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The Next Together #2
The Last Beginning
The epic conclusion to Lauren James's debut The Next Together about true love and reincarnation. Sixteen years ago, after a scandal that rocked the world, teenagers Katherine and Matthew vanished without a trace. Now Clove Sutcliffe is determined to find her long lost relatives. But where do you start looking for a couple who seem to have been reincarnated at every key moment in history? Who were Kate and Matt? Why were they born again and again? And who is the mysterious Ella, who keeps appearing at every turn in Clove's investigation? For Clove, there is a mystery to solve in the past and a love to find in the future, and failure could cost the world everything.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2016
51 people are currently reading
3158 people want to read
About the author
Lauren James
20 books1,579 followers**This is my old author profile - follow https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1... for ongoing updates!***
Wren James is the Carnegie-longlisted British author of many Young Adult novels as ‘Lauren James’, including Green Rising, The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker and The Loneliest Girl in the Universe. They are a RLF Royal Fellow at Aston University and the story consultant on Netflix’s Heartstopper (Seasons 2 and 3).
Wren is the founder of the Climate Fiction Writers League, editor of the anthology Future Hopes: Hopeful stories in a time of climate change, and a member of the Society of Authors’ Sustainability Committee. They work as a consultant on climate storytelling for museums, production companies, major brands and publishers, with a focus on optimism and hope. They run a Queer Writers group in Coventry.
Their books have sold over two hundred thousand copies worldwide in seven languages. The Quiet at the End of the World was shortlisted for the YA Book Prize and STEAM Children’s Book Award.
Their other novels include The Next Together series, the dyslexia-friendly novella series The Watchmaker and the Duke and serialised online novel An Unauthorised Fan Treatise.
Wren’s writing has been described as ‘gripping romantic sci-fi’ by the Wall Street Journal and ‘a strange, witty, compulsively unpredictable read which blows most of its new YA-suspense brethren out of the water’ by Entertainment Weekly.
Wren was born in 1992, and has a Masters degree from the University of Nottingham, where they studied Chemistry and Physics. They have taught creative writing for Coventry University, WriteMentor, and Writing West Midlands. Their next release is Last Seen Online.
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June 12, 2017I wrote this!
"Ideal for teenagers, this epic novel is the follow-up to author James’ debut, The Next Together. This latest release follows themes of reincarnation and endurance through time travel and the enduring love of Clove and Ella." - The Independent
A Diva Magazine Queer Summer Reading List title.
"The perfect book for your loved one." - W H Smith
The Last Beginning is published by Walker Books in the UK and Australia. It will be released in the US on 2nd January 2018 by Sky Pony Press. A special edition including the short story Another Together is available through Scholastic Book Clubs.
Fancasting the characters
Why the sequel to The Next Together has an LGBT protagonist
Novel Aesthetics
Playlist
Recap of The Next Together
The books in emoji format
Clove and Ella get engaged
Titanic crossover
Disney crossover
10 fictional characters who inspired Clove & Ella
Editing a scene from start to finish
Cover reveal
Tumblr posts about The Last Beginning
Another moodboard by Arianne!
Art by Alice Oseman, reblog here.
Art of Ella by Aisha Fran
[May 2016]
The UK cover of The Last Beginning has been revealed! I hope you like it (I DO. A LOT.) Also, surprise Beyonce style album drop: I'm releasing a free TNT e-novella on June 2nd called Another Together. Whooo!
[April 2016]
As there's now only 6 months to release day, here are some places you can find more about The Last Beginning, which will be published by Walker Books in the UK and Australia on 6th October 2016. It will be released in the US in Fall 2017 by Sky Pony Press.
Amazon UK | Book Depository | Waterstones | Foyles | Barnes & Noble |Hive | iTunes | Kobo | Wordery | WHSmith | Amazon US
"Ideal for teenagers, this epic novel is the follow-up to author James’ debut, The Next Together. This latest release follows themes of reincarnation and endurance through time travel and the enduring love of Clove and Ella." - The Independent
A Diva Magazine Queer Summer Reading List title.
"The perfect book for your loved one." - W H Smith
The Last Beginning is published by Walker Books in the UK and Australia. It will be released in the US on 2nd January 2018 by Sky Pony Press. A special edition including the short story Another Together is available through Scholastic Book Clubs.
Amazon UK | Book Depository | Waterstones | Foyles | Barnes & Noble |Hive | iTunes | Kobo | Wordery | WHSmith | Amazon US
You can add the book on Goodreads or subscribe to my mailing list for updates, or read the prologue on Wattpad.
If you leave a review of the book on a retail site like Amazon, Waterstones or Barnes & Noble, I will send you a signed, personalised bookplate. Fill out this form to claim your bookplate.
More extras:
Fancasting the characters
Why the sequel to The Next Together has an LGBT protagonist
Novel Aesthetics
Playlist
Recap of The Next Together
The books in emoji format
Clove and Ella get engaged
Titanic crossover
Disney crossover
10 fictional characters who inspired Clove & Ella
Editing a scene from start to finish
Cover reveal
Tumblr posts about The Last Beginning
Art by Alice Oseman, reblog here.
Translated editions:
Poslední začátek ("The Last Start") - Czech Republic (CooBoo)
Son Başlangıç ("Last Start") - Turkey (Yabanci Yayinlari)
Coming soon: Germany (Loewe) | Brasil (HarperCollins)
Similarities and Differences between The Last Beginning and The Next Together, in venn diagram format.
Art by Alice Oseman, reblog here.
A moodboard made by Arianne.
Another moodboard by Arianne!
Art by Sarah Barnard
The book in emoji format
Art by Alice Oseman, reblog here.
Moodboard made by me
Art by Alice Oseman, reblog here.
Art by Alice Oseman, reblog here.
Art by layahimalaya
Moodboard made by simonlevvis
Art of Ella by Aisha Fran
[May 2016]
The UK cover of The Last Beginning has been revealed! I hope you like it (I DO. A LOT.) Also, surprise Beyonce style album drop: I'm releasing a free TNT e-novella on June 2nd called Another Together. Whooo!
[April 2016]
As there's now only 6 months to release day, here are some places you can find more about The Last Beginning, which will be published by Walker Books in the UK and Australia on 6th October 2016. It will be released in the US in Fall 2017 by Sky Pony Press.
Amazon UK | Book Depository | Waterstones | Foyles | Barnes & Noble |Hive | iTunes | Kobo | Wordery | WHSmith | Amazon US
July 6, 2017
The first book The Next Together had me really confused at some point, but everything finally added up!
This book is exactly what I needed: closure.
An absolutely clever, fast-paced (not complaining) emotional roller-coaster. 🎢
At the beginning I thought I wouldn't give this more than 3 stars but when it finally picked up, I was IMPRESSED! Like, REALLY impressed.
What a brilliant, MIND-BLOWING paradox/butterfly effect! 🔫
The Last Beginning starts sixteen years after The Next Together when Katherine left her newborn baby in the care of their family to break Matthew out of prison for a false crime set to cover up the government's foul plans.
This novel begins with sixteen-year-old Clove and her teenage struggles of being in love with her female best friend and impatiently wanting to work on big projects like her parents do. Her parents, Tom and Jen, work at the familiar University of St Andrews where they've been developing a real life time travel machine!
Lucky for Clove, she's there to witness the first public demonstration of that machine when she was just 11 years old. From then on she was dying to get in on the action, step into that machine and come out somewhere else.
