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So Close to You #1
So Close to You
LYDIA BENTLEY has heard stories about the Montauk Project all her life: stories about the strange things that took place at the abandoned military base near her home and people who've disappeared over the years. Stories about people like her own great-grandfather.
When Lydia stumbles into a portal that transports her to a dangerous and strange new reality, she discovers that all the stories she's heard about the Montauk Project are true, and that she's in the middle of one of the most dangerous experiments in history.
Alongside a darkly mysterious boy she is wary to trust, Lydia begins to unravel the secrets surrounding the Project. But the truths behind these secrets force her to questions all her choices - and if Lydia chooses wrong, she might not save her family but destroy them... and herself.
When Lydia stumbles into a portal that transports her to a dangerous and strange new reality, she discovers that all the stories she's heard about the Montauk Project are true, and that she's in the middle of one of the most dangerous experiments in history.
Alongside a darkly mysterious boy she is wary to trust, Lydia begins to unravel the secrets surrounding the Project. But the truths behind these secrets force her to questions all her choices - and if Lydia chooses wrong, she might not save her family but destroy them... and herself.
313 pages, Hardcover
First published July 10, 2012
About the author
Rachel Carter
3 books235 followersI'm a young adult writer and my debut novel, So Close to You, is the start of a three book series with HarperTeen.
Also, it's about time travel. Which I love. Along with vampires, werewolves, epic Russian historical romances, and movies starring Ryan Gosling.
Please, please recommend books to me, especially YA and romance (the more obscure the better!). I'm always looking for new stories to fall in love with.
Also, it's about time travel. Which I love. Along with vampires, werewolves, epic Russian historical romances, and movies starring Ryan Gosling.
Please, please recommend books to me, especially YA and romance (the more obscure the better!). I'm always looking for new stories to fall in love with.
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September 17, 2012
WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD
Instances like this make me want to curl up in a corner and cry. When I first read the synopsis for So Close to You, I was definitely intrigued. Right away, this book became one of my highly anticipated reads of the year. I thought it would be amazing. I thought it would be thrilling. I thought it would be that type of book that I would read in one sitting because I wouldn't be able it down. What I didn't think, however, was how incredibly wrong I would be.
In So Close to You, Lydia Bentley has grown up listening to her grandfather's theories of the mysterious Montauk Project, and the even more mysterious disappearance of her great-grandfather. While she's a skeptic on the existence of the Montauk Project, Lydia Bentley agrees to go hunting for clues of her great-grandfather's disappearance in Camp Hero, the alleged foundation of the Montauk Project. But what happens to Lydia is something that turns her skepticism on its head, as she's transported back in time to 1944 - the year her great-grandfather disappeared.
There's only so many cliches, tropes, conveniences and coincidences I can tolerate when reading a book, and should a book cross that line of toleration, you can bet your wallet that I'd be irritated. So Close to You crossed that line. No, scratch that. So Close to You vaulted miles and miles over that line. So Close to You is so far past the line that it can't even see the line anymore. Just read the synopsis I provided:
[...] she's transported back in time to 1944 - the year her great-grandfather disappeared.
Oh, but not only is she transported to the same year her great-grandfather disappears, but she's transported to the same week her great-grandfather disappears! And with no explanation as to why she transported to that particular year, at that particular moment. It was just random. How convenient!
Oh, she meets a mysterious and broody boy who's been watching her and is always there when Lydia's in trouble, "as if he has a radar that knows when she's in trouble"? How original!
What? Lydia andWes Broody Boy declare their love for each other after interacting no more than five times? *smack!* You hear that? That's the sound of this book's originality slapping me in the face.
The main character is incredibly dull and uninteresting, yet she has not one, but two incredibly gorgeous boys vying for her affection? WHOA. THE ORIGINALITY. IT'S SO IMMENSE.
And so brings me to my nextthing to rant about topic: the insta-love and love triangle, which apparently is mandatory for YA books to have. I don't understand the relationships in this book. I don't understand what both of the boys think is so special about Lydia. Part one of the love triangle is Wes, or, as I've called him so far in this review, Broody Boy. Oooh, he's mysterious! He has secrets! He's also made of cardboard. We're given absolutely no character development when it comes to Wes for the majority of So Close to You, and when we are actually provided with a shred of character development, it turns out to be just that: a shred. Then, of the five (at most) times Lydia and Wes interact (two of which they actually have a full conversation in, the others they say a few words and Wes goes away), they come to the conclusion that they're falling in love with each other. Then, shortly after Lydia comes to the revelation that she's in love with Wes (and even before she realizes that she's in love with him), she can't stop thinking of him. Everywhere she goes, at least something reminds her of him. Then we're given two pages of Lydia just gushing out her extreme love for Wes to one of her friends, Mary:
[...] "he [Wes] keeps showing up when I need him. I don't know how he does it, it's like he has this radar or something."
It could be that he has some sort of magical radar that only detects when you're in trouble... Or it could be that he's stalking you, and he knows whenever you're in trouble because he's always watching you... Y'know, just a possibility... (But this magical device theory is coming from the girl who jumped to the conclusion that she's travelled in time because a particular hallway that was dirty an hour ago is now clean. Logic: something this girl lacks.)
[...] "and I feel like I could be myself around him."
Like I mentioned a little earlier in this review, you've only had a full conversation with him twice. You haven't really had a chance to "be yourself around him."
[...] "and there's something dark and dangerous about him, but there are these moments where I see something deeper inside of him. He's capable of so much more than he thinks he is."
Ah, yes. Because who would know what he's capable of more than a girl he's spoken to twice? (And if I see the word 'dangerous' used to describe a love interest again, something will be thrown.)
Is the gushing over yet?
[image error]
Chuck Testa
[...] "and sometimes I look at him and our eyes lock and it's like I'm physically incapable of pulling away."
Seriously, just... just shut up. For the sake of readers, for the sake the person you're talking to in the book, hell, for the sake of humanity, just shut up.
And to all of this obsessing, Mary replies with:
"All that in just a few days?"
YES. THANK YOU.
*sigh* Okay... Moving on...
Part two of the love triangle is Lucas, who is a sergeant at Camp Hero. Lucas finds Lydia at Camp Hero when she's transported into 1944, and brings her to safety. Coincidentally, Lucas is very close with - wait for it... The Bentleys! (AKA, Lydia's family.) Once again, how convenient! There's not much to rant about when it comes to Lucas, or him and Lydia's relationship , because their relationship was actually given some development. Of course, it was still insta-love, but it was given much more development than Lydia and Wes' relationship.
Other than the mediocre at best characters (with the exception of Mary, who I really, really liked), the writing is startlingly amateur, and the plot is so predictable and boring. I went into So Close to You with some apprehension, because most if not all of the negative reviews this book's received has said it's boring. However, when those reviewers said that they thought So Close to You was boring, I assumed that was because Lydia was going around and experiencing what life is like in the '40's, and they were bored by that. I have absolutely no problem with that, and in fact, one of my favorite books of all time is 11/22/63 by Stephen King, and a very large portion of that book is just experiencing life in the past. However, the book wasn't boring because all Lydia did was experience life in the '40's. In fact, she doesn't do that at all. This book is boring, because it's just. plain. boring. There's no other way around it - barely anything happens, and when something actually does happen in the last twenty five percent, it's anticlimactic and still boring.
And I suppose the ending's supposed to be tragic, and I'm supposed to feel for the characters, and I'm supposed to care about what will happen to them in the next book, but that's just it: I don't. I don't care about the characters, the story, anything. I just. don't. care.
Instances like this make me want to curl up in a corner and cry. When I first read the synopsis for So Close to You, I was definitely intrigued. Right away, this book became one of my highly anticipated reads of the year. I thought it would be amazing. I thought it would be thrilling. I thought it would be that type of book that I would read in one sitting because I wouldn't be able it down. What I didn't think, however, was how incredibly wrong I would be.
In So Close to You, Lydia Bentley has grown up listening to her grandfather's theories of the mysterious Montauk Project, and the even more mysterious disappearance of her great-grandfather. While she's a skeptic on the existence of the Montauk Project, Lydia Bentley agrees to go hunting for clues of her great-grandfather's disappearance in Camp Hero, the alleged foundation of the Montauk Project. But what happens to Lydia is something that turns her skepticism on its head, as she's transported back in time to 1944 - the year her great-grandfather disappeared.
There's only so many cliches, tropes, conveniences and coincidences I can tolerate when reading a book, and should a book cross that line of toleration, you can bet your wallet that I'd be irritated. So Close to You crossed that line. No, scratch that. So Close to You vaulted miles and miles over that line. So Close to You is so far past the line that it can't even see the line anymore. Just read the synopsis I provided:
[...] she's transported back in time to 1944 - the year her great-grandfather disappeared.
Oh, but not only is she transported to the same year her great-grandfather disappears, but she's transported to the same week her great-grandfather disappears! And with no explanation as to why she transported to that particular year, at that particular moment. It was just random. How convenient!
Oh, she meets a mysterious and broody boy who's been watching her and is always there when Lydia's in trouble, "as if he has a radar that knows when she's in trouble"? How original!
What? Lydia and
The main character is incredibly dull and uninteresting, yet she has not one, but two incredibly gorgeous boys vying for her affection? WHOA. THE ORIGINALITY. IT'S SO IMMENSE.
And so brings me to my next
[...] "he [Wes] keeps showing up when I need him. I don't know how he does it, it's like he has this radar or something."
It could be that he has some sort of magical radar that only detects when you're in trouble... Or it could be that he's stalking you, and he knows whenever you're in trouble because he's always watching you... Y'know, just a possibility... (But this magical device theory is coming from the girl who jumped to the conclusion that she's travelled in time because a particular hallway that was dirty an hour ago is now clean. Logic: something this girl lacks.)
[...] "and I feel like I could be myself around him."
Like I mentioned a little earlier in this review, you've only had a full conversation with him twice. You haven't really had a chance to "be yourself around him."
[...] "and there's something dark and dangerous about him, but there are these moments where I see something deeper inside of him. He's capable of so much more than he thinks he is."
Ah, yes. Because who would know what he's capable of more than a girl he's spoken to twice? (And if I see the word 'dangerous' used to describe a love interest again, something will be thrown.)
Is the gushing over yet?
[image error]
Chuck Testa
[...] "and sometimes I look at him and our eyes lock and it's like I'm physically incapable of pulling away."
Seriously, just... just shut up. For the sake of readers, for the sake the person you're talking to in the book, hell, for the sake of humanity, just shut up.
And to all of this obsessing, Mary replies with:
"All that in just a few days?"
YES. THANK YOU.
*sigh* Okay... Moving on...
Part two of the love triangle is Lucas, who is a sergeant at Camp Hero. Lucas finds Lydia at Camp Hero when she's transported into 1944, and brings her to safety. Coincidentally, Lucas is very close with - wait for it... The Bentleys! (AKA, Lydia's family.) Once again, how convenient! There's not much to rant about when it comes to Lucas, or him and Lydia's relationship , because their relationship was actually given some development. Of course, it was still insta-love, but it was given much more development than Lydia and Wes' relationship.
Other than the mediocre at best characters (with the exception of Mary, who I really, really liked), the writing is startlingly amateur, and the plot is so predictable and boring. I went into So Close to You with some apprehension, because most if not all of the negative reviews this book's received has said it's boring. However, when those reviewers said that they thought So Close to You was boring, I assumed that was because Lydia was going around and experiencing what life is like in the '40's, and they were bored by that. I have absolutely no problem with that, and in fact, one of my favorite books of all time is 11/22/63 by Stephen King, and a very large portion of that book is just experiencing life in the past. However, the book wasn't boring because all Lydia did was experience life in the '40's. In fact, she doesn't do that at all. This book is boring, because it's just. plain. boring. There's no other way around it - barely anything happens, and when something actually does happen in the last twenty five percent, it's anticlimactic and still boring.
