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Clockwise #2
Clockwiser
The last year has been smooth sailing for Casey Donovan. She and her boyfriend Nate are doing better than ever, and things at home are good, too. Everything’s been so calm, she hasn’t even “tripped” back to the nineteenth century.
Then the unthinkable happens and she accidentally takes her rebellious brother Tim back in time. It’s 1862 with the Civil War brewing, and for Tim this spells adventure and excitement. Finding himself stuck in the past, he enlists in the Union army, but it doesn’t take long before he discovers real life war is no fun and games.
Casey and Nate race against the clock to find Tim, but the strain wears on their relationship. It doesn’t help that the intriguing new boy next door has his sights on Casey, and isn’t shy to let her know it.
Can Nate and Casey find Tim in time to save him? And is it too late to save their love?
Then the unthinkable happens and she accidentally takes her rebellious brother Tim back in time. It’s 1862 with the Civil War brewing, and for Tim this spells adventure and excitement. Finding himself stuck in the past, he enlists in the Union army, but it doesn’t take long before he discovers real life war is no fun and games.
Casey and Nate race against the clock to find Tim, but the strain wears on their relationship. It doesn’t help that the intriguing new boy next door has his sights on Casey, and isn’t shy to let her know it.
Can Nate and Casey find Tim in time to save him? And is it too late to save their love?
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2012
102 people are currently reading
756 people want to read
About the author
Elle Strauss
34 books571 followersHi, there! I'm Lee Strauss, (formerly Elle Strauss) USA TODAY Bestselling author, known for the acclaimed GINGER GOLD MYSTERY series as well as other cozy mystery, sci-fi, sweet romance and young adult.
You’ll find more information about all of my series by heading over to my official website leestraussbooks.com. See you there!
You’ll find more information about all of my series by heading over to my official website leestraussbooks.com. See you there!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
October 30, 2013
I gave the benefit of the doubt when I was grading the first book – Clockwise. However, now I can say that Clockwiser fully deserves its five.
The plot continues. Casey and Nate are still a couple, although Nate has already been in college and Casey is a bit worried that he might find a new girlfriend there. Also, some extra problems between those two add colour to the novel. There are all other people to whom we are used to, especially Lucinda and the Watsons, and there is this cute new guy: Chase. Tim got his own part of the story and the next part evolves around Willie. Casey is stuck in between them, and she’s trying to make both ends meet. Not everything ends that well but the story is gripping.
What I like most about it, is quick pace, the focus on action instead dull descriptions, as well as an original idea. The author proved to be a brilliant and quick learner and the technique of writing is noticeably improved. Although I didn’t mind the way the romance was evolving in Clockwise (nothing like one of those pretentious love stories), the method of leading the story could have been improved. Clockwiser, on the other hand, is more reliable in setting up the story.
I found attractive the way memory works in the book, how the main characters recall events from the past, how they try to go into the future. I also found one idea quite inspirational and this is where we perversely move to some drawbacks of the novel. Playing around with time and the investigation into the possibility of cheating the timeline was a great idea and quite well led. However, I think it was not exhausted in a way that it could have been. I also didn't find very convincing the explanation of why it had to be that way – but it led me to my own interesting conclusions. Also, the author still has some minor problems when connecting some ideas from different parts of the book. It might be thinking alike but I knew where the story was going once I read a hint about some irrelevant signs (or at least it was meant to be shown as that), and I think the conception was to surprise the reader with an unexpected twist of events – which just didn’t work for me.
Those are just minor problems and they don’t stop you from enjoying the story. I was reading till the very late hours at night, just couldn't put the book down. If you found the first novel amusing, you can pick up this one and you won't regret your decision.
The plot continues. Casey and Nate are still a couple, although Nate has already been in college and Casey is a bit worried that he might find a new girlfriend there. Also, some extra problems between those two add colour to the novel. There are all other people to whom we are used to, especially Lucinda and the Watsons, and there is this cute new guy: Chase. Tim got his own part of the story and the next part evolves around Willie. Casey is stuck in between them, and she’s trying to make both ends meet. Not everything ends that well but the story is gripping.
What I like most about it, is quick pace, the focus on action instead dull descriptions, as well as an original idea. The author proved to be a brilliant and quick learner and the technique of writing is noticeably improved. Although I didn’t mind the way the romance was evolving in Clockwise (nothing like one of those pretentious love stories), the method of leading the story could have been improved. Clockwiser, on the other hand, is more reliable in setting up the story.
I found attractive the way memory works in the book, how the main characters recall events from the past, how they try to go into the future. I also found one idea quite inspirational and this is where we perversely move to some drawbacks of the novel. Playing around with time and the investigation into the possibility of cheating the timeline was a great idea and quite well led. However, I think it was not exhausted in a way that it could have been. I also didn't find very convincing the explanation of why it had to be that way – but it led me to my own interesting conclusions. Also, the author still has some minor problems when connecting some ideas from different parts of the book. It might be thinking alike but I knew where the story was going once I read a hint about some irrelevant signs (or at least it was meant to be shown as that), and I think the conception was to surprise the reader with an unexpected twist of events – which just didn’t work for me.
Those are just minor problems and they don’t stop you from enjoying the story. I was reading till the very late hours at night, just couldn't put the book down. If you found the first novel amusing, you can pick up this one and you won't regret your decision.
September 27, 2017
Clockwiser is the second book in the Clockwise series. It’s clean and suitable for tweens and teens looking for a quick read.
It’s refreshing how quick paced this series is, focusing on the action of it all instead of endless details that I have to skip.
What made me rate this one 3.5 stars was:
Chase Miller, I feel he’s an unnecessary character who came into this story with no purpose whatsoever.
Casey even considering this guy.
Lucinda rebounding on Willie.
Still, I enjoyed the whole story!
It’s refreshing how quick paced this series is, focusing on the action of it all instead of endless details that I have to skip.
What made me rate this one 3.5 stars was:
Chase Miller, I feel he’s an unnecessary character who came into this story with no purpose whatsoever.
Casey even considering this guy.
Lucinda rebounding on Willie.
Still, I enjoyed the whole story!
August 13, 2012
Review: Clockwiser by Elle Strauss
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
A couple months ago I was lucky enough to be able to read Clockwise by Elle Strauss as part of a virtual book tour. Not long after Elle Strauss emailed me to see if I'd also like to read and review the sequel. I immediately responded YES and so was able to also read Clockwiser. With everything going on it has taken me a bit longer to write this review.
Clockwiser continues the story of Casey Donovan and her friends and family around her. Casey is different that other girls her age because she time travels. I've read other books on time travel and I just love how elegant time travel in her books are. In other books it can be confusing and mind boggling to keep straight when the main character time travels. But in Elle Strauss's series it is always obvious and easy to follow.
Casey hasn't "tripped" (her word for time travel) since the last book left off which is the longest she has gone without tripping. But then when she is having a disagreement with her younger brother TIm, she touches him and suddenly travels back in time with Tim. When Casey trips, if she is touching sometime skin to skin (ie holding hands) she brings them back with her!. Casey only travels back to the same time and so as she has gotten older so have the people she has befriended in the past.
Tim has no idea that Casey has this amazing 'talent'. At least he doesn't until he ends up tripping back in time with Casey. A huge problem this time is that it is now 1862 in the past and the Civil Was is quickly approaching. While Casey is safe from being drafted because she is a girl, Tim (while a little under the age requirement) isn't necessarily exempt.
Since Casey must have skin to skin contact when she trips back to the present she tries to make sure Tim is near her at all times. But when she returns to the present without Tim panic sets in. Now Casey and boyfriend Nate (who went back with her in the first book) keep trying to return to the past to get Tim back, but Tim being impatient and rebellious decides to join up with the Union army.
I really LOVED every page of Clockwiser. I read through it in one sitting! This is by far one of the best novels I've read since I started blogging a year ago! I had so much fun reading both of the books in this series and cannot wait to read the third Like Clockwork. I love the way Elle Strauss is able weave together the past and present in such an easy to follow and beautiful way. I really don't have anything negative to add except that I wanted both books to be longer.
I think that the premise for how Casey time travels is just fascinating as it can happen at any time day or night. No matter how much time Casey spends in the past she always returns to exactly where she left off. If you like YA books on time traveling then you really should pick up a copy of Clockwise and Clockwiser.
~Jaclyn~
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
A couple months ago I was lucky enough to be able to read Clockwise by Elle Strauss as part of a virtual book tour. Not long after Elle Strauss emailed me to see if I'd also like to read and review the sequel. I immediately responded YES and so was able to also read Clockwiser. With everything going on it has taken me a bit longer to write this review.
Clockwiser continues the story of Casey Donovan and her friends and family around her. Casey is different that other girls her age because she time travels. I've read other books on time travel and I just love how elegant time travel in her books are. In other books it can be confusing and mind boggling to keep straight when the main character time travels. But in Elle Strauss's series it is always obvious and easy to follow.
Casey hasn't "tripped" (her word for time travel) since the last book left off which is the longest she has gone without tripping. But then when she is having a disagreement with her younger brother TIm, she touches him and suddenly travels back in time with Tim. When Casey trips, if she is touching sometime skin to skin (ie holding hands) she brings them back with her!. Casey only travels back to the same time and so as she has gotten older so have the people she has befriended in the past.
Tim has no idea that Casey has this amazing 'talent'. At least he doesn't until he ends up tripping back in time with Casey. A huge problem this time is that it is now 1862 in the past and the Civil Was is quickly approaching. While Casey is safe from being drafted because she is a girl, Tim (while a little under the age requirement) isn't necessarily exempt.
Since Casey must have skin to skin contact when she trips back to the present she tries to make sure Tim is near her at all times. But when she returns to the present without Tim panic sets in. Now Casey and boyfriend Nate (who went back with her in the first book) keep trying to return to the past to get Tim back, but Tim being impatient and rebellious decides to join up with the Union army.
I really LOVED every page of Clockwiser. I read through it in one sitting! This is by far one of the best novels I've read since I started blogging a year ago! I had so much fun reading both of the books in this series and cannot wait to read the third Like Clockwork. I love the way Elle Strauss is able weave together the past and present in such an easy to follow and beautiful way. I really don't have anything negative to add except that I wanted both books to be longer.
