Publisher: Egmont USA
Publication Date: June 14, 2011
Pages: 390
Source: purchases
Buy It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

One hour to rewrite the past . . . 
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.
So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may also change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?--Goodreads

Emerson sees ghosts, well sort of: things that she cannot explain.  Until Michael shows up, Em is not entirely sure why she sees the things she does.  Michael is hired by her brother to help her out, discover or diagnose what is “wrong” with her.  Michael and Emerson have a connection like no other and every time they touch, sparks fly (literally).  When Michael lays on the news that Em can time travel and he has a job for her to do, well then things start getting complicated.  When Em digs deeper into Michael’s life, finding out things that should have remained secrets, will she be able to go through with traveling in time?

Hourglass was one of those books that were just so extraordinary and amazing that there are not words to describe how great this story flowed on the page.

I admit that the cover is what drew me to the story in the first place.  I took part in the Debut Author Challenge (hosted by Story Siren) last year and saw this beauty on the list.  I had to read it.  When I found out that it was about time travel, then I needed to read it more than ever.  Who doesn’t love time travel?

Myra McEntire describes her time travel perfectly, referencing Doctor Who and Hermione Granger (RE: pg. 100).  McEntire’s time travel component was fantastic to read about.  I thought, at first, that I would get lost seeing the main character twice in the same time but, with McEntire’s lovely writing, it was easy to understand.  This component led to Hourglass to have multiple climaxes.  Well maybe not climaxes, but multiple twists and turns in the plot that nearly gave me a heart attack (I’m joking, but they were really that crazy).  When I was reading this, I was so connected to the book that I failed to notice anything around me.  It was a beautiful reading experience (and helped me get through midterm season)!

McEntire has just become one of my favorite authors.  She captured the page with her voice and ruled her plot with the ever-flowing dialogue that the characters share.  She is brilliant and I can’t wait to hear about her next work (Timepiece, the second installment of the series released in June of 2012).

Not only did I love the time travel, but I fell in love with each of the characters as well.  First, we have Emerson who had an attitude that I simply loved; she was a strong narrator and reminded me a bit of Katniss (from Hunger Games) in her strength.  She fell for Michael, and with a description like the one he was given, it is hard not to fall in love with him.  Michael was reserved, which made him a mystery in a lot of ways.  I could not always figure him out but I definitely wanted to.  His character had me on my toes every time he interacted with Emerson, I was never quite sure what he was going to do next.  I loved how when the two characters touched, sparks would fly.  It was such an original concept that kept me imagining how McEntire could describe their relationship if it continues: will this feeling lessen with time?  Another thing that made me really love the two characters was that Michael cared for Em so much that he was willing to leave her if she was in the right hands.  Hopefully, I didn’t give away too much there.  That just shows that these characters are dynamic.  I know I may be making them sound like some big cliché, but it wasn’t that at all.  And it did make me tremendously mad at Michael, for a time, to purpose something like that, to leave her with another guy.  This may be called a love triangle, but I didn’t really see it.  Kaleb is another choice, I suppose, but I didn’t see him as one while reading until Michael pointed it out.  Kaleb is one of my favorite characters.  He is a player and flirts way too much but he does care about Em and seems to always try to help make things better for her.  McEntire created this lovely world with these gorgeous characters that make me smile every time I think about them.

Myra McEntire knows how to create a story that leaves its readers wanting more.  The plot flowed well in her lovely voice.  McEntire’s voice grabbed my attention and would not let me go until I was done with this book.  It let me escape into this world that was so unique and wonderfully drawn.  I can’t wait until the next installment, Timepiece, to return to Emerson’s world and to see what the deal is with the mysterious Hourglass.  Plus, Timepiece is narrated by Kaleb, or so I’ve heard, which is something definitely to read if a style like his is taking center stage.

Overall, this book is going on my favorites shelf.  If you haven’t read this book, Myra McEntire is a genius and you definitely do not want to miss all the time travel magic, spark flying love, and that “sexy pirate.”

“My small Southern hometown is beautiful in the haunting way an aging debutante is beautiful.”

-Hourglass by Myra McEntire, p. 1