And I suppose the ending's supposed to be tragic, and I'm supposed to feel for the characters, and I'm supposed to care about what will happen to them in the next book, but that's just it: I don't. I don't care about the characters, the story, anything. I just. don't. care.
August 19, 2016
When I was a teen, my favorite books were the Caroline B. Cooney Both Sides of Time series. They were romantic and exciting, historical and fun. I never quite found a series like that again. I think Rachel Carter's So Close to You just might be the start of a new era of romantic time travel books and I couldn't be more excited!
The book takes place under the shadow of the Montauk Project, a secret government operation on the tip of Long Island that conspiracy theorists insist existed in real life, and here concerns a time travel experiment that steals kids from their homes and sends them on twisted, painful, and often deadly trips through history.
Lydia and Wes are at the heart of the story: she's from the present, he's from the past, and as it turns out, both of them share a history. Lydia has accidentally been transported to World War II-era Montauk, a world of jitterbugs, box socials, and handsome officers on leave. She's searching for her long lost grandfather, who may be caught up in the mysterious Project, and Wes is a solider who aways seems to know what Lydia is planning, where she is going, and if she's in trouble—it's a real romance that's revealed slowly and secretly.
So Close to You takes place in a world ruled by the Project, it's very scary and very real, and by the end Lydia and Wes are bound together against this new world. I can't wait to see where the rest of the series takes them.
The book takes place under the shadow of the Montauk Project, a secret government operation on the tip of Long Island that conspiracy theorists insist existed in real life, and here concerns a time travel experiment that steals kids from their homes and sends them on twisted, painful, and often deadly trips through history.
Lydia and Wes are at the heart of the story: she's from the present, he's from the past, and as it turns out, both of them share a history. Lydia has accidentally been transported to World War II-era Montauk, a world of jitterbugs, box socials, and handsome officers on leave. She's searching for her long lost grandfather, who may be caught up in the mysterious Project, and Wes is a solider who aways seems to know what Lydia is planning, where she is going, and if she's in trouble—it's a real romance that's revealed slowly and secretly.
So Close to You takes place in a world ruled by the Project, it's very scary and very real, and by the end Lydia and Wes are bound together against this new world. I can't wait to see where the rest of the series takes them.
November 23, 2011
If there is a sequence, I´ll be waiting in line.
April 5, 2016
An unsolicited Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the publisher for review. Quotes have been pulled from an ARC and may be subject to change.
Time travel in YA books haven’t been touched upon until now. I’m definitely liking this theme. It had an infinite amount of possibilities and it can be rather exciting to move forward or backward in time. We find Lydia Bentley, your average seventeen year old teenager on her way to apply for summer internships. Looking forward to her future she could not guess what could happen. While walking in the forest with her grandpa, she uncovers the secrets that have been haunting her grandpa for the past thirty years.
I don’t like adding spoilers in my reviews, and I’m definitely not going to start. But this got me devouring the book in earnest. There’s something about having the ability to see the different eras that makes me excited to read about it. I love how she interacts with all her family, Mary was way too funny, and she always made me chuckle at her audacity.
I admire Lydia and her tenacity to find out the truth about her family. She is definitely determined to find out what happened and will stop at nothing to get the answers. She’s not without any faults though. I thought she was soo darn stubborn. Never listening to what Wes said, I found it hilarious she defied him all the time. The romance between the two was rather touching, but I also thought they fell for each other way too fast. I couldn’t help but wonder why that happens in YA books, but I believe it’s because of the influx of hormones. Wes is definitely a great character who stands by Lydia no matter what.
That ending was fairly predictable because when you mess with time, it can have such dangerous consequences. I can’t wait for the next book!
Quotes
"Oh, you know Mick thinks you hung the moon, and it shows all over his face. But Wes…I thought he'd set Lydia on fire with just his eyes."—Mary
Time travel in YA books haven’t been touched upon until now. I’m definitely liking this theme. It had an infinite amount of possibilities and it can be rather exciting to move forward or backward in time. We find Lydia Bentley, your average seventeen year old teenager on her way to apply for summer internships. Looking forward to her future she could not guess what could happen. While walking in the forest with her grandpa, she uncovers the secrets that have been haunting her grandpa for the past thirty years.
I don’t like adding spoilers in my reviews, and I’m definitely not going to start. But this got me devouring the book in earnest. There’s something about having the ability to see the different eras that makes me excited to read about it. I love how she interacts with all her family, Mary was way too funny, and she always made me chuckle at her audacity.
I admire Lydia and her tenacity to find out the truth about her family. She is definitely determined to find out what happened and will stop at nothing to get the answers. She’s not without any faults though. I thought she was soo darn stubborn. Never listening to what Wes said, I found it hilarious she defied him all the time. The romance between the two was rather touching, but I also thought they fell for each other way too fast. I couldn’t help but wonder why that happens in YA books, but I believe it’s because of the influx of hormones. Wes is definitely a great character who stands by Lydia no matter what.
That ending was fairly predictable because when you mess with time, it can have such dangerous consequences. I can’t wait for the next book!
Quotes
"Oh, you know Mick thinks you hung the moon, and it shows all over his face. But Wes…I thought he'd set Lydia on fire with just his eyes."—Mary
December 28, 2011
I am so in love! This book sucked me in with the decription, and cover. Both make you want to pick it up and just give it a try and let me tell you it is worth it!!
I love Lydia. At first the book started out at a party and I was like " Oh, something bad will happen to her friends." Boy was I wrong! I fell head over heels in love with this girl and story. She goes back in time on accident to try and help her grandfather, and mysterious WES follows her. SHe is not supposed to be there but she wants to save her grandfather from a world of pain and looking for his dad. She is unraveling, all these secrets and finidng out so much about the past and her family. Lydia is strong throughout this whole adventure, knowing that what she is doing is right and not worrying about the future. SHe loves with her whole heart, and doesn't give up when it starts to get tough. She is an amazing character, and the whole book is mesmorizing.
Wes you only see through Lydia's eyes but you can imagine what he looks like and hot damn! I wish I had someone like that follow me through time to protect me from a far:) He is also an amazing character. He breaks my heart in the end they both do and I am so looking forward to another book! It could NOT end like that, well it could but it would be impossible to take it all in if there isn't another one. He made the sacrifie of a lifetime for her and it killed her as much as it did me and I am not even in the book.
Overall this is an amazing book and a MUST read like right now kind of book! When you get to the second half you really can't take a break from it because it is where all the action is and adventure and the true feelings come out!!!
I love Lydia. At first the book started out at a party and I was like " Oh, something bad will happen to her friends." Boy was I wrong! I fell head over heels in love with this girl and story. She goes back in time on accident to try and help her grandfather, and mysterious WES follows her. SHe is not supposed to be there but she wants to save her grandfather from a world of pain and looking for his dad. She is unraveling, all these secrets and finidng out so much about the past and her family. Lydia is strong throughout this whole adventure, knowing that what she is doing is right and not worrying about the future. SHe loves with her whole heart, and doesn't give up when it starts to get tough. She is an amazing character, and the whole book is mesmorizing.
Wes you only see through Lydia's eyes but you can imagine what he looks like and hot damn! I wish I had someone like that follow me through time to protect me from a far:) He is also an amazing character. He breaks my heart in the end they both do and I am so looking forward to another book! It could NOT end like that, well it could but it would be impossible to take it all in if there isn't another one. He made the sacrifie of a lifetime for her and it killed her as much as it did me and I am not even in the book.
Overall this is an amazing book and a MUST read like right now kind of book! When you get to the second half you really can't take a break from it because it is where all the action is and adventure and the true feelings come out!!!
May 23, 2012
PSA: After reading this book I have come to the conclusion that I was born in the wrong time period. And, I need to find a boy that will travel back to the flapper days with me. If you happen to know an adorably cute and caring guy, who has access to a time machine, please send him my way. Thanks.
GUYS! This book was so good! I was super confused and anxious for over half of it, but in a good way!? AND GUYS! It was action-y and romance-y and mystery-y!? (Yeah that’s not a word. But still!)
The book starts off with the main character, Lydia, at home with her mom, dad and grandfather in Long Island. Ever since she was little her grandfather has told her stories about the Montauk Project and how it’s this huge government conspiracy. The reason he’s so obsessed with the Project is because his father was involved with it and eventually disappeared. Lydia is the only one that really listens to her grandfather and his theories. After Lydia’s grandfather all but drags her to the area he thinks holds the answers, her whole world changes. One afternoon, EVERYTHING CHANGES for her! EVERY. THING.
She literally stumbles in to the past; 1944 to be exact! And the people she stumbles upon in 1944? Her family! Her great-great grandfather is a Doctor who volunteers at a military base and her grandfather’s sister, Mary, volunteers as a nurse. To them, it looks as though this girl is lost and they can’t take care of her fast enough! They even invite her to stay with them. Her relatives are very, very nice. I absolutely loved them, especially Mary! But one of the family members isn’t to keen on the idea of a stranger living in his house; her grandfather’s dad, Dean; the man that went missing over sixty years ago.
Oh my gosh, you guys!! Dean was SO sexy. (Keep in mind he’s mid-twenties when we meet him, not an oldie!) He was arrogant and harsh but totally loveable on about 364 different levels. He was such the army bad boy type. *Sighs* Yes, I liked him very much. It was also cute to see her grandfather as a little boy! He idolized Dean so much, it was extremely cute!
So any who, while Lydia is in the past she decides she’s going to fix whatever happened 60+ years ago and stop Dean from disappearing. Only problem? A boy has followed her into the past and he’s determined to prevent her from changing anything. Whatever Lydia does in the past could severely alter her future, and Wes wants to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Oh my sweet, complicated, emotionally scarred Wes, you are the epitome of what I want my boyfriend to be. Please love me? Ehem… i mean...Wes is very levelheaded. He tries to convince Lydia to go back to her time multiple times but she won’t budge. Finally he gives in and decides he’ll help her in anyway he can. Granted Lydia wasn’t 100% honest with Wes at times, but her intentions were good; she was trying to help her family.
So, Lydia and Wes have to race to find a solution for Dean’s disappearing without gaining the attention of the leaders of the Montauk Project. TALK ABOUT INTESNSE. AND AWESOME. AND INTENSE.
I seriously canNOT wait to find out what’s going to happen next after that INSANE ending! How the hell are Wes and Lydia going to end up together?! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO *&^$%@!?
Overall, So Close to You was a suspenseful time travel romance that should not be missed!
GUYS! This book was so good! I was super confused and anxious for over half of it, but in a good way!? AND GUYS! It was action-y and romance-y and mystery-y!? (Yeah that’s not a word. But still!)
The book starts off with the main character, Lydia, at home with her mom, dad and grandfather in Long Island. Ever since she was little her grandfather has told her stories about the Montauk Project and how it’s this huge government conspiracy. The reason he’s so obsessed with the Project is because his father was involved with it and eventually disappeared. Lydia is the only one that really listens to her grandfather and his theories. After Lydia’s grandfather all but drags her to the area he thinks holds the answers, her whole world changes. One afternoon, EVERYTHING CHANGES for her! EVERY. THING.
She literally stumbles in to the past; 1944 to be exact! And the people she stumbles upon in 1944? Her family! Her great-great grandfather is a Doctor who volunteers at a military base and her grandfather’s sister, Mary, volunteers as a nurse. To them, it looks as though this girl is lost and they can’t take care of her fast enough! They even invite her to stay with them. Her relatives are very, very nice. I absolutely loved them, especially Mary! But one of the family members isn’t to keen on the idea of a stranger living in his house; her grandfather’s dad, Dean; the man that went missing over sixty years ago.
Oh my gosh, you guys!! Dean was SO sexy. (Keep in mind he’s mid-twenties when we meet him, not an oldie!) He was arrogant and harsh but totally loveable on about 364 different levels. He was such the army bad boy type. *Sighs* Yes, I liked him very much. It was also cute to see her grandfather as a little boy! He idolized Dean so much, it was extremely cute!
So any who, while Lydia is in the past she decides she’s going to fix whatever happened 60+ years ago and stop Dean from disappearing. Only problem? A boy has followed her into the past and he’s determined to prevent her from changing anything. Whatever Lydia does in the past could severely alter her future, and Wes wants to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Oh my sweet, complicated, emotionally scarred Wes, you are the epitome of what I want my boyfriend to be. Please love me? Ehem… i mean...Wes is very levelheaded. He tries to convince Lydia to go back to her time multiple times but she won’t budge. Finally he gives in and decides he’ll help her in anyway he can. Granted Lydia wasn’t 100% honest with Wes at times, but her intentions were good; she was trying to help her family.
So, Lydia and Wes have to race to find a solution for Dean’s disappearing without gaining the attention of the leaders of the Montauk Project. TALK ABOUT INTESNSE. AND AWESOME. AND INTENSE.
I seriously canNOT wait to find out what’s going to happen next after that INSANE ending! How the hell are Wes and Lydia going to end up together?! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO *&^$%@!?
Overall, So Close to You was a suspenseful time travel romance that should not be missed!
July 24, 2012
I really like the idea behind So Close to You, but this book just gave off an odd vibe. I'm not talking about the abandoned military base and secret government project aspect, I expected spooky and mysterious there, but I am talking about how a lot of the story feels rushed through, glossed over, or riddled by cliches. Maybe if Carter took more time to develop things, I'd have liked this, but as it is I just can't shake off the unsettled feeling I got from reading this one.
Like the first chapter, introducing the government conspiracy via a party in the woods, pretty strange and unexpected. That and Lydia going on for the next few chapters about the Montauk Project and how mysterious and hidden it is, there's so much anticipation and buildup, but when Lydia finally does find the secret entrance and gets into the secret lab, it's actually quite disappointing, like three seconds of sneaking around and she's thrown back in time. And actually, for a top secret government lab underneath a state park slash former military base, I'm surprised at how lax the security is, I guess I’ll have to suspend disbelief that a conspiracy buff with a jackhammer couldn’t have stumbled across everything. So it all feels too easy, so much hype for nothing.
And after that, so much of the rest of this story was just disappointing and riddled with plot holes. Or maybe it’s just how fast the plot moves and how often I had to suspend my disbelief. Lydia just appears at a World War Two military base and almost instantly gets integrated into the community. Huh? How everyone’s all so welcoming, how nobody thinks Lydia’s appearance is strange, how she’s able to come and go through the base almost at will, all of it just felt wrong; these characters are just way too naive and trusting. Or how Lydia's able to sneak around a high security facility? Again, I'm incredulous and in disbelief. Honestly, I'm not expecting Lydia to be a trained spy or have a personal cloaking device or anything, but the way she's able to get around such a secure place with no alias and a fake aunt named Julia Roberts, it's not realistic at all.
Nor does it help that the main plot elements are all cliches, from the instant attraction to a mysterious guy, then to the requisite triangle, and finally to the stereotypical evil German scientist type villain, there’s not much to set this book apart. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised at all if in some dystopian somewhere there's a character that fits Wes's backstory and description to a tee, he really seems like a tortured male lead borrowed from a how to write dystopians manual or something. Even down to the I should kill you but something I can’t put my finger on is stopping me speech when he and Lydia first meet - come on, lamest motivation in the book.
It's really a shame, how this awesome premise gets bogged down by so many done to death plot points. The only reason I'm giving this two stars instead of one is the time paradox twist.
Like the first chapter, introducing the government conspiracy via a party in the woods, pretty strange and unexpected. That and Lydia going on for the next few chapters about the Montauk Project and how mysterious and hidden it is, there's so much anticipation and buildup, but when Lydia finally does find the secret entrance and gets into the secret lab, it's actually quite disappointing, like three seconds of sneaking around and she's thrown back in time. And actually, for a top secret government lab underneath a state park slash former military base, I'm surprised at how lax the security is, I guess I’ll have to suspend disbelief that a conspiracy buff with a jackhammer couldn’t have stumbled across everything. So it all feels too easy, so much hype for nothing.
And after that, so much of the rest of this story was just disappointing and riddled with plot holes. Or maybe it’s just how fast the plot moves and how often I had to suspend my disbelief. Lydia just appears at a World War Two military base and almost instantly gets integrated into the community. Huh? How everyone’s all so welcoming, how nobody thinks Lydia’s appearance is strange, how she’s able to come and go through the base almost at will, all of it just felt wrong; these characters are just way too naive and trusting. Or how Lydia's able to sneak around a high security facility? Again, I'm incredulous and in disbelief. Honestly, I'm not expecting Lydia to be a trained spy or have a personal cloaking device or anything, but the way she's able to get around such a secure place with no alias and a fake aunt named Julia Roberts, it's not realistic at all.
Nor does it help that the main plot elements are all cliches, from the instant attraction to a mysterious guy, then to the requisite triangle, and finally to the stereotypical evil German scientist type villain, there’s not much to set this book apart. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised at all if in some dystopian somewhere there's a character that fits Wes's backstory and description to a tee, he really seems like a tortured male lead borrowed from a how to write dystopians manual or something. Even down to the I should kill you but something I can’t put my finger on is stopping me speech when he and Lydia first meet - come on, lamest motivation in the book.
It's really a shame, how this awesome premise gets bogged down by so many done to death plot points. The only reason I'm giving this two stars instead of one is the time paradox twist.
June 17, 2012
My love for time traveling books keeps growing and growing! it started with Clockwise by Elle Strauss and now it's going even further with So Close To You by Rachel Carter. So Close To You is about a girl named Lydia who lives in modern day 2012 with her parents and here grandfather. She has a normal life except her grandfather constantly wants to go investigate Camp Hero to figure out why his father disappeared years and years ago. One day while exploring with her grandfather Lydia comes across an open doorway her curiosity gets the best of her and she ends up inside looking for clues that might help her grandfather. She stumbles upon a room that she thinks is empty but realizes she was wrong when she meets Wes. She's scared at first and stumbles into another small room trying to get away from him the doors close lights flash and when she comes to she is in the year 1944...
Lydia is a very loyal girl we find that out in the very beginning because of how much she does with her grandfather. She tells us a few times that she doesn't quite believe in all of the things he says but she loves him so she plays along anyway. She also does this with her best friend Hannah who loves the idea of horoscopes and Lydia doesn't believe in that much either but she goes along with it anyway because Hannah is her best friend.
One of the things I loved about this book was that it was terribly overwhelmed with romance. Now I know some of you are thinking aww that sucks not a lot of romance. But that makes the book so much better because were able to focus on the story instead of worrying about what the couple is doing. Now i'm not saying there's no romance because there is near the end and it was so awesome because the story line was coming to a close so we had more time to focus on the romance before the book ended.
My next favorite part of the book was obviously the time travel! We went back to 1944 during the war with Germany which was an awesome time frame the war with Germany always interested me so having that in a book was pretty great. The book was more suspenseful than other time mating books I've read because when you go back in time the machine doesn't come with you and it's not easy to get back to. So that leaves a few problems, one is that Lydia would be killed if she's caught sneaking into the facility were the time machine is which is why she has to be extra extra careful. Second if she accidentally or was forced to travel back to a time before the time machine was invented she'd be stuck there forever...
In the end I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for all of the awesome reasons I listed below. I loved the characters the plot and the cover too =) I cannot wait for the sequel to come out but I'll be waiting awhile because i'm reading the ARC version of this book thats due to come out in July!
Lydia is a very loyal girl we find that out in the very beginning because of how much she does with her grandfather. She tells us a few times that she doesn't quite believe in all of the things he says but she loves him so she plays along anyway. She also does this with her best friend Hannah who loves the idea of horoscopes and Lydia doesn't believe in that much either but she goes along with it anyway because Hannah is her best friend.
One of the things I loved about this book was that it was terribly overwhelmed with romance. Now I know some of you are thinking aww that sucks not a lot of romance. But that makes the book so much better because were able to focus on the story instead of worrying about what the couple is doing. Now i'm not saying there's no romance because there is near the end and it was so awesome because the story line was coming to a close so we had more time to focus on the romance before the book ended.
My next favorite part of the book was obviously the time travel! We went back to 1944 during the war with Germany which was an awesome time frame the war with Germany always interested me so having that in a book was pretty great. The book was more suspenseful than other time mating books I've read because when you go back in time the machine doesn't come with you and it's not easy to get back to. So that leaves a few problems, one is that Lydia would be killed if she's caught sneaking into the facility were the time machine is which is why she has to be extra extra careful. Second if she accidentally or was forced to travel back to a time before the time machine was invented she'd be stuck there forever...
In the end I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for all of the awesome reasons I listed below. I loved the characters the plot and the cover too =) I cannot wait for the sequel to come out but I'll be waiting awhile because i'm reading the ARC version of this book thats due to come out in July!
May 26, 2020
At first I did not really understand what was happening, but eventually I did, and I did not regret continuing the book. I love Wes, but I also want to learn more about him, and I can't deny that Wes and Lydia had really cute interactions. In the end I could not put the book down and I always wanted to see what happened, but I also was a little frustrated there was a cliffhanger at the end, but Overall it is a good book.
July 13, 2012
When I began SO CLOSE TO YOU, I didn't realize it was the first book in a trilogy. In fact, I didn't realize there would be a sequel until things fell apart at the end, creating problems to be solved in the next book. I might not have picked up SO CLOSE TO YOU if I knew it wasn't a standalone, which would be a pity.
Lydia Bentley lives in the small Connecticut town of Montauk. Local legend tells of the Montauk Project, a series of experiments that took place during World War II. Her great-grandfather was an officer on the base who disappeared and her grandfather has spent his entire life searching for his father and evidence that the Montauk Project existed. Lydia doesn't believe, but helps her grandfather anyway because of love. Then she stumbles into a secret lab and finds herself transported to 1944, mere days before her great-grandfather disappeared.
Soon she's living with her ancestors as Lydia Bennet and trying to figure out the truth of the Project in time to save her great-grandfather. But Wes, a mysterious boy she first met in the lab, is trying to convince her to return to her time before she changes the past. Wes is of course super hot in addition to being mysterious. Luckily, Rachel Carter isn't overly coy and provides some answers in the first book. She doesn't play the give-one-big-reveal-at-the-end-and-that's-it game. (Good, because I hate that game.)
As for Lydia, I liked that she was motivated by love of her family. She wants her grandfather to have a better life and she's willing to risk getting caught by mad scientists in order to help him. I also liked that she stays refreshingly on-task. She isn't a wet blanket - she has fun and goes to dances and all that - but she spends most of her time snooping because that's what she stayed in the past to do.
