Review : All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terril

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : All Our Yesterdays (All Our Yesterdays #1)
Author : Cristin Terril
Publication Date : September 3rd 2013
Publisher : Disney Hyperion
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"You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was.

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

Personal Thoughts

When a book receives so many 5 stars before even it's released as All Our Yesterdays has, you can't help but go into it expecting it to be one mind-blowing read. I think that was my biggest mistake when it came to All Our Yesterdays. While I thought the book was highly entertaining, I didn't think it was 5 stars worthy to me.

All Our Yesterdays was told in the POVs of Em (in the future) and Marina (in the past). It doesn't take long for the reader to realize that Em and Marina are one and the same, just in different time dimensions. My problem with All Our Yesterdays was the characters. I never felt much for any of the characters in the book. They weren't poorly written or anything, but it was hard for me to connect with Em and Marina. Marina was the one I truly disliked. I hated reading through her perspective. She was rich, shallow, judgmental and overly obsessed with James. I never understood her fascination with James and hated how condescending she came across in the presence of Finn. For the most part, she didn't even have any kind of growth in the book and I was annoyed by that.

Em, on the other hand, was a bit more likeable. She was a stronger and braver version of Marina. What I liked about Em was how sensible she was when it came to decision-making. Having to kill James, her ex-best friend and crush, wasn't an easy job for her and the author captured the emotional dilemma that she went through well. However, I didn't think Em was memorable in any way and her emotions were never palpable to me. Finn was a decent love interest, but he didn't give me butterflies or anything. James or the future James was the main antagonist in All Our Yesterdays. We get too see both the past him and the future him. The past James was a smart and sweet guy who went through hell and the future one was evil to the core. I would have appreciated his character a little more than I did had more light been shed on the transition of the kind James to the evil Doctor.

The plot was something I enjoyed in All Our Yesterdays. The main plot line was Em and Finn trying to assassinate James before he could become evil. It was fast-paced, exciting and highly entertaining. Cristin Terril knew how to keep her readers glued to her story with her addictive writing style. It kept me on the edge and until the very end, I wasn't sure how exactly the book would end because the feelings of guilt and the multiple obstacles Em and Finn seemed to encounter. For that, I praise the author, because there's nothing more I love than a book that keeps me guessing about the outcome. As far as the science of the time travel, the author did a good job at explaining it a way that most people could understand, but there were times when I had questions. However, that is something personal because time travel is an iffy topic for me. I also didn't think the romance was all that great as some reviews claimed, but I attribute that to the fact that I didn't care much for the characters.

While All Our Yesterdays was a thrilling read that had me stuck to the book, it wasn't without its flaws. I reckon that the high expectations I had for the book might have been responsible for that. Despite the few failings that the book had, I do think it's worth the read. It might not have been the best YA sci-fi book, but it was a decent addition to the genre.

Rating

Cover : 3/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 3/5
Writing : 3/5