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The Downstream Diaries #1
The Unexpected Gift of Joseph Bridgeman
Librarian Note: This is an alternate cover edition for ASIN B014757M9U.
Meet Joseph Bridgeman, a reclusive insomniac with a weakness for ‘The Beatles’ on vinyl and a constant headache. When his annoying accountant suggests hypnotherapy might help him sleep, Joseph accidentally discovers he can time-travel and things get a little complicated.
With the help of Vinny, a local record shop owner, Mark, his old school friend, and Alexia Finch, his hypno-time-travel guru, Joe sets out to change the course of his life. He needs to get back to 1992, the year his world fell apart, the year that Amy, his sister, went missing. The only problem (apart from his clothes disappearing) is that the further back he goes the less time he gets to stay there.
Can Joe master his new-found gift before time catches up with him?
Meet Joseph Bridgeman, a reclusive insomniac with a weakness for ‘The Beatles’ on vinyl and a constant headache. When his annoying accountant suggests hypnotherapy might help him sleep, Joseph accidentally discovers he can time-travel and things get a little complicated.
With the help of Vinny, a local record shop owner, Mark, his old school friend, and Alexia Finch, his hypno-time-travel guru, Joe sets out to change the course of his life. He needs to get back to 1992, the year his world fell apart, the year that Amy, his sister, went missing. The only problem (apart from his clothes disappearing) is that the further back he goes the less time he gets to stay there.
Can Joe master his new-found gift before time catches up with him?
458 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2015
556 people are currently reading
1497 people want to read
About the author
Nick Jones
19 books628 followersAuthor of the Joseph Bridgeman series. Page-turning time travel mysteries.
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Check out my books here:
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Be sure to follow me on BookBub:
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/nick-...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 195 reviews
October 4, 2016
As a huge time travel fan, I have read many. The Unexpected Gift of Joseph Bridgeman is one of the most complex and engaging stories I have ever read. We not only get to see the adventure of time travel, we get to enjoy Joe accepting his gifts and learning how to manage them in order to set his life straight. He has a family that has been tragically affected by an event that occurs when he is fourteen. He is a changed person due to this event and he strives to make it right when he finds himself able to bounce around different years in his life.
As a new reader of Nick Jonas, I am so impressed with his writing ability. It is so detailed and absorbing. I want to read more from him. He pulls the reader in and surrounds them with an authenticity that many authors fail to achieve. I would recommend this to anyone that loves a well written time travel book. It has such fluidity, it is hard to put down. I am ready for more books about Joe Bridgeman.
As a new reader of Nick Jonas, I am so impressed with his writing ability. It is so detailed and absorbing. I want to read more from him. He pulls the reader in and surrounds them with an authenticity that many authors fail to achieve. I would recommend this to anyone that loves a well written time travel book. It has such fluidity, it is hard to put down. I am ready for more books about Joe Bridgeman.
December 15, 2022
The Unexpected Gift Of Joseph Bridgeman was originally written as seven six-weekly episodes which are here compiled as a novel. Nick Jones later heavily edited these and tweaked some aspects of the plot into the novel And Then She Vanished, which is also shifted to five years later. In this original version, Joe’s psychometry only becomes important in the story much later, and the plot is much more convoluted.
Edited out were: much of the tedious process of Joe’s mastering time travel, (thankfully) the bizarre disappearance of Joe’s clothing (which was an unnecessary complication and for which there was no logic anyway), some flashbacks to earlier incidents, and a lot of extraneous detail, only some of which is interesting for what it adds to the characters. The editing makes for a much more readable version. My review for the edited version follows.
And Then She Vanished is the first book in the Joseph Bridgeman series by Nick Jones. While fourteen-year-old Joseph was busy trying to win his adored little sister Amy a plush toy at the 1997 King’s fun fair in Cheltenham, she vanished. No one saw where the seven-year-old went, and she was never found so, Joseph reasons, she could still be alive, somewhere.
Twenty-three years on, his mum is in a care facility with dementia, his dad absent, and his accountant and good friend, Martin is telling him the family home is in danger of repossession. Joseph is again plagued with the nightmares that replay the moment of Amy’s disappearance. It’s playing havoc with his sleep, and his online antiques business, usually assisted by his psychometric ability, is suffering.
Just to please Martin, he sees hypnotherapist, Alexia Finch, who teaches him a somewhat successful relaxation technique. In a bizarre side-effect, or maybe coincidentally, he finds he’s time travelling. He’s not quite sure how it works, so he’s being cautious not to change anything, but his immediate thought is to return to 1997 and prevent Amy from vanishing.
Needing to learn more about it, he does a few jumps back in time, sorting out his immediate financial problems in one instance, but his return to 1997 is too short to learn anything. He takes his good friend, Vinny into his confidence. Vinny is excited and enthusiastic, but ultimately Joe decides he needs the expertise of his friend, Mark D’Stellar, a Professor of Mathematical Sciences.
While Vinny took little convincing, Mark needs a demo, but then both are on board to help him save his little sister, with good advice, support and theory on how and why. Dreams of Amy, and his psychometric ability (visions from objects) help to narrow down the search, but even following Mark’s logical suggestions, Joe fails. Something else is needed…
In this first book of the series, Jones gives the reader an intriguing mystery with a clever twist, and time travel that’s not too complicated to follow. His characters are fairly likeable, with believable quirks and flaws, and it will be interesting to see where the second book, The Shadows Of London, takes them. A very enjoyable time-travel mystery.
