| Title | : | Time After Time (Time Between Us, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1423159608 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781423159605 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 368 |
| Publication | : | First published October 8, 2013 |
It’s not a perfect arrangement, though, with Bennett unable to stay in the past for more than brief visits, skipping out on big chunks of his present in order to be with Anna in hers. They each are confident that they’ll find a way to make things work...until Bennett witnesses a single event he never should have seen (and certainly never expected to). Will the decisions he makes from that point on cement a future he doesn't want?
Told from Bennett’s point of view, Time After Time will satisfy readers looking for a fresh, exciting, and beautifully-written love story, both those who are eager to find out what’s next for Time Between Us's Anna and Bennett and those discovering their story for the first time.
Time After Time (Time Between Us, #2) Reviews
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Newsflash : Stacia actually gives a damn.
Not long ago, I noticed that the amount of books I'd given 1 star ratings to had eclipsed the amount of books I'd given 5 star ratings to. There was something about this shift which bothered me. Had I truly become so jaded by reading that I'd somehow completely forgotten how to fall in love with books?
Today, I realized that this isn't the case. It's nice to be reminded that I can fall hard for a book after having a long, dry spell.
The feels were all over me. I couldn't wash them off if I tried, and I don't think I'm ready to let go of them yet anyway."Wouldn't it be funny if we're the ones that start the whole lock thing?"
"Maybe we do."
"I like that," she says.
I don't have the heart to tell her that in 2010, all the locks will be removed. Or that, in 2011, they'll start reappearing. They can cut our lock off. We'll just come back here together - in 1998 and 2008 and 2018 - and replace it every time it gets removed.
There's no way to review this book in-depth without spoiling, but if you were a fan of Time Between Us, you'll find more of that goodness in Time After Time. I wasn't sure if the author would be able to pull of a sequel which could live up to the first book, but this was truly the icing on the cake. If you haven't read Time Between Us yet, do yourself a favor and get on this right away if you're a fan of sweet love stories without annoying characters. Contemporary romance (whether YA, NA, or adult) has suffered the past few years from heroes and heroines who are parodies of real people. I felt Bennett and Anna's story the way I would feel a story as if I were living through it myself. There are no TSTL females or over-confident jerky males up in this mix. I sat back and watched two normal people living an extraordinary life.
...and I got teary eyed while doing it."I don't get to hold on to any of it. I can't stay here. This isn't my home. And every time I have to go back, it kills me. Every. Single. Time. And it always will."
To whom it may concern in the movie industry : Time Between Us needs to be a movie, please. I don't care if this subject has been done before plenty of times. I'm willing to forget I ever watched any other, similar movies for the sake of this story.
This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Quotes provided from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted from the final copy.
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Last year, I read and adored Time Between Us - I thought it went where The Time Traveler's Wife didn't with the time travel bit, and the romance was incredibly swoony.
I'm happy to report that Time After Time is JUST as swoony and as unputdownable as Time Between Us. I slipped effortlessly back into Anna and Bennett's story, I was completely invested in their relationship - and the messiness of having a relationship with someone who's essentially long-distance and who you can't always count on.
To me, that was the most amazing, believable, and frustrating part of the book - because I really, desperately wanted Bennett and Anna to be able to make things work, but at the same time, my rational mind kept thinking, "If this was my friend, I would tell her to ditch him." Because a relationship with someone far away is one thing, but a relationship with someone you can't rely on, even when they promise to be there? That's another thing entirely, and as someone who loves the Good Boys, it's so hard to want Anna and Bennett together and know how difficult it's going to be.
That aching longing for them to be together - that is the crux of Tamara Ireland Stone's writing. She pulls you in completely and makes you believe every thought and behaviour in her characters. This time, she's writing from Bennett's perspective, and I really felt like she nailed the voice of teenage Bennett and his actions. You really understand why Bennett does the things he does, and because you're getting it from his side, you can chide him AND understand him when he makes stupid decisions. =P
My only real problem with this book is that I feel like the climax became a bit of an anti-climax. The problems were solved a little too easily and obviously, and the entire story wraps up very quickly from there. Because of that, I felt that the story was a bit scattered and the ending felt a little bit flat for me.
Still, there's a lot to love from Time After Time - and one of the best parts is that Tamara pushes the boundaries of Bennett's powers even further - and this time, the consequences hit a lot closer to home. It's a compelling sequel, and one that will definitely satisfy fans longing for more romance, more travelling the world, and more of Anna and Bennett.
Read the rest of this review at Mostly YA Lit -
Una y otra vez es la secuela de El tiempo entre nosotros, una secuela que continúa una historia bonita y sencilla. El tiempo entre nosotros fue una novela que me encantó, que me dejó con ganas de m��s y que me caló por completo. Una y otra vez es una secuela que sigue muy en la línea de su primera parte y que es tan bonita y sencilla como la misma.
La trama de Una y otra vez es muy parecida a la de El tiempo entre nosotros, es sencilla, bonita y está cargada de viajes en el tiempo. Sin duda lo más curioso son estos viajes que hace Bennet y cómo afectan a su vida en general. En cuanto comienza a tener problemas para viajar toda la trama gira en torno a esto y se hace incluso más interesante.
La novela está contada desde el punto de vista de Bennet y nos aporta una visión diferente en esta secuela y vivimos en su propia piel los viajes en el tiempo.
La relación entre Anna y Bennet no va a pasar por su mejor momento y van a tener una serie de problemas que van a darle vidilla al libro.
El ritmo de esta secuela es parecido al del primer libro. Es rápido, ágil y todo se lee con facilidad. Es una novela que devoras sin ser prácticamente consciente de ello. Porque yo estaba leyendo y cuando miraba el número de páginas que llevaba no entendía cómo había pasado tan rápido y cómo había avanzado tanto en la lectura.
En resumen, Una y otra vez es una buena secuela y una muy buena continuación de bilogía. Es una segunda parte muy recomendable, que no decae ni decepciona y que es un buen broche para esta historia tan bonita. Es una segunda parte muy recomendable, al igual que su primera, y una bilogía imprescindible. -
So this is how heroes are born… From the need to do something good with their abilities, from the pressure that comes from seeing what sorts of bad things happen to the people around them, from the need to rewrite a story that does not end happily…
We met Bennett in Time Between Us. He was full of insecurities back then, having life throw him into a past he wanted so badly to be his present.
Now we get to know him better. To understand him a lot more.
Now we learn about all the questions that doesn’t let him sleep at night. It is not only the fact that he knows that being with Anna defies all rules in this world, but he is starting to want to change other people’s lives too. He wants to save the innocent, to protect them; he wants to do something good with his powers.
The pressure that comes from his father and Anna herself don’t go unnoticed either. Even though they care for him and understand why Bennett wouldn’t want to alter some events, they keep pushing in a way or another – and like I said before, it doesn’t matter if you do a good thing or a bad one.. There are still consequences. The question is.. Will you be able to live with them?
I liked that we got to see Bennett in his time too. I didn’t like how he was portrayed in the first book like a solitary guy that doesn’t interact much with anyone. Yes, he had to do that because he wanted to respect his rule of not changing too much of the past, but I wanted him to feel more real somehow. And I got exactly that in this book.
Bennett struggles to have a relationship with Anna, but also to live in the present. He doesn’t know how to explain to his parents or his friends about Anna and his love for her, so he is trapped between all these lies that threaten to catch up with him. And talking about threats, also time itself doesn’t seem to want him wandering as freely as he does.
If you remember well, I talked in the previews review about how I enjoyed seeing the way the relationships between characters could alter based on the changes Bennett would make and the decisions they would take at some point.
Once more we face this fact and we get to understand his frustrations when he wants to change something for the good and it turns for the bad.
I deeply cared for Bennett. Watching him and Anna make plans and promises only to have them all broken (no matter how much he wanted to keep them) was heartwarming.
We got to see the ups and downs of his relationship with Anna and also with his friends, we watched him interact with his grandmother, we witnessed the craziness of his family – because they all seemed to be so complicated and communication seemed to lack so very much. But most of all, we witnessed his struggle and his frustration when the whole world seemed to turn against him, but still taking pleasure in the sweet moments between him and Anna, when they believed with all their heart that they could and would make it in this fight against time.
I know, this is more talk about Bennett than the story itself, but he is the main focus here. All the phases he goes through, all his trying to make things right, all his questions about what’s right or wrong.. it’s all about him and his decisions.
Time after time again, his path will always lead him in the same place, the one where he would want to stay forever, the one that is not his after all. Or.. is it?
From time to time I find a sequel that I love even better than the first book in the series. From time to time I find a story that lingers, a world to which I’d like to go back to some other time… And this is the case, because I couldn’t get enough of Anna and Bennett’s story and I loved to meet them again.
Final rating: 4.5 stars.
Happy midnight reading!
* This review can also be found at
ReadingAfterMidnight.com
** ARC received from the publisher for review - Thank you!
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You can read more of my reviews at Jessica's Book Review
Time After Time is the second book in the Time Between Us series by Tamara Ireland Stone. If you have not heard of this adorable, Young Adult series before you are in for a real treat! I fell in love with the characters Bennett and Anna immediately and their story of time travel and truly having a LONG distance relationship draws you in. As you read you have no idea how a 17 year-old boy living in 2012 could keep his relationship alive with a 16 year-old girl living in 1995 but you hope that it somehow will.
As in Time Between Us, Time After Time is told in Bennett’s point-of-view. Bennett has the ability to travel in time to any year or place he chooses. He uses his ability to travel in the past to see his favorite bands perform all over the world. The only people who know of his secret are his family. While traveling to Chicago in 1994 with his sister Brooke, he somehow gets kicked back into 2012 leaving his sister in 1994. Bennett travels back looking for his sister. While there he meets Anna and the two begin a friendship that turns into an innocent relationship. They fall in love. After living in 1995 for 3 months, Bennett gets “kicked out”. This is where Time After Time picks up.
Bennett has learned he can no longer stay in the past for a long period of time like he did before. He is able to time travel still but only for a day or two at a time. Though it will be hard, the two create a schedule of when Anna wants Bennett with her… like for homecoming or a birthday party. They are determined to make their relationship work. Bennett is again experiences difficulties with his ability and is not able to travel as much as he could before. Bennett begins to question if he is suppose to be in Anna’s life… as badly as he wants to be in 1995 with Anna, maybe he is suppose to stay in 2012 and be a normal kid.
Like I said, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these two characters. They are something special… they are innocent, loving, average teenagers who fell in love with someone not in their generation. I really did not see a good out coming for them, especially with Bennett second guessing his choice to be with her and sometimes pushing Anna away. Anna is sweet and kind. She NEVER gave up on them, always telling Bennett this is what SHE wants. She wants HIM in her future.
I love all the music references in the book; the mention of bands is throughout the book and brought a little something extra to make you remember they are in 1995. Bennett never tells Anna about the future, even little things like if her favorite bands are still around to what Google is. I love the scene of Anna telling Bennett she just discovered a new artist named Alanis Morissette and asked if he had heard of her before. Little things like that really drew me in even more to the story.
Time After Time was more of a struggle for the two… their love was still there but distance and other people were starting to interfere with their relationship and no one in Anna’s world knows the truth about Bennett. I felt really bad for Anna at times, she had no one to talk to and everyone in her world knew of Bennett as her long-distance boyfriend. In Bennett’s world know one knew of Anna as anything, he couldn’t even tell his parents or friends about his girlfriend. She felt like a dirty little secret and it was sad.
I LOVED the book; in fact I LOVED the series. The only thing is I wish either the ending gave me more closure or there will be a third book in the series. I felt like not all my questions were answered, actually scratch that… the ending left me with SO MANY questions. I don’t want to say too much and ruin the ending but I just felt like when I finished I had so many questions about the ending. I want their story to continue SO BADLY! Like if I could have any book in the world at this very moment it would be their book… book THREE!
I would have given Time After Time 5 stars if it was not for the ending. I really hope there is a book three… PRETTY PLEASE! Because I felt the ending left too many things open, with too many questions and not nearly enough answers I give Time After Time 4 Stars, if there is a book three, I will up the rating to 5 Stars.
This is a Young Adult read but it has such heart and tells an amazing story. I really enjoyed it and hope others will fall in love with Bennett and Anna as well. -
Pues ya he acabado esta bilogia.
Me ha gustado, pero el final me ha dejado un poco fría, me esperaba que fuera más realista.
Bennett me encanta jo <3 -
I don't know how Tamara does it, but her book just keeps getting better and better. I'm in love with everything about this sequel. It is true. That is a 5 star rating you are seeing. I was thinking while I'm writing this review that maybe 5 star is being too generous. So I started skimming the book again and the feels you know? It just hit me.
And it just keeps hitting me.. also, after finishing the book, I was satisfied. Contented. And just so darn pleased. I don't want to spoil anyone so I'm going to keep my review of Time After Time short and simple. First, as I said above, it was satisfying. Usually when the first book was so so so good, it always worries me because there's a chnace that the sequel will disappoint me. But I wasn't. In fact, it intensified my love for the book. This sequel is about the up's and down's of Bennett and Anna's relationship. Ever wonder how is it like to have 'long-distance relationship'? Well, here it is folks, and trust me, it is NOT SIMPLE.
"So many people take proximity for granted. We just want to be in the same place at the same time."
And that is so freaking true. "Oh I miss him so much!!!" - says the girl who just got a text from his boyfriend .035343 seconds ago. Anywaaay, this book broke my heart a little, it made me ache.. Bennett and Anna finally realized that this relationship that they have is not normal. (Of course they already know that before, but now they have to face it and make some decision about it) So, there were things that has hapened, there were tears from Anna (me too, I can't help it) And I love Bennett so I'm going to say this, he's been a little douchey here. Well, at least he has the decency to admit it. Time After Time was on Bennett's POV and even though he made some douchey and stupid move, he's love for Anna, actually, their love for each other always win through.
"I don’t need a calendar. I don’t care if you’re here for big events or how long you stay each time. I just need to know that you’re coming back"
(MINI SPOILER) There was this scene, where they went to Paris, and you guys, my heart just melted. It's so sweet. Everything about that scene makes me love Love. Ahhhhhh.
"Wouldn't it be funny if we're the ones that start the whole lock thing?"
"Maybe we do."
"I like that," she says.I don't have the heart to tell her that in 2010, all the locks will be removed. Or that, in 2011, they'll start reappearing. They can cut our lock off. We'll just come back here together - in 1998 and 2008 and 2018 - and replace it every time it gets removed.
If you're tired being frustrated and annoyed about the main characters you're reading right now, or you just want to fill your heart with happiness, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND READ THIS BOOK. And I'M SORRY BUT I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IS THIS NOT A MOVIE?! IT IS SO DESERVING. -
Just absolutely phenomenal. I don't even have words for it. It was heartbreaking and funny and has such a perfect ending.
I'd like to say there's a review to come, but I'm not sure I'll ever be coherent enough to provide one. -
3 stars!***
This time it's told only from Bennett's POV and the story continues after
Time Between Us ended. It jumps between 2012 and 1995 as Bennett travels in time.
I was bit bored. Being in Bennett's head just wasn't as entertraining as being inside Anna's head. He was whiny, moody and indecisive. What the hell happened to him? He was so cool in the previous book and now he turned this creature that is plainly annoying.
The plot was filled with a lot of fillers - there were several stories that had basically no meaning except of filling the pages. Most of the book is just Bennett thinking. Not much has happened and if something interesting did actually happen then it was too predictable.
Anna was there only for a while. I think that the parts where she was would cover about 10% of the book, which is not much.
The guestions I had weren't answered and now I have more of them than before I started reading this one.
But I wasn't offended by this book. It didn't made me think like TIME BETWEEN US. TIME AFTER TIME is a long epilogue that should have been a bit shorter. If it were half the lenght I'd have probably given it more starts and enjoyed it more.
For more reviews visit:
http://do-notdiewondering.blogspot.com -
I was so incredibly excited when I found out that there would be a book 2 to Time Between Us, so when I noticed Time After Time was up at Netgalley I hit 'request' and
patientlystared at my inbox. I had to know what the future held for Anna and Bennett and Tamara Ireland Stone did not disappoint.
In Time After Time Anna and Bennett have committed to a relationship with each other, even though it seems as though it would be impossible. They've scheduled when he will be there for her... dances and races and the important times and they are determined to make it work. But things, as they should know by now, don't always go as planned. And messing with time itself can have ramifications.
Because Anna sat here once, Right next to me, and handed me a letter that told me I'd meet her someday. I wish she'd warned me that when I did, I wouldn't quite know how to be here without her.
Bennett sees an event that he shouldn't have though, and suddenly he finds himself struggling with his place in Anna's life. He worries that he shouldn't be there and questions whether they are doing the right thing by pursuing a relationship that is less than guaranteed. The struggle and realities of the situation are immense.
"All I want is a normal relationship with you, and when I'm here, it feels like I have it. But when I'm there...I just miss you. All the time."
