Clockwise (Clockwise, #1)

Apr 23, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-lending

Casey first time traveled at nine years old. She has no control over it but stress seems to induce the "trip" what she and her best friend call traveling. Casey always travels back to 1860 in the exact same location as she is in the present. She can be stuck there anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks but when she comes back not a single second has passed. She returns exactly the same except completely exhausted with dark rings around her eyes. Anything she is touching at the time also travel...more Casey first time traveled at nine years old. She has no control over it but stress seems to induce the "trip" what she and her best friend call traveling. Casey always travels back to 1860 in the exact same location as she is in the present. She can be stuck there anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks but when she comes back not a single second has passed. She returns exactly the same except completely exhausted with dark rings around her eyes. Anything she is touching at the time also travels back with her but she returns wearing exactly the same thing she had on when she left. No naked time traveling! Thank goodness! Everything is fine as long as she doesn't touch anyone. When her longtime crush, Nate, asks her to dance, she is beyond happy. But with all the stress and emotions she ends up time traveling with Nate along for the ride.

I loved Casey. She was such a brave and down to earth character that I could relate to. High school is hard enough but imagine having to live that life as well as a whole other life in 1860. Casey was able to find a family in 1860 to take her in and give her work but she faces many difficulties such as trying to find food, shelter, and clothes. When she time travels she ends up in 1860 in exactly the same place she is in present day so sometimes she must travel for miles to get back to Sara and the Watsons who employ her. I also loved Nate. At first I was worried I wouldn't like him because he starts off as the typical mean jock. But when Nate travels back with Casey he gets to spend a few weeks in her world. He finally sees what an amazing and strong person she is and becomes a better person himself. Nate must live in 1860 for a few weeks pretending to be her brother and he sees how hard Casey works to survive.

There were great supporting characters as well. The Watsons were very kind to take in Casey especially since she disappears on them all the time with no warning. They also helped out another straggler named Samuel who ended up really surprising me. I loved that along with the great characters I also felt like I traveled to 1860 myself. I was reminded of some interesting American History. I could have never survived in 1860! Casey has to deal with issues such as racism, sexism, no transportation, difficult farm and family work. I read the whole book in one night and it was a lot of fun. I recommend it for anyone that enjoys time travel. It also has a great romance and I loved all the twists and turns and the way everything came together in the end. It all wrapped around in a surprising way. I plan to read the sequel very soon!

"So, this is your life, Casey."
"Just one big loop over and over."
"Something like that."
"Doesn't it drive you crazy? Having your life interrupted all the time. Having to be two different people. Having to survive in a strange era?"

"Your nothing like I thought you were, back at school."
"Which was?"
"I don't know, quiet, boring, uninspired."
"And now?"
"Obviously, the opposite." (less)

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Apr 16, 2012 Mitch rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alot of this book I didn't like, parts I downright hated, but I'm giving it four stars anyway. Why? Because past the terrible start and cliched insecure/obsessive main character (stuff no guy wants to read about), there's actually a great, serious time travel story here. I just wish I could excise the first part of the book from my head, but since I can't I won't mention any of it and pretend I never read any of it either, except to say the beginning of this book is really, really bad - but stic...more Alot of this book I didn't like, parts I downright hated, but I'm giving it four stars anyway. Why? Because past the terrible start and cliched insecure/obsessive main character (stuff no guy wants to read about), there's actually a great, serious time travel story here. I just wish I could excise the first part of the book from my head, but since I can't I won't mention any of it and pretend I never read any of it either, except to say the beginning of this book is really, really bad - but stick with it, it gets better.

Anyway, past that this book actually has a pretty good plot, with a serious treatment of 1860s Civil War and 1960s civil rights stuff interwoven into it. Who knew? When the main character, Casey, is actually put into situations dealing with those issues (cause she's a time traveler who can't control her traveling), she's actually serious, intelligent, and knowledgable, and comes out way better than my first impression of her. I liked her interactions with the various people in the past, particularly Willie and his family, how she hid her knowledge and stuff from the future, how she survived in the 1860s. Add to that various quite intriguing plot twists, a friend in the past being conscripted into the Union army, a proposal from a fugitive slave hunter, dealing with prejudices and all that, and I can almost completely forgive the horrid start.

Surprisingly, the modern parts of this book got good too. There are a couple of side plots with Casey's brother and family, and the past and future plots actually connected to each other quite well in the end. Since Casey basically disappears from one time and blinks into existence in the other, it could be've been very hard to follow, but all the time traveling, tracking the past plots and the present plots, was very well done.

There are quite a few loose plotlines for the sequel (including a HUGE twist from the ending), how her time traveling works, the other time travelers she's met, etc, and from the looks of the preview of the first chapter, it doesn't start as badly as this one, so I hope this series continues to be a light, fun, quick, but engaging read - just with less stuff that makes me want to vomit.(less)

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Apr 16, 2012 Katy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was in the mood for a quick, fun read, and this book gave me just that - something quick and fun. I found myself enjoying this book, but disappointedly, not as much as I was hoping.

Did I think this book was cheesy and cliche? Yes, but I'm a sucker for romantic comedies, and that's not why I was disappointed. It's kind of hard to explain, but I didn't really connect with the characters as much as I waned to. I found Casey to be a bit grating on my nerves, but she does grow on me a bit later. An...more I was in the mood for a quick, fun read, and this book gave me just that - something quick and fun. I found myself enjoying this book, but disappointedly, not as much as I was hoping.

Did I think this book was cheesy and cliche? Yes, but I'm a sucker for romantic comedies, and that's not why I was disappointed. It's kind of hard to explain, but I didn't really connect with the characters as much as I waned to. I found Casey to be a bit grating on my nerves, but she does grow on me a bit later. And unlike most books like these, I didn't swoon over Nate or feel giddy by the words that came out of his mouth. The romance pretty much glossed over the surface, and I felt Strauss concentrated more on the yo-yo effect than the depth of how they felt. Most of all, I was disappointed with the lack of interaction with Willie and Lucinda since these were the two people who were really close to her the whole time before the book started. I would have liked either or both of them to have a bigger role in this book, especially Willie. I wouldn't have even minded a prologue about the first time Casey traveled.

As for the time traveling part itself, I didn't feel Strauss did a good job explaining her concept. First of all, you had to wait until the end of the book to find somewhat of a reason out why Casey time traveled. And this is fine, but you never know why people in general time traveled. Why did Casey's reason time traveled? I don't want to go too much into it because Stauss obviously kept it a secret until the end for a reason. What about Adeline? But I also didn't understand why Casey kept time traveling back to the same time? Why not to a different time period? Why does this particular time period impact her directly that she keeps going back?

Despite the flaws in the concept, I liked the actual story of the time travel. I enjoyed reading about Casey's experiences during the pre Civil War era, and also Nate's experiences. I do wish Strauss had elaborated a bit more about the setting in the past - after all, that's the whole point of writing a book about history right? And I do find it odd that the Watsons are always willing to welcome them with open arms, but hey, that's fiction for you. And I did enjoy the surprise visit to the 1960s, which gives you insight on that time period and that character.

So this book didn't have much to go on beyond "quick" and "fun." But it was still a very enjoyable read, and I wouldn't mind finding out what happens next.(less)

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Jun 15, 2013 Dianne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ages-12-up, action-and-adventure, fun-read, fantasy, historical-fiction, netgalley, own, time-travel, well-developed-characters, ya, ya-romance, second-time-around-reading

Who wouldn’t like a story about time travel, especially if you are a young adult living the day to day issues that are so much a part of growing up. Clockwise by Elle Strauss is an engaging read, light and actually a fun experience for all ages! Young Casey travels back into the nineteenth century, and really handles the situation well-especially when you realize she has no control over when she will ‘pop’ back or forward, but at least she returns to the exact moment she left! (Whew, I can imagi...more

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Jun 10, 2013 Jocelyn Sanchez rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for a review*

Casey Donovan is just like every normal teenage girl; she has insecurities about her appearance, goes to school where she feels like she doesn’t belong, and crushes after the school’s lead athlete, Nate Mackenzie. She’s just an ordinary girl, of course, except for the fact that she time-travel’s to the 19th century. But, Casey can’t control her “trips” to the future. She first transported to the 19th century when she w...more *Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for a review*

Casey Donovan is just like every normal teenage girl; she has insecurities about her appearance, goes to school where she feels like she doesn’t belong, and crushes after the school’s lead athlete, Nate Mackenzie. She’s just an ordinary girl, of course, except for the fact that she time-travel’s to the 19th century. But, Casey can’t control her “trips” to the future. She first transported to the 19th century when she was only 9 years old and ever since then she realized she had no control over how or when it happens. Casey thinks stress triggers it, so imagine her surprise when her crush, Nate, asks her to dance and she accidently transports both of them to the 19th century! At first she freaks out, but then she gather’s her bearings and takes charge. Nate can’t help but admire her strength and bravery. She goes to the Watson’s home, where she works from time to time when she transported to the past. They welcome both Nate and her with open arms and Casey and Nate pretend they are brother and sister and have to share a room, how awkward! When they get back everything that passed between them those weeks in the 19th century seem like it never happened, and Nate treats her the way he always did, he barely knowledge’s her existence. That is until she brings him back to the 19th century, again! Things in Casey’s life get more and more complicated as Casey finds herself getting closer and closer to Nate. Will she finally get her crush to notice her? Can she keep him safe in the past? And will she ever control the trips to the 19th century? Join Casey on her journey to the 19th century, where she adapts to the customs of the people in this century and tries to gain the heart of her high-school crush.

This book was very interesting. I have never read a book where a character could time travel. I honestly thought I wouldn’t like the time traveling to the 19th century, but I am happy to find out I thoroughly enjoyed it. I learned things about the 19th century that I never knew before and actually enjoyed reading about it. Like did you know in 1861 zippers and ice didn’t exist? You had to pump water to wash dishes and to take baths. This book made learning history really fun and it explains a lot about history and the time of the Civil War. The main character, Casey or Cassandra as she is known as to people in the 19th century, is a very funny, down to earth character that I found really relatable. I found her very intelligent, kind, and a brave character. And I love the romance going on between both Nate and her. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books with time travel and romance.

Some of my favorite parts:

"Your nothing like I thought you were, back at school."
"Which was?"
"I don't know, quiet, boring, uninspired."
"And now?"
"Obviously, the opposite."

“Doesn’t it drive you crazy? Having your life interrupted all the time. Having to be two different people? Having to survive in a strange era?”
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Jun 11, 2013 Prerna Kashyap rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: virtually-owned, netgalley, sci-fi, time-travel, young-adult, romance, fantasy

Read this review and more on http://acliffhangercrisis.blogspot.in

**I got a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

I admit that I was drawn in by the synopsis but unfortunately the book was nothing like I expected. The story was alarmingly cliched and the protagonist was downright irritating. Her habit of repeatedly swooning whenever she got too close to the crush of her life, the truckloads of self pity she harboured and the low self esteem, coupled with her inabi...more Read this review and more on http://acliffhangercrisis.blogspot.in

**I got a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

I admit that I was drawn in by the synopsis but unfortunately the book was nothing like I expected. The story was alarmingly cliched and the protagonist was downright irritating. Her habit of repeatedly swooning whenever she got too close to the crush of her life, the truckloads of self pity she harboured and the low self esteem, coupled with her inability to string together two sentences in her defence or talk back to bothersome bitches made her distinctly unlikeable. I suppose that her one and only redeeming quality was arsenal of survival instincts she had picked up over the years while time travelling. The fact that her POV comprised of moping about her social inabilities and harping on about the general hotness of Nate Mckenzie didn't warm me up to her either. Nate too seemed like a thick headed moron most of the time. He was quite slow on the uptake, and there was no real reason for him to be a part of the story, other than being eye candy for girls and playing his essential part in the lukewarm romance between him and Casey.

Furthermore there was more or less no concrete plot to carry the story. The book just seemed like an endless cycle of Casey pining after Nate, him acting like a douche, the accidental skin contact and the resultant time travelling. I had hoped that the author would at least make the characters from the past interesting. No such luck. They were as colourless and unexciting as Nate and Casey and nothing of much significance happened during the duo's accidental visits to the past. The ending was only slightly redeeming with some semblance of surprise, although I would have liked for the author to provide more info on the mechanics of time travelling.

I guess I was kind of hoping for The Time Traveller's Wife kind of reading experience. My bad. Books like that don't come out all that often. It wasn't a bad read per-say but it couldn't been loads better. Definitely not the kind I'd want to read over and over again to try to get past the awesomeness but not the kind I'd say was crap either.

Rating:- 2/5 stars!
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Jun 06, 2013 Greta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
4.5 stars
Brief Summery: Casey is a time traveler. She travels again and again to the year 1860, never knowing how long she'll be stuck in the past or the troubles she might encounter while there. When she returns to her present time, though, it's always as though no time as transpired at all. When she accidentally takes Nate, the boy she has a crush on, to the past with her, Casey suddenly has a whole other set o...more *Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
4.5 stars
Brief Summery: Casey is a time traveler. She travels again and again to the year 1860, never knowing how long she'll be stuck in the past or the troubles she might encounter while there. When she returns to her present time, though, it's always as though no time as transpired at all. When she accidentally takes Nate, the boy she has a crush on, to the past with her, Casey suddenly has a whole other set of problems. Can he adapt to living in past? Will she be able to get him back to the present? And most importantly, could he possibly like her too?

Review: This book was a delight, and I easily finished it in one sitting. I really didn't know much going into it, except that it involved time travel. A lot of time travel books can be too sci fi and involve time paradoxes in the plot that just confuse me. That wasn't the case with this one. The author made it very easy to understand the mechanics of Casey's time and the world building was easy to follow.

The plot takes place over the course of several months and involves several trips back to the past. I enjoyed both Nate and Casey's characters better when they were in 1860. I loved how capable and adaptive Casey was to her ever changing circumstances. In the present plot-line, it kind of bothered me that Casey seemed to lose a lot of that self-assurance. (Her friend Lucinda, who was a loving and supportive BFF, was also totally boy crazy.) I can't say that I felt much for Nate. Many times, like Casey did, I was asking myself, "What is he thinking?" However, I just saw that the author has a novella with events from his point of view. I'll probably read it before the second book.

The ending felt balanced. Some questions were answered, and others were not. I'm hoping that book two definitively answers why 1860 and what significance the characters there hold for Casey and her family.

Recommendation: I would recommend this to anyone from middle grade up to adult. It was a great YA,adventure book with a hint of romance....a great diversionary read :) It's also free on amazon!

My other reviews at http://www.fictionsnoop.com

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Mar 14, 2013 Marie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Casey kann in der Zeit springen. Eben noch in der Schule, im nächsten Moment im Jahre 1860 in einem Wald. Sie arbeitet als Junge verkleidet auf einer Farm und verdient sich so ihr Essen. Bis eine der Farmtöchter bemerkt, dass sie eine Mädchen ist. Sie gibt Casey andere Arbeit und nimmt sie mit in die Stadt. Dort lernt sie einen reichen Mann kennen, der Verbindungen in die Südstaaten hat und wohl von einer Baumwollplantage stammt.
Manchmal springt Casey sogar gerne in der Zeit, denn in ihrer reale...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Alisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite

I didn't really know what to expect when I started this series... I was having so much fun reading it that I continued on and read the whole series! Casey is a time traveler who travels back to the 1860's - slavery is a big issue and things are gearing up for the Civil War. I thought the author did a great job of writing the history into the story!

Normally Casey only has 1 or 2 "trips" (her term for when she takes off to travel in time... she can't predict when this will happen and can't stop it...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Carissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a fun story. I loved reading a book about a modern girl who has to deal with constant time travel to the 1800s! Books about time travel intrigue me and this one eventually drew me in. I say eventually, because I really would only rate the first half 2 stars. I found both of the main characters to be shallow and unlikeable. All Casey seemed to care about was how she looked or how her love interest looked. Worse yet, she was whiny. Her love interest was a real jerk in the beginning and he...more This was a fun story. I loved reading a book about a modern girl who has to deal with constant time travel to the 1800s! Books about time travel intrigue me and this one eventually drew me in. I say eventually, because I really would only rate the first half 2 stars. I found both of the main characters to be shallow and unlikeable. All Casey seemed to care about was how she looked or how her love interest looked. Worse yet, she was whiny. Her love interest was a real jerk in the beginning and he never adequately redeemed himself. (view spoiler)

Also, the story was a bit slow. I was tempted to start skimming by the time I reached the 30% mark on my kindle. I think the plot summary revealed too much of what was going to happen. However, the plot did pick up once I read about 50% of the book. There were quite a few "conveniences" that made me roll my eyes and some writing inconsistencies. The main character was supposed to be clever and quick on her feet but she often proved to be the exact opposite. (view spoiler)

Overall, the characters did grow on me and the plot grew more interesting in the last half.(view spoiler)

2.5 Stars(less)

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Sep 06, 2012 Candace rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love time travel books and as soon as I heard of this one (and saw it free on amazon!) I knew I had to read it. The cover shouts FUN so I was curious to see if it was just a fun light read or had serious moments. It actually had both. It was a fun read but there was lots of serious things going on as well. Casey travels to 1860 which is right before the Civil War. There's lots of unrest and it's not a very safe time for people. Luckily Casey has been time traveling for a long time and is prepa...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Candi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-supernatural, kindle

This is a young adult time travel book, with a hot guy thrown in. Only the great part is that it's not really time travel, it's more like the heroine is living two lives, one in the present and one in the 1860s in I think, Massachusetts. I loved that she could bring things to the past and make her own stash, with things like prairie dresses and tampons. Additionally, there is no messing with the space-time continuum because she has already lived this life in the past.

I love it anytime a literary...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Tiffany Mahaffy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, own, paperback, signed

This was a great read. Elle did a wonderful job of taking time travel and putting a little twist on it. A little twist that I loved! The book had its ups and downs like most do but overall it was a fun read.

Casey is just your typical awkward teenage girl. Well aside from the fact that can trip at any moment. Trip or tripping is how Casey and her best friend Lucinda describe her little trips back to the 19th century. Even though it can not be easy to be sucked back to the past at any given momen...more This was a great read. Elle did a wonderful job of taking time travel and putting a little twist on it. A little twist that I loved! The book had its ups and downs like most do but overall it was a fun read.

Casey is just your typical awkward teenage girl. Well aside from the fact that can trip at any moment. Trip or tripping is how Casey and her best friend Lucinda describe her little trips back to the 19th century. Even though it can not be easy to be sucked back to the past at any given moment Casey is a strong female and has learned to cope with her little situation. She take precautions and tried to prepare for her trips back as much as possible. The problem is you can not prepare for the unexpected. Like taking her big time crush Nate back with her.

I liked Casey... A LOT and I was having issues seeing what she seen in Nate. I mean seriously you are way better than that. However looking back I guess when you get a crush (or I now when I did) it did not matter realistic or not, nice or not. It was more a hotness factor and Nate definately has that going for him. I also really appreciated that it wasn't insta love. with her and him.

Nate really was my up and down for this book. Seriously I wanted to kick him at a couple points. Violent I know but he behaved way too much like a high school girl for me a couple of times. He cared way too much about image than I cared for in a male but I have always been a push the limits and image kind of girl. I will admit that I became more fond of him after his first tripping experience with Casey. He seems to be freaked out but hey who wouldn't be terrified to learn they really time travelled. He does calm down and seem to be okay with the idea of Casey and tripping.

The world of 1860 that Elle put Casey in is full of adventure! There are really a lot of interesting people there. Although you do have to keep in mind that the world is a completely different place then. Samuel is someone that will help you understand this and he holds a special place in this book really. My favorite way back character is Sara. She is so stong and I guess it may be typical for the time but she is especially forgiving and smart.

Elle has created a wonderful and facinating novel. The worlds are worth tripping to with Casey each and every time it happens. The transformations from her world to the past are basically seemless and felt natural each time (even when it wasn't supposed to be). This novel was well written and I look forward to reading the next book ClockwiseR when it is released.
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Jan 15, 2012 Valerie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fiction

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but I was pleasantly surprised! I've never read a time travelling novel quite like this one. The way Casey has to have actual skills to survive in the 1860s was a realistic aspect to the story that many lack. She uses her instincts and creates ways for her to be better prepared when she goes back in time. She is smart, not just bookish but street smart in her own way. While she has that boy obsession that every heroine in YA novels has, it's very real....more

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Nov 23, 2011 Mandy (I read Indie) Anderson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Casey loves hanging out with her best friend watching the jocks during their practices and taking the occasional trip. Time tripping actually. Starting when she was nine years old Casey is transported back in time to the 1800’s . Having to learn how to survive while back in time is what has kept Casey alive. And while she may be gone for days or weeks at a time, only mere seconds pass in the present once she returns.

But one night, as a dare hottie Nate asks Casey to dance at the school fall danc...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Tabitha the Pabkins rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1st-in-series, ebook, for-review, alternate-or-historical-fiction, young-adult, time-travel, indie

If I had to summarize this for Twitter it would be: Time traveling teen takes crush along for the ride to pre-Civil War America. It was a super quick enjoyable read. While it is romance, being a YA romance it is very light on the romance end. The two characters have very hesitant interactions which I didn’t find to be overwhelming. Mostly, you’ll be reading about Casey’s affections for Nate.

Pros: Fast pace keeps you wondering as to what is going to happen next. When or where is she going to tri...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Juanita Wenham rated it 5 of 5 stars

Casey has far more serious concerns than taming her unruly mop of curls, getting good marks in school or finding the perfect dress for prom.
Instead of just falling "for" the cutest guy in school, she has fallen with him. Or "tripped" as she has called it since the first time she spiraled out of the present and into the past.
Finding herself in the 19th century was a shock as a youngster. Adapting was the only solution. Tripping with your secret crush was something all together different.
Clockwise...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Maki Kotone rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Clockwise was a fun book to read. Casey was a fairly amusing character, and the various twists and turns the story took kept things interesting. I loved the ending! I did not see that one coming at all.

The writing was very nice (no typos!), and the plot was interesting. It's definitely a book more targeted at girls, though. And Casey's legendary fights with her hair got a bit annoying after a while. There are only so many times you can use the "it takes this much hair product to keep my hair man...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

After another of Elle Strauss' titles, I decided to (finally) read this book, which has been sitting on my Kindle for awhile. While I didn't enjoy this book as much as Seaweed, I definitely think it is worth reading.

The main character is pretty much your typical teenager, though she's apparently actually pretty, albeit tall. She also has to deal with this crazy power of being able to time travel. Unfortunately she has no control over when it happens, how long she'll be gone, or when she'll come...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Kereesa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Chick-lit YA lovers

Shelves: 2012, ebooks, friendship, indie, teenage-romance, time-travel, urban-fantasy, young-adult

I have to admit I've encountered more than a few indie/self-published pieces throughout my exploration of the ebook market. And, let's not lie, 75-80% of those have been less than spectacular, and have featured characters, plots, and writing I have either struggled with or given up on entirely. After DFNing my latest indie novel, I have to admit I was slightly skeptical when I first started Clockwise.

And while I do admit Clockwise has its fair share of typical YAness and stereotypes, (jock boy...more I have to admit I've encountered more than a few indie/self-published pieces throughout my exploration of the ebook market. And, let's not lie, 75-80% of those have been less than spectacular, and have featured characters, plots, and writing I have either struggled with or given up on entirely. After DFNing my latest indie novel, I have to admit I was slightly skeptical when I first started Clockwise.

And while I do admit Clockwise has its fair share of typical YAness and stereotypes, (jock boy with a sweet heart, new clothing/make-up/hair products=gorgeous, damsel in distress syndrome are just a few of many) it's definitely a gem within the labyrinth of self-publishing.

The one thing I really liked about Clockwise was the addicting aspect of the writing. It's your typical rom-com/chick-lit novel, so the writing isn't on par with the descriptiveness that usually comes out of Libba Bray or Maggie Stiefvater's pen, but is a nice mix of fun and funny that gives the novel just the right touch. Casey's (our adorable 1st person POV MC) voice, in particular, got me laughing (literally) out loud at moments, and really felt utterly real and human. The only thing that bothered me about the writing (and this truly is a minor point) was the lack of description at points, and the telling of events as time passed. But those are truly minor complaints, and in truth, the novel doesn't really need them to stand on its own in my opinion.

The romance is, perhaps, where I wasn't totally on Casey's side. Mostly because Nate was a ~~dick~~ jerk for the majority of the novel, and only sort of redeemed himself in my eyes. (I'm always hard on redemption) The romance also slightly smelled like insta love (never a good mark in my book), and was that whole popular guy crush thing sadly. Thankfully the word love in relation to them was only uttered once, and Nate's feelings did develop enough to make me sort of okay with him.

While I absolutely adored Casey, I found she frequently put herself down (with the help of her BFF once in a while...don't get me started on Lucinda-I was not pleased with her for the majority of the novel, though I felt a little better about her redemption moment then I did with Nate), which I am not a fan of. She did have moments of potential grrl-power awesomeness, however, and only really became insecure in relation to her looks and standing with guys. In a weird kind of way, Casey was so much more confident in the 1800s than she was in the real world.

The more quieter moments of the plot, Casey's father and her parents' separation especially, while small moments, really got to me, and made the novel not only much more relatable, but more real in my mind. I also liked the focus on racism within the time travel, and how it became a small, but important theme throughout the novel.

All in all, I really enjoyed Clockwise. It was wonderfully funny, addicting (I read it in two days ya'll), and featured a nice cast of characters as well as some more serious sections that made me want to crank open a few history books myself. 3.5-4/5(less)

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Jun 15, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I heard about Clockwise on Susan Kaye Quinn's blog, and I was very happy for the heads up. It is a fun story about a high school sophomore who travels through time. The unique thing is that Casey doesn't get to choose when she gets yanked back and forth between now and the 1860s. No time passes while she's gone, and only her best friend knows about her trips because she accidentally came along on one of them (that's what happens if you happen to touch a traveler when they're on their way out).

Ca...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: blog-tour, kindle, review-on-blog

Time traveling is on a roll for me! This is the second time travel book I have read this week and it's the second one that I have really enjoyed. They were a little different. In Golden Blood by Melissa Pearl, the father actually controls when and where his children travel back to. In Clockwise, Casey has no control over when she "trips" as her friend calls it. And she always goes back to the same time period. I think the clockwise time travel is scarier for a few reasons. One, she goes by herse...more Time traveling is on a roll for me! This is the second time travel book I have read this week and it's the second one that I have really enjoyed. They were a little different. In Golden Blood by Melissa Pearl, the father actually controls when and where his children travel back to. In Clockwise, Casey has no control over when she "trips" as her friend calls it. And she always goes back to the same time period. I think the clockwise time travel is scarier for a few reasons. One, she goes by herself so it has to be more isolating and lonely for her. And two she has absolutely no control over it. She doesn't even know how long she will be gone for. That has got to be tough.

I really liked Casey. She is resourceful. (I bet she would make an AWESOME Girl Scout- haha) She is practical and strong willed. Those are all really admirable traits. Of course, she is still a typical teenager. She fell "in love" with Nate the first time she saw him. And of course, he turns out to be the popular/jock guy at school. But once you get to know him, he turns out to be so much more. They both do really. I enjoyed watching their relationship progress because it was a pretty slow progression. Nate doesn't actually show any interest until well over half way through the book. That is a pretty good pace for me.

I would have liked to see a few more bonding moments for them though. I know tripping is what bonded them the most, but it seemed like Nate started liking Casey simply because they were around each other more. Which is a pretty good reason, because he got to know her but I would have like a bit more insight into their conversations and whatnot. I must say, I did enjoy the few jealous moments that Nate had. And towards the end of the book Nate was seriously sweet. Always checking for dark circles under Casey's eyes. Too cute. He really grew on me.

The plot of Clockwise is really unique. I really enjoyed watching how everything fit together. I'm not really sure where the second book is going to go but I am really excited to find out! If the pacing and writing is anything like this book, I know I will enjoy it a lot! Since I have been on a time traveling kick, does anyone else know of any time travel recommendations for me? I would love to read some more! (less)

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Feb 23, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

I saw this book pop up on a friends wall and I read the description and then her review. The description immediately pulled me in and I had to read this book RIGHT.NOW. I actually put 10 other books on hold so I could go pick this book up and read it.

This sounded like a sweet love story. Casey goes to high school and crushes hard on the football/basketball/baseball star. He doesn't know she exist until he is dared by friends to ask her to dance. Ahhhhh, except Casey isn't "normal". She has the...more

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Jun 11, 2013 Rebecca Naomi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: a-z-reading-challenge, netgalley

Why this book?

There is something about time travel that I really like and that I can't pass up on. It is what caused me to watch/read Doctor Who, Back to the Future, The Time Traveler's Wife and every other time traveling thing that I have gotten my hands on. Clockwise sounded especially interesting because of the fact that she goes back to exactly the same time that she left. It makes it easier to hide the fact that she travels. It is called tripping in the book.

Characters:

Casey?

Casey was surpr...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I gotta say I had no idea what this book was going to be like. You know about time travel novels. Sometimes they can be very complex. And honestly, after the things I've been reading lately, I was in a mellow reading mode. I was not disappointed! This is not a confusing time travel novel. Casey travels back to the same place every time she travels back. She's got it down to a science. She even has a stash of clothes and a few other items that make life easier for her, or so she thinks. There isn...more I gotta say I had no idea what this book was going to be like. You know about time travel novels. Sometimes they can be very complex. And honestly, after the things I've been reading lately, I was in a mellow reading mode. I was not disappointed! This is not a confusing time travel novel. Casey travels back to the same place every time she travels back. She's got it down to a science. She even has a stash of clothes and a few other items that make life easier for her, or so she thinks. There isn't any rhyme or reason to why she travels back in time, but if you shake hands with her, you better be careful! She might just take you back to 1860 Massachusetts right outside of Boston. You all remember what was about to happen then don't you?? Well, trouble is brewing and the women are getting feisty wanting a say in voting, Lincoln is running for President. It's actually an exciting time, until you realize the Civil War is about to start.

Casey is a great character. She's like every high school girl. She and her best friend, Lucinda stay after school to watch the sports teams practice, because, hey, the guys are cute. She muses, "As usual, we were watching the yummy football players, rather than the scrimmage going on because really, who cared about the actual game?" (Kindle ARC) So true, Casey, so true! She's athletic and catches a football at the practice, Nate Mackenzie's Tom Brady autographed ball. But when he comes to get it she gets so nervous it triggers her "tripping". "Unbelievably" she thinks, "there are some things worse than puking in front of the football team." I loved her unflappable sense of self preservation. She just kept going. She'd go back in time and just resume her role as if she'd never left. There was an unusually kind family that always took her in so she knew she always had a place to go. She's extremely resourceful at finding clothing and food when necessary. She hated her hair (I remember those days) and her height (too tall) and the fact that her parents were separated, but when her brother got hauled home by the police, Dad came right over and laid down the law. So the parents are wholly in the story. There are even parents in the 1860's story, just not Casey's.

So, why should you read another time travel novel? It's easy to understand. Casey is just on a loop. She always ends up in the same spot when she travels back so she's never lost. She's at her home, only her home wasn't built yet. No she doesn't know why she travels, but there are a few clues later in the book.
Casey and Nate in the past are so adorable as a couple. Casey never feels sorry for herself. She does spend an inordinate amount of time obsessing over Nate after they travel back in time, but I think I would too, mixed messages and all. It's the first in a trilogy. Great snippets of time in history and reminds you of all you have to be thankful for, like bathrooms! And central heat! And the writing was so easy and smooth. I only took a few hours to read this it was so easy to read. There were no love triangles! And for Casey with the great sense of humor and lines like "Pack your bags self pity!" and she wears Spongebob pants and monkey slippers! Read it! You will so enjoy this wonderfully quirky Casey and Nate story as they travel into the 1860's and navigate the waters of high school hierarchies. I loved it! I'm already reading the second book Clockwiser! Oh, and there are some very interesting twists that you won't believe just to keep things a little crazy! I'd definitely be friends with Casey, but I don't think I'd shake her hand.

Heather

I received a copy of this from the author as part of the Clockwise Tour! Thank you Elle Strauss and AToMR Blog Tours for the copy. My review was not influenced by participating in the blog tour nor by receiving the copy of the novel.
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Jun 17, 2013 Carson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Reader with Voice

Clockwise was an enjoyable book. I had a couple of problems with it with it, but it was worth the read. There was a good wrap up of the story, so I was first disappointed when I saw it was a series, but then I read it was actually a companions. I don't know if I will continue, but I'm curious about to see how and why they can time travel.

Okay, the plot. I liked it a lot. I thought it was fantastic! It was written well, and I loved the whole time travel story...more See more reviews at
Reader with Voice

Clockwise was an enjoyable book. I had a couple of problems with it with it, but it was worth the read. There was a good wrap up of the story, so I was first disappointed when I saw it was a series, but then I read it was actually a companions. I don't know if I will continue, but I'm curious about to see how and why they can time travel.

Okay, the plot. I liked it a lot. I thought it was fantastic! It was written well, and I loved the whole time travel story. I liked that time didn't change when she went back. The story with her 1860 hosts were enjoyable and fun to read, and I needed to know what was happening next. I liked Nate and Casey's relationship when they were in 1860, but not really in their time. They were very natural talking to each other in the 1860s (eventually), whereas, they were kind of awkward in the present. But I still enjoyed their relationship.

What really made me start to read this book, was the beginning. Casey talks about her hair and how she had to be careful or she would look like a lion from the lion king. And I thought, "SHE UNDERSTANDS!!!" (this happens with anyone with curly hair for me. If you have curly hair, I want to be your friend because you understand. Unless you have curlier hair, then I feel like you will judge my less curly hair.) But Casey was a fun character. She was funny and had a lot to say. She was shy, but at the same time she kind of stood up for herself if that makes sense? She was confident when she was in the past and wasn't afraid to take charge of the situation. Nate was an interesting character for me. I liked him, but at the same time he annoyed me. He said different things that just annoyed me. They weren't necessary bad or really annoying, but for some reason some of it just annoyed me. I still liked him as a character. I enjoyed reading when he started to like Casey. I found it funny and cute.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I was cute and fun. I don't know if I will continue on, but I really liked this book. If you like time travel books, you should check out this book.(less)

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Aug 27, 2012 Venus rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sweet

A quality read with a loveable heroine. I really enjoyed this book! Worth the... $0 I paid for it on Kindle? I would've paid full price for this book, even parsimonious as I am. Clockwise wasn't a floppy spread of nonsense like it could've been. (Like most YA books I get cheap are...) It was charming and rather engaging. Casey was silly, but the way she acted was appropriately "high school", and instead of being annoyed by this, for once I just found it endearing. I loved her inner monologue. Lo...more A quality read with a loveable heroine. I really enjoyed this book! Worth the... $0 I paid for it on Kindle? I would've paid full price for this book, even parsimonious as I am. Clockwise wasn't a floppy spread of nonsense like it could've been. (Like most YA books I get cheap are...) It was charming and rather engaging. Casey was silly, but the way she acted was appropriately "high school", and instead of being annoyed by this, for once I just found it endearing. I loved her inner monologue. Loved it. The writing was one of the funnest parts of this novel, and it was well done. It's so easy to get fake and cheesy in this genre, but props to Elle Strauss for pulling it off! I actually laughed a few times. I can't remember the last time a novel really made me laugh, but Casey was just so cute!