Clove also had one of the most badass robotic AI sidekick, SPART. He was so sassy for most of his lines but you could tell he had some emotions there in his hardwiring. 💙
I may have liked the first book a lot, but I absolutely LOVED this one. 😍💥
The events were pretty exciting because it was like going back to the first book and dropping Clove into the mix. I love that she sees events and issues that Katherine and Matthew didn't in their many timelines and that she finds a way to make her mark in each one. I'm really SO, very satisfied with how this one wasn't so much of a new addition to a story but more like a missing puzzle piece to the first book.
Bravo, Lauren James! 👏🏼
This book is exactly what I needed: closure.
An absolutely clever, fast-paced (not complaining) emotional roller-coaster. 🎢
At the beginning I thought I wouldn't give this more than 3 stars but when it finally picked up, I was IMPRESSED! Like, REALLY impressed.
What a brilliant, MIND-BLOWING paradox/butterfly effect! 🔫
The Last Beginning starts sixteen years after The Next Together when Katherine left her newborn baby in the care of their family to break Matthew out of prison for a false crime set to cover up the government's foul plans.
This novel begins with sixteen-year-old Clove and her teenage struggles of being in love with her female best friend and impatiently wanting to work on big projects like her parents do. Her parents, Tom and Jen, work at the familiar University of St Andrews where they've been developing a real life time travel machine!
Lucky for Clove, she's there to witness the first public demonstration of that machine when she was just 11 years old. From then on she was dying to get in on the action, step into that machine and come out somewhere else.
Clove also had one of the most badass robotic AI sidekick, SPART. He was so sassy for most of his lines but you could tell he had some emotions there in his hardwiring. 💙
I may have liked the first book a lot, but I absolutely LOVED this one. 😍💥
The events were pretty exciting because it was like going back to the first book and dropping Clove into the mix. I love that she sees events and issues that Katherine and Matthew didn't in their many timelines and that she finds a way to make her mark in each one. I'm really SO, very satisfied with how this one wasn't so much of a new addition to a story but more like a missing puzzle piece to the first book.
Bravo, Lauren James! 👏🏼
January 11, 2019
Rep: lesbian mcs
not even the lesbians could save this one
not even the lesbians could save this one
December 28, 2018
Much less confusing than 'The Next Together' and I still enjoyed it as much as the first book.
January 17, 2015
you lot are in for a TREAT AND A HALF
June 14, 2017
After being so thoroughly disappointed with the previous book in this series, I had no real expectations for The Last Beginning... so to say that I’m merely surprised by how much I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. I’m shocked! In the best way possible, of course. I knew from the moment I started reading, and realised that this story followed Clove rather than Katherine and Matthew, that this book had potential - and luckily, it tapped in that. I think my enjoyment of this book can be summed up in one word: fun. This book was just so entertaining! I went into this sequel with no real expectations, and I am so happy to say that James really stepped it up. I was not aware that this was a companion novel rather than a direct sequel, but I think that worked out for the best. I was completely sucked in by this storyline and its cast of characters.
I think the biggest reason why I was able to enjoy The Last Beginning more than its prequel was due to its plotline. While The Next Beginning was arguably more of a romance than a time-travel or sci-fi story, this book was - in every way - a time-travel adventure with a tiny bit of romance thrown in towards the end. I absolutely loved that this book let the sci-fi and time travel aspects play out more, something that I never thought I would say (as I’m really not a sci-fi fan). While the physics may seem a tiny bit rudimentary to the more knowledgeable readers, I had no real qualms with how the science aspects of the time travel were discussed. In fact, I really appreciated that it incorporated those descriptions and made them as much easier to follow than I would have expected. I also really loved that computer coding was part of the story. In fact, the entire science and theories surrounding the dystopian society, the technicalities of the time-travel/wormhole generator machine thing, and even the AIs were very well-written.
The actual time-traveling aspect of the plotline was also incredibly well-done. The last two parts of the story were simply unputdownable. I absolutely loved the complexities of the multiple timelines, especially how James managed to keep it relatively easy to follow but still made it rich and crazy in the way all time-travel shenanigans should be. The clever way the events of the first book connected to the events of this book may or may not have made me gasp out loud. Yes, they were that clever and I did not expect it to be so cleverly intertwined! I honestly loved seeing all of the events play out, and finding out more about the future as well, especially Clove’s role in it. I’m trying to keep the details of the plot as vague as possible, but I honestly just loved watching everything play out. It was addictive.
The characters also made this story. I will admit that I struggled to connect with Clove, our protagonist, in the first part because she came across as the typical bratty teen. It was hard to sympathise with her when she was being over-dramatic - at one point, she literally said her life was over because she kissed her best friend who was not into her *eye roll* - and making dumb decisions (and I’m talking too-stupid-to-live level dumb decisions), but at the same time, I appreciated how realistic she acted. I normally cringe when people say teens are bratty, immature and other assortments of similar negative adjectives, but I did think Clove acted her age and I appreciated that despite that, she was able to adapt and mature as the story progressed. She learnt from her mistakes, and the more she became aware of the importance of her decisions, the more she calmed down and took it seriously. I kind of loved that the author was able to capture a teenager’s thought process so accurately, but still give her own brand of depth and character.
With that being said, the characters who truly stole the show were Tom and Jen, Clove’s parents. They honestly deserve an A+ parenting award! I could not get over how brilliantly supportive and sweet they were. I loved that they put Clove first, and did everything in their power to make sure she was happy and healthy. They went out of their way to support her no matter what she did, but they were also firm and well, parent-y when they needed to be. There was no Absent Parent trope here, thank God!
Other thoughts:
• The LGBT+ themes were perfect. Clove is a lesbian but she had already been out for several years when this story is set, which I don’t think is that common in YA. A lot of books are about the emotional and societal strains of being in the closet (etc.) and while that is obviously important to represent, I really loved that we had an out-and-proud LGBT+ protagonist and a healthy f/f romance.
• Ella did sound a little bit too much like Katherine in her online communications, and I had trouble separating the two of them in my head at times. I wish her voice had been a little more distinctive.
• I liked the multimedia formatting. It works so much better in physical printing, in my opinion, so if you were going to read these books as ebooks (like I did for the first book), I’d advise against it. The different fonts for different timelines worked well too.
Overall?
I did not expect to enjoy The Last Beginning as much as I did, but I am pleasantly surprised. The plotline was fast-paced, addictive and clever. I loved seeing how the timelines intertwined, and seeing more about the future of this world (and how it was tied to Clove, Katherine and Matthew). Clove was a decent protagonist but I did struggle to warm up to at first, Luckily, she grew on me the more the story progressed and her development was well-written. I liked her relationship with Ella and how her friendship with Meg was portrayed, but it was Tom and Jen who stole the spotlight for me. I would definitely recommend this book to people who were iffy about The Next Together. It is leagues better!
I think the biggest reason why I was able to enjoy The Last Beginning more than its prequel was due to its plotline. While The Next Beginning was arguably more of a romance than a time-travel or sci-fi story, this book was - in every way - a time-travel adventure with a tiny bit of romance thrown in towards the end. I absolutely loved that this book let the sci-fi and time travel aspects play out more, something that I never thought I would say (as I’m really not a sci-fi fan). While the physics may seem a tiny bit rudimentary to the more knowledgeable readers, I had no real qualms with how the science aspects of the time travel were discussed. In fact, I really appreciated that it incorporated those descriptions and made them as much easier to follow than I would have expected. I also really loved that computer coding was part of the story. In fact, the entire science and theories surrounding the dystopian society, the technicalities of the time-travel/wormhole generator machine thing, and even the AIs were very well-written.
