More reviews at Rondo of a Possible World: YA Book Reviews

Time travel seems to be a peek of interest for me because there are just so many individual ways to interpret it and I must say that I enjoy Elle Strauss' spin on Casey's form of "tripping" into the past.

Being a fan of history, I had a very keen interest in the past travels of Casey. The encounters with the townspeople, the blending into society, the remembrance of Willie, Samuel, and Sara. The only think that I had trouble with was differentiating the past with the present because of conversation between Casey and those around her during the "trip" but other than that I enjoyed the whole experience. Even the remake of the cover is a nice installment, I enjoyed the color and pocket watches happen to be my thing C;

Casey as a character was tough for me to relate to, to really feel for her. If the beginning I felt detached because I didn't understand her feelings, or really why, she was attracted to Nate. Yes, he's the most popular and handsome boy at school, but what made her like him so much and have her fall head over heels towards him particularly, even when he was already in another relationship. The more Casey started to diverge into the "trips" and the farther in I was able to watch her develop and see her struggle while two worlds began to blur together. With that I wished that she would have given up on Nate, she had so much more potential that stalk after him. I just feel like the unobtainable jock seems to be a played out motif within YA genres and I just wish that there could have been a different set up, or maybe no bitchy cheerleaders, or just something out of the ordinary.

With humor, wit, and adorable character that grew on me, I did enjoy Clockwise even with the kinks. Definitely am looking forward to start Clockwiser.

I hate giving this book a low rating... I do but I could hardly give this book 2 stars without cringing and running away in pain...I think the one reason I gave it 2 stars is because I liked the plot and I liked that the book was FREE..
This book was so cliche it made me sick. I love a good time travel but this one fell short in so many ways. I felt sorry for the people of the 19th century I even felt bad for the hot guy at home. It is sad but, I have already forgotten the characters names.
I am in the minority so don't delete this because of me..

This book could have been great, but it fell short in a few places when it came to the plot. I thought it was a great premise, but sometimes the main character Casey came off a little too flighty for me. It's a decent read, lighthearted, but if you're looking for a book you can't put down, this isn't going to fulfill that.

4.5 stars ✨
(Full content and triggers at bottom)
That. Was. So. Good.
I was craving a good time travel book, (don't ask why, I've been missing my favorite hallmark show.) And then a friend recommended this...
AND OH MY GOSH IT WAS SO GOOD I JUST LOVE THIS BOOK!!!
It reminded me of the hallmark show, (The Way Home), SO. MUCH.
I stayed up SUPER late reading, and finished it in one day.
The plot was fast paced, and I was hooked. This is the kind if book that I'd reread. I wasn't bored for a split second--must I repeat myself--I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK.
The time travel was so fun, and I was giggling like a crazy person when she "tripped" back in time with Nate. And that ending...
That's the type of ending that leaves you wanting more, folks, while still being a happily ever after if sorts. Its a good thing this series has so many books or I would not be happy.
Beyond the fact that Casey is kind of concerned about her appearance, she really doesn't a personality. But this book still deserves five stars because the plot and time travel were so freakin awesome that it made up for boring characters.
And her best friend is so much fun, too!! At times, ahe reminded me of Katie Weldon from the Christy Miller series. I would've like to see Casey and Lucinda time travel sometimes.
My only complaint is the formatting.
*frustrated sigh*
It put the wrong dialogue tags with the wrong speech and stuff, so at times it was hard to figure out who's talking.

Age recommendation: 13-14+ (Again, this is a romance and I'd feel nervous handing a younger girl a romance, even if it is SUPER clean like this one.)

CW/TW: Three kisses, one with a two sentence description, the other two no details, one hand kiss, two almost kisses, a cheek kiss, butterflies, blushes, crushes, mentions of boyfriends and girlfriends, some hand holding, embraces, some noticing and mild physical attraction, (there is more in the first few chapters but it dies down when she gets to know Nate), noticing muscles, Nate takes off his shirt to help Casey when she gets injured, a few hints and mentions of a single mother, a mention of how people of opposite races couldn't get married back in time, a mention of a guy being a creep, (he ends up trying to force Casey's hand in marriage), William tries to kiss Casey but she doesn't let him, mentions of a cute guy and liking a guy, Casey pretends to be a boy at first back in time to avoid trouble, (Sarah sees through her disguise that Willie has somehow never thought to question?)

