Quick Review: Hourglass by Myra McEntire

From the Back Cover:

Since the age of fourteen, Emerson Cole has seen strange things--dead things--swooning southern Belles, soldiers, and other eerie apparitions of the past. She's tried everything to get rid of the visions: medication, counsling, asylums. Nothing's worked. So when Emerson's well-meaning brother calls in yet another consultant from a mysterious organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to give it one last try.

Michael Weaver is no ordinary consultant. He's barely older than she is, he listens like no one she's ever met before, and he doesn't make her feel the least bit crazy. As Emerson ventures deeper into the world of the Hourglass, she begins to learn the truth about her past, her future--and her very life.

My Thoughts:

I really wanted to love this book, especially after seeing so many glowing reviews, but unfortunately it never really clicked with me. I loved the concept: The Hourglass is an organization that helps young adults with special abilities learn to use their talents and be able to function in normal society, and Emerson is recruited for her rare ability to travel back in time to help the Hourglass keep their founder and mentor from being murdered. So Emerson, who has been seeing apparitions since her parents were killed in a horrible accident and has suffered mental breakdowns and social ostracism ever since, finally finds a group of people who can relate to her and they work together to save their leader and try to stop a rogue student from taking over the organization.

The plot sounds well and good, but the problem for me is the lack of depth, characterization, and relationship-building. Emerson is instantly accepted into the Hourglass group. She instantly agrees to go along with their plan--a plan that could get her killed trying to save someone she's never met, I might add. She instantly makes their mission her own. Emerson's emotions are over-the-top, everything feels over-dramatic, and the characters are all superficial. Everything just feels so obvious and easy, and therefore, not very believable. I think the younger crowd will enjoy the story, but adults may not be able to get past its flaws. I kept reading mainly to see how the romance would play out between Emerson and Michael, because I'm a sucker for some angsty romance, and the plot does have a couple of good twists toward the end that will keep readers turning the pages toward a surprisingly poignant ending, but overall I'm not smitten enough to read future books in this series.

My Rating:  3 Stars out of 5

*Please note: This review references an advance copy received through the Amazon Vine program, and therefore the final published copy may differ. Though I received this book from the publisher, these are my honest and unbiased thoughts, and I was not compensated in any other way for reviewing this book.