The actual time-traveling aspect of the plotline was also incredibly well-done. The last two parts of the story were simply unputdownable. I absolutely loved the complexities of the multiple timelines, especially how James managed to keep it relatively easy to follow but still made it rich and crazy in the way all time-travel shenanigans should be. The clever way the events of the first book connected to the events of this book may or may not have made me gasp out loud. Yes, they were that clever and I did not expect it to be so cleverly intertwined! I honestly loved seeing all of the events play out, and finding out more about the future as well, especially Clove’s role in it. I’m trying to keep the details of the plot as vague as possible, but I honestly just loved watching everything play out. It was addictive.
The characters also made this story. I will admit that I struggled to connect with Clove, our protagonist, in the first part because she came across as the typical bratty teen. It was hard to sympathise with her when she was being over-dramatic - at one point, she literally said her life was over because she kissed her best friend who was not into her *eye roll* - and making dumb decisions (and I’m talking too-stupid-to-live level dumb decisions), but at the same time, I appreciated how realistic she acted. I normally cringe when people say teens are bratty, immature and other assortments of similar negative adjectives, but I did think Clove acted her age and I appreciated that despite that, she was able to adapt and mature as the story progressed. She learnt from her mistakes, and the more she became aware of the importance of her decisions, the more she calmed down and took it seriously. I kind of loved that the author was able to capture a teenager’s thought process so accurately, but still give her own brand of depth and character.
With that being said, the characters who truly stole the show were Tom and Jen, Clove’s parents. They honestly deserve an A+ parenting award! I could not get over how brilliantly supportive and sweet they were. I loved that they put Clove first, and did everything in their power to make sure she was happy and healthy. They went out of their way to support her no matter what she did, but they were also firm and well, parent-y when they needed to be. There was no Absent Parent trope here, thank God!
Other thoughts:
• The LGBT+ themes were perfect. Clove is a lesbian but she had already been out for several years when this story is set, which I don’t think is that common in YA. A lot of books are about the emotional and societal strains of being in the closet (etc.) and while that is obviously important to represent, I really loved that we had an out-and-proud LGBT+ protagonist and a healthy f/f romance.
• Ella did sound a little bit too much like Katherine in her online communications, and I had trouble separating the two of them in my head at times. I wish her voice had been a little more distinctive.
• I liked the multimedia formatting. It works so much better in physical printing, in my opinion, so if you were going to read these books as ebooks (like I did for the first book), I’d advise against it. The different fonts for different timelines worked well too.
Overall?
I did not expect to enjoy The Last Beginning as much as I did, but I am pleasantly surprised. The plotline was fast-paced, addictive and clever. I loved seeing how the timelines intertwined, and seeing more about the future of this world (and how it was tied to Clove, Katherine and Matthew). Clove was a decent protagonist but I did struggle to warm up to at first, Luckily, she grew on me the more the story progressed and her development was well-written. I liked her relationship with Ella and how her friendship with Meg was portrayed, but it was Tom and Jen who stole the spotlight for me. I would definitely recommend this book to people who were iffy about The Next Together. It is leagues better!
November 20, 2016
For me, The Next Together by Lauren James was one of those gorgeous, magical reading experiences that you just don’t see coming. As a debut, it was a dream come true, a story of one romance in four different places and four different timescapes, often centuries apart. The Last Beginning follows in its predecessor’s amazing footsteps, perhaps with a tiny bit less romance and magic, but with so much heart that it doesn’t really matter by the end.
James continues her complex story in this sequel with Kate and Matt’s daughter, Clove. Sixteen years have passed since we’d last seen Matthew and Katherine, and we have no idea where they are. Clove was raised by Matt’s brother Tom and his wife Jen, loved and protected by her parents, oblivious to her true parentage. When Tom and Jen finally tell her the truth, she has trouble imagining the two famous people, responsible for bringing bioterrorism to light and saving countless lives, as her parents.
Clove is a bit difficult at the best of times. I was most impressed by James’ understanding of a teenage mind. She overreacts to everything, says and does things with little care for her loved ones, she acts without considering any of the consequences and lands herself into trouble all the time. Clove feels everything so intensely, which is very normal for a teenage girl, and she lashes out when she can’t process her emotions. At the same time, though, Clove is brilliant. Her mind works on a level I can’t even begin to grasp and she sees worlds within computers that elude most of us simpler people. Her mission to find her birth parents brings her a world of trouble, but somehow Clove manages to make the best of it.
The story gets a bit tangled at one point, but not impossible to follow. James doesn’t follow the multiverse theory and sees time as something linear, with time travelers being able to jump back and forth and alter things as they see fit (or sometimes in ways they couldn’t have imagined). Clove’s love interest Ella brings brightness into the story, as well as a whole new world of possibilities.
The girls’ romance is a predestined sort of thing (or a self-fulfilling prophecy maybe), but it works. Ella’s witty charm and Clove’s devotion are designed to make us sigh. The girls disagree and fight sometimes, but they meet halfway and handle things in a way I really enjoy.
Overall, this can’t be read without The Next Together. It would likely make very little sense. But to those of you who have yet to read both I highly recommend a weekend binge read with lots of tea or hot chocolate and a very warm blanket.
James continues her complex story in this sequel with Kate and Matt’s daughter, Clove. Sixteen years have passed since we’d last seen Matthew and Katherine, and we have no idea where they are. Clove was raised by Matt’s brother Tom and his wife Jen, loved and protected by her parents, oblivious to her true parentage. When Tom and Jen finally tell her the truth, she has trouble imagining the two famous people, responsible for bringing bioterrorism to light and saving countless lives, as her parents.
Clove is a bit difficult at the best of times. I was most impressed by James’ understanding of a teenage mind. She overreacts to everything, says and does things with little care for her loved ones, she acts without considering any of the consequences and lands herself into trouble all the time. Clove feels everything so intensely, which is very normal for a teenage girl, and she lashes out when she can’t process her emotions. At the same time, though, Clove is brilliant. Her mind works on a level I can’t even begin to grasp and she sees worlds within computers that elude most of us simpler people. Her mission to find her birth parents brings her a world of trouble, but somehow Clove manages to make the best of it.
The story gets a bit tangled at one point, but not impossible to follow. James doesn’t follow the multiverse theory and sees time as something linear, with time travelers being able to jump back and forth and alter things as they see fit (or sometimes in ways they couldn’t have imagined). Clove’s love interest Ella brings brightness into the story, as well as a whole new world of possibilities.
The girls’ romance is a predestined sort of thing (or a self-fulfilling prophecy maybe), but it works. Ella’s witty charm and Clove’s devotion are designed to make us sigh. The girls disagree and fight sometimes, but they meet halfway and handle things in a way I really enjoy.
Overall, this can’t be read without The Next Together. It would likely make very little sense. But to those of you who have yet to read both I highly recommend a weekend binge read with lots of tea or hot chocolate and a very warm blanket.
Read
January 11, 2019An expertly crafted, exciting story of time travel, discovery, love, and chance, spanning over hundreds of years. As soon as I finished I wanted to go back and read The Next Together again! Seriously brilliant.
