Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Hourglass
Myra McEntire
Publisher: Egmont
Released: June 14, 2011
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 397
Source: Cavalier House Books

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 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?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.

Yall. I have been writing and rewriting this review for months. Literally. I had the extreme pleasure of reading this book back in February when I had the flu, and I swear it cured me. I read it in one sitting while ignoring hunger, sleep, and Josh. It was my favorite kind of book: one that will not let me put it down and keeps me guessing to the very end. Sometimes it feels like not many books surprise me anymore, but this one did in the best possible way.

Emerson is fabulously snarky. She reminded me a little of Sophie from Hex Hall. It's like they know they're weird and everyone thinks they're freaks and they just want everyone to get over it already. I loved her sarcasm and attitude; it kept things light and humorous when the story became much darker and twisted. And Michael? Michael is buttered biscuits and honey. Just read it, and you'll see what I mean. There were so many things I didn't see coming in this novel. Even the one thing I managed to figure out ended up being far more complex than I could have imagined. Is it paranormal? Is it sci-fi? Who cares. It was fantastic.

Can we talk about the cover? Let's talk about the cover. The dress! The dress is exactly as described in the party scene at the beginning of the novel. (Easy, right? Should be, but we all know cover designers don't always look at what's inside the book for inspiration.) The girl! She's freaking walking on the wall. The wall! Okay, I don't really know what's so special about the wall, but the purple damask is very attractive. The blurb! Beth. Revis. I can practically hear Myra screaming in excitement from here. Even the title font is perfect.

This novel could easily be my favorite read of the year. The fact that it is a debut just blows me away. Myra does such a fantastic job of weaving a completely believable tale through time and space. Her characters are fun and witty, and they command the reader's full attention from the very first page. I keep being drawn to it, rereading my favorite passages dozens of times. I really don't know how I'll ever make it to next year. Must. Have. Sequel. Now!