Book Review: All Our Yesterdays

All Our Yesterdays

by Cristin Terrill

Published: 1 August 2013 by Bloomsbury

Version: Paperback ARC borrowed from Caroline of Big Book Little Book

Rating: 4 sofas

“You have to kill him.” Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside. 

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was. 

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

Words can not describe how excited I was to read this book! I had heard nothing but AMAZING things. I adore time travel books, and luckily this didn’t disappoint.  To try and convey my excitement and feels without giving too much away! 

In the beginning we are introduced to Em, who is stuck in a cell. She discovers a piece of paper written by herself saying ‘You have to kill him’. From the start I knew I would enjoy the book from all the gushing I had heard from other bloggers. However, as soon as Em found that piece of paper, I was hooked. Who was him? And why does she have kill him? And why were all the previous entries on the list crossed out? SO MANY QUESTIONS!

Throughout the book it changes perspective to Em from Marina. Marina lives a fairly normal life, spending time with her best friend (hopefully one day boyfriend), James. In comparison, Em’s life is at the other end of the spectrum. Stuck in a cell all day apart from when the doctor wants information from her, she only has Finn as a companion. Except he is stuck on the other side of the wall in his own cell, and Em has never seen him. 

To be honest, in the beginning I much preferred Marina’s storyline. It was similar to the happy contempories I know and love. Em’s life, on the other hand, was brutally depressing. Alone and tortured, she is obviously quite a fiesty but moody character. However, through the book I came to understand the reasons why her personality was so volatile, and I forgave her a bit more for her moodiness. Marina, on the other hand, becomes a bit too clingy for my liking. 

The best thing about this book is the range of emotions and genres. Happy but depressing, it also incorporates a lot of action that left me frantically flicking pages. Although it did get a bit confusing towards the end, and I wasn’t entirely convinced on their explanation of time travel. And THAT ENDING. My god. I think it was the right ending for the book, but my god was it emotional. 

A time travel book with a plethora of emotions and action, All Our Yesterdays is a thriller with a difference. It left my jaw dropping from the surprises, and my heart aching for both Em and Marina. For fans of time travel, sci fi and emotional reads. All Our Yesterdays definitely does not disappoint! 4 sofas! 

Until the 2nd August, Caroline is giving away a copy of All Our Yesterdays along with some amazing other books! Hop along to enter and share my reading experience!