Scan barcode
cornmaven's review
4.0
If you had a chance to live FOREVER, would you take it? Would you come to regret it if you did?
Emma and Charlie’s parents own an alligator farm/museum at the turn of the 20th century, 1913ish. A stranger comes to town and claims he has found the Fountain of Youth, and all you need to do is drink a tea made from a plant that grows near the stream, and voila, you’re immortal.
So they drink. And eventually they see it works because 2 year old Simon stays 2. Then they become a target for an evangelical revival meeting type church, determined to kill them because they are now "abominations".
Emma and Charlie escape the attack, but must remain on the run for all time. They separate, and each tries to find the other over the decades. As Emma is pursued, girls that look like her are murdered.
This was a fascinating story about life, what it means to live, and the desire to live forever, stuck at 17. Wouldn’t we all want that? No sickness, no aging, all rainbows and unicorns. Maybe, maybe not. Preble moves back and forth between the present and the early 20th century as she tells the story of these two teens who love each other but cannot find each other, each believing at one point the other is dead. The endless need to move abruptly when questions are asked or rumors begin to fly is heartbreaking for these kids. It's really a life of loneliness, a FOREVER life of loneliness.
I loved the writing, which was at times very poetic. Loved the characters, including Pete Mondragon, the New Mexico detective who helps Emma search and who actually knows her story.
It’s a sign of a good book when you always want to get back to reading it, and this one did that for me.
Emma and Charlie’s parents own an alligator farm/museum at the turn of the 20th century, 1913ish. A stranger comes to town and claims he has found the Fountain of Youth, and all you need to do is drink a tea made from a plant that grows near the stream, and voila, you’re immortal.
So they drink. And eventually they see it works because 2 year old Simon stays 2. Then they become a target for an evangelical revival meeting type church, determined to kill them because they are now "abominations".
Emma and Charlie escape the attack, but must remain on the run for all time. They separate, and each tries to find the other over the decades. As Emma is pursued, girls that look like her are murdered.
This was a fascinating story about life, what it means to live, and the desire to live forever, stuck at 17. Wouldn’t we all want that? No sickness, no aging, all rainbows and unicorns. Maybe, maybe not. Preble moves back and forth between the present and the early 20th century as she tells the story of these two teens who love each other but cannot find each other, each believing at one point the other is dead. The endless need to move abruptly when questions are asked or rumors begin to fly is heartbreaking for these kids. It's really a life of loneliness, a FOREVER life of loneliness.
I loved the writing, which was at times very poetic. Loved the characters, including Pete Mondragon, the New Mexico detective who helps Emma search and who actually knows her story.
It’s a sign of a good book when you always want to get back to reading it, and this one did that for me.
marieintheraw's review
3.0
I would have enjoyed before and after sections better as the past parts seemed to jump all over the place.
pantsreads's review
3.0
This book had promise, but I never connected with it like I'd hoped to.
Check out my full review on FYA.
Check out my full review on FYA.
ellenmc07's review
3.0
2.75 stars
Was the premise of this book interesting? Yes. Was the writing enough to keep me going? Unfortunately, not so much. There was too much of some things and not enough of others. Plus, I need more than the ending but, that's the hopeless romantic in me.
Was the premise of this book interesting? Yes. Was the writing enough to keep me going? Unfortunately, not so much. There was too much of some things and not enough of others. Plus, I need more than the ending but, that's the hopeless romantic in me.
threeseagrass's review
3.0
3 stars.
This was kind of a cute read if you’re into the eternal love, mating for life type thing. Emma and Charlie have a secret worth keeping, and someone is after them, prepared to kill them because they are ‘abominations’. They split up for decades, each hoping the other was still alive, while they continue to be hunted.
Emma was a pretty cool character, if a little dumb after living for over a century. I liked her attitude though. She’s not waiting for anybody, as much as she wishes he might appear in front of her at any time. She investigates murders, constantly moves around, and continues to hide. But it’s quite clear that someone is on her trail, or at least trying to force her to show herself.
I liked the little jumps between past and present, setting up the story for the reader while we remain in our present-day adventures with Emma. What the story really lacked was just a little more oomph. The villains were hiding in the darkness, but so much so that you almost thought they didn’t pose much of a threat (to Emma, at least). Otherwise, the plot and back story were really well done.
I think it’s a testament to this book as a three-star read that I can’t think of much else to say about it. If you’re interested, definitely try it, but if the blurb doesn’t immediately catch your attention, I’d say move on.
I received an advanced review copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
This was kind of a cute read if you’re into the eternal love, mating for life type thing. Emma and Charlie have a secret worth keeping, and someone is after them, prepared to kill them because they are ‘abominations’. They split up for decades, each hoping the other was still alive, while they continue to be hunted.