Throughout the story you feel the urgency that Bennett has to continually get back to Anna instead of staying in his own time. The lengths he goes to, to make it all happen is a beautiful thing. If you think regular long-distance relationships are hard... this makes those look like a walk in the park.
Ireland definitely excels at character building, and I loved that this was told in Bennett's point of view this time around. We get to see interaction with his family... namely Brooke, who was mostly just a name in Time Between Us, but has become a wonderful character in book 2, as well as bits and pieces of his relationship with his parents. I really liked that they knew about this strange talent he has and even though I didn't care for the pressure from his father, I understood it.
Even his interactions with Anna's family were really well done, namely Anna's protective father and it's not often that you even see parents in YA books these days, but I love that they were present here.
Those of you romance lovers out there, won't be disappointed either. Stone gives us the sweet romantic teenage love that you can't help but sigh and swoon over. But... and I have to say this... they aren't stupid about it. They both realize that at any time Bennett could get pushed back to his own time and this life that they have with each other could disappear. But I also loved that when things got tough, Anna didn't give up, she stood up for him and their relationship when everyone around her was questioning it, and you always know how Bennett feels about her even though he struggles with where he fits into her life.
Ultimately this book raises some moral questions, which I won't get into specific situations because I don't want to give things away, but among them 'should Bennett be changing things in the past? Even though this 'talent' he has allows for it, how does it impact things that will happen in the future? And how has his being in Anna's life impacted her future...
And finally, the ending. I can't even explain coherently how I feel about that end. It was complete and absolute perfection. So I'll leave it at that.
If you haven't picked up this series, you should do so now. This is what all Contemporary YA should aspire to... a beautifully told story filled with love, romance, and friendship.
Thank you to Netgalley & Disney Hyperion for an advanced copy for review.
This review can be found on my blog Fic Fare:
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I liked this one but not quite as much as the first book in the duology. It was good but just felt a bit repetitive at some points. I liked getting to read about Anna and Bennett again but I don’t think this added too much to their story for me. I think I would have been fine with the first book being a standalone.
This was a really fast and easy read. The writing style flowed nicely and I liked the romance a lot. I think the ending could have been stronger, it was honestly a little hard to see how the characters would even make their relationship work in the future but it was nice to think that they had a chance to. -
Two-second recap: In Time After Time, the follow-up to her wildly successful debut novel Time Between Us, Tamara Ireland Stone beautifully explores the ramifications of growing up and fighting for your happily-after-after.
***
Full review:
Tamara Ireland Stone’s Time Between Us was one of my favorite reads of 2012, so I was ridiculously stoked when I hear that she was going to write a companion novel.
I had a lot of questions about TBU which I felt didn’t necessarily need to be answered – the lack of answers certainly didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book - but I wanted to see how Tamara would address some of the issues that I had wondered about. I had a feeling that her answers would be far more satisfying than my own imagination.
So as soon as Time After Time went up on NetGalley, I requested the book and spent a nerve-wrecking week crossing my fingers and toes that I’d be approved. Luckily for me, Dina at Disney-Hyperion gave me the green light, and I devoured the book in one afternoon.
Time After Time is just as beautiful and rich as Time Between Us, but in many ways, it’s a much more thought-provoking and adult novel. It challenges the reader to think about the difficulties of growing up, and what it takes to get to your personal happily-ever-after.
***
Plot overview:
In Time After Time Bennett and Anna have continued their relationship against all odds.
Though Bennett officially lives in his own time period, he coordinates with Anna so he’ll travel back in time to be with her on special occasions and important moments. The arrangement isn’t perfect, but Anna and Bennett are willing to do whatever it takes to be together.
However, after a series of incidents makes Bennett question about the impact of his presence in Anna’s life, he begins to wonder if their relationship is truly meant to be. The struggle to figure out whether they have a future together, will lead them on a beautiful, breathtaking journey.
***
Characterizations
I fell in love with both Anna and Bennett in Time Between Us. They were drawn in a way that felt smart, funny, pragmatic and I felt like they clicked together in a way that just felt absolutely natural.
Stone continues her rich characterizations in Time After Time. Both Bennett and Anna are a little older and wiser, and they understand each other more than before. However, everything I loved about them in the last book is still in rich abundance here.
The same goes for all of the secondary characters. We interact with Bennett’s friends more than Anna’s this time, but even the ones who make brief appearances are sketched out, and completely believable.
The romance
It needs to be said: Tamara Ireland Stone rocks for not turning either Anna or Bennett into gooey, schmaltzy saps now that they’re together. They’re clearly very much in love, but you can still see the underlying friendship and attraction that brought them together in the first place.
Of special note: I loved how both of them are very, very sensible about the relationship – especially Anna. Even though they want to be together forever, they also recognize that it may not be permanent.
There’s a point in which Anna intelligently points out all the reasons that they may not even want to be together in the future, and I thought that her arguments were smart, informed and a nice change from all of the teenage YA romances where people cling together, because hey, it’s them against the world.
The moral of the story
There are a lot of life lessons in Time After Time, but I think the key lesson that plays out throughout the book, is the idea that things don't always work out the way that you plan. Even the best-laid plans often have unexpected hiccups - especially when it comes to Anna and Bennett's relationship.
Stone does a remarkably intelligent job of conveying how characters can grow and adapt to these challenges. Bennett figures out how to balance his home life with Anna. (To an extent). Anna stands up for her relationship. Without giving away too many spoilers, it's not only intriguing and beautiful to read about these two teenagers coming-of-age in a transitional period, but it's also such a wonderful lesson for younger readers to learn themselves.
Brooke:
Brooke was more or less the elephant in the room in Time Between Us. We didn’t get to meet her, but she was always hovering in the background, because she was Bennett’s key to being with Anna.
I loved the fact that we actually got to meet and interact with her, this time around. Stone did a wonderful job of making her feisty and impetuous, but also with the ability to swoop in and give just the right amount of big sister support, whenever Bennett needed it.