Edited out were: much of the tedious process of Joe’s mastering time travel, (thankfully) the bizarre disappearance of Joe’s clothing (which was an unnecessary complication and for which there was no logic anyway), some flashbacks to earlier incidents, and a lot of extraneous detail, only some of which is interesting for what it adds to the characters. The editing makes for a much more readable version. My review for the edited version follows.
And Then She Vanished is the first book in the Joseph Bridgeman series by Nick Jones. While fourteen-year-old Joseph was busy trying to win his adored little sister Amy a plush toy at the 1997 King’s fun fair in Cheltenham, she vanished. No one saw where the seven-year-old went, and she was never found so, Joseph reasons, she could still be alive, somewhere.
Twenty-three years on, his mum is in a care facility with dementia, his dad absent, and his accountant and good friend, Martin is telling him the family home is in danger of repossession. Joseph is again plagued with the nightmares that replay the moment of Amy’s disappearance. It’s playing havoc with his sleep, and his online antiques business, usually assisted by his psychometric ability, is suffering.
Just to please Martin, he sees hypnotherapist, Alexia Finch, who teaches him a somewhat successful relaxation technique. In a bizarre side-effect, or maybe coincidentally, he finds he’s time travelling. He’s not quite sure how it works, so he’s being cautious not to change anything, but his immediate thought is to return to 1997 and prevent Amy from vanishing.
Needing to learn more about it, he does a few jumps back in time, sorting out his immediate financial problems in one instance, but his return to 1997 is too short to learn anything. He takes his good friend, Vinny into his confidence. Vinny is excited and enthusiastic, but ultimately Joe decides he needs the expertise of his friend, Mark D’Stellar, a Professor of Mathematical Sciences.
While Vinny took little convincing, Mark needs a demo, but then both are on board to help him save his little sister, with good advice, support and theory on how and why. Dreams of Amy, and his psychometric ability (visions from objects) help to narrow down the search, but even following Mark’s logical suggestions, Joe fails. Something else is needed…
In this first book of the series, Jones gives the reader an intriguing mystery with a clever twist, and time travel that’s not too complicated to follow. His characters are fairly likeable, with believable quirks and flaws, and it will be interesting to see where the second book, The Shadows Of London, takes them. A very enjoyable time-travel mystery.
April 16, 2016
To be honest I only chose this book because it was cheap on Amazon and sounded kind of interesting. I was actually really surprised at how much I enjoyed it! The book's greatest strength is the story-telling, which is masterful at giving you just the right amount of character building, plot and clues to keep me hooked the whole way through.
I loved the mystery behind Amy's disappearance and the way it unfolded. The 'rules' of time travelling were logical enough to follow without being too complicated so that the story could take centre stage. I also loved the ending, which resolved almost all of the important bits (I did want to know what happened with Mark though) while still leaving it wide open for a sequel, which is supposedly coming this year and which I will definitely look out for.
If you like a fantastical adventure mystery with some great characters and an excellent story then check it out - I recommend it.
I loved the mystery behind Amy's disappearance and the way it unfolded. The 'rules' of time travelling were logical enough to follow without being too complicated so that the story could take centre stage. I also loved the ending, which resolved almost all of the important bits (I did want to know what happened with Mark though) while still leaving it wide open for a sequel, which is supposedly coming this year and which I will definitely look out for.
If you like a fantastical adventure mystery with some great characters and an excellent story then check it out - I recommend it.
August 17, 2016
Please stop overusing italics. Please.
The first half of this book was somewhat hard to get into, but it does pick up and get more interesting. For me, though, that was the point when I suddenly became aware of the writer's insane overuse of italics, and once I noticed it, it became annoyingly intrusive.
Since you can't do italics on Amazon reviews, I'll substitute asterisks. For example:
‘I’ve done *similar* things to do with stress or smoking or eating disorders,’ she pauses. ‘Okay, so not *quite* like this, but it’s the same principle.’ She leans in and I smell her shampoo again, clean and soapy. ‘We send you *back* and I program you to jump *again*.’
Virtually every conversation contains these *unnecessary* italicized words, as though I *might* not understand what the author is *saying.*
I find myself wondering now how much more enjoyable the book might *be* if it wasn't for all the over emphasized words.
It's unclear if I'll be able to finish (I'm nearly to the end) because of how jarring it is. At one point I counted *five* italicized words within one paragraph and that's five too many.
If the author does a revision and someone takes out the italics, this would be a better book. There are other issues with the story - the first third could be streamlined a bit and there are some continuity missteps - but I think it would flow infinitely better sans italics. Sorry, I mean it would flow infinitely *better* sans *italics.* - There, I italicized the word italics.
2.5 stars; could be 3.5 or higher with a judicious revising.
The first half of this book was somewhat hard to get into, but it does pick up and get more interesting. For me, though, that was the point when I suddenly became aware of the writer's insane overuse of italics, and once I noticed it, it became annoyingly intrusive.
Since you can't do italics on Amazon reviews, I'll substitute asterisks. For example:
‘I’ve done *similar* things to do with stress or smoking or eating disorders,’ she pauses. ‘Okay, so not *quite* like this, but it’s the same principle.’ She leans in and I smell her shampoo again, clean and soapy. ‘We send you *back* and I program you to jump *again*.’
Virtually every conversation contains these *unnecessary* italicized words, as though I *might* not understand what the author is *saying.*
I find myself wondering now how much more enjoyable the book might *be* if it wasn't for all the over emphasized words.
It's unclear if I'll be able to finish (I'm nearly to the end) because of how jarring it is. At one point I counted *five* italicized words within one paragraph and that's five too many.