Some fighting, Casey gets stabbed with a pitchfork and needs stitches, semi detailed, Nate fights with William (Nate wins), falling off a high place and going unconscious, mentions of how black people got unfair treatment and were slaves, (William keeps slaves but her friends refuse to have any slaves), mentions of slavery, it's viewed as a negative thing, some soldiers on the opposing side carry weapons, (but Casey and Nate are hiding so they don't get shot), the book is set in the (is it civil war?), Casey's brother smokes and is with his friends, (this is viewed negatively), Tim's friends steal cigerettes, (this is also viewed very negatively), one c*ap, an oh my G**, when Nate time travels he asks if his drink was spiked, mentions of divorce, Casey's parents are divorced, (but they get back together)
Note: a mention of I Love Lucy, Back to the future, and several other tv shows

Casey can time travel, taking Nates hand makes her go every time, many mentions of time travel.

Onto the next book!!

Four stars
Wow. Just... Wow.
That twist completely blind sided me and I'm still sad over it. Ugh!!
I'm not kidding, I actually cried over this book. Fricken cried. I feel so ridiculous, but that ending just made me so sad and mad. Really Nate? WHY CAN'T NATE FORGIVE HER?? THE AUSTIN THING WASN'T EVEN HER FAULT!!
The plot itself was very fast paced, and I (again) wasn't bored for a split second.

Some random thoughts that I had while reading
-I wanted to throw Austin out, maybe in a trash can, out of the story
-Casey was being too hard on herself, blaming herself for what Austin did
-the new time travel place was awesome
I never saw the twists coming, (which could be because I'm a newbie to time travel books), but thats high praise coming from me. It means that the twists are REALLY hard to figure out.
The plot did keep me on my toes, and I loved seeing Casey time travel to a new era.
And It was nice to have Casey's pov back, but she made me just as frustrated as Adeline, tbh. Casey made the worse decisions in this book, which ultimately broke her heart.
WHY DID CASEY MAKE IT SEEM LIKE THE AUSITIN THING WAS HER FAULT??
Because it wasn't. At. All. This other girl keeps posting pictures of Austin and Casey together, (the fact that they were together was purely coincidencental, btw), but Nate thinks that they're TOGETHER together.
So, yeah. I'm still mad about that and the horrible cliff hanger ending.
Another complaint that I have is the writing mistakes. Really? How could a bestselling author be so sloppy? I know its not Elles fault... Its her editors. But it's still sloppy, if you ask me.
Now for the age old question. Would I recommend this book?
Yes. Just be ready for an ending that breaks your heart and makes you cry.
Full content to come soon.
CW: there's nothing past a kiss, a guy gets shot in a ban robbery and dies, just a few mild bad words, some fighting, and a breakup.

Merged review:

Four stars
Wow. Just... Wow.
That twist completely blind sided me and I'm still sad over it. Ugh!!
I'm not kidding, I actually cried over this book. Fricken cried. I feel so ridiculous, but that ending just made me so sad and mad. Really Nate? WHY CAN'T NATE FORGIVE HER?? THE AUSTIN THING WASN'T EVEN HER FAULT!!
The plot itself was very fast paced, and I (again) wasn't bored for a split second.

Some random thoughts that I had while reading
-I wanted to throw Austin out, maybe in a trash can, out of the story
-Casey was being too hard on herself, blaming herself for what Austin did
-the new time travel place was awesome
I never saw the twists coming, (which could be because I'm a newbie to time travel books), but thats high praise coming from me. It means that the twists are REALLY hard to figure out.
The plot did keep me on my toes, and I loved seeing Casey time travel to a new era.
And It was nice to have Casey's pov back, but she made me just as frustrated as Adeline, tbh. Casey made the worse decisions in this book, which ultimately broke her heart.
WHY DID CASEY MAKE IT SEEM LIKE THE AUSITIN THING WAS HER FAULT??
Because it wasn't. At. All. This other girl keeps posting pictures of Austin and Casey together, (the fact that they were together was purely coincidencental, btw), but Nate thinks that they're TOGETHER together.
So, yeah. I'm still mad about that and the horrible cliff hanger ending.
Another complaint that I have is the writing mistakes. Really? How could a bestselling author be so sloppy? I know its not Elles fault... Its her editors. But it's still sloppy, if you ask me.
Now for the age old question. Would I recommend this book?
Yes. Just be ready for an ending that breaks your heart and makes you cry.
Full content to come soon.
CW: there's nothing past a kiss, a guy gets shot in a ban robbery and dies, just a few mild bad words, some fighting, and a breakup.

