“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.Â
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.Â
All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.
About Cristin:
Cristin Terrill has a bachelor of the arts degree from Vassar College and a master of the arts degree in Shakespeare Studies from the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon, UK. She currently lives outside Washington, D.C., where she teaches creative writing workshop for kids and teens. ALL OUR YESTERDAYS is her first novel.WEBSITE / TWITTER / FACEBOOK /GOODREADS
Jaime’s Thoughts
                 
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
From the day I read the summary of this book I was instantly intrigued by the plot. I’m not a huge sci-fi reader, but I enjoy it when it’s really well done, and this is definitely the case with All Our Yesterdays.
We first meet Em imprisoned at a military base. We don’t know the circumstances, only that it’s unpleasant and the only thing keeping her sane is the boy in the cell next door. A monster of a man ‘the doctor’ is in charge and he wants information from her and he will do whatever it takes to get it, including torturing her. She finds instructions taped inside the drain of her cell, a list of crossed out tasks that state only one final thing… “You have to kill him.”
Slowly the story unravels for us readers though – we find out that it’s the future and a time machine has been created that will lead to the destruction of the world we know and love, becoming the shell of a world that she’s in now. We also find out that the instructions are written in her hand and she’s and the boy next door have attempted time after time to derail the creation of the time machine, but everything has failed. This final task is the last and only option left.
This story is told in two points of view in essence. Em the first person we meet who is from the future, and Marina. Marina is Em from the past. A bit of a socialite and definitely well off, she’s been in love with her neighbor James for most of her life. James is a science and math prodigy and though he’s gorgeous he’s a bit of an introvert and very socially awkward. His only friends are, Marina and Finn who don’t get along at all. The period after losing his parents was a horrible time for James, but he leaned on his brother and made it through. Then something horrendous happens that is the catalyst for the crumbling future and Marina is determined to save James… even from himself.
I’ve been sitting on this review for weeks. Starting it then stopping and putting it aside. Coming back and rewriting the darn thing. Mostly because I am not entirely sure what I want to say about it. Or more specifically what I CAN say about it. See, the story is brilliantly plotted and paced, and the two worlds tangle together so wonderfully, that I can’t tell you one thing without possibly spoiling any part of the story.
So instead, let’s go another route with this review… Reasons why you should read All Our Yesterdays.
Em/Marina – Though these two people are the same person, they are two completely different characters in this story. One has had minimal hardships and still believes in the love she has for her best friend, and the other has seen all the ugliness that the future holds and is determined to do what is needed in order to make sure the future never happens. Even if it’s the worst thing that could be asked of her. In both portrayals though, she is a strong and determined female (which you know I love). She is loyal and though I found her younger self a bit naïve the balance between the two of them was incredibly written.
The Writing – Like I said above, the plotting and pacing of this story was amazingly done. Em and Finn are racing against time to get this task done and the action in this story reflects that desperation and determination. The narration changes are so smooth between the two characters of Em/Marina, and their voices so distinct yet, there is no doubt in the readers mind that these are the same person.
James – I haven’t said much about him because he’s an integral part of the plot, but I love the way Terrill showed how his character evolves into his future self… the things that happen in his life, you can’t help but have sympathy for him, but then you see what he’s become and why he’s become that person and it’s hard to make the connection. Terrill makes it believable because you get to see how sure James is of what he’s doing, how he believes he is doing the right thing.
I know I haven’t really mentioned Finn in this review, and that’s not because I didn’t love him, I really did, but I just felt like he was secondary to the plot and to Em/Marina’s story and the dilemma she was faced with. I absolutely loved that we got to see the evolution of their friendship and relationship, the teasing and taunting when she was Marina and the strength and support he offers her as Em. But again, and this is something that I love, Terrill didn’t rely on Em’s relationship with Finn to carry this story. He was there but their romance didn’t over take the plot like sometimes happens.
If you’re looking for characters that will have you turning page after page, a fast-paced, intriguing and an incredibly thought out plot with an amazing ending then you’re going to want to pick up All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill. This story is filled with action and suspense, amazing world building, and really will have you thinking about the moral issues surrounding the creation of a time machine and its use.
Thank you to Disney-Hyperion for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill is one of those books that had me from the first page of the book. It has wonderful characters, a great story, romance and time travel. I read this on a plane and I had to force myself to put the book down when we landed as the story is so riveting. I NEEDED to know what was going to happen next and there were so many twists. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, Terrill would move the story in another direction.
We open with Em and find out she is a prisoner being held in a cell next to Finn…someone very familiar to her but she has recently only spoken to him through the vent in their cells. Em is tough and it is mostly because she has to be. She definitely didn’t start out that way but after finding out what she has been through and the lengths she has gone to in order to make things right, I’m not surprised.
The book rotates between Em’s and Marina’s points of view. This is critical as it shows you the events that lead to where all of the characters are today. We see Marina with James and Em with Finn as well as all the other characters that help move this story forward. Terrill does a great job with rotating the perspective to give the reader all the information at the right time. Going into the book you don’t know exactly what is going on and it is ok because as the story moves forward, all of the dots are connected and things begin to make sense.
The characters in this book are great. Em is tough yet still shows a bit of a soft side when it comes to James and Finn. Marina is the exact opposite. She loves James and early on, can’t stand Finn. These two characters are what drive the story but their relationships with the other characters have a huge impact on what happens.
I had a love/hate relationship with James. Mostly because of the choices he made. I wanted him to be better than he was and I understand that his decisions were a result of the things he had gone through but it didn’t make me any more sympathetic toward him. Despite his intent to use his smarts and invention for good, it ultimately didn’t end up that way and he did nothing to change it. In addition to that, he does some horrible things to those he calls friends in the name of science.
Finn was great…from the very beginning it is clear that he cares a great deal about Em and will do whatever he can to help her as well as try to keep her safe. I can’t say too much about him but you should know that I loved him and thought he was great. He had a lot to worry about and added James, Marina, and Em to the list as soon as he began to hang out with them. His sense of humor and ability to take control when it was needed was exactly what was needed.
The catalyst to this entire story is something that happens with James years before we are introduced to anyone. James is Marina’s best friend and he is brilliant. When he loses his parents in an accident and something happens to his brother, he begins to think about how he can use his brilliance to change things in the world. Nudging him along is someone named Richter. Again, I can’t say a lot (SORRY) without giving anything away but if there is a bad guy…it’s definitely him.
It is hard not to give anything away so I hope this review doesn’t sound too vague and I apologize if it does. With that in mind, if you enjoy a lot of action, a bit of romance and of course, time travel, I really recommend you get this as soon as you can. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Cristin Terrill, Amalie Howard, Cheryl Rainfield and Brian D. Anderson
Tuesday, September 17, 2013 at 6PM EST
Hosted by JKSCommunications
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