I think that the premise for how Casey time travels is just fascinating as it can happen at any time day or night. No matter how much time Casey spends in the past she always returns to exactly where she left off. If you like YA books on time traveling then you really should pick up a copy of Clockwise and Clockwiser.
~Jaclyn~
April 18, 2012
I'm using the term 'better' very loosely here when I say Clockwiser is better than Clockwise. The plot setup's not as ridiculous as before, if still ridiculous, the time traveling gets a (little) bit more fleshed out, the writing doesn't feel like the wrong kind of juvenile as it did before at times, and there's much more of Willie and Lucinda. I almost feel bad for knocking off a star, but... It's just so cheesy.
Clockwise started all sorts of wrong for me, but I liked that it could be serious when the plot needed to be serious. I couldn't take anything in this book seriously. Everything was just so cheesy. Yeah, repeating myself, but it really is this cheesy. Most of it probably has to be due to the fact that, this time around, Casey's not really the star of the show. She and Nate seem to be more along for the ride in this one, and the other characters actually driving the plot are just so ridiculous (plus, I didn't really see the point of the Chase Miller character at all, he's only there for unnecessary manufactured drama, and the resolution of that plotline was just weird).
So Tim, who starts the whole thing by surviving a near death experience, is just completely absurd, what with his complete lack of common sense and joining the Union Army during the Civil War. And if there was any chance I'd accept any of that as him just being stupid ... he and Josephine completely negated that. Then Willie ends up the wide-eyed visitor from the past that Lucinda immediately latches on to, sorry, I couldn't follow the plot with a straight face at all.
Despite my criticisms, Clockwiser isn't bad in the sense that Clockwise was 'bad', it's better, if you're looking for light cheese. Good light cheese, in fact. It's just not something that really hooked me, unfortunately. I couldn't take the Civil War, Bull Run, storyline seriously as it should be taken seriously, not with Casey train hopping and Willie's predictably fish out of water reaction to the future completely distracting me.
Basically, this sequel's as quick but more cloying than the first, and even more ridiculous and ridiculously cheesy. Eye rolls mostly instead of tasting bile, and left me feeling like I'd just consumed a gallon of melt cheddar. My apologies if you were playing a drinking game with this review and picked the word 'cheese' :(
Clockwise started all sorts of wrong for me, but I liked that it could be serious when the plot needed to be serious. I couldn't take anything in this book seriously. Everything was just so cheesy. Yeah, repeating myself, but it really is this cheesy. Most of it probably has to be due to the fact that, this time around, Casey's not really the star of the show. She and Nate seem to be more along for the ride in this one, and the other characters actually driving the plot are just so ridiculous (plus, I didn't really see the point of the Chase Miller character at all, he's only there for unnecessary manufactured drama, and the resolution of that plotline was just weird).
So Tim, who starts the whole thing by surviving a near death experience, is just completely absurd, what with his complete lack of common sense and joining the Union Army during the Civil War. And if there was any chance I'd accept any of that as him just being stupid ... he and Josephine completely negated that. Then Willie ends up the wide-eyed visitor from the past that Lucinda immediately latches on to, sorry, I couldn't follow the plot with a straight face at all.
Despite my criticisms, Clockwiser isn't bad in the sense that Clockwise was 'bad', it's better, if you're looking for light cheese. Good light cheese, in fact. It's just not something that really hooked me, unfortunately. I couldn't take the Civil War, Bull Run, storyline seriously as it should be taken seriously, not with Casey train hopping and Willie's predictably fish out of water reaction to the future completely distracting me.
Basically, this sequel's as quick but more cloying than the first, and even more ridiculous and ridiculously cheesy. Eye rolls mostly instead of tasting bile, and left me feeling like I'd just consumed a gallon of melt cheddar. My apologies if you were playing a drinking game with this review and picked the word 'cheese' :(
May 4, 2012
It’s been a year since we last saw Casey and her boyfriend, Nate. Things are just heavenly for the couple and she hasn’t even tripped the whole time. Yep, life is good! Well it is until Casey’s mom finds pot in her brother Tim’s possession. While Casey is trying to question Tim about the pot, the stress comes on and they are tripped back to 1862. Surprisingly, Tim takes it rather well…almost too well.
Believing he is invincible, Tim enlists in the army when Casey trips back to present time, leaving him behind. He wants to see firsthand what a real battle looks like. So while Casey is trying to find a way back to the past rescue him, Tim is about to get his wake up call. Will Casey get to him before it’s too late or will Tim be stuck back in the past forever?
If ever there was a fictional character that I wanted to slap around a bit and say grow up...it would be Tim. Lord help me if there weren't times I wished I could reach into the stinkin book and knock some sense into him so he would learn a lesson or 2 about the ways of life. Even so, it was fun reading about him. But one of the best characters was Willie. You will see why when you read the book. I don’t want to give that part away.
I am so fond of Elle’s work and her writing; always perfectly written and edited. You can tell she loves what she does when reading her books. Thankfully she has asked me a few times since Clockwise to review her books and I am just so honored. Her books are wonderfully written; they have fun characters and have engrossing plots that keep you entertained the entire time. Her books are perfect for Middle Graders and up. There is no going wrong when choosing a Strauss story.
Believing he is invincible, Tim enlists in the army when Casey trips back to present time, leaving him behind. He wants to see firsthand what a real battle looks like. So while Casey is trying to find a way back to the past rescue him, Tim is about to get his wake up call. Will Casey get to him before it’s too late or will Tim be stuck back in the past forever?
If ever there was a fictional character that I wanted to slap around a bit and say grow up...it would be Tim. Lord help me if there weren't times I wished I could reach into the stinkin book and knock some sense into him so he would learn a lesson or 2 about the ways of life. Even so, it was fun reading about him. But one of the best characters was Willie. You will see why when you read the book. I don’t want to give that part away.
I am so fond of Elle’s work and her writing; always perfectly written and edited. You can tell she loves what she does when reading her books. Thankfully she has asked me a few times since Clockwise to review her books and I am just so honored. Her books are wonderfully written; they have fun characters and have engrossing plots that keep you entertained the entire time. Her books are perfect for Middle Graders and up. There is no going wrong when choosing a Strauss story.
December 12, 2012
Putting aside the time traveling, I didn't think this second book was remarkable.
I found Casey to be stupid, overreacting in terms of Nate's dislike/jealousy of Chase.
Further, she chose to ride with Chase over her boyfriend, which made matters inherently worse but apparently, she was the victim.
At the end of it all, why was Nate the one to apologize with heaps of flowers when she was the one in the wrong all along? More so, why was Chase introduced in the first place? I thought he would add some mysterious quality to the time traveling, but I was wrong. His presence seemed rather unnecessary to the development of the story.
I found Casey to be stupid, overreacting in terms of Nate's dislike/jealousy of Chase.
Further, she chose to ride with Chase over her boyfriend, which made matters inherently worse but apparently, she was the victim.
At the end of it all, why was Nate the one to apologize with heaps of flowers when she was the one in the wrong all along? More so, why was Chase introduced in the first place? I thought he would add some mysterious quality to the time traveling, but I was wrong. His presence seemed rather unnecessary to the development of the story.
December 27, 2013
I couldn't wait to read more about our heroine's travels when I started reading. I was, sorely, disappointed in the way this book went. The writing was not as good as it was in the first book and the relationships established in the first book barely grew and need more expansion. The ending was disappointing in the fact that you could easily assume what occurred after. This is not free on Kindle. 3 stars. Recommended for 12-14 year olds.
November 25, 2017
Another adventure with Casey and Nate - these are such fun reads! Casey is a time traveler that loops to the 19th century. If she is touching someone's skin when she 'trips' they end up going with her. This time it happened with her brother. She also found that it can happen on the return trip home as well. Casey battles to get Willie back to the 19th century and also rescue her brother who had the crazy idea that enlisting in the army was a great idea of an adventure. Boys... *eye roll* I was a little thrown off at the end about having Chase arrested for drug sale to recruit gang members (etc.) that was a little off. But otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed the second installment of this series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2020
Clockwiser is the sequel to the ya time travel series Clockwise. Casey can time travel to the nineteenth century without any warning. She often ends up visiting the Watson family near the cusp of the Civil War. In this installment Casey inadvertently time travels with her younger troubled teenager brother Tim.
Unfortunately this sequel was just meh. The story is a quick read which had such great potential. Casey and Nate are now an established couple. As to be expected drama is manufactured both with the tension of Nate being at college which is a legitimate fear for teenage girls. But it failed to prove deeper into this issue. And once again, the historical aspect was given given a surface treatment. Whilst I understood the message being told, this book could have been longer to properly delve into the points raised with war, masculinity and gender.
Unfortunately this sequel was just meh. The story is a quick read which had such great potential. Casey and Nate are now an established couple. As to be expected drama is manufactured both with the tension of Nate being at college which is a legitimate fear for teenage girls. But it failed to prove deeper into this issue. And once again, the historical aspect was given given a surface treatment. Whilst I understood the message being told, this book could have been longer to properly delve into the points raised with war, masculinity and gender.
February 21, 2013
4.5 TIME WARPED STARS
Cassie and Nate are back in this brilliantly crafted, and written sequel. The story resumes with its usual lighthearted humor, and intensity. Except, this time around, there’s family drama, as Tim trips with Cassie into the past. But that’s not all, because Willie (from the past), accidentally trips back to the future with Cassie. Unfortunately, the Civil War is at its’ peak, so Tim’s off to war, unless Cassie can take Willie back in time, while bringing Tim back safely. Hopefully, with the help of her experienced tripping BF Nate, she’ll pull it off.
The story is told in alternating POVs of Cassie and Tim. I’m not sure why the Tim’s POV was featured; I’d have much rather preferred Nate’s POV. As a result, I skimmed through much of Tim’s POV and his war experience. On the other hand, I devoured the chapters focusing on Cassie’s POV. I was hoping for more Cassie & Nate bonding, but they only shared fleeting moments of sweetness.
I think my biggest issue with this series is that it’s too short! We get 2-3 trips at the most, and then the rest of the story focuses on the present. But, because of all the things that go awry (in both past & present), and issues that need to be resolved, the character/relationship development is hugely weakened. Hence, the story felt more plot driven, rather than character driven, which was slightly disappointing.
Also, I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a supporter of well written love-triangles. So, when Chase stepped into the picture, I was thrilled! But, to my dismay, he was barely in the story... Overall, I wish each interaction between the characters were drawn out a bit more; they felt rushed and too quick for me to really appreciate. However, I really did enjoy this sequel. I’m not sure if I’ll continue, as the next book isn’t about Nate and Cassie; I’m not ready for their story to end yet... But I'm sure I’ll be rereading the first two books in the near future.
A fun, breezy, clean, cute read!
Cassie and Nate are back in this brilliantly crafted, and written sequel. The story resumes with its usual lighthearted humor, and intensity. Except, this time around, there’s family drama, as Tim trips with Cassie into the past. But that’s not all, because Willie (from the past), accidentally trips back to the future with Cassie. Unfortunately, the Civil War is at its’ peak, so Tim’s off to war, unless Cassie can take Willie back in time, while bringing Tim back safely. Hopefully, with the help of her experienced tripping BF Nate, she’ll pull it off.
The story is told in alternating POVs of Cassie and Tim. I’m not sure why the Tim’s POV was featured; I’d have much rather preferred Nate’s POV. As a result, I skimmed through much of Tim’s POV and his war experience. On the other hand, I devoured the chapters focusing on Cassie’s POV. I was hoping for more Cassie & Nate bonding, but they only shared fleeting moments of sweetness.
I think my biggest issue with this series is that it’s too short! We get 2-3 trips at the most, and then the rest of the story focuses on the present. But, because of all the things that go awry (in both past & present), and issues that need to be resolved, the character/relationship development is hugely weakened. Hence, the story felt more plot driven, rather than character driven, which was slightly disappointing.
Also, I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a supporter of well written love-triangles. So, when Chase stepped into the picture, I was thrilled! But, to my dismay, he was barely in the story... Overall, I wish each interaction between the characters were drawn out a bit more; they felt rushed and too quick for me to really appreciate. However, I really did enjoy this sequel. I’m not sure if I’ll continue, as the next book isn’t about Nate and Cassie; I’m not ready for their story to end yet... But I'm sure I’ll be rereading the first two books in the near future.
A fun, breezy, clean, cute read!
June 11, 2012
Casey has an unique ability. She is a time traveler. This book is a sequel an I liked it just as much as the first book.
Casey travels back to the 1800's with her brother. She has figured out that her time travel happens in a stressful moment. What is more stressful than a mother finding drugs in her brother's bedroom. Trying to talk to her brother, they both take a trip back in time.
Tim is having an emotional/rebellious crisis. He looks at the time travel as a sort of game. The rules of the past don't apply to him, or so he thinks.
Casey never knows when she will come home. She gets a tingly feeling and knows that she has moments before she is home. Tim didn't heed her call and stayed in the past. She even manages to bring a person from the past into the future!
The book has some wonderful historic elements. The time period is of the US Civil War. I'm glad that Elle Strauss didn't sugarcoat the hardship and death rate of the soldiers.
This is some romance angst, some action, and historical research.
I hope in the next book we find out what happens to Will. He's the young man she inadvertently brought to the present with her. There is quite a bit that can happen with that story and I look forward to reading the next installment.
Casey travels back to the 1800's with her brother. She has figured out that her time travel happens in a stressful moment. What is more stressful than a mother finding drugs in her brother's bedroom. Trying to talk to her brother, they both take a trip back in time.
Tim is having an emotional/rebellious crisis. He looks at the time travel as a sort of game. The rules of the past don't apply to him, or so he thinks.
Casey never knows when she will come home. She gets a tingly feeling and knows that she has moments before she is home. Tim didn't heed her call and stayed in the past. She even manages to bring a person from the past into the future!
The book has some wonderful historic elements. The time period is of the US Civil War. I'm glad that Elle Strauss didn't sugarcoat the hardship and death rate of the soldiers.
This is some romance angst, some action, and historical research.
I hope in the next book we find out what happens to Will. He's the young man she inadvertently brought to the present with her. There is quite a bit that can happen with that story and I look forward to reading the next installment.
July 16, 2015
3.5stars
I read this in the Clockwise series omnibus so I won't go into too much detail as I read the whole thing in two sittings.
I must say that I really liked the main character Casey and her take on her 'gift'. It took me a while to warm to Nate and even longer to like Tim. The different POVs in this instalment were a bit distracting too.
I read this in the Clockwise series omnibus so I won't go into too much detail as I read the whole thing in two sittings.
I must say that I really liked the main character Casey and her take on her 'gift'. It took me a while to warm to Nate and even longer to like Tim. The different POVs in this instalment were a bit distracting too.
July 10, 2012
Not as exciting as the first since I knew what would happen, but still good. I'd give it a solid 3.5 stars.
December 14, 2012
I was kind of disappointed with this book. I felt that the first one was so much better on almost all levels. The story felt rushed and characters shallow.
March 6, 2017
Interesting take on time travel etecetera. CLOCKWISE: A young adult time travel romance. (The Clockwise Series Book 1) CLOCKWISER: A Young Adult Time Travel Romance (The Clockwise Series Book 2) Like Clockwork: A Young Adult Time Travel Romance. (The Clockwise Series Book 3) Counter Clockwise: A young adult time travel romance (The Clockwise Collection Book 4) Clockwork Crazy: A young adult time travel romance. (The Clockwise Collection Book 5) CLOCKED: A young adult time travel romance novella companion to Clockwise. (The Clockwise Series Book 6) ; also received copies could review if wanted to, but since review everything I read....
*Note on Amazon shows #4 here as #6, don't know what that does to order of books, think it put #4 on goodreads so pushes #4 there to #5 here and then #5 to #6 here instead, the book in question is the only novella
*Note on Amazon shows #4 here as #6, don't know what that does to order of books, think it put #4 on goodreads so pushes #4 there to #5 here and then #5 to #6 here instead, the book in question is the only novella
February 14, 2017
This installment was as much fun as the first ~ it's the 2nd in a six book series. This time the adventure begins when Casey accidentally "trips" back to the 1860's when she is touching her brother's arm and she takes him with her. Her brother is nothing but trouble, so this ends up being quite the rescue mission for Casey and her boyfriend, Nate. So fun!
June 9, 2018
I liked this second book even better than the first, because when Casey accidentally takes her brother Tim back in time it causes all sorts of problems - for him, for her, and for everyone involved. It is written from two different points of view - both hers and Tim's - which helps explain why the characters act the way they do.
July 7, 2017
Cute story. Quick read
October 28, 2017
DNF you know I just felt like this was a repeat of the first one- which was good, but life is too short to read boring books.
December 29, 2017
Things are getting complicated and difficult decisions have to be made. Enjoyed the continuation of the story.
July 22, 2019
Another fun read with a little more drama. Loved the ending!
April 3, 2020
Nice to see the siblings support one another. Chase and his "youth gang" tattoo. Lolz
October 12, 2016
We join Casey a year after Clockwise to find lots of things have changed.
Nate & Casey are still together and Casey's trips to the past has become less frequent.
When Casey's brother, Tim, gets pulled into the past with her
he sees it as a great adventure. It becomes all too real when he becomes stuck in the past with the Civil War raging.
Casey needs to find a way to get back to Tim and bring him back to their time before he gets himself into trouble.
Nate & Casey are still together and Casey's trips to the past has become less frequent.
When Casey's brother, Tim, gets pulled into the past with her
he sees it as a great adventure. It becomes all too real when he becomes stuck in the past with the Civil War raging.
Casey needs to find a way to get back to Tim and bring him back to their time before he gets himself into trouble.
March 6, 2017
The adventures of Casey Donovan continue in the second book of the series. While Nate, her current boyfriend, may have accepted her "tripping" back to the past, Casey still has a far from stress free life. Her brother Tim is not getting over his temper tantrums which began when their parents had separated. He gets into trouble every chance he gets and Casey gets mad at him for causing trouble where none needs to exist. Naturally this triggers a trip to the past and Tim is shocked and thrilled to learn about her double life.
Unfortunately unlike the others who have gone into the past with Casey, Tim is in no hurry to return. When Casey comes back without him Tim decides to join the Civil War. Now Casey enlists help from Nate to try and get him back safely. Unfortunately Tim has a knack for finding trouble no matter which century he happens to be in. Will Casey be able to save Tim from the danger he finds himself in? Find out when you read the book.
Unfortunately unlike the others who have gone into the past with Casey, Tim is in no hurry to return. When Casey comes back without him Tim decides to join the Civil War. Now Casey enlists help from Nate to try and get him back safely. Unfortunately Tim has a knack for finding trouble no matter which century he happens to be in. Will Casey be able to save Tim from the danger he finds himself in? Find out when you read the book.
July 3, 2024
4 stars ✨
I loved this book, but nearly died from all the drama. Casey just CAN'T be with Nate without arguing. Can she?
I'm gonna admit, the constant tension between Nate and Casey was driving me up a wall.
Driving me crazy and trying to kill me it was so annoying.
But I still liked this book--a lot.
It's definitely helped my craving for a time travel book, (along with my missing the way home). Some parts made me laugh, others made me cry.
The plot was very fast paced, and I finished this in one morning and afternoon. So, less than a day.
You get to see Casey's character arc from book one, and she seems much more mature and less worried about how she looks. I liked her character way more in this book.
But guess who's character I didn't like...
Tim. He's very irresponsible, immature, and seems to think that nothing can hurt him. And what drove me even crazier is the fact that its in HIS pov too.
It wasn't a deal breaker, though. I was honestly looking forwards to Casey's pov a whole lot more than Tims, tbh.
I don't like the love at first sight thing with Tim and what's her name, either. It is redeemed by Tim realizing that he doesn't actually like her, but it just seemed weird to me. And also very unrealistic.
There were some minor grammar mistakes, nothing big, but the writer in me was pretty frustrated. There weren't as many as book one had, though.
I'd say there was a little bit less romance in this one, a because they're already together, and b because Nate can't get along with Casey in this one. It was still sweet, though, and clean.
Age recommendation: 13-14+ (depends on the reader!)
CW: six (ish) kisses between Nate and Casey (I forgot to count), but all with minimal details, some attraction, but it doesn't overtake the plot and is kept very very mild, three kisses between Tim and what's her name, (I can never remember that girls name), one sentence description each, Lucinda breaks up with Josh, a mention of a dying soldier having a fiancee at home and he says that he loves her, a mention of "Nate not acting brotherly towards Casey", (theyre together but had to pretend to be brother and sister in book one, this is brought up because someone brought up Casey and Nate having to share a cabin in book one, nothing happened), the neighbor asks Casey out regardless of the fact that she's with Nate, (ofc she says no, never), mentions of boyfriends and girlfriends and breakups
Soldiers get shot, some die from gunshot wounds, mentions of a fake sickness that Tim has to make up, Tim and Casey are lying to everyone in the 1860s about their identities and families, mentions of drug dealers, drugs, and gangs, Tim's leg is almost chopped off back in time but hes taken to present day and its fixed, Tim lies about his age, a mention of trash tv, a mention of pbs, a mention of McDonalds, someone who will remain unnamed sacrifices himself to avoid changing history, (long story!), some wartime fighting, gunshots, semi detailed
Casey can time travel, she accidentally leaves her brother back in time
I think that's all the content, I didn't take notes though, so there's a possibility that I missed a few minor things. But the minor things (if there are any) aren't anything to worry about if I forgot about them!!
I loved this book, but nearly died from all the drama. Casey just CAN'T be with Nate without arguing. Can she?
I'm gonna admit, the constant tension between Nate and Casey was driving me up a wall.
Driving me crazy and trying to kill me it was so annoying.
But I still liked this book--a lot.
It's definitely helped my craving for a time travel book, (along with my missing the way home). Some parts made me laugh, others made me cry.
The plot was very fast paced, and I finished this in one morning and afternoon. So, less than a day.
You get to see Casey's character arc from book one, and she seems much more mature and less worried about how she looks. I liked her character way more in this book.
But guess who's character I didn't like...
Tim. He's very irresponsible, immature, and seems to think that nothing can hurt him. And what drove me even crazier is the fact that its in HIS pov too.
It wasn't a deal breaker, though. I was honestly looking forwards to Casey's pov a whole lot more than Tims, tbh.
I don't like the love at first sight thing with Tim and what's her name, either. It is redeemed by Tim realizing that he doesn't actually like her, but it just seemed weird to me. And also very unrealistic.
There were some minor grammar mistakes, nothing big, but the writer in me was pretty frustrated. There weren't as many as book one had, though.
I'd say there was a little bit less romance in this one, a because they're already together, and b because Nate can't get along with Casey in this one. It was still sweet, though, and clean.
Age recommendation: 13-14+ (depends on the reader!)
CW: six (ish) kisses between Nate and Casey (I forgot to count), but all with minimal details, some attraction, but it doesn't overtake the plot and is kept very very mild, three kisses between Tim and what's her name, (I can never remember that girls name), one sentence description each, Lucinda breaks up with Josh, a mention of a dying soldier having a fiancee at home and he says that he loves her, a mention of "Nate not acting brotherly towards Casey", (theyre together but had to pretend to be brother and sister in book one, this is brought up because someone brought up Casey and Nate having to share a cabin in book one, nothing happened), the neighbor asks Casey out regardless of the fact that she's with Nate, (ofc she says no, never), mentions of boyfriends and girlfriends and breakups
Soldiers get shot, some die from gunshot wounds, mentions of a fake sickness that Tim has to make up, Tim and Casey are lying to everyone in the 1860s about their identities and families, mentions of drug dealers, drugs, and gangs, Tim's leg is almost chopped off back in time but hes taken to present day and its fixed, Tim lies about his age, a mention of trash tv, a mention of pbs, a mention of McDonalds, someone who will remain unnamed sacrifices himself to avoid changing history, (long story!), some wartime fighting, gunshots, semi detailed
Casey can time travel, she accidentally leaves her brother back in time
I think that's all the content, I didn't take notes though, so there's a possibility that I missed a few minor things. But the minor things (if there are any) aren't anything to worry about if I forgot about them!!
February 5, 2019
Reviewed on Lili Lost in a Book
I absolutely loved the first book in this series, Clockwise , so I was super excited to read this one. But it was a little bit of a disappointment. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, just not as much as the first book.
I think one of the reasons why I didn’t enjoy it as much was the Nate/Casey relationship. They were SO cute in the last book, but in this one they are already having issues with their relationship. I get it, things like this happen. But I am so tired of this trope in all the YA sequels! It just happens SO much! Why is this B plot always a thing? It doesn’t have to be! I just loved these two characters together in the last book and seeing them fall in like (yeah, like. Not love. Screw instalove... which this series doesn't have any so yay for that). It was so sweet and this book just made me sad. And to top it off there was a new character introduced, Casey’s hot new neighbor Chase Miller, which ughhhhh. I was afraid we were gonna have a love triangle situation going on (another trope I hate) but we didn’t! So thank the gods for that!