And on that note…
Family
One of the things that I like the most about Tamara’s books, is the fact that family plays such a significant part in both of her main character’s lives.
In Time Between Us, we learn just how devoted Brooke and Bennett are to Maggie (their grandmother), and the lengths they are willing to go to, in order to protect her. Similarly, we see how Anna is quietly influenced by her parents’ actions.
In Time After Time, the parental/familial relationships become even more profound. Bennett has interactions with Anna’s family – both good and bad, and without Anna – that I don’t often seen in YA books.
(In fact, there’s a reference to Anna’s parents buying Christmas presents for Bennett at one point, which had me marveling at Tamara’s level of detail. Because really, that is the type of random thing that a parent would think to do, for their kid’s significant other.)
Similarly, Anna has interactions with various members of Bennett’s family that are just so thoughtful and well conceived, I wanted to high-five Tamara. Not only do these interactions add substantially to Anna and Bennett’s respective characterizations, they also make them more relatable to younger readers.
Of special note: I liked the fact that Bennett’s abilities weren’t kept a secret from any members of his family – including an unexpected member. It’s a refreshing change from the normal trope of teenagers having life altering secrets, which they must then hide from their parents.
I also loved the fact that both Bennett’s sister and Anna are so interested in meeting each other’s families. It’s just so normal. It also makes complete sense – they don’t have a traditional relationship, so they would obviously want to struggle for what normal couples have.
And finally…
The ending
It’s hard to explain why the ending works without giving away spoilers, but let me just say: the ending is perfect.
Not all of the reader’s questions are necessarily answered, but Tamara writes the ending in a way where that doesn’t actually matter. It’s the type of ending where readers will close the book, feeling completely content at everything they’ve read over the last two books, and feeling content with the characters.
Let me put it another way: after I finished reading, I put my e-reader down, and went for a walk. I wanted to relish in Tamara’s ending a little longer, and didn’t want to let the real world intrude. THAT is how beautiful the ending is.
General bookish things:
* The writing Stone has a gift for writing beautiful imagery, and lovely sentences.
* Plotting: The book’s pacing/plotting is perfect. None of the obstacles are too explosive, but they definitely help move the story along at just the right times.
There is one minor time-related obstacle that I didn’t necessarily think was answered, but I like the mystery of it.
* World building I’ve lived and traveled to all of the places mentioned in the book, and Stone nails the world perfectly. Also, she does answer a lot of the questions that I had about the first book, in this one.
* The cover Disney-Hyperion has an excellent track record with covers, and the cover for Time After Time is no different. It's beautiful, matches the TBU cover, and is eye-catching. I've shown the cover to other readers, and they've all said they would pick this book up.
***
Things that didn’t work/Things to consider:
I was originally going to say that I still feel like there should have been more backstory on why Bennett has these extraordinary capabilities. Just like [name]’s abilities in The Time Traveler’s Wife, Bennett’s ability to jump through time is never fully explained.
However, after thinking about it, I no longer feel like it’s an issue.
In many ways, Stone has written about Bennett’s abilities in such a natural way, it’s like they’re just as natural to anyone who’s especially gifted in certain things – e.g. someone who has a knack of memorizing numbers; someone with a eidetic memory. Bennett’s abilities just happen to give him freer reign.
***
Final verdict:
Time After Time is, in a word, wonderful. It’s the epitome of everything that beautiful, contemporary YA should be. It’s the type of book where reading it is like the equivalent of drinking a cup of tea on a cold and stormy night.
I highly recommend this for all readers, but especially for YA contemporary fans who are looking for a book where the characters value family, friendship and love, above all else.
***
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of Time After Time from Disney Hyperion via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! -
I definitely feel like this duology could have ended with book one, and I would have been satisfied. This book just dragged out that little bit too much, with the same conflicts repeated over and over.
As always, the saving grace was how fantastic the characters were. Very realistic and relatable, with a romance you're definitely rooting for.
Ratings
Overall: 7/10
Plot: 3/5
Romance: 4/5
Writing: 3.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Cover: 2/5 -
I must say that I completely enjoy
Time After Time than
Time Between Us. I think I have a better connection with Bennett’s character which is probably because it made me understand his situation and the emotions behind his ability. In an outsider perspective it looks amazing to have a power like that but there's an accompanying burden of possessing such. So reading it in Bennett’s perspective made me understand his entire situation. It wasn’t easy hoping from one time period to another. It’s not easy having this feeling of huge responsibility of saving people’s lives. And it is definitely not easy to love someone from another time period. And that is what Bennett has to go through.
It looks to me that Bennett has two lives: one he has with his family and friends in 2012 and the other with Anna and Maggie (his grandma) in 1995. He’s hoping from one time period to another, trying to make things work. But it is difficult for him to sustain that and it is probably unfair to people he cares particularly Anna to be that someone he cannot share to others. I understand Anna and why she was upset one time about being unable to be like a normal couple—because they weren’t and they will never be. But at the same time, those differences make their relationship so much more. To be perfectly honest, I think theirs was the most stable and really developed for their age. I salute them.
During his transition, he accidentally found out more about his ability. And he’s been trying to help others. With his father encouragement, he’s doing the best he could to help others. But like Spider-man once said (is he the one who said it? I am not sure.) that “great power comes with great responsibility?” I think he lives to that saying. He felt accomplished being able to save people’s lives but at the same time it overwhelms him because of the responsibility weighing on his shoulder now. I liked how he shows that vulnerability, it was really moving for me.
I find it fascinating that ironically for someone who has the talent to right a wrong, Bennett still feels regret. While he can go back and undo it, there are really some decisions and events are bound to happen.
But what I liked the most was probably the one with Maggie. She was distant family relative to him. And due to his ability he finally has the chance to reconnect with her. I like how their relationship had grown.