March 9, 2017
Joo, tohle bylo o dost lepší než jednička. Vlastně to bylo přesně to, co jsem od jedničky očekávala. Konečně to nebyla nuda. Má to spoustu akce, trochu prostořekou umělou inteligenci se slabostí pro Sherbota Holmese (robotího detektiva) a spoustu komplikací spojených s cestováním v čase (však to znáte). A není to tak přeslazený jako jednička! Ty 4 hvězdičky jsou možná trochu nadsazené, ale co už :)
Btw, autorce nikdo neřekl, že normální lidi tomu říkají mžitky před očima, a ne fosfény? Just saying.
Btw, autorce nikdo neřekl, že normální lidi tomu říkají mžitky před očima, a ne fosfény? Just saying.
February 5, 2017
I received a copy of The Last Beginning from Walker Books Australia to review. You can read my review of the first book in the duology, The Next Together, here.
I had a lot of questions after I finished the first book that I hoped would be answered in this. I’ll admit that I was a little bored with the first half of the book and I wasn’t really interested in Clove’s life. She came across really immature at times. I wanted to know what had happened to Kate and Matt and why they kept appearing throughout time.
But as the story started to pick up and Clove found a way to look into Kate and Matt’s past, I found myself getting drawn back into the story. I think I was more interested in the mystery surrounding Kate and Matt and not so interested in Clove and her weird love life.
Speaking of Clove’s love life, I found her relationship with Ella a little weird. Especially because Ella seemed to know everything that happened before it happened. Or, most of what happened anyway. Not the small details. And I was also a little confused too. I mean, did Ella even get to choose her future? Time travel can get really confusing.
But, I did get the answers I was looking for. I could see some of it coming as I got further into this book but I’m glad I finally know what was going on. I think I might do a re-read of them both one day so I can see all the connections that I may have missed. But that won’t be any time soon.
Even though I wasn’t really into the first half of the The Last Beginning, I did end up liking it. I’m not sure about some things that happened but I did enjoy both books.
I had a lot of questions after I finished the first book that I hoped would be answered in this. I’ll admit that I was a little bored with the first half of the book and I wasn’t really interested in Clove’s life. She came across really immature at times. I wanted to know what had happened to Kate and Matt and why they kept appearing throughout time.
But as the story started to pick up and Clove found a way to look into Kate and Matt’s past, I found myself getting drawn back into the story. I think I was more interested in the mystery surrounding Kate and Matt and not so interested in Clove and her weird love life.
Speaking of Clove’s love life, I found her relationship with Ella a little weird. Especially because Ella seemed to know everything that happened before it happened. Or, most of what happened anyway. Not the small details. And I was also a little confused too. I mean, did Ella even get to choose her future? Time travel can get really confusing.
But, I did get the answers I was looking for. I could see some of it coming as I got further into this book but I’m glad I finally know what was going on. I think I might do a re-read of them both one day so I can see all the connections that I may have missed. But that won’t be any time soon.
Even though I wasn’t really into the first half of the The Last Beginning, I did end up liking it. I’m not sure about some things that happened but I did enjoy both books.
January 17, 2015
Another epic story from Lauren James. This one is very special.
February 1, 2018
I received an e-copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Review can be found on *Milky Way of Books*
I had been looking for a chance to read the sequel to Lauren James's series for a long time! Imagine my surprise when Edelweiss was offering an e-copy of the book!
The story takes place years after the end of "The Last Together" and Clove will discover the secret behind her parents' existence and will be catapulted back into the past! Not to mention that she will meet the mysterious Ella and sparks will fly!
I am not going to say much because the mystery and the brilliance of this novel lies to the secrets hidden behind notes, diagrams, and pictures, but you can also spot a cameo appearance of Alice Oseman in the book!
And it did give me a feeling of Doctor Who along the way! Time travel and romance together are always my favorite elements in a book!
I had been looking for a chance to read the sequel to Lauren James's series for a long time! Imagine my surprise when Edelweiss was offering an e-copy of the book!
The story takes place years after the end of "The Last Together" and Clove will discover the secret behind her parents' existence and will be catapulted back into the past! Not to mention that she will meet the mysterious Ella and sparks will fly!
I am not going to say much because the mystery and the brilliance of this novel lies to the secrets hidden behind notes, diagrams, and pictures, but you can also spot a cameo appearance of Alice Oseman in the book!
And it did give me a feeling of Doctor Who along the way! Time travel and romance together are always my favorite elements in a book!
March 8, 2018
A somewhat necessary sequel to The Next Together which did fit nicely together with the events of the first book.
So I'm a massive fan of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff and so this was a little disappointing. It was like looking behind the curtain and realising everything is being run by a baby.
Clove wasn't the most likable character and then she went and broke a couple of the most fundamental rules of time travel, that I couldn't even deal. It's like she hadn't ever watched a single movie or read a single book about how time travel works - and I can say this because they reference Harry Potter in their time (Didn't she pay attention to Prisoner of Azkaban?!) - It was all too cliche to be realistic.
Honestly I was mostly frustrated with that aspect and then by the end I just felt cheated by the paradox loop that explained away all the holes in the story.
Still a good concept for a book but *Ultimate Sigh*
*Marking as spoiler because I don't know how obvious the Time Travel element is supposed to be*
So I'm a massive fan of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff and so this was a little disappointing. It was like looking behind the curtain and realising everything is being run by a baby.
Clove wasn't the most likable character and then she went and broke a couple of the most fundamental rules of time travel, that I couldn't even deal. It's like she hadn't ever watched a single movie or read a single book about how time travel works - and I can say this because they reference Harry Potter in their time (Didn't she pay attention to Prisoner of Azkaban?!) - It was all too cliche to be realistic.
Honestly I was mostly frustrated with that aspect and then by the end I just felt cheated by the paradox loop that explained away all the holes in the story.
Still a good concept for a book but *Ultimate Sigh*
*Marking as spoiler because I don't know how obvious the Time Travel element is supposed to be*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
October 19, 2016This book did such a great job of explaining all the mysterious parts of 'The Next Together' and giving me an entirely new ship in Clove and Ella, who were the best lesbian time travellers ever. Just as with TNT, I loved all the little extras and screenshots and text messages. I'll admit that the timeline did confuse me a little in the middle, but by the end everything panned out and I think I wrapped my head around it!
May 31, 2017
Originally posted on A Frolic Through Fiction
Here’s how you can tell that this year, I’ve gotten harsher with my ratings: I enjoyed this book more than the first, and yet it has a slightly lower rating. Wut?
Never fear though, I do mean only slightly.
And for once – are you ready for this shocker – I know the exact reason why I liked it more.
*The crowd gasps in surprise*
I know right? It’s practically unheard of. Me, actually being able to explain what I like about a book? What is this sorcery?
So here it is: The first book is about reincarnation and two people finding each other in each generation and falling hopelessly in love all over again. As someone who often cringes away from lovey-dovey scenarios, there were just some moments in that book where I shuddered with my shrivelled heart and longed for the drama to come back. HOWEVER. This one is time travel, and of course that changes everything. For one, there’s much less romance anyway (though still some, I’ll come back to that). And for two, there was none of that “we’re destined to be together! I was put on this earth to find you again!” drivel.
Gosh, I don’t half sound morbid. I don’t actually mind romances most of the time – and even liked it in The Next Together. But as soon as it’s the main focus of a story – unless I specifically look for that, on the random days I want a cutesy summer type story to speed through – it’s just too much for me.
