Review: Clockwise by Elle Strauss

Goodreads Description:
A teenage time traveler accidentally takes her secret crush back in time. Awkward.

Boy watching with her best friend would be enough excitement for fifteen year old Casey Donovan. She doesn't even mind life at the bottom of the Cambridge High social ladder, if only she didn’t have this other much bigger problem. Unscheduled trips to the nineteenth century!

When Casey gets talked into going to the Fall Dance, the unthinkable happens--she accidentally takes Nate Mackenzie, the cutest boy in the school, back in time.

Protocol pressures her to tell their 1860 hosts that he is her brother and when Casey finds she has a handsome, wealthy (and unwanted) suitor, something changes in Nate. Are those romantic sparks or is it just ‘brotherly’ protectiveness?

When they return to the present things go back to the way they were before: Casey at the bottom of the social totem pole and Nate perched on the very the top. Except this time her heart is broken. Plus, her best friend is mad, her parents are split up, and her little brother gets escorted home by the police. The only thing that could make life worse is if, by some strange twist of fate, she took Nate back to the past again.

Which of course, she does

 

This was a great read.  Elle did a wonderful job of taking time travel and putting a little twist on it.  A little twist that I loved!  The book had its ups and downs like most do but overall it was a fun read.

  Casey is just your typical awkward teenage girl.  Well aside from the fact that can trip at any moment.  Trip or tripping is how Casey and her best friend Lucinda describe her little trips back to the 19th century.  Even though it can not be easy to be sucked back to the past at any given moment Casey is a strong female and has learned to cope with her little situation.  She take precautions and tried to prepare for her trips back as much as possible.  The problem is you can not prepare for the unexpected. Like taking her big time crush Nate back with her.
  I liked Casey...  A LOT and I was having issues seeing what she seen in Nate.  I mean seriously you are way better than that.  However looking back I guess when you get a crush (or I now when I did) it did not matter realistic or not, nice or not.  It was more a hotness factor and Nate definitely has that going for him.   I also really appreciated that it wasn't insta love. with her and him.
  Nate really was my up and down for this book.  Seriously I wanted to kick him at a couple points.  Violent I know but he behaved way too much like a high school girl for me a couple of times.  He cared way too much about image than I cared for in a male but I have always been a push the limits and image kind of girl.  I will admit that I became more fond of him after his first tripping experience with Casey.  He seems to be freaked out but hey who wouldn't be terrified to learn they really time travelled.  He does calm down and seem to be okay with the idea of Casey and tripping.
  The world of 1860 that Elle put Casey in is full of adventure!  There are really a lot of interesting people there.  Although you do have to keep in mind that the world is a completely different place then.  Samuel is someone that will help you understand this and he holds a special place in this book really.  My favorite way back character is Sara.  She is so strong and I guess it may be typical for the time but she is especially forgiving and smart.
  Elle has created a wonderful and fascinating novel.  The worlds are worth tripping to with Casey each and every time it happens. The transformations from her world to the past are basically seamless and felt natural each time (even when it wasn't supposed to be).  This novel was well written and I look forward to reading the next book ClockwiseR when it is released.

4/5

If you would like to talk with Elle Strauss and ask her a question about her book or give her some awesome comments on her book she will be on my twitter #YABookChat on February 29 @ 9:30pm EST.  We would love to see you there!