There are a lot of things I liked about this story. As my short commentary after I finish it was: it wasn’t a solid ending to me. But I take it back now, because in retrospect I think it doesn’t have to be completely filled to make an ending substantial. I liked how Bennett realized that despite the hindrances and problems that get in their way; that no matter how he over analyzes things and always comes up negatively about their relationship because of their circumstances. But it was still his very own ability that tells him that things are supposed to happen that way.
I received an eARC from Disney-Hyperion via Netgalley. Thank you.
See original post here @
Aeropapers -
What a wonderful conclusion. This was the perfect story about time travel and intersecting lives.
The question of whether the two people who met when they shouldn't - if their lives are better that they've met or if it should all be erased and have never met before. Which life would be better?
In this one, we get to see Bennett and his life and time with Anna and his time away. And this time, we get to see why Bennett struggles to tell her things, all the ways and people he is keeping secrets from and much more on how his ability works.
But we also see glimpses of their lives in they had never met - opportunities they could take if they weren't waiting for their next time to be together. And, most of all, you see the big moments that each of them miss....from each other.
It's a bit of a heartbreaking story, as each of them must sort through their demons, but it's a true story and perfect conclusion for these two. -
I have to wait until OCTOBER to read this?
Okay well if anyone needs me, I'll be staring at THAT COVER until October.
___
Initial review after reading an e-arc, graciously provided by Disney/Hyperion...
TIME AFTER TIME is just as moving, deeply romantic, and emotional as TIME BETWEEN US. I felt so much reading TIME AFTER TIME: hopeful, angry, sad, and joyous. I can't wait for the rest of the world to read it and fall back in love with Bennett and Anna.
(Full review coming in October.) -
The first one was better but still good
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Full review as originally posted
HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 1/25/17: I had waiting so long to read TIME AFTER TIME that I think I to a little too disconnected from the series and story line here… I just wasn’t AS interested in this book as I was with the first but it was truly at least three or four years (I think I borrowed someone’s ARC of TIME BETWEEN US) sine I had read the first book so while I really loved TIME BETWEEN US, I didn’t really feel that strong of a connection to TIME AFTER TIME.
That being said, the story was still a lot of fun! I really enjoy Bennett’s POV and I always enjoy a good male POV because I read so many female ones in YA. It’s an interesting change of pace and sometimes it’s nice hear things from the flip side. I couldn’t remember if Anna had a POV in TIME BETWEEN US while I was reading TIME AFTER TIME (she didn’t) but either way, Bennett’s POV was a great and refreshing voice from what I had been reading recently.
I always like the time travel aspect of a story and this was no different. I liked Bennett’s abilities, the rules, and consequences of his traveling. There were even more rules and details in this book and I really enjoyed that there were a few more rules to his ability… But I also didn’t really know who invented these rules. I felt like since it was science-fiction that I was looking for more reason as to why he had this ability but I guess I don’t really need that because I never question it in a fantasy setting!
I really did like the ending a lot! It was a nice way to close everything off because I was wondering what was going to happen there. I was going back and forth for a while thinking I knew what was going to happen and then ended up wondering again. I also think I just read this at a hard point in time because I wasn’t able to focus as much BUT that was also part of the reason why I wanted to read it. I knew it would be nice going back to a series I had already started and a solid romance was what I wanted! -
With the way things ended in Time Between us I thought things would be a lot easier for Anna and Bennett in Time After Time. They had both been through so much heartbreak, that I was hoping that they would finally get the happy ending that they both deserved. But I guess that living in different times wouldn’t mean the easiest of relationships.
This time around in Time After Time we got our pov from Bennett. I adored Bennett in Time Between Us, but it took me a really long time to get used to reading from his perspective. I was used to Anna telling us the story and hanging around with her friends Emma and Justin in Evanston, whereas when I was in San Francisco with Bennett I felt sort of detached from his friends. I wanted to go back and hang around in Evanston. So having Bennett going back to see Anna was probably my highlight of this story.
Once again Bennett and Anna had many obstacles to face in order to maintain their relationship. Their relationship was such a beautiful one, but could they really still be together? Some of the things Anna and Bennett decided to do in Time Between Us did really have me worried about some of the consequences they would have to deal with afterwards. This time around Bennett continued to “change” things but things quickly went wrong and this time Bennett had to constantly decide whether this change would work out for the better or not. It was clear that all he wanted to do was be with Anna, but he had to constantly think of the bigger picture, how could this affect everyone else?
Once again Tamara Ireland Stone delivered a poignant story in Time After Time, it may not have struck a chord with me as much as Time Between us did, but if you was a huge fan of this book, I recommend picking this book up too!
This review can be found on
The Readers Den -
Nuevamente Ireland Stone me ha vuelto a fascinar y a enamorar con Una y otra vez, la conocida continuación que cierra la historia que empezó en El tiempo entre nosotros. Me acuerdo que hace más de un año había dicho que tal vez no tenía sentido que la autora hubiera escrito una segunda parte de la historia porque el primer libro terminaba con un final cerrado y también de que en el primer libro falta ese “algo” para cerrar definitivamente la historia de Anna y Bennet. ¿Saben qué? Ese “algo” fue conocer realmente a Bennet tal como es y agradezco a la autora que nos diera contar esta segunda parte de la bilogía desde su punto de vista. Fue bueno conocer un poco más sobre él y su relación con su familia (especialmente con los padres y su hermana, Brooke) y ver como continua su relación con Anna. Debo admitir que la autora ha sabido continuar dando de si dentro de la novela sin tener la necesidad de rellenarla de manera innecesaria. Sin embargo, al igual que en el primer libro, debo decir que acá falta ALGO. Tal vez si hubiera agregado un epilogo o unas páginas de más, la historia hubiera estado más que completa. Pero bueno, de todos modos ese final que dio el cierre a esta historia es aceptable y me atrevo decir que ha sido muy conmovedora.