Emma was a pretty cool character, if a little dumb after living for over a century. I liked her attitude though. She’s not waiting for anybody, as much as she wishes he might appear in front of her at any time. She investigates murders, constantly moves around, and continues to hide. But it’s quite clear that someone is on her trail, or at least trying to force her to show herself.
I liked the little jumps between past and present, setting up the story for the reader while we remain in our present-day adventures with Emma. What the story really lacked was just a little more oomph. The villains were hiding in the darkness, but so much so that you almost thought they didn’t pose much of a threat (to Emma, at least). Otherwise, the plot and back story were really well done.
I think it’s a testament to this book as a three-star read that I can’t think of much else to say about it. If you’re interested, definitely try it, but if the blurb doesn’t immediately catch your attention, I’d say move on.
I received an advanced review copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
hijinx_abound's review
3.0
At 17, Emma and Charlie are given a tea that is supposed to prevent polio. Every member of each ones family drinks the tea as well. The tea makes them immortal and sets a fanatical religious group on them. After a devastating attack by this group, Emma and Charlie run and are separated. For 100 years, they have no word of one another.
Emma becomes a PI, looking into the disappearances and murders of girls who beat a striking resemblance to her. She moves a lot and tries to operate under the radar. But she still loves Charlie and is always hoping to find him.
This story was definitely different. Told both from the present and the past, it weaves the history and the current situation together. Emma is interesting and likable although not exactly a friendly character. After all she's trying to protect herself.
The end felt s tad rushed but was in a way, perfect.
Emma becomes a PI, looking into the disappearances and murders of girls who beat a striking resemblance to her. She moves a lot and tries to operate under the radar. But she still loves Charlie and is always hoping to find him.
This story was definitely different. Told both from the present and the past, it weaves the history and the current situation together. Emma is interesting and likable although not exactly a friendly character. After all she's trying to protect herself.
The end felt s tad rushed but was in a way, perfect.
missprint_'s review
5.0
Thanks to a mysterious tea, Emma O'Neill and her family stopped aging. Charlie Ryan and his parents suffered the same fate. By 1916, Emma has been seventeen for two whole years.
When an organization called the Church of Light notices, both families are targeted. Emma and Charlie survive the massacre but they aren't sure they can ever really be safe. Separated during their escape, they are still bound together by their love for each other even as circumstances conspire to keep them from finding each other.
Over the last hundred years Emma's gotten good at hiding and at noticing patterns. It takes someone with her uniquely long perspective to realize a decades long series of murders have something in common: every victim bears a striking resemblance to Emma.
The murders are coming closer together now--closer than they have in a very long time. Which can only mean Emma's enemies are getting closer too. As Emma hunts the murderer she begins to hope, for the first time in a long while, that solving this case might also help her find Charlie again in It Wasn't Always Like This (2016) by Joy Preble.
It Wasn't Always Like This has been likened to Tuck Everlasting meets Veronica Mars. It turns out that this comparison is wonderfully accurate.
Preble uses sparse prose for Emma's no-nonsense narration. Third person narratives from other characters are interspersed throughout for necessary exposition.
It Wasn't Always Like This offers a fascinating perspective with its immortal teenager heroine. Emma is as jaded as the best hard-boiled detectives and possibly even more world-weary. But she is also still seventeen. She is still rash and impetuous. Sometimes she's still dangerously optimistic in spite of everything she has seen. Throughout the novel Emma keeps wondering if she can ever really learn from her mistakes and grow when it is physically impossible for her to grow up or mature.
A high stakes mystery and lots of action make this a page-turner even while the characters hearken to a more thoughtful tome. It Wasn't Always Like This is a refreshingly original mystery with a little something for everyone. Highly recommended.
Possible Pairings: Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit, Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst, The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle, The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, The Devil and Winnie Flynn by Micol Ostow and David Ostow, Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty, Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan, Hold Me Like a Breath by Tiffany Schmidt, The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, Veronica Mars (TV show)
When an organization called the Church of Light notices, both families are targeted. Emma and Charlie survive the massacre but they aren't sure they can ever really be safe. Separated during their escape, they are still bound together by their love for each other even as circumstances conspire to keep them from finding each other.
Over the last hundred years Emma's gotten good at hiding and at noticing patterns. It takes someone with her uniquely long perspective to realize a decades long series of murders have something in common: every victim bears a striking resemblance to Emma.
The murders are coming closer together now--closer than they have in a very long time. Which can only mean Emma's enemies are getting closer too. As Emma hunts the murderer she begins to hope, for the first time in a long while, that solving this case might also help her find Charlie again in It Wasn't Always Like This (2016) by Joy Preble.
It Wasn't Always Like This has been likened to Tuck Everlasting meets Veronica Mars. It turns out that this comparison is wonderfully accurate.
Preble uses sparse prose for Emma's no-nonsense narration. Third person narratives from other characters are interspersed throughout for necessary exposition.
