4 out of 4 stars
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Yesterday by Samyann is a unique novel that focuses on time travel and reincarnation. Much like The Time Traveler’s Wife, Yesterday explores romance and human connection as it passes the test of time. Yesterday is a unique novel that covers many different historical periods in the period of one story, and Samyann’s descriptions of the American Civil War and The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 are raw and eye-opening.
Mark and Amanda are a young couple in modern day Chicago, and when they meet each other, they begin to experience déjà vu feelings with one another. After experiencing such intense emotions, they decide to go through hypnotherapy to find out if they have known each other in past lives. It is through this hypnotherapy that they experience the past lives that they have lived together. The experience allows them to travel through time to who they used to be.
One of the best parts about Samyann’s writing is that she described the relationship between Mark and Amanda through the different couples that they were in previous lives. Even though Yesterday focused on these different couples as they moved through time, the novel focused on the souls of Mark and Amanda and how they are star-crossed lovers. This focus on the souls allowed the reader to follow the story easily and not get confused by the change in characters. Reincarnation is one of my favorite subjects to read about in novels, and I was impressed with Samyann’s effortless way of moving between different time periods and keeping the bond between her star-crossed lovers strong.
Many times, with novels that focus on reincarnation and time travel, the writing can become confusing and disjointed. However, Samyann had a strong grip on her story. Her descriptions of her characters and the different settings were also spectacular. My favorite part of the novel was when we were treated to a controversial time in American history that focused on slavery. Samyann tackled this subject with grace, and she did justice to that dark side of America’s past.
But the most alluring aspect of Yesterday was how standoffish Amanda was with Mark. Throughout their previous lives, and their current one, Amanda had a wall built up with Mark. However, Mark never gave up on Amanda, and he continued to work for her love. Having that patience in a character is so valuable, and you don’t find that often with people today due to everyone’s need for instant gratification. Mark’s patience was admirable, and it drew me to his character throughout the ages. Even though Amanda could be frustrating at times, Samyann made her characters lovable, and I rooted for them throughout the course of the story. I don’t often swoon over romances as much I used to, but Yesterday won me over. Samyann reminds me of the great Richard Matheson regarding his novels Somewhere in Time, and What Dreams May Come and I am so happy to have discovered her writing.
I am awarding Yesterday with a 4 out of 4 rating. Samyann is a magnificent author who can pull together a very involved story and tie it up neatly by the time the last page hits. Her story was the most original reincarnation/time travel story that I have read since Richard Matheson, and I hope that she continues to dwell in this genre. Historical fiction, time travel, and romance readers will swoon over Samyann’s Yesterday.
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Yesterday
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