We Are Closer Than Time Allows

Expected Publication: October 9th, 2012

Time Between Us

By: Tamara Ireland Stone

Disney Hyperion

ISBN-13: 9781423159568

Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett’s unique ability to travel through time and space brings him into Anna’s life, and with him, a new world of adventure and possibility.

As their relationship deepens, they face the reality that time might knock Bennett back where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate—and what consequences they can bear in order to stay together.

Fresh, exciting, and deeply romantic, TIME BETWEEN US is a stunning and spellbinding debut from an extraordinary new talent in YA fiction.

Review

   Anna and Bennett are worlds apart - literally.  She is living in 1995 Chicago and he is in 2012 San Francisco.  They were never supposed to meet, but Bennett is able to travel through time and space.  While he is looking for a missing person, he stays in Anna's town and goes to her high school (posing as a college student so his real Grandma will let him board/live with her and not ask questions).  Bennett tries to avoid Anna and not get involved, but as they get to know each other he finds it impossible to stay away.  Even though Bennett will eventually have to return to his own reality, whether he chooses to or time chooses for him.  Anna also has a decision to make - put her life on hold for something that might be impossible or take a chance on the life she's offered that she's always wanted.  I really loved Anna and Bennett.  They were both great main characters, fleshed out enough to sympathize with and feel like real people to me as a reader.  Anna is someone that I identified with majorly.  She is runner, works in her parents' bookstore and she wants to travel the world someday.  Plus we have the same name! :)  Bennett is confused, detached from his family and in search of something real.  Anna's best friend Emma, who is awesomely British, was a wonderful addition to the story and I adored their interactions - they were very realistic in the alternating conflict and unconditional support they offered each other.  Justin is another one of Anna's friends present in the story, but he is kind of a background character who doesn't really offer much with his presence.  The fact that Anna and Bennett try and be completely honest with each other was a novelty for me, because you see so much lying and acting behind the backs of others in YA literature these days.  Who knew honesty was alive and kicking?  Plus this book had one of my favorite elements EVER in a novel, time travel!  I would die with excitement if I ever had the ability to time travel.  It would be wonderful to go to different countries and historical places that no longer exist.  Plus Bennett can also travel through space, so if he just wants to go to modern day Paris for breakfast he can!  One thing that did make me mad was when he and Anna changed the outcome of a possibly tragic accident and there weren't any major consequences.  I would have liked to see it affect them just a little bit more than it did.  Overall, this book was a fun and heartrending read about the choices we have to make growing up, the effect they have on our lives afterward and what it would be like if we could change them for the better in time to make a difference.  I highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of time travel, but be prepared to cry a little bit.

VERDICT:  4.5/5  Stars

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. It will be available for purchase on October 9th, 2012.*