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Portal (Portal Chronicles #1)

by Imogen Rose (Goodreads Author)

3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 · rating details · 1,079 ratings · 165 reviews

Come Find Me Two Years Ago...

Six words that propelled ice hockey playing tomboy, Arizona, into an alternate dimension.

She suddenly found herself in the past. In one moment she went from being an ice hockey playing teenager in New Jersey to a glamorous cheerleader in California. She found herself transported from a happy life with her dad, Dillard, to a new, strange one l...more

Paperback, Special Edition, 350 pages

Published July 26th 2010 by Imogen Rose (first published January 23rd 2010)

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Jan 29, 2011 Noelwellin rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm not going to lie, I'm a bit surprised this book has almost 4 stars. The concept was very interesting and the book could have been great, but it was just delivered in a way that came off as amateur. Not only that, the editing was pretty questionable. Missing question marks, oddly placed commas, hyphens in random places. The language used was often very awkward. Teenagers do not speak the way the author wrote. There was a constant lack of contractions, no use of slang, and just a ton of awkwar...more I'm not going to lie, I'm a bit surprised this book has almost 4 stars. The concept was very interesting and the book could have been great, but it was just delivered in a way that came off as amateur. Not only that, the editing was pretty questionable. Missing question marks, oddly placed commas, hyphens in random places. The language used was often very awkward. Teenagers do not speak the way the author wrote. There was a constant lack of contractions, no use of slang, and just a ton of awkward phrasing. I know that might sound weird and nitpicky, but I just kept questioning whether or not a normal teenager would actually speak the way the author was writing. The author didn't seem to capture a true teenager's voice and ended up taking on the voice of that teenager's grandmother.

In addition to the awkward language, a lot just didn't make sense. A girl "wakes up" in the backseat of her mother's H2 8 months in the past. At first she doesn't want her mother to think she's crazy so she keeps quiet (??). Then, she wakes up the next morning and has to go to her "first" day of school and discovers she's a cheerleader, where in her old life she'd been a hockey player. So, instead of trying to figure out what the heck is going on, she tries out for the hockey team and snags a boyfriend. Once she makes it clear to her mother (more than halfway through the book) that she knows she has been brought into the future, instead of discussing it right then and there, they keep putting their talk off because of school/hockey/work/etc. In my opinion, if I found out my mother kidnapped me from the future to come back and live with her, my stepfather and brother who never existed before, my previously dead grandmother, and my little sister, I would want to talk about it rightthissecond. I can guarantee a hockey game or anything else short of death would not keep me from making sure that happened. When the main character explained to her boyfriend that she was from the future, instead of thinking she was completely bonkers, he believed her in a matter of a few lines in the book rather than a few chapters. The ending was incredibly abrupt and weird, and the epilogue introduced characters that had not appeared in the book at all. It seemed more like a preview to another book written by the author that was unrelated to the series. The only reason I knew it wasn't is because one character from the book was mentioned.

Short version: Awkward language. Too much taken at face value. Not enough questions. Too many typos. I absolutely will not be reading the next book in the series. (less)

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Sep 05, 2010 J. rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, time-travel, science-fiction, romance, series, sports, absolutely-hated

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. From the initial sample I read, the premise seemed interesting, which was why I decided to continue reading. The story in general showed a lot of promise, but the further on I read, the more I felt that it had fallen vastly short of my expectations.

For starters, the story as well as the characters' interactions came across as very unrealistic and contrived. I found it difficult to believe that Arizona would adapt so readily to this new world that within a day or two, her foremost concern shifted...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Michelle rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: america, fantasy, childrens-and-teens, goodreads-authors

I was really looking forward to reading this book, given the number of rave reviews it was getting, but there is no way I could recommend it to anyone. There's a good idea there somewhere that shows promise, and I think given a few rewrites and some serious editing, this could morph into a seriously good book. But as it stands, Portal reads like a very rough first draft that's been committed to paper and pushed out as a finished product. The whole thing just doesn't mesh together well, and there...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Rachel C. rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: youth, supernatural, pop-fic-scifi-fntsy

I became curious about this book because Imogen Rose is one of those rare phenom authors who started out self-publishing online and ended up getting signed to a real print publisher. So this book must be a stunner, right?

I went in expecting it to be addictive teen junk à la "Twilight." Well, if reading "Twilight" is like eating a bag of Cheetos, then reading "Portal" is like picking potato chip crumbs and stale Cheerios out of the crevices of your sofa. The characters are so one-dimensional and...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Kerry rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: time-travel, what-the-hell-was-that

Let me start off by saying that I am a sucker for time travel books. I live the idea of it and this book had a great concept. Unfortunately, my head hurts because I hacker a clue about what the hell was going on. The reason that I haven't a clue about what was happening is because the characters had absolutely ZERO interest in what had happened to them. Leave your SATs in NJ and wake up in CA 8 months earlier with a new father, brother and life... Hmm... That's odd... Oh well... Figure it out la...more

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May 21, 2011 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Come Find Me Two Years Ago...six words that propelled ice hockey playing tomboy, Arizona, into an alternate dimension.

She suddenly found herself in the past. In one moment she went from being an ice hockey playing teenager in New Jersey to a glamorous cheerleader in California. She found herself transported from a happy life with her dad, Dillard, to a new, strange one living with her mother whom she hates. Apparently it's a life she's always lived in.

Everyone knows her as Arizona Darley, but...more Come Find Me Two Years Ago...six words that propelled ice hockey playing tomboy, Arizona, into an alternate dimension.

She suddenly found herself in the past. In one moment she went from being an ice hockey playing teenager in New Jersey to a glamorous cheerleader in California. She found herself transported from a happy life with her dad, Dillard, to a new, strange one living with her mother whom she hates. Apparently it's a life she's always lived in.

Everyone knows her as Arizona Darley, but she isn't. She is Arizona Stevens. As she struggles to find answers she is certain of one thing- that her mother Olivia, a brilliant physicist, is somehow responsible. .

PORTAL is the first book of the Portal Chronicles. Fans of time travel, romance, and the supernatural will enjoy Arizona's quest for answers. MY THOUGHTS: This is the story of the Olivia Darley's attempt at creating a perfect world for herself and her children. Arizona's quest for answers threatens to undermine the seemingly perfect world that her mother has so carefully constructed. (via Amazon Kindle Store)

The storyline is what makes this book! You find yourself eager to find out if Arizona can figure out where she really is from and what happened to her. The story starts in one time and place telling the typical story of a teenage girl. This transitions very fluidly over to the story of this teenage girl waking up in another world, trying to figure out who she really is. She feels like she should be there but deep down she knows she shouldn't. When things start to get out of control, her mother is forced to attempt to explain Arizona's "strange" feelings and where they are coming from.

I personally loved the book. I read it in only 2 rainy days. I found it hard to put down because I despirately wanted to see what Arizona was going to do about her predicament, and even more interested in seeing what her mother, Olivia, was going to do. I am intrigued to start the second book in the series, EQUILIBRIUM. I highly recommend this book if you like romance with a sci-fi twist. (less)

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May 03, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really wanted to like this book. And parts of it were enjoyable. I certainly wouldn't characterize the book as a complete waste of money. But there were several problems that kept me from rating this above three stars.

First, the good. The premise of this novel is highly imaginative and has great potential. The author is obviously writing to her intended audience- teens. Which is, of course, a good thing if you are a teen. Not so much if you are an adult.

Now for the bad. As several reviews ha...more I really wanted to like this book. And parts of it were enjoyable. I certainly wouldn't characterize the book as a complete waste of money. But there were several problems that kept me from rating this above three stars.

First, the good. The premise of this novel is highly imaginative and has great potential. The author is obviously writing to her intended audience- teens. Which is, of course, a good thing if you are a teen. Not so much if you are an adult.

Now for the bad. As several reviews have already mentioned- there is a lot of product placement in this book. Almost to the point that it is distracting. The author also gets bogged down in the mundane. I don't know how many times I read the line "I got out of the shower, threw on a hoodie and jeans, and my Uggs." Hoodies are referenced at least 15 times throughout the book. Clothing references and descriptions of every day activities were just unnecessary and resulted in a sluggish feel at times.

Another annoying aspect of the book was the relationship between the main character, Arizona, and her love interest, Kellan. Arizona is supposed to be this strong, independent tom-boyish figure, but whenever Kellan is around she seems to become frail and needy. For instance there are several scenes where he has to physically pick her up and carry her. One instance is in a hotel lobby where he "picked me up and carried me over to the seats where he held me silently while I composed myself." It was just kind of weird picturing this scene. It's fine to be upset and need a hug, but to be carried around like an invalid? It just seemed to suggest an unhealthy attachment.

The science fiction/fantasy aspects of this novel had great potential, but they just weren't fleshed out very well. It definitely seemed like more of a romance/teen drama than a science fiction or fantasy novel. Which can be a good or bad thing, depending on the reader.

My last negative comment involves the characterization in this novel. Everyone is amazing and talented and beautiful. Arizona's mom is beautiful and intelligent and has a highly lucrative and esteemed job. Arizona's "step" dad is a musician, rides a motorcycle, and is, of course, good looking. Arizona's brother is intelligent, also rides a motorcycle, is a talented athlete, and is good looking. Arizona's friends are all beautiful and talented. Arizona's little sister is an up and coming Hollywood starlet. Arizona is smart, great at hockey, and- you guessed it- beautiful. It just got a little boring and made it hard to identify with these characters who seemed just a little too perfect to be believable.

Objectionable content: This book was fairly clean, although there were a few things parents might want to consider. There were a few mild profanities interspersed throughout the book. There is a scene that involves fake i.d.'s and a club- underage drinking included. Nothing explicit in terms of sexual situations. The most Arizona and her boyfriend do is kiss. The parents all seem to bend over backwards to appease their children. They seem to worry more about being their kids' friends than authority figures.

All in all, I just can't glowingly endorse this book as a highly enjoyable read. The book had a lot of potential, and I think the author has raw talent. Hopefully her second book in this series will improve and she will be able to overcome some of the problems that plagued this first installment. (less)

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Sep 29, 2010 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

Portal is a great story. The characters are detailed and well-defined, and there were plenty of plot twists and turns. The formatting was beautifully done and the book was very readable. I did feel there were a few paradoxes - but in fairness those may be explained and made clear in the sequels.

The main stumbling block, for me, was the dialog. It was horribly stilted, in some places almost painful. It didn't read the way real people talk. Here are a couple of examples from a scene at the hospita...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Misty Baker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have been sitting on this book for a while now (4 months to be exact) and I have to say “shame on me.” See… I have this problem (it’s actually much worse than the OCD thing) it’s the inability to read what I’m told. Yes.. I know… this entire statement is completely ludicrous since I spend most of my time telling all of you what to read. (deal with it) See… when I was a junior in high school I was forced to read “A Farewell To Arms” by Earnest Hemingway and I hated it. Not the “reading” but the...more I have been sitting on this book for a while now (4 months to be exact) and I have to say “shame on me.” See… I have this problem (it’s actually much worse than the OCD thing) it’s the inability to read what I’m told. Yes.. I know… this entire statement is completely ludicrous since I spend most of my time telling all of you what to read. (deal with it) See… when I was a junior in high school I was forced to read “A Farewell To Arms” by Earnest Hemingway and I hated it. Not the “reading” but the book itself. (Really?? Did EVERYONE have to die?) Ever since then I have turned into the reluctant reader. I avoid the bestseller list like its the plague, I hid in fear when the book “The Shack” came out, and when everyone was screaming for me to read “Freedom” I shrugged and said “eh… maybe.” The “Oprah” tag is a guaranteed killer for me, and when more than 5 people in one week send me an email telling me that I just “HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK,” chances are… I’m going to immediately file it under bin 13. (Do not pass go, do not collect $200.) Every once in blue moon however this “little issue” bites me in the ass. This is one of those times.

It’s confusing enough being a a teenage girl, but for Arizona Stevens things just got a whole lot more complicated. After waking up in a car, that is only vaguely similar to the one she is used to, she notices that things aren’t quite what they were before she escaped to the magical world of slumber-ville. Her little sister has blonde highlights, her mother is nice, and there’s a man she has never seen before suddenly being referred to as dad. The weirdest thing? She remembers almost everyone, but doesn’t know who they are. Will Arizona ever figure out who she is? Why is it suddenly 8 months earlier, and how does someone suddenly wake up one morning with a love for pricey things and an older brother named Harry?

It’s been a while since I have felt completely sucked in by a book. Interested? Yes.. without a doubt, but enraptured? Not so much. “Portal” by Imogen Rose did exactly that. Not only was I completely in love with its characters from chapter 2, I was flipping pages so fast that I’m certain at some point I saw puffs of smoke. The idea of using time travel as the fuel for a good love story is not a new one (see The Time Travelers Wife) but writing it cleanly and easy to follow is. There were no necessary time stamps, no where-are-we-and-who-are-you’s. Nope… this was just a good old fashioned “What the hell?” with a double dose of “Awe… what a sweetie.” There is “impending drama” of this I can assure you, (Portal is only book 1 in the series) but in a very calculated (and might I add genius move) Rose only baited that hook and bailed. (You sneaky sneaky girl) I will stress patience with the first chapter however…it’s a little choppy and the dialogue is a tad rigid, but no worries, the tummy flutters in Rose’s writing seem to settle down and the remainder of the book is as smooth as the Gerber baby’s bottom. The only advice I have for Rose; find an alternative to repetitive name use. I felt like I was saying (in my head) “Arizona” every five seconds. (Honey, dear, sunshine, baby girl… anything, just use your imagination.) Other than that? We have a winner on our hands.

This one is an indie charm ladies and gents, with a promising future (ha) of more to come. Scoop it up, not because I said so.. but because life is to short to read crappy books, and everyone likes a good love story.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Just because you liked them in one life doesn’t mean you’re obligated to like them in this one. Knock a bitch out. She deserves it.(less)

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Aug 22, 2010 Bailey (IB Book Blogging) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was overjoyed when Imogen Rose sent Portal to me for review, as i've had my eye on it for awhile! This book was everything that I expected it to be, and more. A mysterious, enjoyable read with a relatable main character and time-travel and romance.

I could really connect with Arizona. She finds herself in an alternate world with a whole new life and feels frustrated and confused. I felt like I would do the same things Arizona did, had I found myself in her situation. She feels a lot of anger to...more

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Jul 29, 2010 Al rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-post-kindle-2010

Mention fantasy or sci-fi and my mind conjures vampires, hobbits, trekkies, and alternative worlds I have no interest in visiting. Recently I’ve found these genres are much broader than I’d previously realized. I’m capable of suspending disbelief a bit (all fiction requires some of that anyway). On the fringes of these genres just a little suspension of disbelief is enough. This was the case with “Portal,” the first book in the “Portal Chronicles” series.

Teenager Arizona Stevens wakes up to find...more

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May 01, 2010 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-ya, scifi

Portal is an intriguing story, primarily seen through the eyes of tom-boy Arizona Stevens who finds herself in an alternate version of her world. Now called Arizona Daley, we are given access to her thoughts and concerns as she attempts to adapt to her new pinker cheerleader type lifestyle while also maintaining a low profile, so her family doesn't call in the family shrink that she's been threatened with previously.

Through the story there are some nice twists and plot-turns, but unfortunately t...more

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Apr 11, 2010 Ami Blackwelder rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I must admit I am a Twilight fan and I thought it would be hard to find anything that could come close to what I felt for Stephanie Meyer’s novels, but Portal by Imogen Rose is a close call. No, not vampires. No, not werewolves.

Her science fiction romantic journey takes the reader on a completely different kind of experience -a time bending, dimension leaping swirl of page turning anticipation, heartfelt passions, and familial relationships. With well developed and complicated characters and a...more

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Oct 29, 2010 Julian Tan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An interesting premise, let down by a distinct lack of substance both plot wise and with the characters. The book is clearly aimed towards the YA audience so I can overlook the endless talk about clothes, nail polish, ripped abs, brushing lips and ice hockey.

My main gripe with this book is the lack of suspense and urgency in the writing - it starts with a lot of promise as the protagonist tries to make sense of her situation. Then a few chapters in, the reader is basically handed the whole plot...more

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Aug 06, 2010 Deanna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I honestly didn't expect much from this book even though it had some excellent reviews. I am not a 'young adult' and generally prefer literary fiction and the classics. That said, I had trouble doing anything else while Portal was unfinished on my Kindle.

It's a light read, but has a gripping plot and well developed characters. I had no problem identifying with the 17 year old protaganist, Arizona, despite the fact that I'm 53. I was anxious to read what came next from beginning to end.

Others h...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Taylor Smith rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This series has been taunting me for a while, ever since I bought it over a year ago. It sounded so interesting, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to it's hype at all. I did finish the entire series, which ended up being a huge waste of my time. I kept thinking it was going to get better, but sadly, it never did.

The writing was unnatural and didn't flow well, especially in the dialogue, and I felt that there were a lot of missed opportunities in the storyline. I'm no writer, but if I were, t...more

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May 19, 2011 Karli rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: candy, kindle

The writing in the first 1/3 was pretty uneven, and while I understood the concept of being in the discombobulated teenager's head, it was still pretty annoying. However, the writing evened out, and the story became very interesting, with the strongest part of the story being the romance between Arizona and Kellan.

I picked up this book either for free or $1 on my Kindle due to the description that likened it to The Time Traveler's Wife. This was NOT kin to that book. I was irritated through the...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Blücher Bücher Blog rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Die Portal-Chroniken ist ein Jugendroman, der aber auch Potenzial hat, erwachsene Leser zu begeistern. Gekonnt webt die Autorin dazu eine Liebesgeschichte, spannende Handlungselemente und witzige Teenager-Konflikte ein. Zudem plaudert sie im ersten Band nicht alle Geheimnisse rund um die Zeitsprünge aus, sodass genügend Neugier auf den zweiten Teil geschürt wird. Imogen Rose hat mit ihrem flotten Schreibstil guten Fantasy-Stoff für die Jugend geliefert.

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Mar 29, 2012 Autumn Review rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: blog-tours, review

Summary:
The story starts with Olivia at a pub crawl. She's there thinking about her pregnancy and the unhappy marriage she's in. Then, in walks a beautiful man. She's immediately drawn to him. As she's getting ready to leave, he stops her and tells her to go back two years to find him. So, being the physicists that she is, she's determined to make that happen. The problem is that she's married and pregnant with another man's child.

Arizona Stevens has succeeded in being the only girl hockey play...more Summary:
The story starts with Olivia at a pub crawl. She's there thinking about her pregnancy and the unhappy marriage she's in. Then, in walks a beautiful man. She's immediately drawn to him. As she's getting ready to leave, he stops her and tells her to go back two years to find him. So, being the physicists that she is, she's determined to make that happen. The problem is that she's married and pregnant with another man's child.

Arizona Stevens has succeeded in being the only girl hockey player at her school in New Jersey. She lives with her father, since her mother and sister have moved to California after her parents divorce. Then one day Arizona wakes up and she's not in New Jersey anymore. She's in California with her mother, sister, and dog.

In California, she's known as Arizona Darley. She looks different, acts different, and her family is different. She now has a brother and her father isn't her father. Arizona has no idea what's going on, but one thing she does learn is that she doesn't want to live with out Kellan and somehow her mother is to blame for this mess.

My Take:
I have no idea where to start. The concept of this story really intrigued me initially and I've been interested in time travel books lately. As I started reading this story a few things happened: I had no idea what was happening and I fell in love with the characters. Confusing right? Yep, that's me with this book.

I really did like Arizona's character. She was easy to identify with and I had a clear idea of who she was. I also liked Kellan, Harry, and Ariele. The group surrounding Arizona were all likable. I'm very interested to see how David fits into the story. AND by the way, where was he in the week she was in school??? He just showed up at the end of the week and at the dance, but I sense he will play a larger roll in the story. Hmmm.

Her mother drove me nuts. She's obviously extremely selfish and had no regard to the consequences of her actions. I'm not quite sure what to make of Rupert either. I mean, he tells her to come back to meet him two years ago, but I was kind of confused on how he knew to tell her that. Maybe it wasn't mentioned yet.

The story was a bit disjointed for me at times. I felt like as soon as I would start to grasp what was happening, I'd get lost again. I usually don't have trouble like that with a story. It's not that there were a whole lot of scientific facts or even that the story jumped around. I guess it just didn't flow well for me. I did have a reviewer copy, so it's possible that some of those sequence errors were corrected. Maybe not.

With all of that said, I would still consider reading the next book to see what happens. I think there are too many unanswered questions and I'm curious to see how they play out. Also, I truly did like the lead characters. 3 out of 5 stars
http://www.autumnreview.com/2012/03/p...(less)

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Apr 03, 2011 Avery rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In all honesty, about three quarters of the way into this book I was so confused as to what was going on primarily because I hadn't read the synopsis and therefore I was totally oblivious to the fact that it was a sci-fi-ish young adult book that dealt with alternate dimensions (that is what I get for purchasing a book on Amazon simply because it is 99 cents) and because I was so confused as to what was going on, I actually debated whether to just set the book aside and not finish it (which I ra...more In all honesty, about three quarters of the way into this book I was so confused as to what was going on primarily because I hadn't read the synopsis and therefore I was totally oblivious to the fact that it was a sci-fi-ish young adult book that dealt with alternate dimensions (that is what I get for purchasing a book on Amazon simply because it is 99 cents) and because I was so confused as to what was going on, I actually debated whether to just set the book aside and not finish it (which I rarely ever do). But I decided to stick it out and I can't pinpoint exactly when everything clicked for me, but it did and the book/ storyline became amazing.

The boys in this book are entirely swoon-worthy and I find it strange that I think so because they are all popular jock boys and usually those type of boys annoy the crud out of me (like Nash from Rachel Vincent's "Soul Screamers" series or Erik from the Cast's "House of Night" series). I think why I liked them so much was that we actually saw a range of emotions from them, they weren't super arrogant boys who looked down upon others, no, they were the type of boys who would do anything in their power to protect those they cared about.

I really like Arizona as a character, she was spunky and really stuck to her guns. I think that had we been introduced to "Barbie Arizona" (who seemed to be way too perky) I wouldn't have been able to deal with this book, but lucky we got the rough and tumble Arizona (and I didn't even mind all that much when she did have her infrequent "girlie" moments).

Now while I did love the book there were a few things that did bother me. Like the dialogue for instance. Typically I am not one to pick up on any iffy-ness things with the dialogue (usually I am too busy being swept off my feet by the male lead), but in this book there were a few sections of dialogue that made me want to pull my hair out, specifically when Ariele was telling Arizona about her theory as to why their lives were all messed up. This section seemed like I was reading an instruction manual or something, it seemed very robotic in a way (it was choppy and didn't flow well)- seriously, Ariele goes on for two pages explaining her theory without breaking whatsoever (I don't know how she could have talked for that length of time without taking a breath). And the name dropping. There was a ton of designer brand name dropping throughout this book, like "Here is that (insert designer's name here) clutch that you have been bugging mom about" or "I slid on my (insert name brand here) jeans on".(less)

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Jan 26, 2011 Emma Rj rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: free-borrowed, young-adult, too-painful-to-finish

No. Just. No. I enjoy young adult novels and sometimes young adult novels aren't the most shining examples of great writing but Portal goes beyond any amount of shallow, lazy writing a young adult novel has the excuse to contain.

Let me the number the injuries:

1. One day, our main character, Arizona, wakes up in a different place, in a different time, with a different FATHER. Does she freak out? Lose her marbles? No. She calmly 'plays along' and constantly gives us the vague excuse that she doesn...more No. Just. No. I enjoy young adult novels and sometimes young adult novels aren't the most shining examples of great writing but Portal goes beyond any amount of shallow, lazy writing a young adult novel has the excuse to contain.

Let me the number the injuries:

1. One day, our main character, Arizona, wakes up in a different place, in a different time, with a different FATHER. Does she freak out? Lose her marbles? No. She calmly 'plays along' and constantly gives us the vague excuse that she doesn't get along with her mother and if she asks strange questions, her mom will ship her off to an asylum. That's PRETTY frail, in my opinion.

2. First person, present tense is not an easy perspective to write and Imogen Rose doesn't have the talent to pull it off. It's stilted, awkward, monotonous, and distracting.

3. Speaking of stilted and awkward, the dialogue in this book is some of the worst I've ever read. It physically pained me to read it. ALL of the characters speak in choppy, topic-hopping sentences.

4. Cheesy. That's all I can really say. Even for young adult, this is overly cheesy and predictable.

5. Back to point number one, this girl has been transported through time and suddenly has a different family. Not only does she not freak out, after two days, she's more concerned with joining the boys's hockey team than she is with, oh, I don't know, FIGURING OUT HOW SHE ENDED UP IN AN ALTERNATE REALITY. Mmk.

6. All the men, seriously, all of them, drive motorcycles. That's not hot; that's stupid.

7. Even for a young adult novel, Portal name drops designer and brand names like the author had a quota for each (short) chapter. I'd like to think I'm pretty knowledgeable about such things, but when the author starts name-dropping brands/designers that I've never even heard of, things just become confusing and I become distracted.

8. Bad writing. Overall, just... bad. An example of the weird, confusing, awkward scenes: No less than three times within the first twenty percent of the novel was Arizona asked (in choppy, cringe-worthy dialogue) to take the dog for a walk and every single time we (the reader) get a short, choppy paragraph that details Arizona taking the dog outside, only to decide a walk is NOT what the doctor ordered. Then we have to read about Arizona walking the dog in a circle around the house or something for one sentence and cut to next scene. NO LESS THAN THREE TIMES. What the hell??

I'm not finishing this. I still need a couple neurons to fire to get me through my last semester of college and this novel is likely to kill them off. Creating a could-not-finish shelf in honor of Imogen Rose.(less)

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Feb 15, 2011 Arni Vidar Bjorgvinsson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

I started this read, not really knowing what I was getting myself into.

I had seen Imogen Rose on the Kindle forums, being ever helpful, and also noticed that people were saying some pretty nice things about her book. Ever in the search for a new good writer, I took a peak at the books description and thought to my self: "Hmm.. why not?"

Why not indeed!

Now, I read a lot... well compared to many people I've met in here, though, I barely read at all... but I mostly read a lot of Sci-Fi and Fantasy n...more I started this read, not really knowing what I was getting myself into.

I had seen Imogen Rose on the Kindle forums, being ever helpful, and also noticed that people were saying some pretty nice things about her book. Ever in the search for a new good writer, I took a peak at the books description and thought to my self: "Hmm.. why not?"

Why not indeed!

Now, I read a lot... well compared to many people I've met in here, though, I barely read at all... but I mostly read a lot of Sci-Fi and Fantasy novels. I do, however, like to periodically delve into the young adult genre. So this book, as a premise, seems to fit my bill exactly. A Sci-Fi book for young adults.. good combo, no?

Well, it must be said right up front that this is not a Science Fiction book... not by any stretch of the imagination. It's a young adult romance novel with a different, yet tasty flavor. If you're a Sci-Fi nut (much as I am) and come to this book wanting good Sci-Fi, you will be disappointed. Come to it looking for some teenage romance, and you will get much more than you asked for.

This book definitely could have been better, and I agree with some of the points the negative reviews have mentioned (for instance, I had started really hating all the label-name-dropping near the end), but I think perhaps I brought the correct attitude to the table when I started reading it; namely, I wasn't expecting anything at all so I couldn't be disappointed. Quite on the contrary, I was just happily surprised at how good this first effort is. I started the book last night and had to sleep a third of the way through, then picked it up this morning again and couldn't put it down until I finished. I don't know what it is, but I was completely hooked. Above all, it was an enjoyable and absorbing read, and for me that is the hallmark of a great book and a great writer, so despite it's faults I give it 4/5.

Imogen Rose will no doubt mature in her writing, and I'm off to buy the second installment right now. You should buy this one if you haven't already ;)(less)

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Jan 03, 2011 Lala rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

PORTAL

What I liked:
-Deceptively simple story but with a complex plot.
-Halfway through the book, I thought it was close to the end because so many things has happened already. I needed to catch my breath and relax before I moved on to the next half.
-The charmed lifestyle of the characters is a good thing to read about as an escape from a relatively ordinary life.
-Really good relationships: friendships, siblings, family

What I didn't like (all minor):
-Almost too mushy at times
-Sentence composition...more

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Apr 09, 2013 ares rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: hardcore fanfiction readers

Recommended to ares by: noone

Shelves: fantasy

I seldom give books bad ratings, actually I don't think there's another book in my goodreads-collection that has a rating that bad.
The book idea was great, I love anything that has to do with parallel dimensions/universes/whatever, so when I sat myself down to read it I was excited.
But ...
Well.
While reading the first few pages I thought that the writing - how the sentences were built, the choice of words etc - was kinda wonky. I hoped it or my perception of it would change. There are some books,...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Elisabeth Kiese rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ein Zeitreiseroman der etwas anderen Art. :)
Das Buch beginnt damit, dass die Protagonistin Arizona sich plötzlich im Auto ihrer Mutter wiederfindet, aber nichts so ist, wie es noch vor 5 Minuten war. Damit ist sowohl Arizona alles neu als auch dem Leser und beide werden wortwörtlich mitten in die Geschichte hinein geworfen. Man fragt sich die ganze Zeit "Wer ist diese andere Arizona?" "Wo ist sie?".

Arizona ist für mich ein unglaublich sympathisches Mädchen, kein bisschen naiv, aber auch nicht üb...more Ein Zeitreiseroman der etwas anderen Art. :)
Das Buch beginnt damit, dass die Protagonistin Arizona sich plötzlich im Auto ihrer Mutter wiederfindet, aber nichts so ist, wie es noch vor 5 Minuten war. Damit ist sowohl Arizona alles neu als auch dem Leser und beide werden wortwörtlich mitten in die Geschichte hinein geworfen. Man fragt sich die ganze Zeit "Wer ist diese andere Arizona?" "Wo ist sie?".

Arizona ist für mich ein unglaublich sympathisches Mädchen, kein bisschen naiv, aber auch nicht überheblich. Sie merkt schnell, dass etwas nicht stimmt. Weder mit der Familie noch mit ihrem Zuhause oder mit ihr selbst. Nichtsdestotrotz bleibt sie selbstbewusst und lässt sich nicht einschüchtern. Sie versucht das gesamte Buch über herauszufinden, was passiert ist und lässt dieses Ziel nicht aus den Augen. Doch auch ihre Freunde und Familie merken, dass etwas nicht stimmt. In manchen Büchern ist das nicht der Fall was ich total unrealistisch finde.

Eine kleine Liebesgeschichte ist natürlich auch mit eingebaut. Kellan, den sie als die andere Arizona anscheinend schon seit dem Kindergarten kennt, löst Gefühle in ihr aus. Die Liebe zwischen den beiden hat sich allerdings ein bisschen schnell entwickelt. Kellan ist für mich ein Kerl, wie man ihn sich wünscht. Doch auch er ist zu Beginn etwas skeptisch was Arizona angeht, denn für ihn sind diese Gefühle neu. Er sieht Arizona urplötzlich mit anderen Augen und entwickelt Gefühle, die über Jahre nicht vorhanden waren.

Dass noch irgendjemand etwas mit dieser sprungvollen Zeitreise Arizonas zutun haben muss, war mir von Anfang an klar, denn es folgen immer wieder kleine Abschnitte in denen das beschrieben. Dass es Arizonas Mutter selbst ist, ist auch nicht das Geheimnis. Erstaunlich fand ich es, dass sie dann so offen drüber reden und dass das alles nicht so vertuscht wird, denn für Arizonas Mutter ist Arizonas Zeitsprung ebenfalls ein Rätsel. Ich hätte ja gedacht, dass sie davon wusste und es dann zu Streitereien kommt, aber so ist es natürlich viel aufregender. So versuchen alles zusammen herauszufinden, was passiert ist und wer wirklich dahinter steckt.

Diese verschiedenen Dimensionen sind sehr interessant und habe ich schon einmal in einem Buch gelesen. Auch dort hatte es auch irgendwas mit Quantenphysik zutun und hat mich ebenfalls sehr angesprochen. Ich denke aber, dass das alles ziemlich gefährlich ist und Arizonas Mutter da schon irgendwie mit Feuer spielt und aufpassen muss, dass sie sich nicht die Finger verbrennt. Das wird bestimmt alles noch ziemliche Folgen haben. ;)

Fazit

Ich freue mich sehr auf den 2. Band. Der erste ist ein Zeitreiseroman, bei dem der Leser zu Beginn einfach voller Rätsel ins Buch geworfen wird und schon irgendwie ans Buch gefesselt wird. Von mir 4/5 Punkte.(less)

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Feb 13, 2011 PaulineMRoss rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-scifi, price-cheap, 1-star, self-pub

I bought this book because it was very cheap for the Kindle, and it has a time travel/alternate reality theme. It is intended for young adults, so perhaps I was expecting too much from it, but I thought it was very badly written. The teenage heroine bounces around her life texting her friends and selecting her branded clothes, simply accepting without too much protest the odd things that seem to be happening. Most of the book is written in the first person, with some jarring jumps to other chara...more

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Jun 13, 2010 Candy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So many times when I read an independent author, the main thing that sticks out to me is that the author didn't have their work edited properly. I would lay dollars to doughnuts that this particular author did. I'm sure there's some grammar issues or something, but it obviously wasn't glaring because I did not notice anything. Hats off to the author for a well-written polished end product. Lately, I've read some real dogs in the Indie world, so this was a fabulous change of pace just at the righ...more So many times when I read an independent author, the main thing that sticks out to me is that the author didn't have their work edited properly. I would lay dollars to doughnuts that this particular author did. I'm sure there's some grammar issues or something, but it obviously wasn't glaring because I did not notice anything. Hats off to the author for a well-written polished end product. Lately, I've read some real dogs in the Indie world, so this was a fabulous change of pace just at the right time.

The story is slow to start but it eventually pulls you in and doesn't let you go. At some point, I was so frustrated by a Science point (more on that in a minute) that I really wanted to put it down, but I was too busy wondering what was going to happen with Arizona that I just couldn't put it down. I'm really glad that I didn't because I would have missed on a really great storyline!

My one problem with this book, and I'm still giving it five stars because I have faith the author is going to explain it in subsequent books is that the mother doesn't seem to age. I don't want to give away too much, but every time travel book I've read the people still age. I'm a little disturbed by the whole thing. Maybe she did age, but it didn't seem like anyone noticed. Hmmm...

I've seen people say "If you liked Twilight..." No. I won't say this book is better than Twilight, but it's different, the writing is a little more mature, there's some young love in it, but not once did I want them to knock it off already and get on with the story. It's a little less angsty. I think to compare it to Twilight is doing it a disservice. (nevermind that there aren't any vampires).

Give it a read if you like YA fiction and a little bit of time travel / science fiction. I'm not a big SciFi fan, but this was well done!

UPDATE: The author actually emailed me to explain the time difference. I get confused easily, I suppose. I'm still not 100% sure, but at least I feel like I "get it" more now :) Thanks to Imogen for taking the time! (less)

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Sep 05, 2010 Leilani Lopez rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Please allow me to say this before I start. I LOVE YOU KELLAN LUTZ!

As most of you are aware of, I am in love with Kellan Lutz. As soon as my eyes read Kellan... I knew this book was going to be a keeper. Any book that has one of the more important characters with the name Kellan has to be good. And might I add, it was incredibly good.

From the very first page, I was confused. I have never had a book that had me so confused I was thinking the whole time "I have to find out what happens" I loved i...more Please allow me to say this before I start. I LOVE YOU KELLAN LUTZ!

As most of you are aware of, I am in love with Kellan Lutz. As soon as my eyes read Kellan... I knew this book was going to be a keeper. Any book that has one of the more important characters with the name Kellan has to be good. And might I add, it was incredibly good.

From the very first page, I was confused. I have never had a book that had me so confused I was thinking the whole time "I have to find out what happens" I loved it! Though confusing can get frustrating at times, its a great feeling while reading. I think its hard to write without giving things away or wanting to give little hints but Rose did a fantastic job of keeping everything mysterious. As usual, in the end it all made sense. Well, most of it did. There was still some questions running through my head that I could not deny.

Arizona was an interesting girl. You would think that a girl would need more time to adjust when going into an alternative world but Arizona fit right in! Arizona was a tomboy in one world and a cheerleader in another. While personally, I am not a cheer leading fan, I enjoyed Arizona the tomboy very much. She did not mind getting down and rough with the boys. Hockey is one of the toughest sports for guys, yet alone for a girl which is why I respect her so much. Sometimes I wish I was more sporty, im more of a sideline kind of girl.

Kellan was of course, very fun to read!! While he is no Kellan Lutz, he does have the name and perhaps the standards to be close. From the first meeting with Kellan, I knew I liked him. Not only is he the older brother type, but the perfect boyfriend. Plus, he is great at taking bad news! Which can always be a plus. Even though Kellan and Arizona have supposedly known each other for years, Kellan notices Arizona is acting very different. Another plus, he notces things most guys dont!!!!!! Watch out ladies, Kellan will blow your mind, and im not talking about his mad hockey skills! Kellan sounds like such an amazing guy.

Bottom line, Portal was an amazing book. Very memorable and highly recommended. With tons of twists and plenty of mystery. All of the characters have their own personalities and are very real. Most of the characters can possibly remind you of some of your own friends or maybe even someone you are associated with. Portal is an incredible book and you should read it as soon as you have a chance!!! There is a little something for everyone, hockey fans, sci-fi fans, and maybe a little something in there for you cheer leading girls and especially those who are suckers for a good romance story! Like me!(less)

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Feb 20, 2012 Gerold Whittaker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: YA, Alternate Reality

Shelves: sci-fi-time-travel, ebook

This book is obviously written for YA - and I am not even close!! In spite of that, I enjoyed it immensely.

Arizona Stevens, a ice hockey playing tomboy suddenly finds herself in another town, at another school, in a different time frame (a few months in the past) and with a different name - Arizona Darley. Struggling to get along in this new life in which almost everyone and everything is different, Arizona is certain that her mother Olivia, a physicist, is responsible somehow.

Arizona is determi...more

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Feb 25, 2011 Amber rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The storyline was intriguing.

However....I almost couldn't stand to read it. The dialogue felt very staged. It was NOT how people really talk. And the characters actions didn't feel genuine. No one I know would ever react to those situations that way. It reminded me of when I was 5 years old playing Barbies. Very forced, 'you will do what I say you will do', unrealistic dialogue. I felt the author is rather immature with her writing. Maybe as Ms. Rose writes more books and becomes more experienc...more

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About Imogen Rose

Imogen Rose is the author of the bestselling series, Portal Chronicles, which has attained cult status within indie literature and become a favorite among teens and adults alike. An immunologist by profession, Dr. Rose published her first work of fiction in 2010. She now writes full time and is currently working on her second teen series, the Bonfire Chronicles. Imogen was born in Sweden and has l...more

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Portal (Portal Chronicles #1)

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