Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Book Review: It Wasn't Always Like This by Joy Preble


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Title: It Wasn't Always Like This
Author: Joy Preble
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Historical
Pages: 245
Publisher: Soho Teen
Year Published: 2016
Format: Hardcover Copy (Own It)
First Line: "It was gone."

"In 1916, Emma O'Neill is frozen in time. After sampling an experimental polio vaccine brewed on a remote island of St. Augustine, Florida, she and her family stop aging- as do the Ryan's, her family's business partners. In a way, this suits Emma fine because she's in love with Charlie Ryan. Being seventeen forever with him is a dream. But soon a group of religious fanatics, the Church of Light, takes note. Drinking the elixir has made the O'Neills and Ryans impervious to aging, but not to murder- Emma and Charlie are the only ones who escape with their lives.

On the run, Emma is tragically separated from Charlie. For the next hundred years, she plays a cat-and-mouse game with the founding members of the Church of Light and their descendants. Over the years, a series of murders- whose victims all bear more than a passing resemblance to her- indicate that her enemies are closing in. Yet as the danger grows, so does Emma's hope for finding the boy she's certain is still out there..."


My Rating: 4/5

So this book wasn't at all what I expected. I couldn't remember what it was about and since it was so short I refused to read the description.  And I was very impressed with how well this short book completed the story. Overall I really enjoyed it. I will say that I didn't like some aspects of the characters, but other than that I found the mystery theme that took place throughout the book interesting. I also really enjoyed the idea of how living forever might make someone feel. I hope to read more works by this author. I would recommend this for lovers of crime shows and historical fiction.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

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