If the author does a revision and someone takes out the italics, this would be a better book. There are other issues with the story - the first third could be streamlined a bit and there are some continuity missteps - but I think it would flow infinitely better sans italics. Sorry, I mean it would flow infinitely *better* sans *italics.* - There, I italicized the word italics.
2.5 stars; could be 3.5 or higher with a judicious revising.
February 4, 2016
It is always worth taking a chance on an 'unknown' because sometimes you come across gold. The author sent me a complete copy of Downstream a while ago, and I finally got around to reading it and within a few pages I realised just how good both his idea and his writing are. I'm not kidding, this really hooked me.
I've been reviewing this episode by episode as I've gone alone, as Nick Jones wrote this to be released, as Dickens once did, in smaller chunks. Those reviews are available on this website, so this review will offer an overview and summary of those critiques.
Downstream is a story in 7 episodes. A story of a man approaching middle age who can't sleep, who experiences strange visions and memories and whose life is stalling decades after the disappearance of his little sister at a fair when they were both children. After sessions with a psychotherapist, Joe discovers that the treatment has opened his mind up to a latent ability - he can time travel. This happens at the end of episode 1, and at that point I knew I wasn't going to be stopping until I'd finished the whole thing.
Joe is brilliant, a flawed but funny guy, with foibles, obsessions and a likeable, sympathetic manner. He gradually gathers around him a group of allies, professionals and friends (some I wanted more from) that help him work out the 'rules' of time travel and assist him in his quest. And what is his plan? Well, from the beginning we feel for him and want little Amy to remain at the fair: is this going to be possible?
The 'science' behind Jones' time travel is, of course, all fantasy, the purpose and how?why? of it doesn't matter, it's all about what Jones does with the idea. His construction of the system is brilliant, he has a unique take on time travel and each incident of it is well-described and exciting. The crossovers in time that happen make sense, the mathematics of it all is nicely brought it and planned out.
I really REALLY want to see this on television, and I will definitely want to read Season 2 as the story allows for future development and direction with enough closure to feel satisfying but story arcs still unfulfilled.
Some great writing in here, very impressive. DO try this.
With thanks to the author for the complementary copy, sent for review purposes.
I've been reviewing this episode by episode as I've gone alone, as Nick Jones wrote this to be released, as Dickens once did, in smaller chunks. Those reviews are available on this website, so this review will offer an overview and summary of those critiques.
Downstream is a story in 7 episodes. A story of a man approaching middle age who can't sleep, who experiences strange visions and memories and whose life is stalling decades after the disappearance of his little sister at a fair when they were both children. After sessions with a psychotherapist, Joe discovers that the treatment has opened his mind up to a latent ability - he can time travel. This happens at the end of episode 1, and at that point I knew I wasn't going to be stopping until I'd finished the whole thing.
Joe is brilliant, a flawed but funny guy, with foibles, obsessions and a likeable, sympathetic manner. He gradually gathers around him a group of allies, professionals and friends (some I wanted more from) that help him work out the 'rules' of time travel and assist him in his quest. And what is his plan? Well, from the beginning we feel for him and want little Amy to remain at the fair: is this going to be possible?
The 'science' behind Jones' time travel is, of course, all fantasy, the purpose and how?why? of it doesn't matter, it's all about what Jones does with the idea. His construction of the system is brilliant, he has a unique take on time travel and each incident of it is well-described and exciting. The crossovers in time that happen make sense, the mathematics of it all is nicely brought it and planned out.
I really REALLY want to see this on television, and I will definitely want to read Season 2 as the story allows for future development and direction with enough closure to feel satisfying but story arcs still unfulfilled.
Some great writing in here, very impressive. DO try this.
With thanks to the author for the complementary copy, sent for review purposes.
April 14, 2016
Just read it
It's the middle of the night I have work in three hours. Finishing this book is going to mean I am zonked out tomorrow. But I don't care it was worth it - a superb read and hopefully the start of a long series. Just read it :)
It's the middle of the night I have work in three hours. Finishing this book is going to mean I am zonked out tomorrow. But I don't care it was worth it - a superb read and hopefully the start of a long series. Just read it :)
May 2, 2017
Nick Jones has a very strange sense of humor and uses that to interject many song-title groaners into his story. The mechanism for time-travel isn't very unbelievable and nothing is too particularly fresh - in fact he references other things like Back to the Future to make some of his points. Until the end, the book or series of stories is weak but the ending has some promise (which lifted my rating by one star). Not sure how I would feel about reading additional books in this series - they would have to be much deeper and have more originality.
August 23, 2018
Fabulous!
Clever, funny, entertaining, gripping and unique. I had no idea any of this was set in my hometown of Cheltenham until I dived in and that made it all the more magical. If Nick Jones hasn't been snapped up by one of the big 5 publishers soon, like Mark D'Stellar, I'll eat my hat!
Clever, funny, entertaining, gripping and unique. I had no idea any of this was set in my hometown of Cheltenham until I dived in and that made it all the more magical. If Nick Jones hasn't been snapped up by one of the big 5 publishers soon, like Mark D'Stellar, I'll eat my hat!
July 9, 2017
I'm surprised I finished this book as I found the main character, Joe Bridgeman, to be incredibly annoying. He was so selfish and arrogant although it felt like Jones was going for charming, cute and a little quirky. He wasn't. I don't even know why the people in his life stuck around.
There were occasions where I'd start to enjoy the book and then he'd say or think something and I'd roll my eyes and think "really?". This stood out to me in particular:
"Joe looks back at her with indifference. ‘Just watch,’ he says, with a knowing grin. Man, am I always this annoying?"
And internally I screamed "YES! Yes you are!"
The last part of the book improved quite a lot but it took more than 300 pages to get there and overall probably wasn't worth the effort of reading the entire book. It probably pushed my review up to a 2.5 but not enough that I'd change this to a 3 star.
There were occasions where I'd start to enjoy the book and then he'd say or think something and I'd roll my eyes and think "really?". This stood out to me in particular:
"Joe looks back at her with indifference. ‘Just watch,’ he says, with a knowing grin. Man, am I always this annoying?"
And internally I screamed "YES! Yes you are!"
The last part of the book improved quite a lot but it took more than 300 pages to get there and overall probably wasn't worth the effort of reading the entire book. It probably pushed my review up to a 2.5 but not enough that I'd change this to a 3 star.
April 7, 2019
Absolutely loved this book. Was looking for a free book to test out on my new kindle and had to wade through the plethora of free “non-stop thrilling crime” books (not a fan of the genre). And I stumbled across this, I was sceptical of the time traveling element and wasn’t sure what to expect. But whatever expectations I had, it surpassed them. It was funny, yet emotional, dramatic and yet also a light read. It had everything. An easy read yet no less gripping and I powered through it, unable to put it down.
I found the characters to be very realistic and relatable which therefore made the story believable and engrossing. Loved the style, loved the characters and loved the story.
Would recommend to anyone, if you don’t have a kindle just download the app and read this book. It’s free and brilliant! What a gem of a book. Will likely look for others by the same author.
I found the characters to be very realistic and relatable which therefore made the story believable and engrossing. Loved the style, loved the characters and loved the story.
Would recommend to anyone, if you don’t have a kindle just download the app and read this book. It’s free and brilliant! What a gem of a book. Will likely look for others by the same author.
February 16, 2017
Han quel livre mais quel livre !
Acheté grâce à la promotion Kindle du mois, je ne pensais pas autant adorer.
Des voyages dans le temps, de l'humour, des personnages super attachants et une fin qui me donne envie de sauter sur la suite (qui n'existe pas encore :'()
Bref j'ai adoré !
Acheté grâce à la promotion Kindle du mois, je ne pensais pas autant adorer.
Des voyages dans le temps, de l'humour, des personnages super attachants et une fin qui me donne envie de sauter sur la suite (qui n'existe pas encore :'()
Bref j'ai adoré !
February 24, 2018
Loved this book and was chuffed to find its part of a series!
November 14, 2023
Als er 14 Jahre ist verschwindet seine kleine Schwester spurlos und das prägt sein ganzes weiteres Leben. Jetzt Mitte 30 befindet sein Leben sich in einer Abwärtsspirale. Um endlich seine Schlaf- und Rastlosigkeit zu überwinden, nimmt Joseph Bridgeman die Hilfe einer Hypnosetherapeutin in Anspruch. Dabei findet er durch Zufall heraus, dass er Zeitreisen kann. Doch zu Beginn ist es eher eine Achterbahn, als ein wirkliches Vergnügen, denn er kann noch nicht kontrollieren wohin und wie lang er springt. Außerdem verschwinden seine Klamotten vor ihm zurück in ihre Zeit, so dass er sich mehr als einmal völlig blank in der Öffentlichkeit wieder findet. In Joseph reift jedoch der Plan, den riesigen Fehler, den die Geschichte gemacht hat, auszuradieren. Er will seine kleine Schwester retten und damit seine Familie.
Eigentlich hat mich lediglich das Cover angesprochen, als ich es als Freebie bei Amazon heruntergeladen hatte und daher habe ich nicht wirklich viel von der Geschichte erwartet. Ich wurde eines Besseren belehrt. Dank Herrn Jones, habe ich manches Mal meine Straßenbahnhaltestelle verpasst oder bin wie ein Zombie auf Arbeit, weil ich nur noch schnell ein Kapitel lesen musste um zu wissen wie es weitergeht. Es ist ein großartiges Buch. Joseph ist kein einfacher Charakter, den man sofort ins Herz schließt, aber auf seine kauzige Art dann doch wieder liebenswert. Vor allem hat er eine Schwäche für die Beatles. Schon immer konnte er durch Visionen die Geheimnisse seiner Mitmenschen in Erfahrung bringen, was nicht immer gut ist, daher isoliert er sich von der Umwelt. Aber als Leser ist man ganz nah dran, wenn er beginnt am Leben teilzunehmen und sich allem wieder öffnet. Die Beschreibung der Zeitreisen ist auch top, es ist so realistisch, dass ich mir durchaus vorstellen könnte, dass es so und nicht anders abläuft. Ich bewundere den Autor, dass ihm bei diesem doch recht komplexen Gedankenexperiment kein Logikfehler unterläuft. Vielmehr lässt er seinen Protagonisten, so manchen Fehlschlag erleben, dass die Story dadurch noch authentischer wirkt. Nach dem Ende scheint es einen zweiten Band zu geben und ich stehe ganz vorn in der Reihe, wenn es darum geht, den zu lesen.
Diese Story zeigt mir, dass es möglich ist unter der Vielzahl selbstveröffentlichten Geschichten einen richtigen Diamanten zu finden, dafür lohnt es sich durch allerlei schlechte Bücher zu kämpfen.
