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55 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best book I've read in a very long time, October 13, 2008
This book wowed me in a way that I haven't been wowed in years. I read a lot, and don't say that lightly. What's so great about this book? So many things. At first it seems very high concept, that a woman who seems to have it all, slips back in time after a relaxing massage and then has the chance to reconsider choices made earlier.
So, you might expect a light and fluffy read like a Sophie Kinsella story. Not that there's anything wrong with that, as I enjoy her books too. This is not light and fluffy. The high concept falls by the wayside as we get into the real meat of this story, looking at what's most important in one's life and how every action has a ripple effect on the lives of others.
This books flows along like a fast moving current, pulling the reader through. I don't remember the last time I raced through a book so quickly, feeling such a sense of urgency to know what would happen next, yet enjoying the ride so much too. I think many people will relate to different moments and scenes in this story, all of which feel very real and not at all romanticized. There were a few things that felt a bit too predictable, but that's a minor quibble. Overall, this was a satisfying story, and one that stayed with me so much that I've raved about it to a handful of people already.
Prediction, this is the kind of book that makes an author 'break out'. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she hits the New York Times list and stays there for awhile, as I expect word of mouth on this to be very strong.
Final word...if you liked Emily Giffin's novels, Something Borrowed, Something Blue and her most recent one Love the One you're With, you'll enjoy this book.
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23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What Ifs, October 7, 2008
Time of My Life may be initially thought of, chosen and read for its "what if" fantasy, yet the story is actually grounded in diverse and discomforting universal issues that are not limited to marrying the right man. Writing in a strong, confident and smart voice, Allison Winn Scotch is in total control of her protagonist's indecisiveness and this is what gives the book a well-earned reality check mark. Whatever time of life you may be in, this novel is a reminder that the past holds the lure of potential but the present is where all things are created possible for the future. A most entertaining and thoughtful read, you'll enjoy the escape into second chances
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Shallow, spoiled stay-at-home brat misses her spontaneous, fun -filled, carnal 20s., August 3, 2009
Jill doesn't want to clean up her one year old's mess in the SUV. She'd rather drive around with the smell of rancid milk. Jill just doesn't know what she wants. Ex-boyfriend Jack is getting married. How does that make her feel? How should it make her feel? Jill wonders all this, amid tidbits about her current life- the nanny, the Range Rover, the big house, Pilates classes... then she goes to the masseuse.
Naughty Garland tries to unblock her chi. And away Jill goes into July 2000.....
Jill tries to navegate through 2000 the second time around. She can be a whiz at her job because she's already promoted successful campaigns the first time. She starts to see her boyfriend, Jack, in a new light.
She starts to interact differently with every special person in her life. Her mom, who abandoned the family 20 years ago; her dad, who tried his best to adjust to life without mother; Megan, who dies in a tragic car accident in LA five years later; Josie, the boss who is supposed to love her family in 2007.
Jill also has time to share with us about how she handled 2000 the first, how she sees things in 2007, and what she is going to do in 2000 the second time. As she waits for this timewrap to end, she changes the outcome of her life. She also begins to look within to see that the boredom she feels doesn't have to do with her circumstances, but with herself.
It's past New Years 2001 when Jill finally decides to leave 2000. The ending is like a really bad Twilight Zone. It's not a happy ending at all. And it's not weirdly creepy, "make you think" like a good Twilight Zone. It oodles with cheese and pink frosting, and is as shallow as most chick lit books.
Jill Westfield is a very shallow, unlikeable character. Her epiphanies are not anything worthy of a new philosophy textbook. And that is why the book gets three stars from me.
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