Time

by Rachel Werling

The year is 2900, and North America is no longer the place it used to be. Over the years, three men rose to power. They renamed the northern landmass Flikes and divided it into seven Sections. The three men declared themselves the Alpha, Beta, and Calvin-the oligarchs of Flikes. These men did the unthinkable. They took away our free will by controlling every aspect of our lives. At birth, we are issued a bracelet. At age five, we are issued a necklace. At age ten, we are issued a watch. And at age thirteen, we are issued a digital watch. These are collectively known as our Accessories. Accessories must be worn at all times. Each one counts down time. The bracelet counts down the time until we meet our best friend. The necklace counts down the time until we meet our soul mate. The watch counts down the time until we meet our enemy. The digital watch counts down the time until our death. Nothing can change our Fate. Meeting our best friend, our soul mate, our enemy, and our death; these are all decided for us. Or, at least that was what everyone thought. That was before me, Cassandrea Gultian. That was before all of my Accessories just stopped. That was when my death was just a second away. I am the girl who stopped time.

247 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2020

Reviews

[Amy Hicks · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of the plot was right up my alley...dystopia all the way. I love the storyline and the three characters the story revolved around. The book is based on the idea that the government controls all facets of our lives...who our best friend is...who our love interest is...when we will die...how we will die...the enemy that will cause our death.... The reader, however, is left with a lot of questions. What happened to cause this control? How long has life been like this? Why is this so accepted?

SPOILER ALERT...

I determined that Shay was at the root of everything early on in the book. What I don't understand is the interaction with Eliza. Some of the flashbacks were unorganized and made me revert back to previous chapters to try to make sense of current chapters. I also found the writing to be pedestrian. There were some inconsistencies in the text and the style that made reading and connections difficult.

[Phyllis Gaerke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and intriguing concept. I want more!!
Although this book is written for AYA age, like Harry Potter, it dress me in from the start. All while reading I wanted more. There are so many twists and unanswered questions! I can't wait for the next book!
The author is going, and this is her debut book but it reads like it was written by a veteran. Great book!!