I was drawn to SO CLOSE TO YOU because of the intriguing premise. I can't entirely say that Carter has executed it well due to the cliffhanger ending, but I want to read the sequel and find out the consequences of Lydia's journey through time. SO CLOSE TO YOU is a promising and suspenseful start to the trilogy and hopefully the sequel will be as fast-paced and fun to read. This one is for fans of time travel and mystery. The romance felt a bit rushed, but hopefully Wes and Lydia will have more time together in the next book.
Lydia Bentley lives in the small Connecticut town of Montauk. Local legend tells of the Montauk Project, a series of experiments that took place during World War II. Her great-grandfather was an officer on the base who disappeared and her grandfather has spent his entire life searching for his father and evidence that the Montauk Project existed. Lydia doesn't believe, but helps her grandfather anyway because of love. Then she stumbles into a secret lab and finds herself transported to 1944, mere days before her great-grandfather disappeared.
Soon she's living with her ancestors as Lydia Bennet and trying to figure out the truth of the Project in time to save her great-grandfather. But Wes, a mysterious boy she first met in the lab, is trying to convince her to return to her time before she changes the past. Wes is of course super hot in addition to being mysterious. Luckily, Rachel Carter isn't overly coy and provides some answers in the first book. She doesn't play the give-one-big-reveal-at-the-end-and-that's-it game. (Good, because I hate that game.)
As for Lydia, I liked that she was motivated by love of her family. She wants her grandfather to have a better life and she's willing to risk getting caught by mad scientists in order to help him. I also liked that she stays refreshingly on-task. She isn't a wet blanket - she has fun and goes to dances and all that - but she spends most of her time snooping because that's what she stayed in the past to do.
I was drawn to SO CLOSE TO YOU because of the intriguing premise. I can't entirely say that Carter has executed it well due to the cliffhanger ending, but I want to read the sequel and find out the consequences of Lydia's journey through time. SO CLOSE TO YOU is a promising and suspenseful start to the trilogy and hopefully the sequel will be as fast-paced and fun to read. This one is for fans of time travel and mystery. The romance felt a bit rushed, but hopefully Wes and Lydia will have more time together in the next book.
June 23, 2020
This book was super interesting, and I liked the unique plot. It got super intriguing towards the middle, while also keeping the plot contained, which kept it from becoming too confusing. I think it was definitely a read worth my time, and one of the better books I've read!
May 7, 2023
It's not perfect...but what an adventure. The 1944 vibe? The danger? Slight teenage secret agent angst? Surprisingly a great mix. And yay for girls actually having an appetite in books! Off to read the second one!
December 27, 2019
"'You need to find the truth for yourself,' my grandfather liked to say, but he never found any truth. Instead, he paced the cliffs of Montauk searching for answers to questions that had long been buried, or had never existed at all."
Meh. This wasn't the best time travel novel I've ever read, but it certainly wasn't the worst.
Lydia Bentley's grandfather is almost certain that the Montauk Project actually existed. Rumors have swirled for years, but only he thinks that they're true. His father disappeared when he was just seven, working on the base there during WWII, and he's been looking for evidence of where he went ever since. Lydia becomes his unwitting sidekick in his explorations, never actually believing that they're true. However, this all changes one day when she falls into a portal on the base... a portal that takes her back to WWII and smack dab into the Bentley household.
Like I said before, this certainly wasn't the worst time travel book I've read before. At least here, the time travel and the mechanics behind it were clearly explained. However, the sole purpose behind the project was kind of disjointed.
The rest of the plots and characterizations are kind of just your typical YA 'meh'. A typical YA female protagonist goes back in time and meets pretty much every 1940s stereotype the author could dream up. And, of course, we have romantic interests up the ying-yang, including a love square with one boy from the present and two boys from the past (so not confusing, I know). Lydia kind of sums it up perfectly herself:
The plot was actually fairly interesting, but I just wish the characters could have been more developed. Especially Wes. I felt like since we had so little information about him, he didn't make all that good of a love interest for Lydia as well. I'm basically the overprotective mother who wants to know every last detail, I guess, haha!!
An overall pleasant YA time travel novel that could have been so much more if just for some better characterization and development. The cliffhanger kind of makes up for it though, 'cause it leaves you hanging so much that you'll want to pick up the next book immediately.
Meh. This wasn't the best time travel novel I've ever read, but it certainly wasn't the worst.
Lydia Bentley's grandfather is almost certain that the Montauk Project actually existed. Rumors have swirled for years, but only he thinks that they're true. His father disappeared when he was just seven, working on the base there during WWII, and he's been looking for evidence of where he went ever since. Lydia becomes his unwitting sidekick in his explorations, never actually believing that they're true. However, this all changes one day when she falls into a portal on the base... a portal that takes her back to WWII and smack dab into the Bentley household.
"As we slowly walk toward the white buildings, one thought runs over and over through my head, a song I can't turn off.Realizing that she could help save her great grandfather from disappearing, Lydia, along with darkly mysterious Wes, tries to change the past. But will it affect her future in ways she can't even begin to imagine?
I've gone back in time.
I've gone back in time.
I've gone back in time."
Like I said before, this certainly wasn't the worst time travel book I've read before. At least here, the time travel and the mechanics behind it were clearly explained. However, the sole purpose behind the project was kind of disjointed.
The rest of the plots and characterizations are kind of just your typical YA 'meh'. A typical YA female protagonist goes back in time and meets pretty much every 1940s stereotype the author could dream up. And, of course, we have romantic interests up the ying-yang, including a love square with one boy from the present and two boys from the past (so not confusing, I know). Lydia kind of sums it up perfectly herself:
"I've never even had a real boyfriend, but in the past few days I've almost fallen for Lucas, and I've maybe, sort-of-already fallen for Wes. One is destined to marry my great-great-aunt and the other is a slave to a top-secret government organization.Nothing. Do nothing and stay in school, dammit.
What am I supposed to do with that?"
The plot was actually fairly interesting, but I just wish the characters could have been more developed. Especially Wes. I felt like since we had so little information about him, he didn't make all that good of a love interest for Lydia as well. I'm basically the overprotective mother who wants to know every last detail, I guess, haha!!
An overall pleasant YA time travel novel that could have been so much more if just for some better characterization and development. The cliffhanger kind of makes up for it though, 'cause it leaves you hanging so much that you'll want to pick up the next book immediately.
June 3, 2012
So Close To You
is an amazing ball of wow, chalked full of interesting history, wonderful theories on the Montauk Project, and interesting plot and character development. Rachel Carter does a pretty awesome job of blending historical elements in with sci-fi so naturally that the story just flows off the pages and it's so easy to become absorbed in it. The characters are interesting and likable, the plot development has a unique twist to it that will draw readers in and keep them captivated, and packs the right amount of elemental fear and mystery to keep them on edge. I found myself growing personally excited as I flipped the pages, because time travel, a world ruled by the Project, and super secretive government dealings that would be otherwise terrifying if leaked to everyone. This was definitely my kind of novel from the get go.
It is time travel, what isn't to love about time travel? It had such a Doctor Who vibe to it, that I sort of felt as if the Doctor was traveling back in time with Lydia in spirit. She's such an amazingly likable and spirited character that I fell in love with right off the bat. She's kind, smart, fun, intelligent, and very resourceful and resilient in so many ways. I love how completely accidental it was that she was able to go back in time to World War II and solve the mystery of why her grandfather was so adamant about the Montauk Project being real. That part was so much fun to read and I got a lot of enjoyment about of seeing her get to meet her relatives and get to know them.
The romance between her and Wes was incredibly sweet and tender. I like how you only got to see him the way that Lydia saw him, through her eyes. There were moments when I found myself wishing that he could only see himself as she saw him. He's such an wonderfully brave, charming, and sweet guy for readers to get to know. If I were to ever get the chance to travel back in time the way Lydia stumbled into it, I would want a guy like Wes to be brave and loving enough to follow me in an effort to protect me from whatever might be waiting for me on the other side the way he did with Lydia. These two definitely caused an aching in my heart towards the end, but it's definitely got me pining for the sequel even more.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance, historical, and time travel all combined into one amazing story.
It is time travel, what isn't to love about time travel? It had such a Doctor Who vibe to it, that I sort of felt as if the Doctor was traveling back in time with Lydia in spirit. She's such an amazingly likable and spirited character that I fell in love with right off the bat. She's kind, smart, fun, intelligent, and very resourceful and resilient in so many ways. I love how completely accidental it was that she was able to go back in time to World War II and solve the mystery of why her grandfather was so adamant about the Montauk Project being real. That part was so much fun to read and I got a lot of enjoyment about of seeing her get to meet her relatives and get to know them.
The romance between her and Wes was incredibly sweet and tender. I like how you only got to see him the way that Lydia saw him, through her eyes. There were moments when I found myself wishing that he could only see himself as she saw him. He's such an wonderfully brave, charming, and sweet guy for readers to get to know. If I were to ever get the chance to travel back in time the way Lydia stumbled into it, I would want a guy like Wes to be brave and loving enough to follow me in an effort to protect me from whatever might be waiting for me on the other side the way he did with Lydia. These two definitely caused an aching in my heart towards the end, but it's definitely got me pining for the sequel even more.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance, historical, and time travel all combined into one amazing story.
June 15, 2012
First I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to Around The World ARC Tours for allowing me to be a part of this tour. I have so many things going on in my head right now about this book that I am having trouble not putting spoilers in here so bare with me while I gather my thoughts and scream at my inner self not to reveal to much!
I also have to give a HUGE shot out to Suz at A Soul Unsung Blog because she read the book before me and told me she LOVED it and I just knew if she loved it I would to because we read the same books. Ma Suz you were not wrong about this one and man oh man I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book and I can not wait until July 10, 2012 to buy my very own copy and yes ya'll I am going to RE-READ it all over again.
So Close To You is a story that has conspiracy in it which is an actual conspiracy of The Montauk Project at Camp Hero an abandoned military base on Long Island New York. Lydia has been told all her life to stay away from the barriers of camp hero because someone might take her and use her as a government guinea pig. Her grandfather has warn her about being there at night and alone. At first Lydia agrees but then something happens one night that changes everything she knows and everything she has been told and in order to save her family Lydia travels back in time.
Yes people she travels back with Wes who is trying to keep her out of trouble and trying to prevent her from messing with the past. Wes wants her to return home but she is determined to find out about what happened to her family and especially why her grandfather is so determined to make her believe the conspiracy theory of camp hero. But Lydia is no push over and she convinces Wes to stay and help her. When he agrees the secrets are unveiled and things start to fall into place but not everything is as it seems and soon Wes is fighting to keep Lydia.
This is such a rush of read for anyone who loves time travel and conspiracy theories because it will BLOW your mind out the water. I loved Wes and how fierce and sweet he was all wrapped up and he tried to warn Lydia. The books ending left me screaming RACHEL I NEED MORE and lord I have to wait till the summer of 2013 oh man I am not going to make it! This is a definite BEACH SUMMER read will a swoon worthy *Wes* To all my time travel friends let's go back and clone Wes so we can have him ;)
I also have to give a HUGE shot out to Suz at A Soul Unsung Blog because she read the book before me and told me she LOVED it and I just knew if she loved it I would to because we read the same books. Ma Suz you were not wrong about this one and man oh man I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book and I can not wait until July 10, 2012 to buy my very own copy and yes ya'll I am going to RE-READ it all over again.
So Close To You is a story that has conspiracy in it which is an actual conspiracy of The Montauk Project at Camp Hero an abandoned military base on Long Island New York. Lydia has been told all her life to stay away from the barriers of camp hero because someone might take her and use her as a government guinea pig. Her grandfather has warn her about being there at night and alone. At first Lydia agrees but then something happens one night that changes everything she knows and everything she has been told and in order to save her family Lydia travels back in time.
Yes people she travels back with Wes who is trying to keep her out of trouble and trying to prevent her from messing with the past. Wes wants her to return home but she is determined to find out about what happened to her family and especially why her grandfather is so determined to make her believe the conspiracy theory of camp hero. But Lydia is no push over and she convinces Wes to stay and help her. When he agrees the secrets are unveiled and things start to fall into place but not everything is as it seems and soon Wes is fighting to keep Lydia.
This is such a rush of read for anyone who loves time travel and conspiracy theories because it will BLOW your mind out the water. I loved Wes and how fierce and sweet he was all wrapped up and he tried to warn Lydia. The books ending left me screaming RACHEL I NEED MORE and lord I have to wait till the summer of 2013 oh man I am not going to make it! This is a definite BEACH SUMMER read will a swoon worthy *Wes* To all my time travel friends let's go back and clone Wes so we can have him ;)
July 2, 2012
So Close to You wasn’t really what I expected – it was BETTER than what I expected actually. I love the cover with Lydia on it. Her bright Auburn hair definitely stands out against the background.
Lydia is a senior in High School and is eager to leave her small town life behind. Montauk is a small town full of mysteries. Back during WWI there was a military base named Camp Hero, in Montauk where it is rumored to have been a secret laboratory where they did top secret experiments. Lydia's grandfather swears that the rumors are true and that "The Montauk Project" was the reason that his father disappeared when he was just a little boy. Lydia doesn’t believe in any of this stuff, but has always stood by her grandfather and goes with him to Camp Hero regularly to seek out the "truth". Then one day, while at Camp Hero, Lydia and her grandfather go to one of the old bunks to look for clues, like they have done a dozen times and just like before, nothing has changed. The steel door is still shut and there is no way in getting inside. As Lydia and her grandfather start walking back to the car, Lydia remembers she left her sweater back at the bunk. When she gets there, to her surprise the metal door is wide open. Pushed by curiosity and a will to unravel the mystery of her great-grandfather's disappearance, she decides to go inside. Next thing she knows, she walk into a time machine and is taken back to 1944. Her whole world is flipped upside down. She has a chance to save her family, and find out what really happened to her great-grandfather. Changing the past can cause chaos in the present, but its a risk that Lydia will have to take.
So Close to You was a great read. The mystery definitely kept me going. There were a few parts where it dragged a little but overall the story was great. I really hope there is a second book coming because the ending had me making up all sorts of questions as to what happened and what will happen next. Great read for the summer.
Lydia is a senior in High School and is eager to leave her small town life behind. Montauk is a small town full of mysteries. Back during WWI there was a military base named Camp Hero, in Montauk where it is rumored to have been a secret laboratory where they did top secret experiments. Lydia's grandfather swears that the rumors are true and that "The Montauk Project" was the reason that his father disappeared when he was just a little boy. Lydia doesn’t believe in any of this stuff, but has always stood by her grandfather and goes with him to Camp Hero regularly to seek out the "truth". Then one day, while at Camp Hero, Lydia and her grandfather go to one of the old bunks to look for clues, like they have done a dozen times and just like before, nothing has changed. The steel door is still shut and there is no way in getting inside. As Lydia and her grandfather start walking back to the car, Lydia remembers she left her sweater back at the bunk. When she gets there, to her surprise the metal door is wide open. Pushed by curiosity and a will to unravel the mystery of her great-grandfather's disappearance, she decides to go inside. Next thing she knows, she walk into a time machine and is taken back to 1944. Her whole world is flipped upside down. She has a chance to save her family, and find out what really happened to her great-grandfather. Changing the past can cause chaos in the present, but its a risk that Lydia will have to take.
So Close to You was a great read. The mystery definitely kept me going. There were a few parts where it dragged a little but overall the story was great. I really hope there is a second book coming because the ending had me making up all sorts of questions as to what happened and what will happen next. Great read for the summer.
July 2, 2012
Originally Posted Here
An engrossing plot, a mind-bending dilemma and unexpected love line the pages of Rachel Carter's YA debut So Close To You. Its a quick read with a killer ending that will leave readers muddled.
So Close To You started slow. Throughout the book, the plot is slow-moving. In fact, throughout the first-half of the novel, I found myself distracted and ready to skim a few pages. My mind was wandering and I couldn't keep myself from glancing further into the book. Though in the end it picked up drastically, I realize not every reader will give it a chance.
Lydia is a hard-headed girl. She knows how to throw a punch, get in trouble, and well, get in trouble. The whole story stems from her inabililty to keep her curiosity to herself and stay away from danger when told to do so. And while I didn't find myself connecting with Lydia most of the time, I did love the scenes with her grandfather. Particularly because it reminded me of my own grandfather.
I wish I could have gotten closer to the characters. Understood them more. But even as I read more and more of the story, I still felt like I was watching everything unfold from a distance.
So Close to You is a solid debut with lots to offer as a promising start to a new trilogy. The time-travelling concept it surrounds around is easy to grasp for even the most sci-fi-illiterate readers. The ending is a cliff-hanger, leaving a lot of threads hanging, and some suspense for the sequel. And while So Close To You doesn't have what it takes to be a read that will linger in your mind long after, you'll be surprised by the ending. And eagerly anticipating book two.
An engrossing plot, a mind-bending dilemma and unexpected love line the pages of Rachel Carter's YA debut So Close To You. Its a quick read with a killer ending that will leave readers muddled.
So Close To You started slow. Throughout the book, the plot is slow-moving. In fact, throughout the first-half of the novel, I found myself distracted and ready to skim a few pages. My mind was wandering and I couldn't keep myself from glancing further into the book. Though in the end it picked up drastically, I realize not every reader will give it a chance.
Lydia is a hard-headed girl. She knows how to throw a punch, get in trouble, and well, get in trouble. The whole story stems from her inabililty to keep her curiosity to herself and stay away from danger when told to do so. And while I didn't find myself connecting with Lydia most of the time, I did love the scenes with her grandfather. Particularly because it reminded me of my own grandfather.
I wish I could have gotten closer to the characters. Understood them more. But even as I read more and more of the story, I still felt like I was watching everything unfold from a distance.
So Close to You is a solid debut with lots to offer as a promising start to a new trilogy. The time-travelling concept it surrounds around is easy to grasp for even the most sci-fi-illiterate readers. The ending is a cliff-hanger, leaving a lot of threads hanging, and some suspense for the sequel. And while So Close To You doesn't have what it takes to be a read that will linger in your mind long after, you'll be surprised by the ending. And eagerly anticipating book two.
Read
October 28, 2018I am not a regular reader of YA, but if you are looking for a Pringles book (betcha can't read just one chapter...) that won't let you stop reading it until you're done- this is the one for you. If you stick with it through the first few pages of exposition, you will be very, very glad you did. This is Carter's debut (the first of a trilogy - and believe me, if you read this one, you'll get the second one), and she does an excellent job of pacing the action, giving just enough description of the time-travel construct to blow your mind without becoming bogged down by it. The teen romance is also spot-on: Lydia doesn't have any stupid Bella-Swan-like quirks - she's just a normal girl who finds herself in an incredible situation. I know that readers of more literary fare often look down their noses at YA (I admit to doing it myself), but I believe that even the most ardent French literary theorist secretly craves word candy once in a while - this book will keep you reading and make you wish the second installment was already out.
August 6, 2016
I don't know why but I was expecting this book to be dystopian, so the beginning was bit surprising to me.
Despite my wrong assumptions I got very easily into this book and started to like it pretty soon. The story is very interesting and suspenseful, giving the reader a lot of open questions in the beginning.
I liked the conspiracies within in the book and also the topic of time-travelling which I generally find very interesting.
I am not sure if everything was very logical but that were only tiny bits of the story and not very important for the story as a whole, so it didn't bother me that much.
The love story felt very instant and rushed to me, so I couldn't really connect with that one. I liked the characters although they were mostly a bit clishée.
Overall this book was a very enjoyable read and a real pageturner which has been hidden in myto read pile way too long. The other books of the series are already ordered and I plan to read them soon.
Despite my wrong assumptions I got very easily into this book and started to like it pretty soon. The story is very interesting and suspenseful, giving the reader a lot of open questions in the beginning.
I liked the conspiracies within in the book and also the topic of time-travelling which I generally find very interesting.
I am not sure if everything was very logical but that were only tiny bits of the story and not very important for the story as a whole, so it didn't bother me that much.
The love story felt very instant and rushed to me, so I couldn't really connect with that one. I liked the characters although they were mostly a bit clishée.
Overall this book was a very enjoyable read and a real pageturner which has been hidden in myto read pile way too long. The other books of the series are already ordered and I plan to read them soon.
Read
January 26, 2014So Close To You isn't exactly my kind of book typically (science fiction + some history) BUT I DID IT! I actually enjoyed myself for the most part, too.
Full Review: http://chickloveslit.com/2012/05/revi...
Full Review: http://chickloveslit.com/2012/05/revi...
May 24, 2020
At first the book was a little slow and confusing, but it soon enough evolved into a book full of mystery and romance. The chemistry between Wes and Lydia...wow. I couldn't put the book down, as I was always curious to see what would happen next, whether it was about Lydia's relationships or the Montauk Project. The ending was frustrating, but it makes me even more excited to read the next book!
July 3, 2012
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: While falling into some of the cliches of time travel, So Close to You adds the drama of WWII to our heroines desperate quest to change history.
Opening Sentence: The bonfire in the clearing spits out flames and smoke.
The Review:
The Montauk Project is the East Coast equivalent of Area 51, with even less people believing in it. But Lydia’s grandfather is a believer. His dad worked on a secret project during WWII before he died during a “training accident.” With no body ever released and no witnesses to his death, he’s never believed the military’s story. So over the years he’s taken Lydia with him to explore the old military bunkers in the state park, trying to break inside what he thinks are labs. And even though she doesn’t believe him the way she did as a child, Lydia doesn’t have the heart to tell him otherwise.
Until one day she doubles back after their trip and finds one of the bunkers mysteriously open. Knowing she’ll never get a chance like this again — that if she walks away now, without evidence, she’ll just be another one of the crazy theorists — her journalist side kicks in. But she’s not even close to prepared for what the Montuak Project really is, or who’s waiting for her inside.
Thrown accidentally back in time, followed by a mysterious boy from inside the bunker, Lydia finds herself thrown in with her ancestors and the chaos of WWII America. Trying to hide her identity from her own family is hard enough, but trying to convince Wes, the boy from the bunker, that she needs to stay is even harder.
As she discovers the origins of the Project, more and more pieces begin to fall into place. The reader is easily immersed in Camp Hero and the small town bustling with soldiers and sailors preparing for the European Theater. Lydia gets to meet the family her grandfather’s never wanted to talk about, quickly hitting it off with her great-great-aunt Mary. Becoming best friends with her is both sweet and heartbreaking, especially as we see Mary’s khaki-crazy side (meaning, she loves all soldiers) and watch some flirtations on the side. Lydia has to be careful not to mess too much with the past, because as any good time travel junkie knows, there can be massive ramifications.
So Close to You falls into a lot of the science fiction tropes of time travel. Of course she meets her family and of course she wants to help them, but what if she stops her own existence! Carter uses Wes’s character not only as a tortured romantic interest, but as an easy way to explain things both to Lydia and the reader. While doing a really good job of avoiding info-dumping, a considerable amount of what we’re told would’ve been easy enough to figure out on our own. So in a number of ways, telling the reader everything didn’t only annoy me, but had me rethinking exactly how intelligent Lydia really was.
She’s a pretty ballsy heroine. I mean, Lydia sneaks into a super secret and secure underground bunker that she thinks is run by the military running illegal experiments! She’s brave and courageous and smart, which is the way I like my heroines, but even she has her moments. I mean, you can only be compulsive for so long before the reader feels like banging the book into the wall. But the tension in this book is really well written, the stakes are high, and watching Lydia interact with her family is heartbreaking.
All in all, I enjoyed reading So Close to You. I’ll definitely be picking up the next books because that ending was brilliant and I loved Wes’s character. He was tall, dark, and handsome, literally leaving girls speechless, while managing to keep himself in the sensitive guy category. Definitely swoon worthy. While it had its clichés, the concept is something I’m totally on board with (conspiracy theories and time travel? Oh yes please.) and it is really well executed.
Notable Scene:
“What happened in there? I fell in that machine, and I pushed a button, and everything went…” I shudder, unable to finish.
He looks at me, then down at the ground.
“The less you know, the safer you’ll be,” he finally responds.
I sit up straighter. “What does that mean?”
“Listen to me.” He takes a step closer. “I will make sure you live, but we have to go back to the facility.”
“I don’t understand. Tell me what that means.”
“There are things I can’t tell you.” His voice is even and soothing, his mouth is a hard, tight line. “You need to trust me. We wait here until we’re certain that the scouts have come and gone. Then we’ll go back in.”
“I don’t even know who you are! How can I trust you?” I stand up, barely feeling the pain in my foot. “I’m not going back in there. I can’t.” I spit the words at him.
FTC Advisory: Harper Teen provided me with a copy of So Close to You. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: While falling into some of the cliches of time travel, So Close to You adds the drama of WWII to our heroines desperate quest to change history.
Opening Sentence: The bonfire in the clearing spits out flames and smoke.
The Review:
The Montauk Project is the East Coast equivalent of Area 51, with even less people believing in it. But Lydia’s grandfather is a believer. His dad worked on a secret project during WWII before he died during a “training accident.” With no body ever released and no witnesses to his death, he’s never believed the military’s story. So over the years he’s taken Lydia with him to explore the old military bunkers in the state park, trying to break inside what he thinks are labs. And even though she doesn’t believe him the way she did as a child, Lydia doesn’t have the heart to tell him otherwise.
Until one day she doubles back after their trip and finds one of the bunkers mysteriously open. Knowing she’ll never get a chance like this again — that if she walks away now, without evidence, she’ll just be another one of the crazy theorists — her journalist side kicks in. But she’s not even close to prepared for what the Montuak Project really is, or who’s waiting for her inside.
Thrown accidentally back in time, followed by a mysterious boy from inside the bunker, Lydia finds herself thrown in with her ancestors and the chaos of WWII America. Trying to hide her identity from her own family is hard enough, but trying to convince Wes, the boy from the bunker, that she needs to stay is even harder.
As she discovers the origins of the Project, more and more pieces begin to fall into place. The reader is easily immersed in Camp Hero and the small town bustling with soldiers and sailors preparing for the European Theater. Lydia gets to meet the family her grandfather’s never wanted to talk about, quickly hitting it off with her great-great-aunt Mary. Becoming best friends with her is both sweet and heartbreaking, especially as we see Mary’s khaki-crazy side (meaning, she loves all soldiers) and watch some flirtations on the side. Lydia has to be careful not to mess too much with the past, because as any good time travel junkie knows, there can be massive ramifications.
So Close to You falls into a lot of the science fiction tropes of time travel. Of course she meets her family and of course she wants to help them, but what if she stops her own existence! Carter uses Wes’s character not only as a tortured romantic interest, but as an easy way to explain things both to Lydia and the reader. While doing a really good job of avoiding info-dumping, a considerable amount of what we’re told would’ve been easy enough to figure out on our own. So in a number of ways, telling the reader everything didn’t only annoy me, but had me rethinking exactly how intelligent Lydia really was.
She’s a pretty ballsy heroine. I mean, Lydia sneaks into a super secret and secure underground bunker that she thinks is run by the military running illegal experiments! She’s brave and courageous and smart, which is the way I like my heroines, but even she has her moments. I mean, you can only be compulsive for so long before the reader feels like banging the book into the wall. But the tension in this book is really well written, the stakes are high, and watching Lydia interact with her family is heartbreaking.
All in all, I enjoyed reading So Close to You. I’ll definitely be picking up the next books because that ending was brilliant and I loved Wes’s character. He was tall, dark, and handsome, literally leaving girls speechless, while managing to keep himself in the sensitive guy category. Definitely swoon worthy. While it had its clichés, the concept is something I’m totally on board with (conspiracy theories and time travel? Oh yes please.) and it is really well executed.
Notable Scene:
“What happened in there? I fell in that machine, and I pushed a button, and everything went…” I shudder, unable to finish.
He looks at me, then down at the ground.
“The less you know, the safer you’ll be,” he finally responds.
I sit up straighter. “What does that mean?”
“Listen to me.” He takes a step closer. “I will make sure you live, but we have to go back to the facility.”
“I don’t understand. Tell me what that means.”
“There are things I can’t tell you.” His voice is even and soothing, his mouth is a hard, tight line. “You need to trust me. We wait here until we’re certain that the scouts have come and gone. Then we’ll go back in.”
“I don’t even know who you are! How can I trust you?” I stand up, barely feeling the pain in my foot. “I’m not going back in there. I can’t.” I spit the words at him.
FTC Advisory: Harper Teen provided me with a copy of So Close to You. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
June 27, 2012
Lydia's grandfather has always been searching for the truth of what happened to his dad. He often takes Lydia to search Camp Hero, an old military base that is now a park, where his grandfather once worked back in 1944. There have been rumors of disappearances and tortured children, and some sort of government conspiracy called the Montauk Project. Lydia was never a believer until one weekend while searching the area like they have done a million times, she notices a door open. One that had never been open before. Curiosity is overwhelming and she must know the truth. She heads inside and when she spots a bunch of military men, including an attractive one named Wes who attempts to stop her, she hides in a tube that transports her back to 1944, just a few days before her great-grandfather disappeared.
I love time travel books but there is always the big question of what are you allowed to change. If you try to change the past will it cause a butterfly affect? When you return to the future will your entire life be different?! Or does it not matter what you do, because no matter what you do, you had already done it every time anyway?! Wes explains that she needs to return immediately otherwise she might accidentally change something and then return to a life she doesn't recognize. Lydia believes any consequences would be worth finding the truth and helping her family especially since as soon as she ended up in 1944 they took her in as their own. She actually is their own but they don't know that. She befriends her great-great aunt Mary. They grow close and she learns so much about her family. Lydia gets to see her grandfather as a little boy and her house as it used to look back in 1944. I loved the setting and seeing Lydia try to fit in back then. But she does begin to worry about changing the future when Lucas, her great-great aunt's future husband, begins falling for her.
Then there is Wes. A hot solider part of the Montauk Project. He keeps trying to help her but Lydia isn't sure if she should trust him. He remains rather mysterious until close to the end of the book. I liked him but found the romance lacking a bit. Lydia was pulled to him but she didn't know much about him. Neither Wes nor Lucas were developed enough to really turn it into a love triangle. Lydia was an interesting and brave character. I kept thinking no don't go in there! LOL But I am so curious I know I would have just had to figure out what was going on. The mystery was too inciting. I wanted answers right along with her. What happened to her great-grandfather? If she figures it out will saving him completely change her future? I thought she was rather crazy for even attempting to save him. She knew she risked the possibility of her entire future being changed and as much as I want to change things from my past sometimes, you never know if you will end up just making things worse. Lydia discovers some interesting and even gruesome facts but how she changes the future ends with a bit of a cliffhanger. This will be a trilogy so now I'm dying for the next book.
"I've never even had a real boyfriend, but in the past few days I've almost fall for Lucas, and I've maybe, sort-of-already fall for Wes. One is destined to marry my great-great-aunt and the other is a slave to a top-secret government organization. What am I supposed to do with that?"
I love time travel books but there is always the big question of what are you allowed to change. If you try to change the past will it cause a butterfly affect? When you return to the future will your entire life be different?! Or does it not matter what you do, because no matter what you do, you had already done it every time anyway?! Wes explains that she needs to return immediately otherwise she might accidentally change something and then return to a life she doesn't recognize. Lydia believes any consequences would be worth finding the truth and helping her family especially since as soon as she ended up in 1944 they took her in as their own. She actually is their own but they don't know that. She befriends her great-great aunt Mary. They grow close and she learns so much about her family. Lydia gets to see her grandfather as a little boy and her house as it used to look back in 1944. I loved the setting and seeing Lydia try to fit in back then. But she does begin to worry about changing the future when Lucas, her great-great aunt's future husband, begins falling for her.
Then there is Wes. A hot solider part of the Montauk Project. He keeps trying to help her but Lydia isn't sure if she should trust him. He remains rather mysterious until close to the end of the book. I liked him but found the romance lacking a bit. Lydia was pulled to him but she didn't know much about him. Neither Wes nor Lucas were developed enough to really turn it into a love triangle. Lydia was an interesting and brave character. I kept thinking no don't go in there! LOL But I am so curious I know I would have just had to figure out what was going on. The mystery was too inciting. I wanted answers right along with her. What happened to her great-grandfather? If she figures it out will saving him completely change her future? I thought she was rather crazy for even attempting to save him. She knew she risked the possibility of her entire future being changed and as much as I want to change things from my past sometimes, you never know if you will end up just making things worse. Lydia discovers some interesting and even gruesome facts but how she changes the future ends with a bit of a cliffhanger. This will be a trilogy so now I'm dying for the next book.
"I've never even had a real boyfriend, but in the past few days I've almost fall for Lucas, and I've maybe, sort-of-already fall for Wes. One is destined to marry my great-great-aunt and the other is a slave to a top-secret government organization. What am I supposed to do with that?"
July 19, 2013
I liked, not loved, this book, a solid three stars. I remember reading Caroline Cooney's time travel series as a teen and really loving it. Maybe if I was still an actual teenager I'd feel the same way about this one.
I didn't find myself connecting with Lydia in the way that I often do with YA heroines. I didn't understand some of her decisions and found myself, way more often than I normally do, disagreeing with her actions. I'm fairly certain if I got sent back in time I would be worried sick about my family missing me and how they were dealing with that crisis. I'd be doing everything in my power to get back, answers to 70 year old mysteries or not.
But I guess then we wouldn't have a book :)
Perhaps I also just didn't "connect" with the book in the way that I like to because I'm quite the skeptic and have a general distaste for conspiracy theories/horoscopes etc...?
The love story is definitely insta-love. If that sort of thing bothers you then I'd probably recommend staying away from this series. It's not always a deal breaker for me, though. And in this case I did find myself drawn to the sensitive, broody and mysterious Wes. I still thought it was ridiculous that Lydia finds herself "falling in love" with him after a few short days but my heart was still going pitter patter during the romantic scenes in spite of myself. Wes also became 10x more appealing when we find out his secret!
I did not enjoy how Lucas, another soldier, acted as if Lydia owed him her time, attention or feelings. Especially after knowing each other for just several days. No thank you and goodbye, Lucas.
I actually found myself not really caring that much about the family members in the past or the World War 2 setting. It just wasn't that interesting to me and I didn't connect to it. Hmmm...there was a lot of "not connecting" in this book...Probably the most appealing parts for me are the romance and whatever is at the heart of the deep mystery of this series (what is the MP actually up to? I'd love to see the MP, the organization, its people and its goals fleshed out more in future books).
