Hourglass (2) - Timepiece by Myra McEntire
And now to part 2/3 - Timepiece (in German Hourglass - Die Versuchung der Zeit) I read it in German where it had 345 pages.
Kaleb Ballard knows something's wrong when he begins to see dead people. Which is actually his unreachable love’s job – and his mother’s, who still isn’t conscious. But he has no idea how bad the situation really is, until he finds out some of his dad’s secrets… and gets an ultimatum from the Power Holders. Either, he finds the Infinityglass that might not even exist and heal the rip in time, or Em, his father, his mother and even his best friend will die. Good thing he isn’t alone in this… though Em’s best friend Lily makes his life even more complicated.
This book was sooooo good! I’ve mentioned above how much I adore Kaleb, but this book from his PoV amplifies that even more. He’s just so cool, I love the way how he sees the world, and how it’s described how affected he is by the feelings around him. What his defence mechanisms are and how he somehow manages to get it together for others. And, in the beginning, I was so sorry for him! Because we see Em and Michael together (with the Scarlet-joke, tee-he) and on the one hand, I’m so glad and on the other: Poooor Kaleb!
That’s a shit situation to be in. And honestly, Michael only makes it worse. The conflict in the hotel room? Seriously, damn it, that was so. Absolutely. Unfair.
Spoiler:
Especially if you consider that one of the main reason for Michael’s heroic death was that he saw her with Kaleb and was okay with that. He counted on Kaleb to take care of her, to love her and patch her together. And now that he’s tried that, it’s bad? Hypocrisy much? Sure, I get why he’s angry. He loves Em, and is pretty jealous that they have shared something he can’t have with her (no matter that this is waay weaker that their actual bond). I’d be, too. But damn it, Kaleb’s really in the worst position of the whole group, he didn’t do anything to bring them in the timeline dilemma and only wanted to help Em when she broke. He has so much responsibility and guilt he carries with him, he stayed away from Em as soon as he knew she chose Michael above him. He was honest and straight-forward with him. Kaleb didn’t deserve what Michael said to him. A rap on the head, okay. But not that level of pent-up anger.
I’m really glad Kaleb’s got Lily. The way the two of them meet and are so-not impressed by the other is hilarious, and I love how they grow closer, start to understand each other and, in the end, get each other in ways their friends don’t. I love how Lily comes to him and explains that his thinking is idiotic two seconds after he got the idea… and without him even hinting at it. It’s quite beautiful.
But there are things that could have been better.
First of all, what happened to Lily’s feelings for Michael? If they dissolved into thin air, I’d liked to have a comment or two from Em about that, or Lily herself. She knows Kaleb beats himself up on the fact he’s in love with his best friend’s girl. A joke about how that happened to her as well would have been… I don’t know, maybe nice for Kaleb? He wouldn’t be exactly happy at first, because another girl that prefers Mikey, but as soon as she made clear this was passé before it even started, it would have maybe comforted him.
Plus, I think that Kaleb’s empathy should have been underlined. He’s constantly aware of everyone’s feelings, as if they were his own. I think that should have been drawn more intensive, since he doesn’t even have his meds anyome. Besides, Em’s constantly panicked because of Landers – and he’s pretty in tune with her. Michael, his longest friend, is on edge as well, and Lily loves Em dearly as well.
But that was everything negative I can actually say about this book. Apart from that, the dialogues make more sense, it’s tense… even though I so miss Em’s PoV and her special humour. But we got Lily real up-close, and that makes it up a little.
Lily. I love that girl, she’s kick-ass, will do whatever is necessary without asking twice, accepts everyone and everything if people will do the same for her and doesn’t put up with Kaleb’s idiocy. I was kinda sorry when he ran into his ex-one-night-stand, but she can handle herself – without hitting and throwing people around, like her BF. I also like how Kaleb sees her and Em’s relationship, and her Abby, of course. Te-he. He manages remarkably well with her.
Lily’s abilities are gorgeously well done, by the way, as is her and her family’s background. Makes absolute sense, just as her grandmother as a character… I adore the woman!
And, as I said, I like how she and Kaleb interact.
One more time back to Kaleb. I love how he feels that Landers is basically his fault and his responsibility (though that’s bs), and how he fears that he’s like him. I also like how he gradually looses his feelings for her, instead of simply magically un-love her (which happens in sooo many books and is sooo unrealistic). And his relationship to his dad is amazingly well done.
I’m sorry for both sides in this. Dr. Ballard died and comes back from again, to a really complicated situation and a comatose wife. And an absolutely altered son. Kaleb had to walk through a hell I’d never, ever want to be in, and he grew up. And grew a tiny bit bitter. His Dad expects him to be the little boy he’s supposed to protect, or the obeying son that doesn’t question him. Instead, he finds someone who has some really unhealthy defence mechanisms and can’t handle his distance or secrets. Kaleb can’t be the person Dr. Ballard wants him to be – but what’s even worse: Dr. Ballard kind of switches him for Michael, and of course, Kaleb can’t handle that. Sure, Kaleb doesn’t act like a responsible adult 24/7, unlike Michael. Or rather, like a soldier that will do everything Daddy tells him. But Kaleb is more than capable to make his own decisions and handle every info his dad will throw his way. Just like Em. I hate that Michael keeps secrets from her and actually, through that, encourages Dr. Ballard’s secret-service policy. But it absolutely fits to character – and I adore that he gets to feel the consequences for that, and that his and Em’s happily ever after doesn’t mean they never ever fight again (because that’d be so unrealistic, but frequently happens in books). Dr. Ballard is a nice and perfectly realistic person as well – and the relationship makes sense as well. But I’m sorry for Kaleb, that he has to suffer from this bond, because it’s made up out of control, mistrust, the feeling of betrayal and loneliness. And then the business with his Mom… Poor guy. But Kaleb grows, and that’s so great. As are his cookies – a guy who bakes cookies when he’s depressed, how great is that!
Kaleb might seem arrogant, but he’s a really good guy.
In brief:
I give this book a star for style, characters, and ideas – plus one for the amazingly realistic relationship developments. And one for Lily’s abilities as well as the Kaleb/Landers problem, but none for plot due to a few things that should have been better.
Prequel:
Sequel: