Review of Chasing Time
-
simonhuynh347
- Book of the Month Participant
- Posts: 6
- Joined: 11 Apr 2022, 20:16
- Currently Reading: A Broken Blade
- Bookshelf Size: 11
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-simonhuynh347.html
- Latest Review: Chasing Time by Thomas Reilly
Review of Chasing Time
[Following is a volunteer review of "Chasing Time" by Thomas Reilly.]
In the novel Chasing Time by Thomas Reilly, we meet the character Anthony Lucas as an eighth grader with a strange affinity for time who discovers a key that can seemingly bend time to his will. When he loses the key, it is all but forgotten in the years to come. We follow him through his adult life as he settles into a happy marriage and family, but must once again channel his power to save someone dear to him. His journey takes him to new places and fascinating people, all crucial in his quest to rediscover the magical key that just might be the solution he needs.
The story opens with a prologue set in Rome, AD 52. I was immediately intrigued by the ancient setting, though it only remained for the duration of the prologue. I was drawn in by the introduction of the key’s magical properties and felt the stage had been set for a good read. Throughout the novel, the chain of clues presented and the journey made by the main character is intricate and well thought out. Especially towards the end of the novel when Anthony’s quest started to come to a close, I felt compelled to keep reading so I could get to the end and see if his numerous efforts had come to fruition.
Unfortunately, I felt that the writing was lacking in many parts of this novel. In chapter one when we first meet the main character, Anthony Lucas, the novel starts to read like a report of his life instead of a novel. Reilly’s writing style embodies telling, not showing, and the novel starts to feel like a surface-level biography of Anthony. Even the thoughts of the characters are written in ways that feel impersonal and robotic. Also, it seems that everything in Anthony’s life is perfect until the main conflict of the novel is introduced, and even after its introduction, it still remains apparently the only conflict in his life. For example, we read at one point in the novel that Anthony hasn’t been eating as well since he is not used to having to cook. We learn that, in preparation for this issue, his wife has already subscribed to a meal subscription service to provide meals for Anthony so he doesn’t have to worry about cooking. He is written to experience seemingly no other hardships in his life in a way that starts to drag and make you wonder when something interesting is going to happen. Even when the main conflict is introduced, the writing drags a lot. In the author bio at the end, we read that Reilly used to be a pharmaceutical scientist and specialized in drug development. He makes his knowledge of these subjects abundantly clear in the novel. I didn’t read the author bio until I had finished the novel, so I didn’t know Reilly had this expertise when I was reading. The way Reilly writes the character of the doctor in the appointments that the main character attends, I thought Reilly had done ample medical research and was trying to showcase as much of it as possible in his writing. The doctor speaks like he is reciting medical textbook entries word for word. It was interesting to read about the different locations that Anthony journeyed to later on in the novel, but even the description of his actions was written step-by-step like the author was writing a guide on how someone could follow in Anthony’s footsteps. The novel only started to pick up for me again towards the end.
Although the concept for the novel was well thought out and compelling in some parts, the tedious and impersonal writing style made most of it hard to get through. For this reason, I rate Chasing Time by Thomas Reilly 2 out of 4 stars. The plot itself and clues presented were interesting enough for me to give the book two stars instead of just one star, but I couldn’t give the book four or even three stars because of how difficult the writing style made it to get through much of the novel.
Because of the issues with the writing style, I generally do not think this novel would be enjoyable for many people. That being said, I would recommend this novel to those intrigued by the concept of time travel and bending time. I would also recommend this novel to those interested in learning more about the experiences and medical aspects of living with ALS.
******
Chasing Time
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
In the novel Chasing Time by Thomas Reilly, we meet the character Anthony Lucas as an eighth grader with a strange affinity for time who discovers a key that can seemingly bend time to his will. When he loses the key, it is all but forgotten in the years to come. We follow him through his adult life as he settles into a happy marriage and family, but must once again channel his power to save someone dear to him. His journey takes him to new places and fascinating people, all crucial in his quest to rediscover the magical key that just might be the solution he needs.
The story opens with a prologue set in Rome, AD 52. I was immediately intrigued by the ancient setting, though it only remained for the duration of the prologue. I was drawn in by the introduction of the key’s magical properties and felt the stage had been set for a good read. Throughout the novel, the chain of clues presented and the journey made by the main character is intricate and well thought out. Especially towards the end of the novel when Anthony’s quest started to come to a close, I felt compelled to keep reading so I could get to the end and see if his numerous efforts had come to fruition.
Unfortunately, I felt that the writing was lacking in many parts of this novel. In chapter one when we first meet the main character, Anthony Lucas, the novel starts to read like a report of his life instead of a novel. Reilly’s writing style embodies telling, not showing, and the novel starts to feel like a surface-level biography of Anthony. Even the thoughts of the characters are written in ways that feel impersonal and robotic. Also, it seems that everything in Anthony’s life is perfect until the main conflict of the novel is introduced, and even after its introduction, it still remains apparently the only conflict in his life. For example, we read at one point in the novel that Anthony hasn’t been eating as well since he is not used to having to cook. We learn that, in preparation for this issue, his wife has already subscribed to a meal subscription service to provide meals for Anthony so he doesn’t have to worry about cooking. He is written to experience seemingly no other hardships in his life in a way that starts to drag and make you wonder when something interesting is going to happen. Even when the main conflict is introduced, the writing drags a lot. In the author bio at the end, we read that Reilly used to be a pharmaceutical scientist and specialized in drug development. He makes his knowledge of these subjects abundantly clear in the novel. I didn’t read the author bio until I had finished the novel, so I didn’t know Reilly had this expertise when I was reading. The way Reilly writes the character of the doctor in the appointments that the main character attends, I thought Reilly had done ample medical research and was trying to showcase as much of it as possible in his writing. The doctor speaks like he is reciting medical textbook entries word for word. It was interesting to read about the different locations that Anthony journeyed to later on in the novel, but even the description of his actions was written step-by-step like the author was writing a guide on how someone could follow in Anthony’s footsteps. The novel only started to pick up for me again towards the end.
Although the concept for the novel was well thought out and compelling in some parts, the tedious and impersonal writing style made most of it hard to get through. For this reason, I rate Chasing Time by Thomas Reilly 2 out of 4 stars. The plot itself and clues presented were interesting enough for me to give the book two stars instead of just one star, but I couldn’t give the book four or even three stars because of how difficult the writing style made it to get through much of the novel.
Because of the issues with the writing style, I generally do not think this novel would be enjoyable for many people. That being said, I would recommend this novel to those intrigued by the concept of time travel and bending time. I would also recommend this novel to those interested in learning more about the experiences and medical aspects of living with ALS.
******
Chasing Time
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Chasing Time by Thomas Reilly
