Customer Reviews

Time Windows

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have to say that this story absolutely creeped me out. It had all the great ingredients that comprise mystery and suspense books. Miranda, the heroine, is a compelling, sympathetic figure and her obsession with the doll house is made tangible through Ms. Reiss's prose. I wanted Mandy to go up in the attic so that I could hear the latest installment of what she finds through the windows.

As the book continues, the plot gets more complex and more tension builds. The book eventually becomes a literal nailbiter, as I found myself with butterflies of anxiety in my stomach wondering what was going to happen next and how Mandy would handle the situations as they arose. You could feel the hairs raise on the back of your neck as certain things were revealed.

By the end of the book I was in that place where I couldn't put the book down but I was almost afraid to keep reading because I didn't want the horrible things to happen that my imagination was playing out. The great thing was that the book is not gory; it's just plain frightening and suspenseful, so those with weak stomachs can read this book with no problems, but those with weak hearts better watch out--your heart will pound at certain places!

I'm not sure how Ms. Reiss was able to manipulate me as a reader so well--she's a tremendous story teller and a great summoner of mood and tension. At the end, I felt as if I'd been on a very scary roller-coaster. On one hand, I was exhilarated by the ride, on the other, I was thoroughly disconcerted by the ending and found myself pondering its meanings and implications for days to come.

So, go out and buy yourself this book. But, be warned. If you frighten easily, you might want to read this during the daylight hours and in wide open spaces.

this book is an amazing thing to read. kathryn plots it well, and everything is all tied together in one way or another in the end. if you skip 1 paragraph you'll become lost because kathryn doesn't put in all of the boring detail that is in most other books. she keeps you interested, and wondering what in the world'll happen next. you can never tell what's going to happen or when, because there's no way. something just hits miranda when you thought it wouldn't. time windows isn't kathryn's only thrilling book, either. THE GLASS HOUSE PEOPLE is also an awesome one, although this is more twisting and more mind-boggling. it's the only science-fiction book i've ever liked. it really makes you wonder where to draw the line between fantasy- and reality.

I happen to like all sorts of books--children's books, young adults, fiction, non-fiction, biographies, even the classics! A well-written book appeals to all ages. Look at the HARRY POTTER phenomena...................I for one admit to being passionate about those fabulous books and I am far removed from a young adult (middle aged if you must know).

When I was a school counselor not too long ago, I always went to the library's annual scholastic book sale. I usually bought five to ten books--everytime thinking that when I retired, I'd have more time to read (I buy a ton of books from Amazon too). Subsequently, I have hundreds and hundreds of books in my house, many unread (as I'm constantly buying more). I happened upon TIME WINDOWS the other day, picked it up to read the first few pages. I wanted to see if I would like it. WOW! This is an undeniably well-written novel by Kathryn Reiss. Full of fantasy, time travel, history, even a death, TIME WINDOWS has all the ingredients for a compelling and enjoyable read.

This is the story of thirteen year-old Miranda, who along with her Physician mother Helen and her father Phillip, (who is taking a break from university teaching) decide to pull up their roots in New York City for the small town life in the pre-Revolutionary war town of Garnet. They move into a large and majestic home that is very run down. Miranda is drawn to the attic where she finds a large dollhouse that is an exact replica of the Browne's new home. A slave who was hiding in this 'Galworthy' house during the civil war built the dollhouse. Amazing things happen to Miranda when she peers through the windows--she visits two families--one in 1904 and the other in the 1940's. She is a witness to all their comings and goings and conversations. She can even smell bread baking in the oven or the perfume that the lady of the house is wearing. Horrible things start happening to these families and eventually the same horrors plague the Browne family. Exact sentences are repeated throughout the century. There is a great mystery here and Miranda, along with her new friend Dan must solve it before the house destroys her family as it has in previous generations.

This novel is recommended for any age--young or old. If you are looking for a quick and easy read with a fabulous story that has a mystery and fantasy, get this book!

TIME WINDOWS by Kathryn Reiss had an intricate plot, a great deal of suspense, dashes of humor and took a little too much work to figure out. However, Ms.. Reiss definitely wove a story that was worth reading. A kind of original book, the main plot is a girl who moves into a cursed house finds a dollhouse that replays scenes through its windows of people who lived in the house before her. Soon her own "Mither" (weird) is acting like the women in the scenes from the doll house and getting touchier, meaner and more hostile. Miranda solves the mystery behind the evil that is exerted over all the women along with a boy across the street and as she changes the past, she also changes the future. A good read, fascinating for people who like to think. For someone who just wants to read a book and not have to stop, turn back a few pages, and get a headache, this book is a no-no. I rate it a 4 out of 5. Ms. Reiss deserves it.