Eigentlich hat mich lediglich das Cover angesprochen, als ich es als Freebie bei Amazon heruntergeladen hatte und daher habe ich nicht wirklich viel von der Geschichte erwartet. Ich wurde eines Besseren belehrt. Dank Herrn Jones, habe ich manches Mal meine Straßenbahnhaltestelle verpasst oder bin wie ein Zombie auf Arbeit, weil ich nur noch schnell ein Kapitel lesen musste um zu wissen wie es weitergeht. Es ist ein großartiges Buch. Joseph ist kein einfacher Charakter, den man sofort ins Herz schließt, aber auf seine kauzige Art dann doch wieder liebenswert. Vor allem hat er eine Schwäche für die Beatles. Schon immer konnte er durch Visionen die Geheimnisse seiner Mitmenschen in Erfahrung bringen, was nicht immer gut ist, daher isoliert er sich von der Umwelt. Aber als Leser ist man ganz nah dran, wenn er beginnt am Leben teilzunehmen und sich allem wieder öffnet. Die Beschreibung der Zeitreisen ist auch top, es ist so realistisch, dass ich mir durchaus vorstellen könnte, dass es so und nicht anders abläuft. Ich bewundere den Autor, dass ihm bei diesem doch recht komplexen Gedankenexperiment kein Logikfehler unterläuft. Vielmehr lässt er seinen Protagonisten, so manchen Fehlschlag erleben, dass die Story dadurch noch authentischer wirkt. Nach dem Ende scheint es einen zweiten Band zu geben und ich stehe ganz vorn in der Reihe, wenn es darum geht, den zu lesen.
Diese Story zeigt mir, dass es möglich ist unter der Vielzahl selbstveröffentlichten Geschichten einen richtigen Diamanten zu finden, dafür lohnt es sich durch allerlei schlechte Bücher zu kämpfen.
September 8, 2016
While it took me a really long time to read, this book was really special.
Jonas approached the topic of time-travelling from a whole new point and made it less supernatural with incorporating "scientific" explanations of how it works for the main character. Another positive aspect of this book were the lovable and very relateable characters.
The author gave the reader a lot of time to get to know the characters and their background - especially Jospeh - and while I appreciated that, I found that the book was dragging out the build-up to saving Amy a lot.
Of course I also loved the ending - and who would not after Joseph' trails and errors. But I was also a little bit disappointed in the ending, since - considering the long build-up - it felt really rushed and I did not get to know Joseph's new world as well as I would have liked.
I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel :)
Jonas approached the topic of time-travelling from a whole new point and made it less supernatural with incorporating "scientific" explanations of how it works for the main character. Another positive aspect of this book were the lovable and very relateable characters.
The author gave the reader a lot of time to get to know the characters and their background - especially Jospeh - and while I appreciated that, I found that the book was dragging out the build-up to saving Amy a lot.
Of course I also loved the ending - and who would not after Joseph' trails and errors. But I was also a little bit disappointed in the ending, since - considering the long build-up - it felt really rushed and I did not get to know Joseph's new world as well as I would have liked.
I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel :)
March 12, 2023
The premise was interesting and the writing seemed light and engaging so I started out with fairly high hopes. I'm a reader who if a story is well written and has interesting characters, will willingly surrender herself to it and not get bogged down by disbelief. Unfortunately, once the time travel business got going, it seemed that there was just too much to stretch the imagination. (Why did the clothes take half the time to travel back??) I didn't get it. As for the mystery at the heart of it, it took me much less time than it took Bridgeman to figure that out. And why do major characters go missing - especially the very supportive accountant? I wanted to like the book but I wondered if the writer got as confused as I did to keep everything straight in his mind.
April 17, 2017
This book started out a bit slow for me, and didn't really pick up until Joseph started understanding his gift a bit more. Once that happened, the pages started flying by and before I knew it the book was over and I was left wanting more. Thankfully this is the first book in a series.
I really liked the "rubber band" effect and associated "rules" that governed the use of Joseph's gift and look forward to how his gift will be used in the rest of the series.
I really liked the "rubber band" effect and associated "rules" that governed the use of Joseph's gift and look forward to how his gift will be used in the rest of the series.
October 11, 2018
2.5 stars. Almost unforgivably slow to start, but fortunately picked up after the first quarter. I couldn’t much empathize with the main character, and his development seemed contrived. Nevertheless, the plot flowed nicely and there was some effective emotional resonance.
January 20, 2021
I love this book, it is an easy reading, you can't stop until the end and if you like time travel books and you want to read one that doesn't talk about ancient eras or a very scientific things, this is your book. I recommend it without hesitation, you are going to enjoy it. 😍
July 26, 2017
I'm always looking for good time travel stories and this novel intrigued me from the book cover to the back cover blurb. I began reading it not knowing what to expect and began smiling as I dug into it. I love discovering Indie gems and this book turned out to be one. It's one of the best time travel novels I've read and reminded me a little of The Time Traveler's Wife, except this book made me laugh. And I mean laugh-out-loud belly laugh. I'd find myself bursting into spontaneous laughter at some of the scenes. It's been a long time since any book did that for me.
This is not the sci-fi kind of time travel. Joseph, is a regular guy. He's become a reclusive, having lost his business, living without purpose and affected by traumatic events in his past. The reader feels for him and the author slowly builds his character as we begin to piece together how Joseph got to the sad state he's in. When Joseph accidentally discovers he can time travel, he now tries to adjust to this new gift and the possibility that he can now travel back in time to find his little sister who disappeared at the fair when they were children.
This was not only a fun book to read but I found that the author created a brilliant plot with complex characters and emotional situations. Joseph is an anti-hero who has to overcome emotional barriers to take action in his life. He lives with guilt and remorse and this has nearly destroyed his life. He has to get past his reclusive lonely state and enlist the help of others. The author peels back the layers of his life through flashbacks. I loved the cultural references to the 90s interspersed through the book.