It Wasn't Always Like This offers a fascinating perspective with its immortal teenager heroine. Emma is as jaded as the best hard-boiled detectives and possibly even more world-weary. But she is also still seventeen. She is still rash and impetuous. Sometimes she's still dangerously optimistic in spite of everything she has seen. Throughout the novel Emma keeps wondering if she can ever really learn from her mistakes and grow when it is physically impossible for her to grow up or mature.
A high stakes mystery and lots of action make this a page-turner even while the characters hearken to a more thoughtful tome. It Wasn't Always Like This is a refreshingly original mystery with a little something for everyone. Highly recommended.
Possible Pairings: Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit, Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst, The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle, The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, The Devil and Winnie Flynn by Micol Ostow and David Ostow, Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty, Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan, Hold Me Like a Breath by Tiffany Schmidt, The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, Veronica Mars (TV show)
michelle_pink_polka_dot's review
4.0
Super fun to read!! I really liked the love lost through time story & the idea of immortal teenagers.
I don't read a lot of books like this, so it was really entertaining for me. I loved the idea of 100-year-old teenagers running around!! I mean, living forever and not aging didn't seem all that great, but if you were gonna do it-- I don't think late teens would be a bad age to pick.
Hands down the best part of this book was the "love lost through time" storyline. Emma and Charlie were soulmates separated by tragedy trying to make it back to one another without knowing if the other one was still alive. I adored going through history with Charlie and seeing where the journey took him. I wish there was more of that and a whole lot more of Emma's long life explained.
The thing about Emma was: She is a 100-year-old teenager, yet somehow is NOT wise. I get that she still has 17-year-old hormones and all that, but she has 100 years of life experience!!! She should've been way more knowledgeable and interesting than the 50-something cop she teamed up with, but that just wasn't the case. I know she's been busy looking for Charlie & dodging the church, but you would think after 100 years she would be the bomb dot com at SOMETHING. She was just existing.
The biggest problem with this book was the big bad guy. It was a cult-like church that believed hunting down the "evil immortals" would somehow get them closer to Heaven-- and okay, so far so good. But where it lost credibility was when it got passed down through generations. At this point, The Church of Light have no idea what Charlie and Emma look like, so you have to believe that this church went around killing girls that they felt COULD be Emma based on ???? Basically, they were picking out teenage girls with brown hair who didn't have parents and may have connections to Florida. Do you know how many of those there are??? They would never find her that way. Also, why was she going around using her real name if there are crazies after her?? Girl was not 100 years old, there's just no way.
Plausibility aside, this book was a fun read. It's short and has a cool premise, and I just had to know if Emma and Charlie would ever find each other-- which says something because I don't like romancey stuff!!
OVERALL: A quick read that has a cool teenage immortality premise. I loved the love lost through time & historical parts, but I wished Emma showed more of the 100-year-old soul she supposedly was living with.
My Blog:
Pink Polka Dot Books
I don't read a lot of books like this, so it was really entertaining for me. I loved the idea of 100-year-old teenagers running around!! I mean, living forever and not aging didn't seem all that great, but if you were gonna do it-- I don't think late teens would be a bad age to pick.
Hands down the best part of this book was the "love lost through time" storyline. Emma and Charlie were soulmates separated by tragedy trying to make it back to one another without knowing if the other one was still alive. I adored going through history with Charlie and seeing where the journey took him. I wish there was more of that and a whole lot more of Emma's long life explained.
The thing about Emma was: She is a 100-year-old teenager, yet somehow is NOT wise. I get that she still has 17-year-old hormones and all that, but she has 100 years of life experience!!! She should've been way more knowledgeable and interesting than the 50-something cop she teamed up with, but that just wasn't the case. I know she's been busy looking for Charlie & dodging the church, but you would think after 100 years she would be the bomb dot com at SOMETHING. She was just existing.
The biggest problem with this book was the big bad guy. It was a cult-like church that believed hunting down the "evil immortals" would somehow get them closer to Heaven-- and okay, so far so good. But where it lost credibility was when it got passed down through generations. At this point, The Church of Light have no idea what Charlie and Emma look like, so you have to believe that this church went around killing girls that they felt COULD be Emma based on ???? Basically, they were picking out teenage girls with brown hair who didn't have parents and may have connections to Florida. Do you know how many of those there are??? They would never find her that way. Also, why was she going around using her real name if there are crazies after her?? Girl was not 100 years old, there's just no way.
Plausibility aside, this book was a fun read. It's short and has a cool premise, and I just had to know if Emma and Charlie would ever find each other-- which says something because I don't like romancey stuff!!
OVERALL: A quick read that has a cool teenage immortality premise. I loved the love lost through time & historical parts, but I wished Emma showed more of the 100-year-old soul she supposedly was living with.
My Blog:
Pink Polka Dot Books