Find my reviews on Blogger ~ Reviews by Bookish Sarah 
 - - - 
 Gosh, where to start? I loved this book so much! It was a whirlwind. I'm sitting here, trying to make sure there was nothing I didn't like about it, just for the sake of being objective. I can honestly tell you, this book was 100% fantastic in my eyes. I would read it over and over again. 
 This book is about Jackson Meyer. He's a 19-year old college student in the year 2009. Seemingly normal - rich kid, girlfriend, best friend, schoolwork, etc. He does have a secret though - he can travel back through time. The furthest he's been able to go back is just a few days. He's only recently found out about his abilities, but eventually lets his best bud, Adam, in on the secret. Adam is a science fanatic, and so he and Jackson begin conducting "experiments" to find out more about Jackson's abilities. The problem is, these experiments have caught the attention of the enemy. 
 One morning when Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, are alone in her dorm room - two men unknown by either of them storm in on them. They seem to know who Jackson is, and do not have good intentions. A struggle ensues and Holly is shot and killed. In the panic of the moment, Jackson accidentally jumps back to the year 2007. Only, this jump was different from the rest. Jackson has changed his "home base". 
 "Erase everything you've ever heard about time travel..." 
 You see, this time travel thing is complicated. I won't give away all of the details, but Jackson becomes stuck in 2007 and cannot get back. In his panic, he tries jumping numerous times and ends up in all sorts of different years. He sees his younger self, other members of his family, and Holly. All the while, the enemy is always a step or two behind him. Eventually he realizes he can't get back to 2009 without finding out more about his abilities, and a plan forms in his head to worm his way into the lives of the people he was closest to in 2009. He's also determined to find out what secrets his father is keeping from him, and boy, are they huge. 
 I loved so much about this book. I feel like this review is going to be a novel in itself if I don't force myself to keep it shorter. lol 
 * The first thing I noted was the male narration. I am honestly a little sick to death of female narrators/protagonists. They are so whiny and crybaby that I just needed a break. Reading from Jackson's POV was such a pleasure! I think Julie Cross depicted the male mind pretty damn well. Jackson was sensitive, but not overly so. He acted and thought like a guy, really. He was sarcastic and hard-headed at times, but not an asshole. He cared for the people around him, but the way he expressed it was realistic. He wasn't some knight in shining armor, riding in on a white horse. He was indeed a hero, and a wonderful one at that, but it wasn't all sparkles and light. 
 * The intricate plot was beyond gripping. This was one of those "up all night" books for me. I just couldn't stop. It was so good though, that I began trying to stretch it out. lol I was like "Oh my gosh, no! The end cannot be so close." - There was so much time jumping, and so much to keep up with that I kept thinking and feeling like I was going to become confused or lost, but that never happened. It's laid out so perfectly that I believe readers will be able to keep up very easily. The pace was fantastic. Never was there a dull moment! 
 * The characters were developed really well. I think, in part, it was because of Jackson going back in time and getting to know the people in his life 2 years before. We got to literally live their past for awhile, AND their present as well. It was really neat, and although I haven't read many time travel books - this is not something I've seen in any other novel. It was a unique way to get to know the characters. I was attached to all of them. I had a love/hate relationship with Jackson's father though. I think most readers will. 
 * The romance. Let's talk about that for a minute. We don't see much of Jackson and Holly in 2009 before he goes back in time - but the small amount we do see in the beginning is enough to show you that they care for each other deeply, even if they haven't uttered those three little words yet. When we see Jackson and Holly in 2007 though, you can just tell just how serious he takes their relationship. He can barely even look at her without being rendered immobile because of his feelings. There's more, but I don't want to give too many spoilers. It's just epic. I love Jackson and Holly so much. 
 * The ending. Oh, lord have MERCY!!!! Julie Cross is an evil, evil woman! Cliff hanger to the maximum. It's good though, so freaking good. I can barely sit still even thinking about it. It's too much genius for me to handle. 
 Basically, you need to read this book. It comes out January 17th in the USA. It says January 3rd, but if you check out Julie's Goodreads profile - you can see, she said the date has changed and just isn't being reflected yet. Fear not, though, readers - it is so worth the wait! I promise. 
 It has everything. Just, EVERYTHING. It's emotional. I cried at least 5 times reading this book! 
 Oh, and let's not ignore this gorgeous cover. Seriously, a cover means everything. A cover is what attracts the reader. This one does a fantastic job of that. LOVE IT. It's relevant to the story too. You will know when you read the event depicted on this cover. :) 
 Honestly, you should just pre-order it right now. Just do it. 
 - - - 
 ARC source: NetGalley.com, publisher Macmillan.