Review: Hourglass - Myra McEntire

Where I got it: Amazon Vine

Rating: 4 stars

Cover Rating: 4.5 stars (Super creepy, the book isn't as creepy as a girl walking on the wall might imply. The colors are great and the font for the title is perfect.)

Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: June 14, 2011

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Page Count: 400 p.

Right before Emerson's parents died, she started seeing ghosts, or at least what she thought were ghosts. No one else could see them and it caused her a lot of grief and even got her institutionalized. Now she's out and living with her older brother, Thomas and his wife Dru. She has slowly weened herself off the meds, without telling anyone, even though it makes the visions come back. Her brother is very understanding and always trying to find someone to help Emerson. That's when she meets Michael. He's from a company called Hourglass, that helps people with abilities like Emerson's in coping adn using their abilities. If Emerson can start belieing that she has a gift rather than a curse, she may be able to help save lives. Michael wants her help, and she can't deny the connection between them, but the more she finds out about everything, the crazier it all begins to sound.

This book was very awesome. I loved Emerson. Some may find her too catty, but it's all a defense mechanism, because she feels alone in her ability to see things that aren't really there. This story sort of reminded me of X-Men in some ways, just because a bunch of misfits end up coming together and finding each other through the Hourglass, that was made by someone like them for people like them. I loved the dialogue in this story; the back and forth between the characters was wholly realistic and awesomely cutting. Michael was also quite swoon-worthy, so that helps. The dynamic between Emerson and Michael showed that they were connected by something bigger than themselves, the tension and electricity between them was tangible within the words. I am very interested to see more with Lily, Emerson's best friend, in the next book. The town that Emerson lives in sounds really fantastic, even if there is something evil lurking in the background. This book was wonderful on it's own, but I am excited to continue with the characters in book two. I appreciate a book that can wrap up it's story in one, but then still leave enough for a sequel (or two). Myra McEntire made a stunning debut that you would be a fool not to pick up.

First Line:

"My small Southern hometown is beautiful in the haunting way an aging debutante is beautiful."

Favorite Line:

"Not only is this woman a saint, but she makes killer Cuban espresso and apple empanadas that taste so good they'd make a nun cuss."