Casey Donovan is our heroine, an ordinary girl with a best friends, a crush on the cutest guy in school, and somehow the ability to travel through time. However this is not without certain conditions. First she has no control over when she goes although stress seems to be a contributing factor. Second she has no control over how long she stays; as she ages, she seems to stay longer and yet no time at all passes at home. And third she has no control over where she goes: her hometown in New England, 1860 amid rising tensions between the North and South over slavery.

While Casey has shared about her ability with her best friend, she has no intention of telling anyone else. Not her bratty brother, her harassed mother, or her adulterer father. And certainly not her crush Nate. Until at the school dance when she travels back in time and brings Nate with her, allowing him the chance to notice how not-so-ordinary she is.

I'm always predisposed to like the main character of a novel especially when she is also the first-person narrator. Knowing that Casey has a strong background in American history really solidified our connection; when a MC and I share common interests, it makes it so much easier! Seeing her strength and perseverance through her jumps also really gave me cause to like her. Although she struggles with how this impacts her life, she doesn't let it ruin her. Nate, meanwhile, seems like the stereotypical jock but as we get to know him through the course of the book, he reveals more depth and allows us to see why Casey has a crush on him.

I'm definitely curious as to what else we'll learn about time traveling in the sequel as well as the next steps in Casey and Nate's relationship.

3.5

Casey is a typical teenage girl with a crush on Nate, the cutest athlete at school. She's also a time traveler, or "tripper", who at a moment's notice is transported to Massachusetts 1860. Her situation gets more complicated when, while touching Nate during one of her episodes, she takes him along on her trip. Their relationship changes under the pressures of living in 1860s America - hard work, racial tensions and the insecurity of never knowing when they'll be called back to present day.

Interwoven in the light-hearted teen romance is a history lesson on life before the Civil War, when slavery prevailed in the South and mixed attitudes in the North had yet yielded to the call of war. Flash forward 100 years and readers get insight to the Civil Rights movement another of Casey's travels. Strauss skillfully weaves these 'trips' into the story through events and characters. She also presents a side story of Casey's parents' separation that aligns with other characters coming together and falling apart.

Clockwise is a light, quick read that mixes a surprising amount of history into a teen romance story.

3.5 stars

This is a light-hearted time-travel. Part adventure, some disaster, a dash of comedy and an edge of romance. While many things are not very well explained and the summary of the book pretty much covers everything, I did still overall enjoy it.

Casey is a typical teenager who is just trying to live her life. Yet at random, unknown intervals she finds herself thrust back in time. Particularly the 1860s. Sometimes it is for a few hours, other-times weeks she could be stuck there. While she had learned how to handle and navigate these changes she is always fearful of touching others because whatever she is touching at the time goes with her and since she has no control over when she travels it must be quite nerve-wracking.

When the guy she likes is dancing with her, suddenly, POOF! Welcome to the 1800's! Nate things of it as a prank at first but then when he realizes how real it is, he struggles to adjust. This is just the beginning! It is an interesting adventure with some surprising connections.

I did find the book e bit jumpy, especially at first and how she knew certain things didn't make much sense for awhile. But soon, I was into the story and the nuances started to slip into the backround. Overall, an enjoyable read but I do wish it was a bit more memorable. I read it a few months ago, and many details of since run away from me. I prefer to have the memories live on, especially until I finish a series when it is part of one.


*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair/honest review*

A well thought out and researched time travel book that I and two of my daughters enjoyed. Both of them asked when we can get the other books in the series.