A pesar de que este un poco triste de concluir con esta bilogía, igualmente he disfrutado de leer su final y de volver a reencontrarme con Anna y Bennet.
Tengo que reconocerlo, es una historia que valió la pena leerla. -
Estava à espera de um bocadinho mais mas leu-se muito bem.
----
Relações à distância sucks. Sei disso porque estou numa mas felizmente estamos ambos em 2016. Ao contrário dos protagonistas deste livro.
(...)
O livro é curto e o plot continua exactamente onde acabou o primeiro livro. Por já o ter lido há muito tempo não tinha em memória os pormenores tão vivamente e poderá ser também uma razão para este livro não me ter enchido as medidas. A verdade é que este livro é um pouco dispensável, podia ter ficado tudo num livro único.
Gostei de reencontrar o casal e identifiquei-me com algumas partes da relação à distância mas por outro lado pensei que o plot twist do livro fosse mais emocionante. Não só é previsível como depois não há uma grande reviravolta ou um grande impacto na trama. O final também não foi não por aí além, bem suave sem muitas complicações.
Resumindo é uma continuação que se lê bem mas que honestamente não traz grandes novidades a este mundo. É aconselhado a quem tenha adorado o primeiro livro mas se apenas gostaram como eu, não acho que sena uma leitura obrigatória.
http://algodaodoceparaocerebro.blogsp... -
It was really nice reading from the perspective of Bennett in this story, probably since he is the one with the time travel ability and it gives you a bit more insight into how it all works and makes him feel. I enjoyed both books, my only wish s they were a bit longer and went further into Anna and Bennett's future together. Otherwise I recommend this book if you enjoy contemporary novels with a twist. I enjoy time travel books a lot as well and this fit the bill perfectly.
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Time After Time is deeper, more heart-tugging and more romantic in a unique kind of way. Despite the little loop holes I noticed on the first book Time Between Us, my overall fondness for that book outweighs it.
Anna and Bennett has the most screwed up long-distance relationship.
Because Bennett lives in the year 2012 while Anna in 1995.
I can’t say that I missed this couple coz I read their book back to back but to have an extended experience of their story got me feeling ecstatic. The thing about this story is that the words and actions are simple. But behind those are repercussions that are hard. Anna and Bennett are defying time itself. It’s so silly that every little thing about those two made me cry - Paris, Beaches and Photos. Every little thing means so much more and each scenario shoots up straight to me.
Reading under Bennett's point of view is more effective for me because I get to understand a side of the story that only him could give us a light into. It's deeper and more insightful. We see what ticks him off and the reasons behind his actions. I honestly loved him more here for he grows more and for his willingness to do lengths to make Anna happy. We also get to see him interact with his present friends, his parents and his sister Brooke which I immediately love because of how supportive she is.
Despite being the main topic of the book, the time travel thing was still kept simple with no further explanation. I liked that it was kept that way because it was complicated as it is and I think a deeper explanation to it could ruin the fluffiness of this book.
I have mentioned that this story is deeper and more heart-tugging than the first because we feel Anna's despair and loneliness and Bennett's frustrations and of course the love the surrounds them. In here, we will also find Anna and Bennett questioning where their future would really be and that's the thing that will hold you to the end of the story.
It was indeed a wonderful journey not only for Anna and Bennett but also for me as a reader. I enjoy watching them grow and learn. One thing I was sure after reading this is that the author Tamara Ireland Stone was a genius for words. She's really a beautiful writer being able to paint a huge picture with simple words. It’s simple yet the impact that it left to its readers was huge.
Time After Time was a great conclusion to Anna and Bennett's story though the ending was a bit hazy and still left me a lot of questions and loose ties at the end, seeing Anna and Bennett happy was enough for me and it suites them. Will there be more Ms. Stone? Because its sure you still left a lot of space here that you could still come up with a third book – hopefully?
*ARC kindly provided by Disney Book Group thru Netgalley.* -
Tamara Ireland Stone does it again! Time travel perfection.
I loved TIME AFTER TIME. Even when my heart ached for Bennett and Anna. Tamara does an extraordinary job wrenching your heart out of you chest and then putting it back in again, and you'll love every minute of it. She doesn't make it easy for Bennett and Anna. After all, Anna's living in 1995 and Bennett's living in 2012. Is it possible to really maintain a relationship when two people live during two different decades? Bennett's under a lot of pressure from his parents to stay in 2012. But that's minor compared to the other pressure he's under by his dad to change people's lives with his gifts. He's also under pressure to live up to the promises he's made to Anna, and that's not always easy. The way he handles the pressure is wise beyond his years. Yet, he's still a teenage boy trying to navigate through the issues brought out at school, his parents, and the girl he loves. And speaking of love . . .
Here's what I loved about this novel:
1. The incorporation of music in 1995 to 2012!
2. The visit to Paris.
3. Bennett's desire to use his time travel gifts to save others.
4. Anna's growth and maturity.
5. Bennett's selflessness.
6. Rock climbing
7. Sam - Bennett's good friend.
8. Emma - Anna's best friend.
9. Did I mention Paris? Oh yeah, it's worth mentioning again.
10. The descriptions of things that existed in 1995 that are now obsolete.
11. The descriptions of San Francisco and Evanston, IL! I Love it, especially since I have been to both more than a few times.