I couldn't help but like Joseph and the other characters too. The scenes between him and his sister were so endearing and touching. The author skillfully blends action, intrigue, time travel and comedy to bring us a unique and original story. I couldn't put this book down and read snippets of it every free moment I had! It was unpredictable, funny, sad, romantic and utterly satisfying to read. The only thing I would have preferred would be less f-words and bad language.
If you love time travel or just a very good story that propels you all the way to a great finish, pick this one up. It's one of the best books I've read this year.
This is not the sci-fi kind of time travel. Joseph, is a regular guy. He's become a reclusive, having lost his business, living without purpose and affected by traumatic events in his past. The reader feels for him and the author slowly builds his character as we begin to piece together how Joseph got to the sad state he's in. When Joseph accidentally discovers he can time travel, he now tries to adjust to this new gift and the possibility that he can now travel back in time to find his little sister who disappeared at the fair when they were children.
This was not only a fun book to read but I found that the author created a brilliant plot with complex characters and emotional situations. Joseph is an anti-hero who has to overcome emotional barriers to take action in his life. He lives with guilt and remorse and this has nearly destroyed his life. He has to get past his reclusive lonely state and enlist the help of others. The author peels back the layers of his life through flashbacks. I loved the cultural references to the 90s interspersed through the book.
I couldn't help but like Joseph and the other characters too. The scenes between him and his sister were so endearing and touching. The author skillfully blends action, intrigue, time travel and comedy to bring us a unique and original story. I couldn't put this book down and read snippets of it every free moment I had! It was unpredictable, funny, sad, romantic and utterly satisfying to read. The only thing I would have preferred would be less f-words and bad language.
If you love time travel or just a very good story that propels you all the way to a great finish, pick this one up. It's one of the best books I've read this year.
January 6, 2022
No witty comment here today but good
This was...it was a really slow read for some reason. It was engaging and interesting and my brain got a little bit of a workout trying to deal with the time travel thing. All things that usually make the read super duper fast. I like mental workouts.
But for some reason, despite this, the book was just a slow read. It took me probably two more hours than it would take me to read a different book of equal length. I don't understand it.
But the book was good. The main character had some very weird responses to things and there were several points where I just went "That is how you're reacting?" But he was a weird hermit who doesn't get people all that well and isn't around people all that much so it's understandable.
If this was a movie, it would have to be rated R for the language but I also can't tell if this is a cultural difference here since this is such an obviously British book. I actually had the thought while reading it that either the author is British or he's really good at mimicking. Turns out, I was right on the first point. I did get most of the references, which brings me joy, particularly sine I love Doctor Who.
However, I will say that the internal logic with the time travel (not a spoiler since it literally says it in the title) was well structured and didn't break its own laws even though time travel is chaotic and weird. I don't know if this followed the paws of physics, I'm not knowledgeable enough on physics to be able to comment but it was logical and the logic felt sound and also gave me a couple of interesting things to think about.
All in all, not a bad book. I'd recommend it though I'd be picky about who I'd recommend it to and I plan on reading the sequel.
Actually, it kind of reminds me of the video game Forgotten City, which is a huge compliment because I love that game. Some cross between that and Back to the Future 3.
This was...it was a really slow read for some reason. It was engaging and interesting and my brain got a little bit of a workout trying to deal with the time travel thing. All things that usually make the read super duper fast. I like mental workouts.
But for some reason, despite this, the book was just a slow read. It took me probably two more hours than it would take me to read a different book of equal length. I don't understand it.
But the book was good. The main character had some very weird responses to things and there were several points where I just went "That is how you're reacting?" But he was a weird hermit who doesn't get people all that well and isn't around people all that much so it's understandable.
If this was a movie, it would have to be rated R for the language but I also can't tell if this is a cultural difference here since this is such an obviously British book. I actually had the thought while reading it that either the author is British or he's really good at mimicking. Turns out, I was right on the first point. I did get most of the references, which brings me joy, particularly sine I love Doctor Who.
However, I will say that the internal logic with the time travel (not a spoiler since it literally says it in the title) was well structured and didn't break its own laws even though time travel is chaotic and weird. I don't know if this followed the paws of physics, I'm not knowledgeable enough on physics to be able to comment but it was logical and the logic felt sound and also gave me a couple of interesting things to think about.
All in all, not a bad book. I'd recommend it though I'd be picky about who I'd recommend it to and I plan on reading the sequel.
Actually, it kind of reminds me of the video game Forgotten City, which is a huge compliment because I love that game. Some cross between that and Back to the Future 3.
May 14, 2017
Overall, a compelling story, that builds to a satisfying and unexpected climax. I couldn't give it a five, because it was too unbelievable.
[Mild spoilers ahead.]
"But Ben," you object, "it's a book about time travel! It's not supposed to be believable." Maybe not, but in the best time travel stories, like Kindred and The Time Traveler's Wife, the rules of time travel drive the plot. In this book, the plot clearly drove the rules of time travel.
Long before Joe Bridgeman learns to actually time travel, he experiences "viewings," where he relives events of his own life in vivid detail, unable to change them. There's no real reason for this, and it doesn't seem to be connected to his actual time travel, but it gives his situation extra poignancy. He doesn't just remember his sister's disappearance, he relives it.