Still, I find myself eager to start Book 2 tonight and am pretty glad that I didn't have to wait a year after that cliffhanger ending.
This is a compelling enough book with a sweet love story. There's a good amount of action mystery and just enough answers to satisfy yet keep you wanting more. I recommend it as long as you don't go in expecting this book to be amazing .
I didn't find myself connecting with Lydia in the way that I often do with YA heroines. I didn't understand some of her decisions and found myself, way more often than I normally do, disagreeing with her actions. I'm fairly certain if I got sent back in time I would be worried sick about my family missing me and how they were dealing with that crisis. I'd be doing everything in my power to get back, answers to 70 year old mysteries or not.
But I guess then we wouldn't have a book :)
Perhaps I also just didn't "connect" with the book in the way that I like to because I'm quite the skeptic and have a general distaste for conspiracy theories/horoscopes etc...?
The love story is definitely insta-love. If that sort of thing bothers you then I'd probably recommend staying away from this series. It's not always a deal breaker for me, though. And in this case I did find myself drawn to the sensitive, broody and mysterious Wes. I still thought it was ridiculous that Lydia finds herself "falling in love" with him after a few short days but my heart was still going pitter patter during the romantic scenes in spite of myself. Wes also became 10x more appealing when we find out his secret!
I did not enjoy how Lucas, another soldier, acted as if Lydia owed him her time, attention or feelings. Especially after knowing each other for just several days. No thank you and goodbye, Lucas.
I actually found myself not really caring that much about the family members in the past or the World War 2 setting. It just wasn't that interesting to me and I didn't connect to it. Hmmm...there was a lot of "not connecting" in this book...Probably the most appealing parts for me are the romance and whatever is at the heart of the deep mystery of this series (what is the MP actually up to? I'd love to see the MP, the organization, its people and its goals fleshed out more in future books).
Still, I find myself eager to start Book 2 tonight and am pretty glad that I didn't have to wait a year after that cliffhanger ending.
This is a compelling enough book with a sweet love story. There's a good amount of action mystery and just enough answers to satisfy yet keep you wanting more. I recommend it as long as you don't go in expecting this book to be amazing .
July 30, 2012
Review originally posted at Y.A. Love
The premise for So Close to You held so much promise and really piqued my interest, it ultimately disappointed me. I love the recent time travel trend happening in YA because it acts as a stepping stone to more solid science fiction, at least some of the “lighter” time travel novels like Hourglass and Tempest do. The blurb on the ARC of Rachel Carter’s novel claimed it has a “compelling romance like The Time Traveler’s Wife” and “imaginative suspense like Before I Fall.” Those are pretty big comparisons, so I had high hopes going into reading this.
I was interested when I first started reading So Close to You and really thought I was going to like it. The first 60-80 pages flew by and held my interest. Not long after that I was wondering where the story was going and what was going to happen. I kept wondering when the romance was going to come into play. Was Lydia going to fall in love with Wes, the guy who follows her back in time? Was she going to fall for Lucas, the guy living in a different time? There wasn’t any real romance to speak of until 200 pages in, and even then it wasn’t remotely believable. Lydia had maybe a few scenes with this guy and all of a sudden she was “falling for him.” Even then, the relationship (if we can really call it that) didn’t mean anything to me as a reader since it was so instant. The book is barely over 300 pages long, so waiting 200 pages for a dull romance was really disappointing.
The other bummer about Rachel Carter’s book is how nothing really happened for the entire book. Lydia is living in a different time trying to help her grandfather by keeping her great grandfather from making a bad choice. But she doesn’t really do anything until the last 80 pages or so. The rest of the book is her getting to know her distant relatives in a different time period and thinking about how she needs to save her family. And then there was Wes constantly reminding her not to change anything in the past because of the butterfly effect. Over and over again Lydia is reminded of this, and over and over again she ignores the warning.
I didn’t find anything about So Close to You as “imaginative.” I found it really boring and predictable. None of the characters meant anything to me; I couldn’t find a way to relate to or connect with any of them. I finished it because I wanted to know if my opinions were wrong. There’s a cliffhanger ending setting us up for the next book, and I’ll admit it’s interesting. I might read the second book because I’m optimistic and hoping this entire book was like a prologue to the actual story.
The premise for So Close to You held so much promise and really piqued my interest, it ultimately disappointed me. I love the recent time travel trend happening in YA because it acts as a stepping stone to more solid science fiction, at least some of the “lighter” time travel novels like Hourglass and Tempest do. The blurb on the ARC of Rachel Carter’s novel claimed it has a “compelling romance like The Time Traveler’s Wife” and “imaginative suspense like Before I Fall.” Those are pretty big comparisons, so I had high hopes going into reading this.
I was interested when I first started reading So Close to You and really thought I was going to like it. The first 60-80 pages flew by and held my interest. Not long after that I was wondering where the story was going and what was going to happen. I kept wondering when the romance was going to come into play. Was Lydia going to fall in love with Wes, the guy who follows her back in time? Was she going to fall for Lucas, the guy living in a different time? There wasn’t any real romance to speak of until 200 pages in, and even then it wasn’t remotely believable. Lydia had maybe a few scenes with this guy and all of a sudden she was “falling for him.” Even then, the relationship (if we can really call it that) didn’t mean anything to me as a reader since it was so instant. The book is barely over 300 pages long, so waiting 200 pages for a dull romance was really disappointing.
The other bummer about Rachel Carter’s book is how nothing really happened for the entire book. Lydia is living in a different time trying to help her grandfather by keeping her great grandfather from making a bad choice. But she doesn’t really do anything until the last 80 pages or so. The rest of the book is her getting to know her distant relatives in a different time period and thinking about how she needs to save her family. And then there was Wes constantly reminding her not to change anything in the past because of the butterfly effect. Over and over again Lydia is reminded of this, and over and over again she ignores the warning.
I didn’t find anything about So Close to You as “imaginative.” I found it really boring and predictable. None of the characters meant anything to me; I couldn’t find a way to relate to or connect with any of them. I finished it because I wanted to know if my opinions were wrong. There’s a cliffhanger ending setting us up for the next book, and I’ll admit it’s interesting. I might read the second book because I’m optimistic and hoping this entire book was like a prologue to the actual story.
July 14, 2012
Diana Gabaldon for teens!
I loved this book! It kept me up all night with it's romance and suspense.
The first few chapters were a bit slow, but once Wes entered the picture, I couldn't stop!
Remember sitting down and listening to your Grandma or Grandpa recount stories from their early years? Ever wonder what it would be like to go back and experience those moments with them? Well that's exactly what Lydia gets to do in So Close to You. She's given the unique opportunity to go back in time and meet her ancestors (and become besties with her great-aunt)- I loved this premiss, it was as entertaining as Back to the Future, minus the creepiness.
I enjoyed reading from Lydia's perspective, she's a strong heroine trying to do the right thing for her family. I mean, come on, how many of us can say we'd stick it out through World War II to solve the mystery of our Great-grandfather's disappearance? She's got strong morals and a great relationship with her parents and Grandfather, which is established in the first few chapters.
Mary (Lydia's great-aunt) was adorable! She's a huge girlie girl, always wanting to chat about boys and clothes and she's loyal and trusting. You'll have a hard time not like this character.
And let's not forget my favourite part of any read- The Boy. Lydia actually has two men vying for her attention in this read, but it's the mysterious Wes that everyone will be rooting for. In Lydia's words,
"...when I think handsome, I think of someone untouchable-the kind of guy you never meet in real life.
Guys like Wes. p.99
Cue the *swoon* and we're back, haha. Wes is a great guy, he's sexy, understanding, protective and has that added bit of intrigue to keep you guessing. The romance between these two is bittersweet and will have you smiling as little butterflies dance around your stomach.
Be warned! Once you've finished reading So Close to You, you'll be eager for its sequel- total cliffhanger ending, that definitely raises the myth of "The Butterfly Effect".
This book is full of mystery, we the reader, get to follow Lydia as she solves the mysteries that have been surrounding the town she grew up for many years. What is the Montauk Project? What happened to her great-grandpa, Dean and what/how much, exactly, does Wes have to do with all of it? Some of these questions are answered within this first installment, but I'm not going to tell you which- way to spoilery! :)
Overall, a great debut that I would recommend to all Young Adult fans, who enjoy romance and time-travel in their read. Lydia and Wes are the Claire and Jaime of YA!
Bring on Book #2!
Happy Reading!!!
I loved this book! It kept me up all night with it's romance and suspense.
The first few chapters were a bit slow, but once Wes entered the picture, I couldn't stop!
Remember sitting down and listening to your Grandma or Grandpa recount stories from their early years? Ever wonder what it would be like to go back and experience those moments with them? Well that's exactly what Lydia gets to do in So Close to You. She's given the unique opportunity to go back in time and meet her ancestors (and become besties with her great-aunt)- I loved this premiss, it was as entertaining as Back to the Future, minus the creepiness.
I enjoyed reading from Lydia's perspective, she's a strong heroine trying to do the right thing for her family. I mean, come on, how many of us can say we'd stick it out through World War II to solve the mystery of our Great-grandfather's disappearance? She's got strong morals and a great relationship with her parents and Grandfather, which is established in the first few chapters.
Mary (Lydia's great-aunt) was adorable! She's a huge girlie girl, always wanting to chat about boys and clothes and she's loyal and trusting. You'll have a hard time not like this character.
And let's not forget my favourite part of any read- The Boy. Lydia actually has two men vying for her attention in this read, but it's the mysterious Wes that everyone will be rooting for. In Lydia's words,
"...when I think handsome, I think of someone untouchable-the kind of guy you never meet in real life.
Guys like Wes. p.99
Cue the *swoon* and we're back, haha. Wes is a great guy, he's sexy, understanding, protective and has that added bit of intrigue to keep you guessing. The romance between these two is bittersweet and will have you smiling as little butterflies dance around your stomach.
Be warned! Once you've finished reading So Close to You, you'll be eager for its sequel- total cliffhanger ending, that definitely raises the myth of "The Butterfly Effect".
This book is full of mystery, we the reader, get to follow Lydia as she solves the mysteries that have been surrounding the town she grew up for many years. What is the Montauk Project? What happened to her great-grandpa, Dean and what/how much, exactly, does Wes have to do with all of it? Some of these questions are answered within this first installment, but I'm not going to tell you which- way to spoilery! :)
Overall, a great debut that I would recommend to all Young Adult fans, who enjoy romance and time-travel in their read. Lydia and Wes are the Claire and Jaime of YA!
Bring on Book #2!
Happy Reading!!!
April 16, 2012
My Thoughts: Oh wow, how I loved So Close To You! I don't usually like any kind of book that is historical. I have problems getting into those time periods but So Close To You was fantastic. It's like Time Traveler's Wife meets Scifi Channel.
We are introduced to Lydia who is your average teenage girl. She lives with her family including her grandpa. Her grandpa has a lot of theories about the Montauk Project, which is a space in the forest that used to exist. He has a lot of different ideas of what went on, what took place, and what exactly it is.
Lydia tries to believe his theories but she really doesn't buy the whole thing. She loves her grandpa so most days she just goes along with it. One day while out exploring she opens up the door on a vessel and stumbles back into the past. Back in the past where her great grandpa and his family existed. She meets her grandfather as a 6 year old. Can you imagine what that would be like?
She meets the rest of his family, she meets a few friends and a few new guys, including Wes. Wes was in the vessel that day and he is taken back to the 1900s with her. Wes was a very interesting character. I loved how he protected Lydia and tries to help her get the answers she needs. I loved how they felt about one another and how the relationship actually took a bit of time to develop.
Of course with time travel, there is always the consequence of changing something. You've heard of the whole butterfly effect?
So Close To You was an amazing read. I loved every minute of it. I loved seeing how Lydia gets herself into and out of certain situations. I loved how strong willed and smart she was. I loved how she interacted with all the other characters as well.
And the ending, oh my.... Talk about a big change......
Overall: I really loved this one. I can't wait to read the next book, I hope there is a next book!!! I loved Lydia and Wes, and Lucas, and Peter, and all of them! Such fun characters, such a fun and really "out" there plot.
All in all, what a great debut. A mix of sci-fi mixed with romance mixed with time travel.
Cover: Love it!!! She has such pretty red hair and love the way the sky looks.
What I'd Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes
_______
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
We are introduced to Lydia who is your average teenage girl. She lives with her family including her grandpa. Her grandpa has a lot of theories about the Montauk Project, which is a space in the forest that used to exist. He has a lot of different ideas of what went on, what took place, and what exactly it is.
Lydia tries to believe his theories but she really doesn't buy the whole thing. She loves her grandpa so most days she just goes along with it. One day while out exploring she opens up the door on a vessel and stumbles back into the past. Back in the past where her great grandpa and his family existed. She meets her grandfather as a 6 year old. Can you imagine what that would be like?
She meets the rest of his family, she meets a few friends and a few new guys, including Wes. Wes was in the vessel that day and he is taken back to the 1900s with her. Wes was a very interesting character. I loved how he protected Lydia and tries to help her get the answers she needs. I loved how they felt about one another and how the relationship actually took a bit of time to develop.
Of course with time travel, there is always the consequence of changing something. You've heard of the whole butterfly effect?
So Close To You was an amazing read. I loved every minute of it. I loved seeing how Lydia gets herself into and out of certain situations. I loved how strong willed and smart she was. I loved how she interacted with all the other characters as well.
And the ending, oh my.... Talk about a big change......
Overall: I really loved this one. I can't wait to read the next book, I hope there is a next book!!! I loved Lydia and Wes, and Lucas, and Peter, and all of them! Such fun characters, such a fun and really "out" there plot.
All in all, what a great debut. A mix of sci-fi mixed with romance mixed with time travel.
Cover: Love it!!! She has such pretty red hair and love the way the sky looks.
What I'd Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes
_______
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
July 30, 2012
So Close To You is such a fresh story. I'm always looking for unique stories in YA books and So Close To You has one of the most unique stories I have read. I already have high hopes for this series.
So Close To You is a time-travel mystery with a bit of historical fiction thrown in. Things were a little confusing at times but it was all part of the mystery. I truly never once guessed what was going on or how things were going to work out. The story was full of suspense, lies, and some pretty big betrayals.
Most of the story is actually set in 1944 and it's such an interesting setting. Not many books that I've read are set in this time period and it was surprisingly informational (but not in a boring history class way.) The soldiers, the dances, the lingo; it was all so fun. It's such a great mix of present-day and historical. Such a unique idea.
Lydia is never once an annoying character. She's sweet, honest, selfless, and pretty dang brave. I'm pretty sure I would have been a lot more hysterical if I had ended up in 1944. She wanted to go home but instead she stayed to help her family. She was pretty fun and such an easy character to like. Her family was also great. Her grandfather, both as an old man and as a little boy, was such a sweetheart. Mary was so nice and funny. Dr. and Mrs. Bentley were kind and caring. Dean was a bit harsh at first but he was just protective. Wes, a boy who followed Lydia back in time, was harder to figure out. He seemed kind of shady at times but super wonderful at others. He was very complex. There really weren't any bad characters.
The plot was fast-paced in the beginning and again in the end but it slowed down a bit too much for my liking in the middle. The middle was more of an info dump than anything. The info was necessary but I felt that it would have been better with more action. However it's still a very enjoyable book.
Overall, So Close To You is an interesting story that I am eager to read more of. I want more of Lydia and Wes as well as more historical stuff! Maybe a different time period next time?
So Close To You is a time-travel mystery with a bit of historical fiction thrown in. Things were a little confusing at times but it was all part of the mystery. I truly never once guessed what was going on or how things were going to work out. The story was full of suspense, lies, and some pretty big betrayals.
Most of the story is actually set in 1944 and it's such an interesting setting. Not many books that I've read are set in this time period and it was surprisingly informational (but not in a boring history class way.) The soldiers, the dances, the lingo; it was all so fun. It's such a great mix of present-day and historical. Such a unique idea.
Lydia is never once an annoying character. She's sweet, honest, selfless, and pretty dang brave. I'm pretty sure I would have been a lot more hysterical if I had ended up in 1944. She wanted to go home but instead she stayed to help her family. She was pretty fun and such an easy character to like. Her family was also great. Her grandfather, both as an old man and as a little boy, was such a sweetheart. Mary was so nice and funny. Dr. and Mrs. Bentley were kind and caring. Dean was a bit harsh at first but he was just protective. Wes, a boy who followed Lydia back in time, was harder to figure out. He seemed kind of shady at times but super wonderful at others. He was very complex. There really weren't any bad characters.
The plot was fast-paced in the beginning and again in the end but it slowed down a bit too much for my liking in the middle. The middle was more of an info dump than anything. The info was necessary but I felt that it would have been better with more action. However it's still a very enjoyable book.
Overall, So Close To You is an interesting story that I am eager to read more of. I want more of Lydia and Wes as well as more historical stuff! Maybe a different time period next time?
July 4, 2012
Originally posted on Lovey Dovey Books
Rachel Carter's debut novel, So Close to You, is a delightful beginning to an upcoming series. Readers follow high school senior Lydia through time and space to the 1940's, where she finds trouble and a yearning for truth.
The Montauk Project is a new subject for me and I'm particularly happy that it veers from what's usually written about in young adult novels. Sure time travel isn't new on the scene, but Carter has dusted off the edges and given the concept a new look. As an aspiring journalist, Lydia loves digging for the truth, so it's no surprise when she jumps at the opportunity to investigate the usually impenetrable secret base of The Montauk Project. After years of listening to the conspiracies from her grandfather Lydia feels a sense of obligation to do everything she can to put the rumors to rest.
Lydia is somewhat of a conundrum. She gets stuck in the past for a good part of the novel and resists leaving all for the sake of her family. One may say that's heroic and selfless, but at times she came across as selfish, never taking into account the warnings of someone more qualified to understand the technicalities of time travel. I'd say she sealed her fate the second she decided to be a hero and take history into her own hands. I was scared that she would make the wrong choices and ruin her life in her own time, but I can't fault her for taking risks.
The blast into the past gives readers a nice taste of life during a time of war. It helps the novel stand out because time travel usually focuses more on the scientific facts while Carter focuses more on historical facts. The romance has a slow build up, but once it gets going it simmers right until the end.
I have much hope for the trilogy's future novels. Seriously, I can't imagine what may or may not happen next and the curiosity is killing me. So Close to You will please science fiction fans and throw mystery fans into a frenzy with a startling ending!
*ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Rachel Carter's debut novel, So Close to You, is a delightful beginning to an upcoming series. Readers follow high school senior Lydia through time and space to the 1940's, where she finds trouble and a yearning for truth.
The Montauk Project is a new subject for me and I'm particularly happy that it veers from what's usually written about in young adult novels. Sure time travel isn't new on the scene, but Carter has dusted off the edges and given the concept a new look. As an aspiring journalist, Lydia loves digging for the truth, so it's no surprise when she jumps at the opportunity to investigate the usually impenetrable secret base of The Montauk Project. After years of listening to the conspiracies from her grandfather Lydia feels a sense of obligation to do everything she can to put the rumors to rest.
Lydia is somewhat of a conundrum. She gets stuck in the past for a good part of the novel and resists leaving all for the sake of her family. One may say that's heroic and selfless, but at times she came across as selfish, never taking into account the warnings of someone more qualified to understand the technicalities of time travel. I'd say she sealed her fate the second she decided to be a hero and take history into her own hands. I was scared that she would make the wrong choices and ruin her life in her own time, but I can't fault her for taking risks.
The blast into the past gives readers a nice taste of life during a time of war. It helps the novel stand out because time travel usually focuses more on the scientific facts while Carter focuses more on historical facts. The romance has a slow build up, but once it gets going it simmers right until the end.
I have much hope for the trilogy's future novels. Seriously, I can't imagine what may or may not happen next and the curiosity is killing me. So Close to You will please science fiction fans and throw mystery fans into a frenzy with a startling ending!
*ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review*
July 2, 2012
So Close to You wasn’t really what I expected – it was BETTER than what I expected actually. I love the cover with Lydia on it. Her bright Auburn hair definitely stands out against the background.
Lydia is a senior in High School and is eager to leave her small town life behind. Montauk is a small town full of mysteries. Back during WWI there was a military base named Camp Hero, in Montauk where it is rumored to have been a secret laboratory where they did top secret experiments. Lydia's grandfather swears that the rumors are true and that "The Montauk Project" was the reason that his father disappeared when he was just a little boy. Lydia doesn’t believe in any of this stuff, but has always stood by her grandfather and goes with him to Camp Hero regularly to seek out the "truth". Then one day, while at Camp Hero, Lydia and her grandfather go to one of the old bunks to look for clues, like they have done a dozen times and just like before, nothing has changed. The steel door is still shut and there is no way in getting inside. As Lydia and her grandfather start walking back to the car, Lydia remembers she left her sweater back at the bunk. When she gets there, to her surprise the metal door is wide open. Pushed by curiosity and a will to unravel the mystery of her great-grandfather's disappearance, she decides to go inside. Next thing she knows, she walk into a time machine and is taken back to 1944. Her whole world is flipped upside down. She has a chance to save her family, and find out what really happened to her great-grandfather. Changing the past can cause chaos in the present, but its a risk that Lydia will have to take.
So Close to You was a great read. The mystery definitely kept me going. There were a few parts where it dragged a little but overall the story was great. I really hope there is a second book coming because the ending had me making up all sorts of questions as to what happened and what will happen next. Great read for the summer.
BLOG: http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2012...
Lydia is a senior in High School and is eager to leave her small town life behind. Montauk is a small town full of mysteries. Back during WWI there was a military base named Camp Hero, in Montauk where it is rumored to have been a secret laboratory where they did top secret experiments. Lydia's grandfather swears that the rumors are true and that "The Montauk Project" was the reason that his father disappeared when he was just a little boy. Lydia doesn’t believe in any of this stuff, but has always stood by her grandfather and goes with him to Camp Hero regularly to seek out the "truth". Then one day, while at Camp Hero, Lydia and her grandfather go to one of the old bunks to look for clues, like they have done a dozen times and just like before, nothing has changed. The steel door is still shut and there is no way in getting inside. As Lydia and her grandfather start walking back to the car, Lydia remembers she left her sweater back at the bunk. When she gets there, to her surprise the metal door is wide open. Pushed by curiosity and a will to unravel the mystery of her great-grandfather's disappearance, she decides to go inside. Next thing she knows, she walk into a time machine and is taken back to 1944. Her whole world is flipped upside down. She has a chance to save her family, and find out what really happened to her great-grandfather. Changing the past can cause chaos in the present, but its a risk that Lydia will have to take.
So Close to You was a great read. The mystery definitely kept me going. There were a few parts where it dragged a little but overall the story was great. I really hope there is a second book coming because the ending had me making up all sorts of questions as to what happened and what will happen next. Great read for the summer.
BLOG: http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2012...
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