All Our Yesterdays by Cristin TerrillGenre: Science Fiction
Release Date: August 1, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: Publisher
Add it: Goodreads
Rating:
Em is locked in a bare, cold cell with no comforts. Finn is in the cell next door. The Doctor is keeping them there until they tell him what he wants to know. Trouble is, what he wants to know hasn't happened yet.
Em and Finn have a shared past, but no future unless they can find a way out. The present is torture - being kept apart, overhearing each other's anguish as the Doctor relentlessly seeks answers. There's no way back from here, to what they used to be, the world they used to know. Then Em finds a note in her cell which changes everything. It's from her future self and contains some simple but very clear instructions. Em must travel back in time to avert a tragedy that's about to unfold. Worse, she has to pursue and kill the boy she loves to change the future.
I don’t know where to start with this review. I have a problem with words when it comes to All Our Yesterdays, because it was so bloody awesome that it left me speechless. I fucking love time travel. I cannot express my love, even with swear words. There are no words.
The beginning drew me in immediately because we’re introduced to Em, who is stuck in a cell and has been tortured, and we’re made to wonder how she got there, who the guy in the cell next door is, who the doctor is, what’s so special about the bloody drain… The list goes on. It’s mysterious and intriguing and totally captivating right from the get-go.
The action kicks off immediately, and as a lover of all things that that one word entails – from fight scenes to shoot-outs to epic getaways – I am pleased to announce that the fast pacing and amount of action stays steady the entire way through.
I also loved it when the time travel begins, and we’re taken to the past. I’m not going to say much because you definitely do not want to be spoiled for this book, but it was great to be able to get two different perspectives of two girls who have had very different experiences.
Throughout the book, Terrill throws in small clues that imply that Marina’s world is very different to ours. If you pick up on those, then you’ll know something is amiss, but you won’t be able to figure out what that is. I wasn’t sure what I was dealing with, to be honest!
Em was my favourite out of all the characters. Marina’s story was great, but Em’s character is just flawless. She’s such a badass, and yet she’s still loving and caring and she has a soul.
Finn, on the other hand, could have used a bit more development but it was understandably one sided since the story is told from just Em’s and Marina’s point of view. I loved Finn, though. His sarcasm was A+, and it worked really well with Em’s personality. But still, when shit hit the fan, he didn’t mess around.
I honestly wasn’t sure as to whether or not I shipped Em and Finn at first since in the beginning you’re kind of just thrown in and they’re already in love and have been through so much. But in a weird way you get to see build up, and also how much they adore each other. They also have a fuckload of chemistry, which always helps.
All Our Yesterdays also deals with the concept of soulmates. I love that kind of stuff, as long as it’s not overly sappy or cheesy. When soulmates are done right, they’re fabulous. I love the thought of always finding each other, no matter which life or world you’re in.
I also really liked the villain in this, and I think this is one of the few books that offers a unique perspective on its villain. I’m not going to say anything more than that, because I want you to be more surprised than I was. Just know that I love how Terrill dealt with the villain, and the story there was brilliant.
There were also twists, which is always a good thing. I love being shocked, and while I did know some of the ~secrets~, I wasn’t expecting some of the stuff that was revealed.
The last fifty or so pages were too much for me. I had to keep putting the book down because it was so suspenseful. I just didn’t know what was going to happen in the epic climax/showdown. And what did actually happen shocked me. I wasn’t expecting it in the slightest, and when stuff started to go down I had to fight to be able to see past the tears. I’m totally not emotionally stable enough for these types of books.
After the way All Our Yesterdays ended, I was rather worried it would be a standalone and I spent a good half an hour crying over that fact alone. But, all was not lost, because Cristin’s blog and Debby have assured me that there’s going to be a sequel. I have no idea how a sequel is going to play out, but I think Cristin will be able to pull it off marvellously.
Until then, I’ll have to fight off the urge to do a monthly re-read. I’ll have to make it bi-monthly instead.
If you’re a fan of action-packed science fiction, then I would definitely recommend reading this book. I can’t recommend it enough, actually, and I’m not even sure if my review did it justice at all.
I absolutely loved this book as well. I’ll read anything time travel, but this one was far and away one of the best I’ve read. The part where you find out what Finn says to Em in the beginning…sigh! I have no idea how the sequel is going to play out, but I guess with time travel, anything can happen. Great review! ~Pam
I’m very intrigued by the idea of a sequel. And a little nervous, after the ending of this one! I’m sure it’s going to blow my mind.
I LOVED THIS BOOK. It blew me away. I had no idea what I was getting into when I picked it up and felt just like you at the end. Then I realized there would be another and was excited but scared all at once. Then I started stalking Cristin Terrill 🙂 Brilliant review and thank you for linking to my site!
My Friends Are Fiction
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS. I can’t wait for the sequel, but at the same time I don’t want it just yet because it would be too much for my fragile self. And you’re most welcome, dearie!
I’m even more excited to read this after reading your review and the comments!
~ Jen @ A Book and a Latte
Teeheeee, I can’t wait to see what you think 😀
I love everything about this. I already made that clear on Twitter. But still. Making it official.
Your liveblogging was official enough XD
Yessss SUCH a good book! And I totally agree that this had one of the best villains ever! He was just so well-developed, and I loved seeing the different sides of him. Also, I loved Em too! SHE’S AMAZING! Marina drove me crazy at first, but I ended up really liking her. Also, I liked Finn a lot too, I found him adorable and totally fun. Really, this book is just epic. 😀
Epic pretty much sums it up! EM IS FLAWLESS. And Finn *___* I don’t know how I’m going to handle the sequel, especially with the way this ended. And then there’s the whole villain thing… I just don’t know. GAH.
Awesome review! I’m so excited to read this now, I might start it today!!
YESSSSSSS
I just had to totally sack off my job and sit in the toilet reading the last 15% of this on the Kindle app on my phone – talk about a book being unputdownable!!! I think the book hangover for this one is going to be a long and hard one!!
Hahahahaha, totally understandable! I don’t think I could handle reading it at work, I’d end up running out of the bathroom, screaming about Em and Finn.
Ok, so I didn’t totally read your review because I haven’t read it yet but I keep hearing AMAZING things about this book, I’m waiting for it from the library and I cannot WAIT to read this!!…then I’ll come back and re-read every word 🙂
Perfectly understandable! YES YES YES. I hope you manage to get to it soon, if you haven’t already. IT’S SO WONDERFUL.