I originally read this book when I was 12, and in 6th grade, for a book report. I loved it soo much that I rented it a lot, and finally bought the book off here last X-mas! I'm now 16, and I've read it maybe 20 times (really), and it never ceases to mystify me at the plot. I never want to skip parts after reading it over, because Kathryn Reiss writes it so well, that each time you read it, you pick up even more detail than you noticed before. The story line is an awesome one, and I recommend this book to young, old, or anyone who likes, ghost stories, old dollhouses, or MYSTERIES with an added bit of romance. It's simply awesome~read it! (I want to read all of Kathryn Reiss's books, but so far I have read just this and DREADFUL SORRY, which is also one of the best books I have ever read!)

I reread this book so many times when I was younger, I couldn't begin to count. It was my favorite book for years and years, and even now, at 24, it has a space on my bookshelf for pure nostalgia value. It's creepy and clever, serious enough that I never felt like I was being talked down to, and just a little sweet!

This book was one of my favorite books, I think it was a five star book because it was very creative and it made you keep reading like you never wanted to stop. My favorite part of this book was when Dan and Miranda went down in the little room and found Dorothys body! When i read this part i was at home and it was late at night so it freeked me out!It really amazed me how smart Miranda was to go through all that to try and save Dorothy. It makes me think now if someone is watching over us like she was to the Galworthy's and the Kramers.My favorite character in this book was Buddy. Iliked Buddy because he was like me when i was little. For example he was afaraid of attics and was afaraid of basements when i was his age too. It was really weird how stuff from the dollhouse was happening to Miranda in her house. I liked how Miranda wouldnt stop givving up.For example when she saw the key fall out of Lucindas dress and go through the floor boards she looked for it in the spot that it had fallen but iy wasnt there so she thought it might have bounced somewhere else in the floorboards and then she checked farther and she found it. That would be really scary if that happened to me! I think Miranda is really brave to go through all of that and save Dorothy and her Mither. That is what i thought about this book.

Thirteen-year-old Miranda Browne is moving with her parents from a cramped New York apartment to an old house in a small Massachusetts town. As her family settles in, she finds a beautiful miniature version of her house in the attic. But this is no ordinary dollhouse - it has a secret magic to it that only Miranda can witness. And through the dollhouse's secret, she learns of her own house's secret tragic history. Let me tell you, once I came to the part where Miranda finds out about the dollhouse's magic, I wouldn't put the book down - not even for a dentist appointment. Eh heh heh...

Anyway, this is a wonderfully complex tale of transcending time and changing the past. Indeed, to fully enjoy this story you must pay full attention to it and don't skim, like I habitually do, if you don't want to keep flipping back a few pages to recap what has happened.

Miranda is a believable character, and Ms. Reiss has done a marvelous job of relaying her thoughts and feelings. The reader feels as if he/she IS Miranda, and is impatient to learn the whole story of her house. The other characters, such as her parents and new friend Dan Hooton, are strong as well, and Miranda's interactions with them aren't the typical bland personality-lacking conversations you sometimes read. You can actually relate to these interactions and the characters.

Overall, Time Windows is an excellent book, brilliantly written and captivating. If you are a fan of sci-fi or fantasy, you will definitely enjoy the book. Heck, if you're anybody old enough to appreciate this kind of literature, you'll enjoy it.

This book is the best book that i have ever read! if you like mysteries, even if you dont, you will certainly love this book! If you dont like it at first, keep reading. You will be glad you did. The book is about a 13 yr old girl who has moved from her busy New York City home, to a little town in the country. When she goes to explore her new house, she finds a dollhouse. An exact replica of the house she has moved into. The girl Miranda looks into the dollhouse and can see what happened in different families who lived in the house in the past. She discovers something is evil in the house and is making all the mothers who live in the house evil to their children. Miranda has to unlock the mystery and change the past to help someone, and herself, when her own mother turns on her. You will love this book, i could not put it down!

I Love reading it is a passion of mine! When I read a book even if I like it alot, I have a hard time reading it again. I tend to skip parts and I don't enjoy it that much cause I know what is going to happen. I have read this book two times and I'm in the middle of the third. It has not yet ceased to grab my fears, curiosities, and emotions. I love this book. I get lost in it and have a hard time not losing myself totaly! Like Miranda I fell it calling to me though in her case the mysteries of the enchanted dollhouse had her wrapped up and lost. For those who have not read this book Buy it or check it out. Anyone would like this book. Kathrine Reiss has a amazing talent. I intend to look for more novels written by her. This book may be on the reading level of 9-12 years of age, but I'm 14 and can guarantee would capture the attention of all ages young and old!!!!!