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The Present
Read the brilliant novel that is now a major motion picture starring Greg Kinnear and Isla Fisher, the story of a boy with the power to change time and, even more impressive, his family.
What would you do if you could restart today? For 11-year-old Adam Diehl, it’s a He knows that his parents are splitting up — today. If he could, he would turn back time.
As it turns out, he can.
What his parents don't know — what his sister and brother don’t suspect — is that Adam is a genius, and that the computer he stares at for hours every day has opened a gateway to knowledge beyond our comprehension.
But not Adam's.
He's going to repeat this day until he finds the version of it that ends with his parents staying together. But he can't keep resetting the day forever.
The laws of time are strict, and they're starting to push back.
THE PRESENT is now a major motion picture from AGC Studios and Catchlight Films starring Greg Kinnear and Isla Fisher, directed by Christian Ditter.
What would you do if you could restart today? For 11-year-old Adam Diehl, it’s a He knows that his parents are splitting up — today. If he could, he would turn back time.
As it turns out, he can.
What his parents don't know — what his sister and brother don’t suspect — is that Adam is a genius, and that the computer he stares at for hours every day has opened a gateway to knowledge beyond our comprehension.
But not Adam's.
He's going to repeat this day until he finds the version of it that ends with his parents staying together. But he can't keep resetting the day forever.
The laws of time are strict, and they're starting to push back.
THE PRESENT is now a major motion picture from AGC Studios and Catchlight Films starring Greg Kinnear and Isla Fisher, directed by Christian Ditter.
Audio CD
Published January 11, 2022
48 people want to read
About the author
Jay Martel
7 books12 followersI'm an executive producer and writer for "Key & Peele," a sketch show on Comedy Central. I've created various TV shows, written screenplays, gardened for Richard Nixon, and was once arrested for confronting Jeb Bush about Florida's death penalty program. I've also written comic pieces for "The New Yorker" and "Rolling Stone." Channel Blue is my first novel. For more info on Channel Blue and my writing, please check out facebook.com/authorjaymartel.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 19, 2021
This audiobook made me laugh, cry, and shout. A beautiful story that beings you into the mind of each family member the day that their lives change forever. The story was easy to follow and brought to life how hard it is for us to love given our differences.
October 25, 2021
This isn’t all that interesting as time travel books go. It’s a bit like Groundhog Day from the point of view of 5 different family members.
The novel starts with a family dinner in which the parents are about to tell their three kids that they are separating. Unbeknownst to them, one of the kids has figured out a way to time travel and is trying to redo the same day over and over to prevent the separation.
The three kids are Emma, Max and Adam. The two boys are on the autism spectrum. All the kids have great personalities, and they interact in a realistic way.
The last part of the book was the most interesting. The ending is satisfying.
Fred Berman did a nice job on the narration.
The novel starts with a family dinner in which the parents are about to tell their three kids that they are separating. Unbeknownst to them, one of the kids has figured out a way to time travel and is trying to redo the same day over and over to prevent the separation.
The three kids are Emma, Max and Adam. The two boys are on the autism spectrum. All the kids have great personalities, and they interact in a realistic way.
The last part of the book was the most interesting. The ending is satisfying.
Fred Berman did a nice job on the narration.
June 28, 2023
4.5 stars
I was expecting a much different book. I was pleasantly surprised anyway. This author knows how to write. The time traveling aspect, even though it dominates the theme, was somewhat in the background and we instead go through 4 separate timelines with the focus on four separate individuals!. The characters are well developed and you can’t wait to see what happens next as each individual goes about trying to change the course of the future in one day. All due to one 11 year old autistic savant who figures out a way to talk to an alien civilization. Great story. I listened to the audio version read by Fred Berman, a narrator I really like as I listened to him read all the Walking Dead books. This book is short but highly recommended.
I was expecting a much different book. I was pleasantly surprised anyway. This author knows how to write. The time traveling aspect, even though it dominates the theme, was somewhat in the background and we instead go through 4 separate timelines with the focus on four separate individuals!. The characters are well developed and you can’t wait to see what happens next as each individual goes about trying to change the course of the future in one day. All due to one 11 year old autistic savant who figures out a way to talk to an alien civilization. Great story. I listened to the audio version read by Fred Berman, a narrator I really like as I listened to him read all the Walking Dead books. This book is short but highly recommended.
June 30, 2021
Moving and hilarious. Martel finds exactly the rare tone of a book both painfully true and super funny.
December 21, 2021
SEQUEL, PLEASE!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ At once fantastical and somehow believable, the story’s pace kept me riveted— I couldn’t put it down! I loved each character for their own struggles and personalities, and of course the topic of being able to relive a day to change the course of events is simply fascinating. The ending is outstanding and I can’t wait for more!
May 23, 2022
This story was a clever rework of the "Groundhog Day" theme.
June 2, 2022
Slow start, wasn't sure I would continue. Glad I did.
October 13, 2022
This is the story of a family with 3 teenagers, 2 of which are neurodivergent. One of them discovers how to repeat the day their parents are announcing their divorce in an effort to keep them together. It was a good read and I didn’t find the characters annoying like I do a lot of books with young characters.
February 13, 2023
A fun look at a groundhog day time travel conceit. Will be too basic for real sci-fi aficionados and too out there for causal readers. Entertaining, as long as you don't think too hard about it.
A lot of the questions are magic-ed away at the end in what I found to be quite unsatisfying and "autism as a superpower" is never a great narrative.
A lot of the questions are magic-ed away at the end in what I found to be quite unsatisfying and "autism as a superpower" is never a great narrative.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2021
Fun to read, clever sci fi.
January 25, 2022
Clever, fun, and unexpected take on time.
June 2, 2022
Groundhog Day on steroids.
This story will have you laughing and crying while a young boy tries to hold his family together.
Fred Berman did as always an excellent job narrating.
This story will have you laughing and crying while a young boy tries to hold his family together.
Fred Berman did as always an excellent job narrating.
August 1, 2022
I love the family, sciency, disability timey-wimey ness of this book.
November 1, 2022
The dissolution and redemption of a 21st century nuclear family.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews