{ Diane Dupree-Dempsey }
An infinite monkey writes...
Future? Past? When would your time travel take you?
Review of: The String Rider: A Time Travel Story About Love, Betrayal, and String Theory
By: John Espie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Book description:
Trevor jumps forward to steal lotto numbers for his dream girl Rubie. Except, in the future, Rubie has been murdered … and Trevor instantly adores the daughter he’s raising with another woman. Never mind his missing thumb or the fact that he drives a minivan … with eyelashes. So, upon his return, Trevor must ask: How can he save Rubie? And does saving her mean his daughter won’t be borne, or can he — should he — have both?
I should mention I did get this book free in a Goodreads Giveaway. However, it was a book I would have read anyway.
I enjoyed The String Rider, so let’s start with that. The time travel format, where an individual can travel their own “string” into their past or future is an interesting one. It is similar to one I have used quite differently in an as yet unpublished manuscript, so I am clearly on board with the idea. This book presents an intriguing question – if you go into the future and find it seems to be a happy one, yet cherished people from your present are missing, do you try to change the future? I found it an interesting question to ponder.
Trevor is a well-developed character, who continues to grow throughout the story. His story arc is a satisfying one and he feels like a complete person. I will say, he occasionally acts like an idiot. It may be simply his immaturity, but I was puzzled by the way he dealt with some of the situations he found himself in. Maybe it’s just me, but if you find yourself in an unknown future, maybe don’t call attention to yourself before you figure out what’s going on.
The other characters in the book were less filled out character-wise, which is too bad since they were interesting people. I would like to have gotten a little deeper into who they really were. This brings me to my only real complaint about the book — it felt too short, and a bit rushed. Granted, it took place in a short period of (collective) time and the pacing was probably deliberate because it was a fast-paced book. My personal preference is for something a little slower with a deeper dive into the details. If you like something to move quickly, this book will suit your tastes.
There was plenty of action as well as some thoughtful moments. The conclusion of the tale itself was satisfying. Yet I wanted something more from the ending. I can’t honestly say what more I wanted, but once again it felt rushed to me. It could just be I was simply sorry to be done with the book since I really did enjoy it.
I am giving this book four stars. It is well worth reading and I suspect the things that bothered me, will actually appeal to others who want that fast pace.
Now, take a moment to ask yourself, what would you do if you found out you had an apparently happy future coming, but not with the person you loved most in your present. Would you try to avert that future? It is an interesting question, isn’t it?
