BOOK REPORT for All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
Cover Story: Is That Supposed To Happen?
BFF Charm: Yay/Eventually
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Talky Talk: She Said, She Said
Bonus Factor: Time Travel
Relationship Status: No Butterfly Effect
Cover Story: Is That Supposed To Happen?
On the whole I’m not sure I quite understand what’s going on here, especially the off-center mirror image of the city in the background. However, the nearly melting manhole/clock thing on this cover reminds me of a very strange incident: Once, during a visit to New York City, I watched from a restaurant as a manhole shot into the air, propelled by a plume of flame and smoke. I’m pretty positive now that there’s a secret volcano lurking underneath Manhattan.
The Deal:
Enemies of the State Em and Finn have been locked away in a secret facility for months, the monotony of their days spent in tiny cells broken only by guards bringing food and the occasional torture session. As fugitives on the run from a government group that turned the U.S. into a police state, they were captured because they supposedly had information vital to the continued success of the group. When a friendly guard helps them escape, they travel back in time to stop the madman who locked them away.
Marina is a girl from an upper-class family who’s been best friends with her neighbor—and child genius—James for longer than she can remember. When the two are involved in a frightening incident, they’re lead down a path that will change their lives forever, in the most unexpected of ways.
BFF Charm: Yay/Eventually
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Em is a tough, determined young woman who’s been hardened by years of being on the run. She knows what needs to be done to fix the situation she finds herself in, and resolves to do it, no matter how hard it might be. She’s not completely emotionless, however, and has a soft side that hasn’t completely been erased by the horrible circumstances she’s been forced to face. I feel for her and the decisions she has to make; I know for a fact that I’d have a much harder time coming to terms with the “right” thing to do were I faced with similar situations. I think she could give me some real lessons on confidence.
Marina is young and a bit naive, and I wanted to throttle her at times for being so twitterpated with James. But with time, and the chance to grow, both into herself and into maturity, I can see her becoming a strong woman with a lot of personality.
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Em and Finn’s relationship has grown from friends to something more over time, but has been hindered by their fugitive lifestyle and the time spent apart in separate cells. They’ve got a job to do, also, so romance isn’t at the forefront of their minds. They do share a few stolen moments that, although sweet, never quite hit the swoon bullseye.
Marina has a teenager’s unrequited love for James, the “perfect” boy-next-door. She wants so badly for him to notice her, but the guy is much too preoccupied with his studies and his research—at 17, he’s already working on a master’s degree—to ever fully commit to a relationship. I feel for her; I’m sure that many of us have been in somewhat similar situations in our lives. And man, do they ever suck.
Talky Talk: She Said, She Said
The book switches between Em and Marina’s POVs, and Cristin Terrill does a great job of jumping between the two without making it confusing. Both voices are distinct; where Em is practical and always thinking of the job at hand, Marina is softer and in-the-now. Terrill creates an interesting and unique dichotomy with the two characters.
Bonus Factor: Time Travel
Time travel is one of the coolest science fiction theories ever. The idea of being able to go back in time to change the future is a fascinating one. All Our Yesterdays touches on the science that could eventually lead to the discovery of a way to travel in time (i.e. the fact that time isn’t linear) and also the subject of paradoxes and alternate timelines.
Casting Call:
Nina Dobrev as Em
As she’s shown in The Vampire Diaries, Nina can do both soft and hardcore.
Young Nina Dobrev as Marina
See above.
Eric Christian Olsen as Finn
Even after a hard few years, Finn retained his sweet personality and his laid-back charm. And although it was never mentioned if he was a “surfer-guy” type, it’s what I imagined, and ECO is who I picture when I think of that type of guy.
Michael B. Jordan as James
James is described as being tall, dark and handsome, with a smile that can light a room and a darker side that’s barely kept under control. I haven’t seen Michael in much, but I feel like he might have the ability to switch from being utterly charming to utterly frightening (in a good way) in a matter of moments.
Relationship Status: No Butterfly Effect
This book and I had a lovely first date, but I didn’t get any butterflies in my stomach. I think if we just stay friends, it’ll be better for both of us. I’d hate to start something just to see it end badly, since I don’t have a time machine to travel back and correct my mistakes, sadly.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received a free review copy from Merit Press. I received neither homemade kettle corn nor money for this review (dammit!). All Our Yesterdays will be available Sept. 3.