Another aspect of his viewing is that, if he gets close to someone, he can view events from their past. This means that he is able to view his best friend's wife's infidelity, which drives a wedge between him and his friend. Again, it seems like pure plot device. Once he makes up with his best friend, he doesn't view anyone else's past again (even though he makes several new friends in the last half of the book.)
Everything that Joe brings with him, including his clothes, stays in the past exactly half as long as he does. There's no physical reason for this, but it allows Joe to time travel the first time without even realizing he's doing it (his clothes disappear in his sleep), and yet allows for comedic nudity in later time travel adventures.
At times, I had the impression that Nick Jones was just making it up as he went along, but that wasn't it. Really, the novel was carefully plotted, and, as I say, ultimately satisfying. Jones was just shameless about making the rules be whatever he needed at the time.
[Mild spoilers ahead.]
"But Ben," you object, "it's a book about time travel! It's not supposed to be believable." Maybe not, but in the best time travel stories, like Kindred and The Time Traveler's Wife, the rules of time travel drive the plot. In this book, the plot clearly drove the rules of time travel.
Long before Joe Bridgeman learns to actually time travel, he experiences "viewings," where he relives events of his own life in vivid detail, unable to change them. There's no real reason for this, and it doesn't seem to be connected to his actual time travel, but it gives his situation extra poignancy. He doesn't just remember his sister's disappearance, he relives it.
Another aspect of his viewing is that, if he gets close to someone, he can view events from their past. This means that he is able to view his best friend's wife's infidelity, which drives a wedge between him and his friend. Again, it seems like pure plot device. Once he makes up with his best friend, he doesn't view anyone else's past again (even though he makes several new friends in the last half of the book.)
Everything that Joe brings with him, including his clothes, stays in the past exactly half as long as he does. There's no physical reason for this, but it allows Joe to time travel the first time without even realizing he's doing it (his clothes disappear in his sleep), and yet allows for comedic nudity in later time travel adventures.
At times, I had the impression that Nick Jones was just making it up as he went along, but that wasn't it. Really, the novel was carefully plotted, and, as I say, ultimately satisfying. Jones was just shameless about making the rules be whatever he needed at the time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2020
The description of the book intrigued me. I tend to like time travel books but this one seemed to be something different. Actually it was very different in that it doesn't involve time warps, magic switches or being strapped into the proverbial "time machine".
I won't revel any spoilers but it does involve the main character, "Joe", a mathematician and a hypnotherapist and a child named Amy.
How time travel is accomplished is explained by the primary characters throughout the book. Each time a little more is reveled as Joe delves deeper into his ability.
If I had to characterize the type of story this is, I'd call it a psychological thriller wrapped in a mystery with a touch of sci fi all leading up to an ending that is both joyful and sad.
I do agree with others that the beginning of the book can be confusing but that gets straightened out pretty quickly. The pace gradually picks up and pulls you in. The ending however [the final 25%] of the book is can't put down, barn burner, like I said joy and sadness -- you may get what you've been striving for but there's a penalty for getting it.
All in all, this is one of the best books I have read in along time
I won't revel any spoilers but it does involve the main character, "Joe", a mathematician and a hypnotherapist and a child named Amy.
How time travel is accomplished is explained by the primary characters throughout the book. Each time a little more is reveled as Joe delves deeper into his ability.
If I had to characterize the type of story this is, I'd call it a psychological thriller wrapped in a mystery with a touch of sci fi all leading up to an ending that is both joyful and sad.
I do agree with others that the beginning of the book can be confusing but that gets straightened out pretty quickly. The pace gradually picks up and pulls you in. The ending however [the final 25%] of the book is can't put down, barn burner, like I said joy and sadness -- you may get what you've been striving for but there's a penalty for getting it.
All in all, this is one of the best books I have read in along time
March 6, 2018
Fantastic entertainment from the off, a ‘what if’ observantly played out in all probability. Bristling with irony and pioneering witty one liner’s, Nick Jones becomes his credible characters with sane reasoning and the exact wondering ramblings we all amplify. Efficiently detailed, sprinkled with analogous film quotes, and fat on enlightening facts. And there is philosophy too, my favourite being ‘if there is a God, he’s wonderfully considerate when it comes to noise pollution’, brilliant.
Nick writes with a realistic rationale for an impossible capability, he makes the inexplicable not only viable but plausible. There is edge of your seat tension and a paradoxical, pulse racing pinnacle that had me reading faster than my eyeballs could contend with, the twists and turns unpredictable. There’s enough complexity to challenge the old grey matter, music, a spoonful of romance and a bucketful of love, and a tease at the conclusion of further outings for our hero.
My book of the year so far, surely a movie in waiting.
Elongate your rubber band people.
Nick writes with a realistic rationale for an impossible capability, he makes the inexplicable not only viable but plausible. There is edge of your seat tension and a paradoxical, pulse racing pinnacle that had me reading faster than my eyeballs could contend with, the twists and turns unpredictable. There’s enough complexity to challenge the old grey matter, music, a spoonful of romance and a bucketful of love, and a tease at the conclusion of further outings for our hero.
My book of the year so far, surely a movie in waiting.
Elongate your rubber band people.
July 12, 2017
I really liked the plot of this book and the overall concept. It was one of those books I bought on a Kindle deal and just found it again in my library, so I didn't realize until after I finished it that it was originally released in serial installments. That's fun, but when it became one whole book, I think it could have used another pass by an editor to cut out some redundancies and bring the length down a little. I liked the main character, but he can get mansplainy at times with the Beatles and the vinyl and the proper way to appreciate coffee. That said, the details about Joe's comforts and passions are very evocative at times, and I liked the way they helped create a strong sense of his character. This was an enjoyable read and the writing is good. Time travel is tricky and it is skillfully managed here. Even if you aren't a big sci-fi reader, I think you can enjoy this character-driven novel.