12. Bennett's point of view.
13. Bennett's sister Brooke - This is the way sisters SHOULD BE! A good friend who will drop her plans to be there for her brother. <3
14. How Tamara does such an exceptional job making us believe that time travel could be possible, just because we get lost in her storytelling skills. <3
15. The ending. Oh Tamara, how I loved this ending.
So, if there is any doubt in your mind that I might not have loved this novel, I recommend going back and reading the first two lines. They say it all! <3 <3 <3 -
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The first book, Time Between Us, was one of my favorite reads in the past year. It was lyrical, beautifully written, and masterfully crafted. This follow up takes place soon after the end of the first book. This time it's from the perspective of Bennett and how he comes to turn with his power-- what if it stops working and he can't make his way back to Anna? What if he can change the future-- will he do it? Should he do it? We also get to know more characters that have been only mentioned in the previous book, especially Bennett's sister who was lost.
I obviously really enjoyed this book since I blazed through it in two hours. The things I loved: Stone's prose is always gorgeous and flows so nicely. It's so easy and enjoyable to read. I loved seeing all the old characters again, and it was nice seeing more of Bennett's life especially from his eyes. I think the book really kicked up speed in the middle when he starts changing the future and saving people's lives. I was riveted and had to know what happened! I loved all the ethical issues Stone brought up as well as the very obvious/and not so obvious issues in Anna and Bennett's complicated long distance/time relationship.
That said, I think I liked the first book better for a couple of reasons. I know how hard it is to write from a boy's perspective (or for any writer to write in the head of someone of the opposite sex). I do say I struggled a bit trying to remind myself that the narrator was Bennett. I thought it was odd he not once lusted after Anna or thought about sex. His voice sounded similar to Anna's as well. Also, while I totally understand why the book was ended the way it was-- I felt a bit unsatisfied and had many unanswered questions. It was probably impossible to get more resolution than was given, but that didn't stop me from wanting more.
Overall, a beautiful and well written followup to the first. While I enjoyed the first one more, this is still a must read for those who loved the first! I will continue to pick up anything Stone writes. -
Review also posted at
Ja čitam, a ti?
Time Between Us was one of the first time travel stories that I've read and
as such will always have a special place in my heart. After reading it I had mixed feelings about the sequel but then it showed up on Netgalley and I decided to try it out. I took it as a gamble and it really was.
I was back with Bennett a boy that managed to swipe me off my feat with his gentleness and desire to fight the universe to be where he wanted to be. Then there was Anna, a girl who also fought and lived in fear that she might not see Bennett ever again. The two of them never knew when the universe might kick them and when they might part. It's love they won't give up.
I mustn't tell you more about the story as you have to read Time Between Us first but I can say that Time After Time confirmed some of my fears but at the same time Tamara Ireland Stone really knows how to write sweet stories that I cannot resist. So the main problem and at the same time my biggest fear here was that this book won't bring anything new. Unfortunately more or less it happened. With slight adds to the original story it didn't offer much to the whole time travel department. It plays with my logic though, but it seems like all time travel books do that lately and I'm not yet sure how to feel about it.
At the other hand this story is everything that Time Between Us was. I still enjoyed both Anna and Bennett and their love story and I feared for them and hoped for them as I did the first time. That's something that didn't change here. But still I think it's time to let them go...
Rating: 3.5 stars. -
From the minute I found out about Time After Time I knew I had to read it. I loved Time Between Us and I couldn't wait to see Bennett's point of view.
Time After Time starts with Bennett in his own time, preparing for a 'camping trip' and making plans to go back and see Anna. They make arrangements for him to visit her at certain times that are important to her, prom, races, parties. If you have read Time Between Us then you know it's not as easy as it seems,and this due have not had an easy relationship.
Time After Time is an eye opening account on how Bennett feels about it all. He wants to do so much and make things better, but at the same time suffers huge consequences to himself. We get to see inside his mind and what he is thinking. I love how he does thoughtful little things that show how he feels about Anna, but also didn't like when he makes her worry, by being sent back into his own time unplanned.
The up, downs, twists, and turn in Time After Time, keeps you guessing, wondering if Anna and Bennett's time will be up, if he will get sent back to his own time at any minute, making each second they spend together that much more special, making each moment last.
It took me a few hours to finish Time After Time, and even though I was sick I had no problems sitting down to read this book, it kept me completely engrossed in what was going on. By the time I had reached the ending there was a bit of worry on my behalf over what would happen, and while the ending, both the real and the future, were a perfect ending, it was with great sadness that closed the pages of this book. -
TIME BETWEEN US was one of my favorite books of 2012, at the time I wasn't sure if it was a standalone or if there would be another. The story ended nicely and could easily stand on its own but I just wasn't ready to let go of Anna & Bennett. I crossed my fingers and hoped for more!! Thankfully Tamara soon announced that there would be a book two, TIME AFTER TIME, and I was beyond ecstatic. Even more so when I learned it was going to be told from Bennett's point-of-view. I LOVE Bennett, he is one of the greatest guys in contemporary fiction.
The story transitioned to Bennett's point-of-view so seamlessly I forgot the first book had been told by Anna. The best part about this book was getting to see more of the details about when Bennett travels. From Anna's perspective, POOF, he's just gone, but this way we got to see more of what exactly Bennett has to go through each time he travels.
One of the many things I love about these books is that there is nothing objectionable; no swears, no sex, no drugs. The characters are sweet, the romance is sweeter and family is a big part of the story. I love that Anna has a healthy relationship with her parents and while Bennett's family relationships might be a little more strained, they still love each other so much, which is refreshing to see in YA.
Overall, an amazing sequel to an amazing series. Seriously if you haven't read these yet, I'm not sure we can be friends. . . okay I guess we can ;) but you should still go read them! Two of the BEST contemporary books I've ever read! -
Gracias a Ediciones B por el ejemplar.
Sí, bueno. Estuvo bien y agradezco que la autora no la haya mariconeado como Gayle Forman hace SIEMPRE con sus segundas partes... pero ese final es el que justamente no debía tener y, para ser sincera, hasta la mitad estuvo bien... hasta que el amor opacó todo lo que venía pasando. Yeah well. Reseña pendienttttttttte.
