Monday, April 23, 2012

Blog Tour! Review: Clockwise by Elle Strauss & Giveaway!


Today is my stop on the A Tale Of Many Reviews Blog Tour! 
For more information on Elle Strauss be sure to check out her facebook page HERE and visit her blog and subscribe to her newsletter HERE

       My Review

Clockwise
by Elle Strauss

Release Date: November 21, 2011
Publisher: ESB Publishing
Pages: 290
Genre: YA Time Travel
Source: Author
Purchase: Amazon $0.99 For Kindle! | Barnes & Noble
Smashwords 
Haunt Author: Website | Facebook | Twitter
 
Casey Donovan has issues: hair, height and uncontrollable trips to the 19th century! And now this --she’s accidentally taken Nate Mackenzie, the cutest boy in the school, back in time. Awkward.

Protocol pressures her to tell their 1860 hosts that he is her brother and when Casey finds she has a handsome, wealthy (and unwanted) suitor, something changes in Nate. Are those romantic sparks or is it just “brotherly” protectiveness?

When they return to the present, things go back to the way they were before: Casey parked on the bottom of the rung of the social ladder and Nate perched high on the very the top. Except this time her heart is broken. Plus, her best friend is mad, her parents are split up, and her younger brother gets escorted home by the police. The only thing that could make life worse is if, by some strange twist of fate, she took Nate back to the past again.

Which of course, she does.

Casey first time traveled at nine years old. She has no control over it but stress seems to induce the "trip" what she and her best friend call traveling. Casey always travels back to 1860 in the exact same location as she is in the present. She can be stuck there anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks but when she comes back not a single second has passed. She returns exactly the same except completely exhausted with dark rings around her eyes. Anything she is touching at the time also travels back with her but she returns wearing exactly the same thing she had on when she left. No naked time traveling! Thank goodness! Everything is fine as long as she doesn't touch anyone. When her longtime crush, Nate, asks her to dance, she is beyond happy. But with all the stress and emotions she ends up time traveling with Nate along for the ride.

I loved Casey. She was such a brave and down to earth character that I could relate to. High school is hard enough but imagine having to live that life as well as a whole other life in 1860. Casey was able to find a family in 1860 to take her in and give her work but she faces many difficulties such as trying to find food, shelter, and clothes. When she time travels she ends up in 1860 in exactly the same place she is in present day so sometimes she must travel for miles to get back to Sara and the Watsons who employ her. I also loved Nate. At first I was worried I wouldn't like him because he starts off as the typical mean jock. But when Nate travels back with Casey he gets to spend a few weeks in her world. He finally sees what an amazing and strong person she is and becomes a better person himself. Nate must live in 1860 for a few weeks pretending to be her brother and he sees how hard Casey works to survive.

There were great supporting characters as well. The Watsons were very kind to take in Casey especially since she disappears on them all the time with no warning. They also helped out another straggler named Samuel who ended up really surprising me. I loved that along with the great characters I also felt like I traveled to 1860 myself. I was reminded of some interesting American History. I could have never survived in 1860! Casey has to deal with issues such as racism, sexism, no transportation, difficult farm and family work. I read the whole book in one night and it was a lot of fun. I recommend it for anyone that enjoys time travel. It also has a great romance and I loved all the twists and turns and the way everything came together in the end. It all wrapped around in a surprising way. I plan to read the sequel very soon!

"So, this is your life, Casey."
"Just one big loop over and over."
"Something like that."
"Doesn't it drive you crazy? Having your life interrupted all the time. Having to be two different people. Having to survive in a strange era?"

"Your nothing like I thought you were, back at school."
"Which was?"
"I don't know, quiet, boring, uninspired."
"And now?"
"Obviously, the opposite."

Rating: 4/5 Stars!




 
~ GIVEAWAY! ~

 Elle is a member of a large writing group and each tour stop will be hosting a giveaway with one title from a member of the writing group. The grand prize will be a collection of all the titles plus Elle’s sequel to Clockwise, Clockwiser.
Full tour schedule with all giveaways listed at the bottom. 
For my stop I have
One eBook copy of Sleepers by Megg Jensen!

Sleepers (The Swarm Trilogy, #1)
An adoptee raised in a foreign land, sixteen-year-old Lianne was content with her life as handmaiden to the queen, until a spell cast on her at birth activated. Now she's filled with uncontrollable rage and access to magic she thought had been bled from her people years ago. Even her years of secret training in elite hand-to-hand combat and meditation can’t calm the fires raging inside her.

Her heart is torn between two boys, the one she’s always loved and the one who always ignored her. But when the kingdom threatens to tear itself apart due to rumors surrounding the queen’s alleged affair, who will Lianne protect and who will she destroy?

Book One in The Swarm Trilogy





The winner is Pragya

Follow the tour for more reviews, interviews, guest posts, excerpts, and GIVEAWAYS!

 
Monday, April 23, 2012
Review with excerpt and giveaway Exiled by RaShelle Workman
Dream cast guest post and giveaway of Running Wide Open by Lisa Nowak
Review and giveaway of Watched by Cindy Hogan
Review and giveaway of Tangled Tides by Karen Hooper
Review and giveaway of Sleepers by Megg Jensen

Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Writer’s cave guest post and giveaway of The Green by Karly Kirkpatrick
Eeview and giveaway of Beautiful Demons by Sarra Cannon

Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Author interview and giveaway of Glimpse by Stacey Wallace Benefield
Excerpt, review and giveaway of Become by Ali Cross
Character interview and giveaway of Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn
Excerpt and giveaway of Land of Corn Chips by Angel Carlie
Review and giveaway of The Secret of Spruce Knoll by Heather McCorkle
Review and giveaway of The Veil by Cory Putman Oakes

Thursday, April 26, 2012
Review and giveaway of How to Date an Alien by Magan Vernon
Character interview and giveaway of Bound by CK Bryant
Excerpt and giveaway of Clockwise by Elle Strauss

Friday, April 27, 2012
Review and giveaway of Destined by Jessie Harrell
 
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Final Stop and Grand Prize giveaway
(all titles provided by Elle and Elle’s sequel, Clockwiser)


Thanks so much for stopping by! Please leave any thoughts, comments, or questions about Clockwise!
And for the duration of the tour
 Clockwise is only $0.99 at Amazon!!!!


The sequel Clockwiser is also available for $2.99

 

17 comments:

  1. Great review, Jennifer. I read Clovkwise a while back and thought it was a sweet story. And I loved how neatly everything tied together. Glad you enjoyed it, too!

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    1. Yeah the ending was kind of surprising! I didn't think it would turn out like that. I saw a few things coming but I like that in time travel everything ends up working out.

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  2. Awesome review Jennifer. I never read a time travel book but for some reason felt I wouldn't really like them but this has me interested, I think I might give it a try.

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    1. Oh you must give time travel a try! This was a fun and easy to follow along story so I think it would make a great first start. Hope you enjoy it!

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  3. For a while there, I almost went my whole life without knowing anything about Elle Strauss but now it feel like I'm running into her everywhere -- and her book sounds absolutely ADORABLE. I love reading about time travel because it's such a cool concept, but I haven't really found THE time travel book for me yet... so I'm really hoping that Clockwise could be one of the awesome ones! :) With the awesome heroine and love interest, I think it definitely will be!

    Amazing review, Jen! <3 :)

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    1. This one was up in my favorites. It was easy to follow, some can get confusing, and it had a great romance. I also love The Time Traveler's Wife although that one is so depressing! I cried like a baby!

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  4. This sounds pretty cool!! I hadn't heard of it before but I love that sort of era that she travels back to and it sounds like a really good read! Thanks for the review =]

    The Cait Files

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! It was very interesting to visit 1860 and think about what I would do in her situation. All I can say is thank goodness I didn't live back then!

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  5. thanks for the awesome giveaway!!!
    i cant wait to read all the different amazing stories :D

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  6. sounds like a really cute book. I love that the cover model looks like an average girl and not some super glammed up model...I'll have to check it out!

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    1. Yeah I like the new cover! There is also an older cover that is cute too. The main character is a sweet and average girl that you can relate to. It was a fun book. I can't imagine having to live double lives.

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  7. I love that cover! It's so cute:)

    I like that the heroine is spunky and with a good attitude, and I love the element of time travel:)

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    1. She is very strong and spunky. She goes through a lot but definitely makes things work. She accepts her life since she can't change it and I really respected that idea and mentality.

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  8. I'm gonna be reviewing these books soon, including the companion novel. Can't wait! But I gotta say, it would be awful to get stuck somewhere for too long and not be able to go back!

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    1. Yes it would be so scary to be stuck in 1860! I'm all about convenience lol I hope you enjoy the books. I loved the story and hope to read the sequel very soon. I can't wait to see what happens with Casey and Nate next. I think her brother will be along for the ride as well. Really weird to think about how life would be if what happened to Casey happened to me.

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  9. This sounds really adorable. The cover really didn't grab me, but the plot sounds interesting and the I love strong characters, especially when I think I won't like them at the beginning and end up really changing my mind. I'd love to read this! Thanks for the review.

    Brynna

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Thanks so much for visiting and commenting! I read and love every single comment!