October 8, 2018
I didn't really know what to expect when I started reading this, I chose it completely on a whim and largely because of its rather intriguing title. I do feel a little mean only giving it 3 stars as the writing really is superb and I did love the humour that was found throughout, however dark it got. And it would've gotten more if it wasn't for the ending. I really did not enjoy it, it felt a little too convenient and slightly forced in order to set things up for the next book. I'm wondering whether an editor has gotten a little over zealous or there was some kind of pressure to have this ending, but it was just too neat for me, especially compared to a majority of similar time-travelling type books, I'm sure there should've been more loose ends. I think I will carry on with the series though as there is a lot of promise in this one and I suspect it will only get better (I hope so at least!).
October 4, 2017
When I began this book, I wasn't too sure about it. However, as I got into it more, and became more familiar with the characters, I became engrossed in the story. Joe lost his sister, without a trace, in 1992. When he discovers he can travel through time, he makes it his purpose to go back and save his sister. Much of the book is Joe trying to find a way to go from 2015 to 1992 through time. He recruits his friend, Mark, and his hypnotherapist, Alexia, to help him find and save Amy. I enjoyed the characters, and their interaction with Joe in an attempt to help him save Amy. Most of the book is Joe overcoming obstacles to his overall goal. I was pleasantly surprised in the twists and turns to the story in the last 50 pages or so. The ending was unexpected, and I am anxious to read the next installment of Joe's story.
December 18, 2017
There are a bunch of wee little boo-boos in the book (minor missing words like 'to' and 'the', caps that should be lowercase, and too many italicized words) BUT, I'm going to give it five stars anyway, because I enjoyed it so much. The story was cleverly thought out, funny and serious/emotional. The way he jumped through time was interesting and believable (the scene with the small pink rain coat covered in yellow ducks — classic!) I didn't mind the slower beginning or getting to know all the various characters and sideline dramas (hopefully we'll hear about some of these people again in the next book, especially his childhood friend). I guess I enjoyed being in this guy's head, finding humour even in his depression and grief and regret, his socially awkward ways. And I really liked the record-playing analogies, how they related to time travel.
August 21, 2018
A highly enjoyable time travel tale with a compelling mission at its core. Unlike others in the genre, the book is very accessible and doesn't blind the reader with science. The main character, Joe, is a bit of a pillock at times but I was absolutely rooting for him to achieve his goal. The novel is very British - gentle, meandering, funny (and punny) and warm without being overly sentimental. Think High Fidelity meets Shaun of the Dead meets Black Books.
Originally published as seven episodes, the book is a bit too long and would benefit from a thorough edit to reduce repetition and correct continuity and formatting errors. All in all, remarkably good for a kindle freebie. I look forward to the forthcoming sequel.
Originally published as seven episodes, the book is a bit too long and would benefit from a thorough edit to reduce repetition and correct continuity and formatting errors. All in all, remarkably good for a kindle freebie. I look forward to the forthcoming sequel.
August 14, 2019
Bad start. Good finish
I love time travel books. This one was too convoluted for me. How the hero and the tricks his mind played on him and his special power were revealed, was all over the place. i skimmed through many pages and I finally gave up, sort of. I was curious as to what happened to his sister Amy so I skipped to the last few chapters. Somewhere in the book the story took a good turn. I flipped back a few more chapters and maybe I didn’t get all the details that I would have, if I had gone back even further, I got the gist of where the author was leading me. Because the author included the first two chapters of the next book, I am ordering book 2 of the series. I have high hopes. I pray Im not disappointed.
I love time travel books. This one was too convoluted for me. How the hero and the tricks his mind played on him and his special power were revealed, was all over the place. i skimmed through many pages and I finally gave up, sort of. I was curious as to what happened to his sister Amy so I skipped to the last few chapters. Somewhere in the book the story took a good turn. I flipped back a few more chapters and maybe I didn’t get all the details that I would have, if I had gone back even further, I got the gist of where the author was leading me. Because the author included the first two chapters of the next book, I am ordering book 2 of the series. I have high hopes. I pray Im not disappointed.
May 26, 2017
Las vidas de Joseph Bridgeman y sus padres se desmoronaron el día de 1992 en que desapareció Amy, su hermana de 7 años. Ahora estamos en 2014 y Joseph, que se dedica a languidecer y dejarse sumir en la miseria, descubre por casualidad que puede viajar en el tiempo. Una única idea le asalta entonces: tiene que volver a 1992 a salvar a su hermana.
La primera parte de la novela, que describe a un prota deprimido y dejado, no es tan entretenida. Pero aparece el Don. Y aparecen más personajes. Y empiezan a pasar cosas. Y la lógica oculta del viaje en el tiempo se va revelando mientras nuestro amigo le aplica el método científico a sus viajes. Y mola mucho. Y el final está muy bien, es sorprendente y encaja muy bien en la novela. Y me ha gustado mucho. Y espero que saquen una segunda parte.
La primera parte de la novela, que describe a un prota deprimido y dejado, no es tan entretenida. Pero aparece el Don. Y aparecen más personajes. Y empiezan a pasar cosas. Y la lógica oculta del viaje en el tiempo se va revelando mientras nuestro amigo le aplica el método científico a sus viajes. Y mola mucho. Y el final está muy bien, es sorprendente y encaja muy bien en la novela. Y me ha gustado mucho. Y espero que saquen una segunda parte.
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