewinder“ sounds like the typical YA scifi story and this a bit predictable introduction already prepares the readers for a plot that might not be the most original one – but it’s still an entertaining one, especially if you have a thing for time travel, because Denny gets chosen to become a so-called Rewinder. That means the institute gives him a teleporter-like device called „chaser“ that allows him to travel through time and space and become a historian of the special kind: The Upjohn Institute works for aristocrats that want them to verify their lineages, so the Rewinders travel back into the lives of their clients’ ancestors and observe them to check if all the biographical facts are true. Sounds a bit boring, but you can be sure that if you give teenagers a time travel device and tell them not to mess with the past and influence it, then of course sooner or later this is exactly what’s going to happen…
Born to mess with the universe
Like I already mentioned „Rewinder“ was far away from being the most original time travel story I’ve read but I still enjoyed it a lot. The pacing was good and Denny made for a likable and relatable protagonist even though he came with the typical „poor kid with a low social status becomes the chosen one“ cliché although this time there’s no prophecy or else involved. I also liked how Brett Battles introduced his time travel aspect because it was easy to follow the explanations and slowly learn about the concept of the Rewinders but it was still interesting to read about and mysterious enough to make me curious. In fact I liked the idea about the Upjohn Institute so much that I had wished for even more insights into the daily life at the institute, maybe like some boarding school for time travelers – but the reason for this might be my passion for boarding school stories in general^^
A rather simple but entertaining time travel adventure
What I liked most about „Rewinder“ though was the exciting plot twist in the middle of the book that changed everything and made Denny’s POV even more interesting but saying more about this would ruin the fun for everyone who still wants to read the book. On the negative side I’m not 100% happy with how the author dealt with time travel in this story because I sometimes had the impression that a lot of explanations were a bit superficial and didn’t always have a very convincing logic. It might be a good idea not wanting to overwhelm a rather young audience with too much science and mind-blowing paradoxes but I occasionally found that some aspects weren’t though-out to the end and therefore led to a few plot holes. But I didn’t really mind because overall I really enjoyed „Rewinder“ since it was a fun time travel adventure and I’m glad there’s a sequel because I think the setting still has potential for more. By the way: Brett Battles’ book also works as a standalone since the main plot gets resolved and it doesn’t leave you with too many unanswered questions, so it’s up to the reader to decide if you want more of this – I definitely do.
Time travel and an alternate universe
Brett Battles’ novel „Rewinder“ meets both criteria: it’s a book that deals with time travel and not only creates an alternate universe, but is even set in one. Battles’ protagonist Denny Younger grew up in a world where the British Empire has come out as winner from all the major conflicts and wars in the history of mankind and still rules the world in the 21st century. America is not much more than just a huge British colony and so Denny lives in a city called New Cardiff and living in a colony can be tough when you don’t belong to the British aristocracy: the society is divided into different rungs and Denny is a Level Eight, which means he grew up in one of the lowest castes of the system. Since the boy is not a dreamer Denny has accepted that life won’t have a lot in store for him and when he leaves school and takes the compulsory placement examination to sort him into a suitable profession basically all he hopes for is getting a job that takes him away from his uncaring loser dad. But you know how young adult stories work: history nerd Denny exceeds all expectations and gets chosen by the Upjohn Institute, a mysterious and powerful organization that offers him the chance of leading a life full of adventure and wealth he never even dared to dream of.
An institute for time-traveling historians
So far „Rewinder“ sounds like the typical YA scifi story and this a bit predictable introduction already prepares the readers for a plot that might not be the most original one – but it’s still an entertaining one, especially if you have a thing for time travel, because Denny gets chosen to become a so-called Rewinder. That means the institute gives him a teleporter-like device called „chaser“ that allows him to travel through time and space and become a historian of the special kind: The Upjohn Institute works for aristocrats that want them to verify their lineages, so the Rewinders travel back into the lives of their clients’ ancestors and observe them to check if all the biographical facts are true. Sounds a bit boring, but you can be sure that if you give teenagers a time travel device and tell them not to mess with the past and influence it, then of course sooner or later this is exactly what’s going to happen…
Born to mess with the universe
Like I already mentioned „Rewinder“ was far away from being the most original time travel story I’ve read but I still enjoyed it a lot. The pacing was good and Denny made for a likable and relatable protagonist even though he came with the typical „poor kid with a low social status becomes the chosen one“ cliché although this time there’s no prophecy or else involved. I also liked how Brett Battles introduced his time travel aspect because it was easy to follow the explanations and slowly learn about the concept of the Rewinders but it was still interesting to read about and mysterious enough to make me curious. In fact I liked the idea about the Upjohn Institute so much that I had wished for even more insights into the daily life at the institute, maybe like some boarding school for time travelers – but the reason for this might be my passion for boarding school stories in general^^
A rather simple but entertaining time travel adventure
What I liked most about „Rewinder“ though was the exciting plot twist in the middle of the book that changed everything and made Denny’s POV even more interesting but saying more about this would ruin the fun for everyone who still wants to read the book. On the negative side I’m not 100% happy with how the author dealt with time travel in this story because I sometimes had the impression that a lot of explanations were a bit superficial and didn’t always have a very convincing logic. It might be a good idea not wanting to overwhelm a rather young audience with too much science and mind-blowing paradoxes but I occasionally found that some aspects weren’t though-out to the end and therefore led to a few plot holes. But I didn’t really mind because overall I really enjoyed „Rewinder“ since it was a fun time travel adventure and I’m glad there’s a sequel because I think the setting still has potential for more. By the way: Brett Battles’ book also works as a standalone since the main plot gets resolved and it doesn’t leave you with too many unanswered questions, so it’s up to the reader to decide if you want more of this – I definitely do.
April 26, 2017
I think this one's a five! Every now and then I come across a book I just can't put down. This is one of them. What would've happened if American had always stayed a British colony? There are really two parts to the book, and both were intense - the steps building up to the climactic changing point and what happened because of it. I had to think clearly in order to follow all the time traveling that was going on, but I was able to do it. I was afraid at the end I would be left hanging, but although the ending entices me to want to read the next volume, I was quite satisfied.
April 9, 2017
Fascinating and horrifying at the same time. Could not put this book down. Great, original story line that I have not seen (as in read) before. Somehow the author got me to identify with the main character and the soul searching decisions he had to make. Extremely well done. Can't wait to get the second installment.
October 11, 2020
This was a very entertaining sci-fi/alternate history/time traveling/YA novel. I'm not sure how to classify it (and that's a good thing). In an alternate universe, "Rewinders" go back through history to confirm a person's ancestral past (something Ancestry.com will offer in 20yrs, no doubt). But what happens when a rewinder changes history and creates a different world...the world we know. Lots of fun.
July 12, 2021
This one has dystopian and alternative history elements as well as time travel.
I have read all of this author's Jonathan Quinn series and enjoyed them, so I decided to give this a try. I am glad I did because this is the best time travel book I have read in a long time.
I have read all of this author's Jonathan Quinn series and enjoyed them, so I decided to give this a try. I am glad I did because this is the best time travel book I have read in a long time.
September 1, 2017
3.5 stars. Interesting concept. But there were a few plot holes that bothered me.
August 17, 2018
This book really captured my imagination, I really enjoyed it! It would make a great movie. I bought it in a whim because “time travel”, and it shortly became something I enthused about every night to my wife...I’ll bet she reads it next! I’m off to the sequel...
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