So there’s less romance, but still some. And the “some” that there is, is great. Mainly because I adored the love interest. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I’ll say no more than it’s a F/F relationship. But the love interest I just wanted to see more of. I loved her. Granted, I’m still a tad confused about how she came into the story, but I just want to see more of her confident elusiveness.
Romances aside, this book is very sciencey. Sometimes I got a tad bored of all the explanations, but luckily they didn’t drag on too much. I honestly applaud Lauren James for being able to work a plot with time travel and so many different versions of people. Just hopping around time and space, no big deal.
I did have a problem with the actual plot. I can’t say much, but the main “problem” stems from a mistake the main character made…which should totally NOT have happened. Even I know not to do that, Clove, and you live in the bloomin’ future and actually CARE about all the sciencey stuff, whereas I’m not bothered. Dammit Clove! *facepalms*
While I did enjoy the book quite a lot, I wasn’t exactly blown away either. Mainly because all of the missing links and explanations seem to be revealed in one big chunk, so I just read through it all and thought “oh okayy that makes sense I guess” , instead of trying to move onto the next issue and figure it out.
Still, I sped through this book. I’m pretty sure it only took me a couple of days to read. I loved how it took the first book and changed it into something completely new, but plausible. And it was a very satisfying end to the duology, I must say.
February 18, 2018
This book was thoroughly disappointing. I read it mostly because, when I read The Next Together two years ago, there were a great deal of unanswered questions and I wanted answers. Everyone who has read it seemed to have enjoyed it, and judging by social media and her excellent third book, Lauren James is a cool person. How let down I was.
I couldn’t help but compare The Last Beginning to another time travel book I’ve read this year: Invictus by Ryan Graudin. It’s tightly plotted, easily explained without infodumping, and clear. You understand how the time travel works, the nature of paradoxes, and how and why the characters do research to blend in. There is none of that in The Last Beginning. Clove is, to be frank, a complete idiot. She turns up in the past with a dress which is an romanticized approximation of historical dress, and then travels with no flipping clue if it’s going to work or not. Obviously, it does. Then she’s wandering around with no clue how to blend in or where to go TELLING PEOPLE THEIR FLIPPING FUTURE LIKE AN ABSOLUTE IDIOT. I have never time travelled or taken a physics class, but even I know that that is a BIG NO NO OH MY GOSH. Then it changes the future, and then she has to fix it. I didn’t mind that Clove was thoughtless or whingy; she’s sixteen, that’s forgiveable. But she’s supposed to be smart, and she absolutely does not behave like that. How could no one in the past—surely some of them aren’t time travelers have noticed how out of place she was? So that bothered me.
There were several things that made no sense in this, and James doesn’t even try to explain (I get that she has science degrees, yay, but the science seems thin imo. She is tangled in the practical sciency bits and the romantic possibilities, which contributes to the chaotic, all-over-the-place nature of the book; there is no attempt to bridge these dual possibilities, unlike what Graudin does so masterfully). The plot lacks coherency; it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, and contorts strangely to involve documents and explanations for The Next Together. It works only because it is clamped to the events of that book, and not because it has any meaning on its own. It’s a shallow sort of book, and my lack of engagement with it reflects that.
I also found the writing exceptionally juvenile. It could be that I’m getting too old for YA, but there are such swathes of sophisticated YA with elegant writing that it’s hard to blame that. Lines like “she had never expected anything like this to ever happen to her”, or “she was never going to talk to Meg ever again” felt overwrought, excessively dramatic. Maybe it’s just Clove’s voice. And everything the parents (Jen and Tom) say is blatant and cheesy. I mean, the writing got the job done, but it certainly grated at me in places.
I didn’t mind the characters. That is, they were idiots, but they were lovable idiots. We have Clove, teen with a mission! and lots of moaning and melodrama, but that comes with the territory. There’s Spart, your average robot with a personality; Ella, mysterious for no reason; and the various Katherine and Matt’s, adorkable and straightforward. Because the documents make it clear that Ella and Clove are endgame, I never felt invested in their relationship. None of the characters were very dynamic, but they were probably too confused by the time travel.
I think I sound angry at this book, and I’m really not. It was not entirely without merit; the fact that I finished it says that alone. It just…oh, I don’t know. Rubbed me up the wrong way. All of these reviews are so positive, and I didn’t find that as I read. The Last Beginning is tangled in the beginnings and the legends; it doesn’t take a step back and see the bigger picture and that, to me, was the saddest thing about it.
I couldn’t help but compare The Last Beginning to another time travel book I’ve read this year: Invictus by Ryan Graudin. It’s tightly plotted, easily explained without infodumping, and clear. You understand how the time travel works, the nature of paradoxes, and how and why the characters do research to blend in. There is none of that in The Last Beginning. Clove is, to be frank, a complete idiot. She turns up in the past with a dress which is an romanticized approximation of historical dress, and then travels with no flipping clue if it’s going to work or not. Obviously, it does. Then she’s wandering around with no clue how to blend in or where to go TELLING PEOPLE THEIR FLIPPING FUTURE LIKE AN ABSOLUTE IDIOT. I have never time travelled or taken a physics class, but even I know that that is a BIG NO NO OH MY GOSH. Then it changes the future, and then she has to fix it. I didn’t mind that Clove was thoughtless or whingy; she’s sixteen, that’s forgiveable. But she’s supposed to be smart, and she absolutely does not behave like that. How could no one in the past—surely some of them aren’t time travelers have noticed how out of place she was? So that bothered me.
There were several things that made no sense in this, and James doesn’t even try to explain (I get that she has science degrees, yay, but the science seems thin imo. She is tangled in the practical sciency bits and the romantic possibilities, which contributes to the chaotic, all-over-the-place nature of the book; there is no attempt to bridge these dual possibilities, unlike what Graudin does so masterfully). The plot lacks coherency; it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, and contorts strangely to involve documents and explanations for The Next Together. It works only because it is clamped to the events of that book, and not because it has any meaning on its own. It’s a shallow sort of book, and my lack of engagement with it reflects that.
I also found the writing exceptionally juvenile. It could be that I’m getting too old for YA, but there are such swathes of sophisticated YA with elegant writing that it’s hard to blame that. Lines like “she had never expected anything like this to ever happen to her”, or “she was never going to talk to Meg ever again” felt overwrought, excessively dramatic. Maybe it’s just Clove’s voice. And everything the parents (Jen and Tom) say is blatant and cheesy. I mean, the writing got the job done, but it certainly grated at me in places.
I didn’t mind the characters. That is, they were idiots, but they were lovable idiots. We have Clove, teen with a mission! and lots of moaning and melodrama, but that comes with the territory. There’s Spart, your average robot with a personality; Ella, mysterious for no reason; and the various Katherine and Matt’s, adorkable and straightforward. Because the documents make it clear that Ella and Clove are endgame, I never felt invested in their relationship. None of the characters were very dynamic, but they were probably too confused by the time travel.
I think I sound angry at this book, and I’m really not. It was not entirely without merit; the fact that I finished it says that alone. It just…oh, I don’t know. Rubbed me up the wrong way. All of these reviews are so positive, and I didn’t find that as I read. The Last Beginning is tangled in the beginnings and the legends; it doesn’t take a step back and see the bigger picture and that, to me, was the saddest thing about it.
July 17, 2018
I liked it, but I didn't enjoy this as much as The Next Together.
