Hourglass

Hourglass
By Myra McEntire
Egmont, 2011. 390 pgs. Young Adult

For several years, Emerson Cole has seen ghosts from the past, and she can't figure out how to make it stop. When Michael Weaver arrives from an organization called Hourglass, Em is eager to find out that she isn't alone in the world--other people have strange abilities as well--and impressed by Michael's dashing good looks. But it turns out that Michael isn't only there to help her; he also needs her help to travel back in time to prevent the death of a man who never should have died--and he insists that their task leaves them no room for romance. Em has to not only prevent the plans of a murder but also convince Michael that their connection is one worth bending a few rules for.

This book has some minor flaws that will be easily overlooked by most readers, who will be drawn in by Em's feistiness, a quick-moving plot, and the romance. The ending was a bit rushed, but it's good enough to tide readers over until the next book in the series. This is a good sci-fi pick for readers who don't really like sci-fi, since you can just kind of gloss over the time travel details (which aren't too heavily described) and enjoy the rest of the plot. There's a little bit of language, but overall it's pretty clean.

AE