Another thing I loved about this book was the dual layers. Time traveling! Casey travels sporadically back to the nineteenth century, and her tales about 'making-do' there were another story entirely. Felt like I was pulled back with her! It was fun to read a contemporary and a historical novel at the same time... same book. And Strauss did give me a nice dose of history. I didn't expect a certain character's role to be a main artery throughout the novel either, and thus didn't expect the ending!

The characters were surprisingly loveable. Casey, Samuel, Sara, Willie... even that dork Robert had an important role to play! Nate was the only character I didn't much care for. To be honest... I wanted Casey to end up with Willie, even though there's hardly any build to suggest it. haha. I am of the opinion that Nate doesn't deserve her, and I always like to see the initial crush - the gorgeous, popular jock - get wiped from the story when the heroine finds a guy who's actually worthy of her. Nate did redeem himself somewhat, but. (shrug) I'm looking forward to getting a better of understanding of him in Clocked.

This book was clean, too, always worthy to note! And Casey had morals... I think the shock of it was another reason I adored her so much. Not like many YA heroines you see nowadays; such a character is refreshing. Thank you, Mrs. Strauss! Now I need to check out your other books, too...(less)

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Mar 10, 2012 Mello ❣ Illium ✮Harry✮ ☀Myrnin☀ Torin Ichimaru rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, ya

I chose to read this because I read Nate's POV of the scene starting at the dance in the In His Eyes anthology and I found the premise pretty interesting. I found that I enjoyed the book. I wouldn't say that it was spectacular, but I certainly didn't find it bad. My issues with the book didn't really have much to do with the story at all, save for a few things. Most of that was due to some transitions that seemed abrupt and the formatting. There didn't seem to be any real paragraphs. Maybe it wa...more

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Mar 25, 2013 A Goddess rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

The text is very spare, not particularly evocative writing, but I suspect would make this an excellent book for those learning English as a second language (with at least and intermediate level of English). The story is based on an engaging, interesting concept. The characters are sympathetic and sufficiently complex to be believable. The moral dilemmas and historical comparisons are also interesting. This is a young adult novel and there is a significant focus on young adult themes: highschool,...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Patrick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got this book free from Amazon mostly because as a fan of Star Trek, Quantum Leap, The Twilight Zone, and such the concept intrigued me. It was a fun light read, though by the time I got to the end I really couldn't be sure what the point of it was. The story really lacks any dramatic heft. I had worked out the two biggest twists long before they occurred.

In case you're too lazy to read the jacket description, the story is about a teenager named Casey, who like Henry in "The Time Traveler's Wi...more I got this book free from Amazon mostly because as a fan of Star Trek, Quantum Leap, The Twilight Zone, and such the concept intrigued me. It was a fun light read, though by the time I got to the end I really couldn't be sure what the point of it was. The story really lacks any dramatic heft. I had worked out the two biggest twists long before they occurred.

In case you're too lazy to read the jacket description, the story is about a teenager named Casey, who like Henry in "The Time Traveler's Wife" seems to have some natural disorder that causes her to go back in time. Only in her case she goes back to 1860. She's been doing this since she was 9 years old. Along the way she's made friends with the Watson family, especially a boy named Willie.

In the 21st Century, Casey worries endlessly about her curly hair, which in true Hollywood fashion, along with her height, makes her completely repulsive to every boy at school. There is the cute quarterback named Nate she has a crush on. Then one day she accidentally takes Nate with her in the past and everything turns upside-side down in her life.

On the scale of female YA heroines, Casey falls somewhere between Bella Swan of "Twilight" and Katniss Everdeen of "The Hunger Games." She's as whiny and insecure as Bella, though she has some hunting skills like Katniss so that she's not a total bore. None of the other characters really come off as anything other than one-dimensional archetypes. For instance, there's her friend Lucinda, but about all I know is she's Casey's friend and has a crush on some guy named Josh. Apparently that's all I need to know about her.

Like many "indie" books this could have used a competent editor to clean up the typos. The dialog formatting especially was atrocious. Sometimes two different characters would speak on the same line. Other times the same character would speak on one line and then the next one too. Compounding the problem is the author hardly ever uses dialog tags, so often I wondered who was speaking.

As I said at the beginning, the story really lacks much in terms of drama. The problems that crop up are dealt with pretty easily. There seemed little in the way of a dramatic arc. By that I never felt the story was really building towards anything, which didn't leave for much of a payoff. It really amounts to girl meets boy, girl and boy travel in time, girl and boy come back but can't express feelings for each other, and so on in that way.

Also as someone who's watched/read plenty of time travel fiction, one thing you really need are consistent rules. The one thing that bugged me was when Casey goes back in time she's wearing her clothes from the 21st Century. She usually ditches these in favor of 19th Century garb. But when she comes back, she's again wearing her 21st Century clothes. This made little sense to me. Did the clothes just reappear? Did they change shape? I mean apparently when she goes back in time she's not leaping into someone else's body like Quantum Leap or a disembodied spirit or anything, so why is it different on the way back? Maybe I'm being overly picky.

Anyway, despite my concerns, the book was a fun read. It would probably be more fun for its target audience--teenage/tweenage girls--which is why I'm rounding it up to four stars. I'm sure they'll get more out of it than a crusty old nerd like me.

That is all.(less)

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