I think it's because I went into TNT deliberately blind, having been told that the best way to enjoy it was to know as little as possible about it, and I loved getting thrown into the story straightaway. That didn't work the same way for TLB, but it's hard to explain why without spoiling the whole book, which seems a bit pointless in a review aimed at people deciding whether or not to read it. Essentially, the book delves back into all the action from TNT from a different perspective, so we get to know who was pulling the strings and why they made certain decisions.
I think this sequel will work for people who finished TNT wanting to know exactly what happens. Personally, I enjoyed not knowing the answers. I would have preferred a sequel that focused entirely on a new story, or no sequel at all.
I think it's because I went into TNT deliberately blind, having been told that the best way to enjoy it was to know as little as possible about it, and I loved getting thrown into the story straightaway. That didn't work the same way for TLB, but it's hard to explain why without spoiling the whole book, which seems a bit pointless in a review aimed at people deciding whether or not to read it. Essentially, the book delves back into all the action from TNT from a different perspective, so we get to know who was pulling the strings and why they made certain decisions.
I think this sequel will work for people who finished TNT wanting to know exactly what happens. Personally, I enjoyed not knowing the answers. I would have preferred a sequel that focused entirely on a new story, or no sequel at all.
March 22, 2018
Wow! What a butterfly effect! The way the story wraps everything up so nicely in parallel universes and everything ... I loved it! I definitely recommend reading the other book first, because this story really blew my mind with refrences to the first story. I also really enjoyed Clove and Ella together - something for my little bisexual heart.
March 19, 2021
Slightly better than the first book
December 31, 2016
4.5stars
Sixteen years ago, after a scandal that rocked the world, teenagers Katherine and Matthew vanished without a trace. Now Clove Sutcliffe is determined to find her long lost relatives. But where do you start looking for a couple who seem to have been reincarnated at every key moment in history? Who were Kate and Matt? Why were they born again and again? And who is the mysterious Ella, who keeps appearing at every turn in Clove's investigation?
For Clove, there is a mystery to solve in the past and a love to find in the future.
The Last Beginning is the follow up story to The Next Together and wraps up the duology nicely.
I have to admit that at the end of The Next Together I was a bit confused as to what had happened and why. I got that there was some kind of time travel thing, or reincarnation and I lu-u-urved Kate and Matthew’s story and the history stuff and I thought the ‘Togethers’ were being controlled by a computer somewhere along the line ... but yeah. I reached the end of the book not having a Scooby-doo WHY anything had happened.
Well, dear reader, I am delighted to report that The Last Beginning wrapped everything up very nicely and I now want to go back to The Next Together and re-read it knowing exactly why everything is happening like it is.
Seriously, if you are unsure about this book because The Next Together left you confused, then don’t worry. You’ll totally get it.
So ... the plot of the book revolves around Clove, Matt and Kate’s daughter who we met at the end of the first book. She’s now sixteen and in love with her best friend. Her adoptive parents (Matt’s brother and his wife) are research scientists working on creating time travel wormholes.
And that’s where I’m going to leave it. Seriously, the funnest thing about this book was discovering all the plot points at the same time as Clove did. And the plot is a constant car-chase of wildly thrilling escapades.
Damn. This was So. Much. Fun.
Clove is vastly less irritating than her mum and her romance with Ella was just dreamy.
While the series could probably have been expanded a bit more, the author was clever and quit while she was ahead, leaving us all wanting a bit more. Well played, love.
Sixteen years ago, after a scandal that rocked the world, teenagers Katherine and Matthew vanished without a trace. Now Clove Sutcliffe is determined to find her long lost relatives. But where do you start looking for a couple who seem to have been reincarnated at every key moment in history? Who were Kate and Matt? Why were they born again and again? And who is the mysterious Ella, who keeps appearing at every turn in Clove's investigation?
For Clove, there is a mystery to solve in the past and a love to find in the future.
The Last Beginning is the follow up story to The Next Together and wraps up the duology nicely.
I have to admit that at the end of The Next Together I was a bit confused as to what had happened and why. I got that there was some kind of time travel thing, or reincarnation and I lu-u-urved Kate and Matthew’s story and the history stuff and I thought the ‘Togethers’ were being controlled by a computer somewhere along the line ... but yeah. I reached the end of the book not having a Scooby-doo WHY anything had happened.
Well, dear reader, I am delighted to report that The Last Beginning wrapped everything up very nicely and I now want to go back to The Next Together and re-read it knowing exactly why everything is happening like it is.
Seriously, if you are unsure about this book because The Next Together left you confused, then don’t worry. You’ll totally get it.
So ... the plot of the book revolves around Clove, Matt and Kate’s daughter who we met at the end of the first book. She’s now sixteen and in love with her best friend. Her adoptive parents (Matt’s brother and his wife) are research scientists working on creating time travel wormholes.
And that’s where I’m going to leave it. Seriously, the funnest thing about this book was discovering all the plot points at the same time as Clove did. And the plot is a constant car-chase of wildly thrilling escapades.
Damn. This was So. Much. Fun.
Clove is vastly less irritating than her mum and her romance with Ella was just dreamy.
While the series could probably have been expanded a bit more, the author was clever and quit while she was ahead, leaving us all wanting a bit more. Well played, love.
September 25, 2016
this one has GIRLS KISSING but NO MURDERS but 50% of my wish list ain't bad
Clove is my overemotional child and I love her.
Clove is my overemotional child and I love her.
October 12, 2017
Tahle série je příjemně odpočinková. Po pracovních dnech před spaním naprostá pecka. Cestování v čase mám ráda, tady to bylo takové všelijaké, ale proč ne. Nesmíte ale nic moc očekávat, klišé střídá klišé a všechno je to tak nějak jednoduché. Pokud jste ale četli jedničku, možná by se vám tahle mohla líbit o trochu víc :)
March 2, 2019
i really only started this series because book two has a lesbian mc only to not really like it anyway
September 14, 2018
FINALLY, EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE!
Although I had an inkling about who Clove was, it was nice to finally be able to read it on paper!
The order has been restored, everything makes sense now (more or less) and I now have so many feelings about Clove and Ella, and Kate and Matt and all you beautiful characters. Is it possible to love so many characters from one single series?
Everything about this book was wonderful, I don’t feel like I need to even review it as I’ll always remember how much I loved this book, but for my own sake of mind and my terrible memory here’s a summary.
I’m not even a massive science fiction fan, but after these two books I feel like I am truly on my way to becoming one.
Although I had an inkling about who Clove was, it was nice to finally be able to read it on paper!
The order has been restored, everything makes sense now (more or less) and I now have so many feelings about Clove and Ella, and Kate and Matt and all you beautiful characters. Is it possible to love so many characters from one single series?
Everything about this book was wonderful, I don’t feel like I need to even review it as I’ll always remember how much I loved this book, but for my own sake of mind and my terrible memory here’s a summary.
I’m not even a massive science fiction fan, but after these two books I feel like I am truly on my way to becoming one.
February 12, 2017
SO CLEVER. Fortunately, this does not suffer from second book syndrome. I love how everything came together. This book has tons of information and detail on time travel and timelines but it's so easy to follow and understand, and to be invested in. It could easily become too much/info-dumpy but it never does. Also, once again, I love the change in format — the web pages, the illustrations, messages, and how the font changes for each timeline. Unlike some books *cough* illuminae *cough* (I'm sorry) the illustrations/diagrams never got too much, and they actually complimented the story rather than making me want to bang my head against the wall for reading Wikipedia page after Wikipedia page. So yes. I very much liked this one, and I loved the cute little romance between Clove and Ella.
20/05/16 - why hello there to you, you hella cool and pretty cover. Damn I am excited to read you.
20/05/16 - why hello there to you, you hella cool and pretty cover. Damn I am excited to read you.
November 11, 2016
4.5 stars.
I put off reading this for weeks because I was scared it wouldn't live up to my love of the first book. So colour me delighted when it was basically everything I wanted. It answered all the questions that I had about the first book. It was filled with the same fun documents and illustrations and chats that I loved so much the first time around. The characters are delightful, there's a sassy AI, and the writing is fun.
On the whole, it was ALMOST as great as the first one. Very very nearly as awesome. Like, a quarter of a percentage point less awesome. But considering the first one broke my several week-long streak of less than 4 star books, it holds a special place in my heart.
So yeah. Excellent book is excellent.
I put off reading this for weeks because I was scared it wouldn't live up to my love of the first book. So colour me delighted when it was basically everything I wanted. It answered all the questions that I had about the first book. It was filled with the same fun documents and illustrations and chats that I loved so much the first time around. The characters are delightful, there's a sassy AI, and the writing is fun.
On the whole, it was ALMOST as great as the first one. Very very nearly as awesome. Like, a quarter of a percentage point less awesome. But considering the first one broke my several week-long streak of less than 4 star books, it holds a special place in my heart.
So yeah. Excellent book is excellent.
April 8, 2017
Okay so i ended up liking this book way more than i thought i would and now that i think about it, i wish i had read it more slowly than finishing it in 3 hours...but regardless, absolutely loved how it explained everything that happened in book one so well! If you're time travel trash like me then you should definitely read this series :3 my love for scifi just keeps on growing with good books like these <3
July 5, 2020
I ended up liking the sequel better than the first installment. The main character was a lot more likeable, and the plot started to make much more sense.
May 28, 2020
“Zaman yolculuğu örgü örmek gibidir. Daha önce gelenlerin üstüne inşa etmeniz ve güzel nir şeye dönüşene kadar iplikleri birbirine örmeniz gerekir.”
🧡🧡
İlk kitabı okumamın üzerinden yıllar geçmiş ama bu kitaba başladığımda hiçbir zorluk yaşamadım. İlk kitabı çok fazla sevdiğimden devam kitabıyla bozulursa diye çekindiğim için bu kadar erteledim aslında.🙊 Ama korktuğum gibi olmadı, mutluyum.💃🏻
Son Başlangıç, ilk kitaptan 16 yıl sonrasında başlıyor ve bu kez olayları Kate ve Matt’ten değil, ilk kitabın son anında seriye dahil olan Clove’un gözünden okuyoruz. Ne yalan söyleyeyim, bu beni bir miktar üzdü. Sonuçta Matt ve Kate benim ilk göz ağrılarımdı, Clove da olsa onların yerine başkasını kabul edemem.
Clove 16 yaşında olmasının getirdiği aşırı ergenliğiyle başlarda beni biraz sinirlendirdi açıkçası. Evet, aşırı zeki bir karakterdi ve bu durumu gerçekten çok sevdim ama demek ki bu kadar zeki olmak da ergenlik saçmalıklarına karşı koymak için yeterli değilmiş, onu görmüş oldum.😂
Kitabın, hatta serinin inanılmaz bir kurgusu var, gerçekten. İlk kitapla birlikte aklımda kalan soru işaretleri cevaplarını burada buldu gerçekten. Ben zaten zaman yolculuğu temalı kitaplara bayılıyorum, bu seride de beni ilk çeken oydu. Zaman yolculuğunun akıl almaz karmaşıklığını okumayı seviyorum.🙊 Bu kitapta da gerçekten aklımın karmakarışık olduğu, algılamakta güçlük çektiğim anlar yaşadım ama bu beklediğim bir şeydi ve tersi olsa kitabı sevemezdim bence.😂
Kitabın kurgusu kadar iç tasarımı da bahsedilmeyi hak ediyor bence. Ben ilk kitabı okurken de buna hayran kalmıştım, yine aynısı oldu. Söz konusu olan belgeler, haritalar, çizimler, notlar, mektuplar, mesajlaşmalar her şey o kadar güzel düşünülmüş ve aslına uygun bir şekilde kitaba yerleştirilmiş ki, çok sevdim gerçekten. Yine her sayfaya işlenen zaman çizgisi de çok güzeldi.
Clove& Elle ilişkisine gelirsem, biraz havada kaldı sanki. Yani Elle, kitaba bir anda dahil oldu ve biraz oldu bittiye geldi sanki, ben pek duygu göremedim bu konuda. Açıkçası bunu görmek isterdim kitapta.
Ve ben Kate ve Matt’i kesinlikle daha fazla görmek isterdim. Tamam, zaman yolculukları sırasında onları görebiliyoruz ama bu bana yeterli gelmedi. Kitabın sonu ise biraz eksik kaldı benim için. Kate, Matt ve Clove arasındaki ilişkinin nasıl ilerlediğini görmek isterdim.💔
Ama bu eksiklerin dışında oldukça hızlı okunan, kurgusu zekice işlenmiş güzel bir kitaptı benim için ve ilk kitaptaki boşlukları doldurduğu için güzel bir devam kitabıydı. Zaman yolculuğu temalı kitapları seviyorsanız, bu seriye şans verebilirsiniz bence.
🧡🧡
İlk kitabı okumamın üzerinden yıllar geçmiş ama bu kitaba başladığımda hiçbir zorluk yaşamadım. İlk kitabı çok fazla sevdiğimden devam kitabıyla bozulursa diye çekindiğim için bu kadar erteledim aslında.🙊 Ama korktuğum gibi olmadı, mutluyum.💃🏻
Son Başlangıç, ilk kitaptan 16 yıl sonrasında başlıyor ve bu kez olayları Kate ve Matt’ten değil, ilk kitabın son anında seriye dahil olan Clove’un gözünden okuyoruz. Ne yalan söyleyeyim, bu beni bir miktar üzdü. Sonuçta Matt ve Kate benim ilk göz ağrılarımdı, Clove da olsa onların yerine başkasını kabul edemem.
Clove 16 yaşında olmasının getirdiği aşırı ergenliğiyle başlarda beni biraz sinirlendirdi açıkçası. Evet, aşırı zeki bir karakterdi ve bu durumu gerçekten çok sevdim ama demek ki bu kadar zeki olmak da ergenlik saçmalıklarına karşı koymak için yeterli değilmiş, onu görmüş oldum.😂
Kitabın, hatta serinin inanılmaz bir kurgusu var, gerçekten. İlk kitapla birlikte aklımda kalan soru işaretleri cevaplarını burada buldu gerçekten. Ben zaten zaman yolculuğu temalı kitaplara bayılıyorum, bu seride de beni ilk çeken oydu. Zaman yolculuğunun akıl almaz karmaşıklığını okumayı seviyorum.🙊 Bu kitapta da gerçekten aklımın karmakarışık olduğu, algılamakta güçlük çektiğim anlar yaşadım ama bu beklediğim bir şeydi ve tersi olsa kitabı sevemezdim bence.😂
Kitabın kurgusu kadar iç tasarımı da bahsedilmeyi hak ediyor bence. Ben ilk kitabı okurken de buna hayran kalmıştım, yine aynısı oldu. Söz konusu olan belgeler, haritalar, çizimler, notlar, mektuplar, mesajlaşmalar her şey o kadar güzel düşünülmüş ve aslına uygun bir şekilde kitaba yerleştirilmiş ki, çok sevdim gerçekten. Yine her sayfaya işlenen zaman çizgisi de çok güzeldi.
Clove& Elle ilişkisine gelirsem, biraz havada kaldı sanki. Yani Elle, kitaba bir anda dahil oldu ve biraz oldu bittiye geldi sanki, ben pek duygu göremedim bu konuda. Açıkçası bunu görmek isterdim kitapta.
Ve ben Kate ve Matt’i kesinlikle daha fazla görmek isterdim. Tamam, zaman yolculukları sırasında onları görebiliyoruz ama bu bana yeterli gelmedi. Kitabın sonu ise biraz eksik kaldı benim için. Kate, Matt ve Clove arasındaki ilişkinin nasıl ilerlediğini görmek isterdim.💔
Ama bu eksiklerin dışında oldukça hızlı okunan, kurgusu zekice işlenmiş güzel bir kitaptı benim için ve ilk kitaptaki boşlukları doldurduğu için güzel bir devam kitabıydı. Zaman yolculuğu temalı kitapları seviyorsanız, bu seriye şans verebilirsiniz bence.
October 31, 2024
Nette Fortsetzung, die offene Fragen aus dem Vorband zwar beantwortet, mich jedoch nicht zufrieden stellt. Insgesamt okay 🤖
Clove ist 16 Jahre alt und Tochter von Tom und Jens Suitcliff, zwei der wohl bedeutendsten Wissenschaftler auf dem Gebiet der Zeitreisen. Da wundert es nicht, das Clove ebenfalls ein Naturtalent bezüglich wissenschaftlichen Bereichen ist, doch eigentlich ist sie adoptiert worden, wie ihr ganz plötzlich eröffnet wird. Ihre leiblichen Eltern sind Kate und Matthew Galloway, die beiden mutmaßlichen Terroristen, die nach der Rettung der Welt verschwunden sind. Als Clove dann auch noch von ihrer besten Freundin und ersten Liebe Meg zurückgewiesen wird, plant sie ins Labor ihrer Adoptiveltern einzubrechen, die Zeitmaschine zu benutzen und ihre Eltern kennen zu lernen. Dabei hat sie nicht damit gerechnet, dass sie dort ihre Liebe trifft...
Clove ist als Charakter recht anstrengend. Sie ist zwar schlau und im Programmieren ein Ass, aber dafür ist sie hyperaktiv und schlecht zu bändigen. Ihre Versuche sich mit Stricken zu beruhigen schlagen nicht immer an, vielmehr wird sie eher ruhelos, was auch zu ihrer Dickköpfigkeit passt. Dafür, dass sie so schlau ist, reagiert sie häufig impulsiv und ohne an etwaige Folgen zu denken, was postwendend auch in ungünstige Situationen umschlägt. Clove ist eine rebellische Jugendliche mit Zielen, die sie hartnäckig verfolgt.
Dann ist da Ella, die hübsche junge Frau, die alles zu wissen scheint. Klar, sie kommt aus der Zukunft. Und genau das ist dann wohl auch einer der Punkte, der mich stört... Sie erzählt viel aus der Zukunft und ich finde es seltsam, dass dies die Zukunft scheinbar nicht beeinflusst. Dagegen wirkt das Verhalten und die eingebrachten Dinge aus der Zukunft von Clove sich logischer Weise furchtbar auf die Zukunft aus. Dadurch landet man in vielem Alternativzeitsträngen. Und da beginnt auch das Logikloch... Geschehenes zu ändern, um die Zukunft zu ändern, die aber eigentlich Vergangenheit ist. Das geht nicht, denn prinzipiell ändert man etwas, wovon man prinzipiell dann nichts wissen dürfte und irgendwo springt man dann in einer anderen Zeitlinie...
Schön ist allerdings Kate und Matt wieder zu treffen und auch der kleine Computer ist mir gut in Erinnerung geblieben. Emotionen waren zwar da, aber nicht so sehr, wie ich es mir gewünscht hätte. Es war mehr das Jugendliche Gezicke. Die Zeitreise an sich hat ebenfalls wieder Spaß gemacht. Man fängt dort an die Verknüpfung zu Band eins richtig zu weben.
Der Schreibstil war wieder ganz gut und insgesamt konnte man das Buch schnell lesen.
Insgesamt eine Fortsetzung, die man gut lesen kann, aber ich persönlich hätte sie nicht gebraucht
Clove ist 16 Jahre alt und Tochter von Tom und Jens Suitcliff, zwei der wohl bedeutendsten Wissenschaftler auf dem Gebiet der Zeitreisen. Da wundert es nicht, das Clove ebenfalls ein Naturtalent bezüglich wissenschaftlichen Bereichen ist, doch eigentlich ist sie adoptiert worden, wie ihr ganz plötzlich eröffnet wird. Ihre leiblichen Eltern sind Kate und Matthew Galloway, die beiden mutmaßlichen Terroristen, die nach der Rettung der Welt verschwunden sind. Als Clove dann auch noch von ihrer besten Freundin und ersten Liebe Meg zurückgewiesen wird, plant sie ins Labor ihrer Adoptiveltern einzubrechen, die Zeitmaschine zu benutzen und ihre Eltern kennen zu lernen. Dabei hat sie nicht damit gerechnet, dass sie dort ihre Liebe trifft...
Clove ist als Charakter recht anstrengend. Sie ist zwar schlau und im Programmieren ein Ass, aber dafür ist sie hyperaktiv und schlecht zu bändigen. Ihre Versuche sich mit Stricken zu beruhigen schlagen nicht immer an, vielmehr wird sie eher ruhelos, was auch zu ihrer Dickköpfigkeit passt. Dafür, dass sie so schlau ist, reagiert sie häufig impulsiv und ohne an etwaige Folgen zu denken, was postwendend auch in ungünstige Situationen umschlägt. Clove ist eine rebellische Jugendliche mit Zielen, die sie hartnäckig verfolgt.
Dann ist da Ella, die hübsche junge Frau, die alles zu wissen scheint. Klar, sie kommt aus der Zukunft. Und genau das ist dann wohl auch einer der Punkte, der mich stört... Sie erzählt viel aus der Zukunft und ich finde es seltsam, dass dies die Zukunft scheinbar nicht beeinflusst. Dagegen wirkt das Verhalten und die eingebrachten Dinge aus der Zukunft von Clove sich logischer Weise furchtbar auf die Zukunft aus. Dadurch landet man in vielem Alternativzeitsträngen. Und da beginnt auch das Logikloch... Geschehenes zu ändern, um die Zukunft zu ändern, die aber eigentlich Vergangenheit ist. Das geht nicht, denn prinzipiell ändert man etwas, wovon man prinzipiell dann nichts wissen dürfte und irgendwo springt man dann in einer anderen Zeitlinie...
Schön ist allerdings Kate und Matt wieder zu treffen und auch der kleine Computer ist mir gut in Erinnerung geblieben. Emotionen waren zwar da, aber nicht so sehr, wie ich es mir gewünscht hätte. Es war mehr das Jugendliche Gezicke. Die Zeitreise an sich hat ebenfalls wieder Spaß gemacht. Man fängt dort an die Verknüpfung zu Band eins richtig zu weben.
Der Schreibstil war wieder ganz gut und insgesamt konnte man das Buch schnell lesen.
Insgesamt eine Fortsetzung, die man gut lesen kann, aber ich persönlich hätte sie nicht gebraucht
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