I did love the premise of this book though! That was a lot of fun! No one knows about Casey's ability to time-travel, except her best friend, and now Nate, who she took back in time in the last book. But now she accidentally brings back her rebellious little brother Tim!
And to make things worse, Tim is wanting to enroll in the war, thinking this is all fun and games.
And things get... interesting...
As I mentioned before, I ended up enjoying the book, even though it wasn’t as much as the first one in the series. I really needed some more of that Casey/Nate romance, but I really loved the premise of the book! I also really like the characters! We actually got some POVs from Tim so it was interesting seeing things from his POV and his thought process. More and more people keep finding out about Casey ability, so I am very interested to see what will be in store for her in the upcoming books! (More romance, I hope!)
I absolutely loved the first book in this series, Clockwise , so I was super excited to read this one. But it was a little bit of a disappointment. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, just not as much as the first book.
I think one of the reasons why I didn’t enjoy it as much was the Nate/Casey relationship. They were SO cute in the last book, but in this one they are already having issues with their relationship. I get it, things like this happen. But I am so tired of this trope in all the YA sequels! It just happens SO much! Why is this B plot always a thing? It doesn’t have to be! I just loved these two characters together in the last book and seeing them fall in like (yeah, like. Not love. Screw instalove... which this series doesn't have any so yay for that). It was so sweet and this book just made me sad. And to top it off there was a new character introduced, Casey’s hot new neighbor Chase Miller, which ughhhhh. I was afraid we were gonna have a love triangle situation going on (another trope I hate) but we didn’t! So thank the gods for that!
I did love the premise of this book though! That was a lot of fun! No one knows about Casey's ability to time-travel, except her best friend, and now Nate, who she took back in time in the last book. But now she accidentally brings back her rebellious little brother Tim!
“I’m a time-traveler.” I waved my hands a bit as if that would help [Tim] understand. “It’s this odd gift I have.”
His face twisted in unbelief. “Are you on drugs, man?”
I huffed. “No.”
He leaned forward and studied his hands. “Am I?”
And to make things worse, Tim is wanting to enroll in the war, thinking this is all fun and games.
And things get... interesting...
As I mentioned before, I ended up enjoying the book, even though it wasn’t as much as the first one in the series. I really needed some more of that Casey/Nate romance, but I really loved the premise of the book! I also really like the characters! We actually got some POVs from Tim so it was interesting seeing things from his POV and his thought process. More and more people keep finding out about Casey ability, so I am very interested to see what will be in store for her in the upcoming books! (More romance, I hope!)
March 11, 2016
Like the first book in this series it was a quick and pleasant read. I wanted this one to blow me away and prove that this is a really good time-traveling series, but I'm still not 100% convinced. I'd put it on the same level as the first book, so a 3,5 star rating.
Let's start with the 'bads'. I think it's a bit weird that Casey who was doing the time-traveling thing for years and made a mistake only once, taking a friend with her, is now suddenly making so many mistakes while she knows it can be dangerous for the people involved and no one really knows what the consequences are for the future. You'd expect her to have learned something, but instead of better she's getting worse at it. She can't control when she will time-travel although she can find ways to trigger it, but once she needs to time-travel to get her brother out of a difficult situation the time-traveling happens without a problem that was just too much of a coincidence for me. I confess that I do not like love-triangles. I've read about too many of those and I believe that in this story it would have not been necessary at all to add that to the mix too.
Before this book I read another book about time-travel and that was also party set in the Civil War and there were some things, history wise, that overlapped and that was really nice as I knew what was about to happen. Tim, Carey's brother, is a typical teenager, bored with everything, looking for excitement and once he thinks he gets what he wants, he starts to appreciate for the first time what he had and left behind. His scary experience in this book will turn his life around and will definitely make him a better person. Looking forward to read about the person he is going to be. I loved Tim's story just as much as Willie's story. They both go through similar things and although others make the final decision for Tim, Willie takes his own decision which is very brave and thoughtful. He truly loves his family and there is nothing he wouldn't do for them which is very touching. Two amazing young man.....
Hopefully I didn't give away too much. I liked the read and it was a good and entertaining sequel although I kind of hoped for more. I think the writer does a great job in not leaving any loose ends. At the end there is always a nice round up.
Let's start with the 'bads'. I think it's a bit weird that Casey who was doing the time-traveling thing for years and made a mistake only once, taking a friend with her, is now suddenly making so many mistakes while she knows it can be dangerous for the people involved and no one really knows what the consequences are for the future. You'd expect her to have learned something, but instead of better she's getting worse at it. She can't control when she will time-travel although she can find ways to trigger it, but once she needs to time-travel to get her brother out of a difficult situation the time-traveling happens without a problem that was just too much of a coincidence for me. I confess that I do not like love-triangles. I've read about too many of those and I believe that in this story it would have not been necessary at all to add that to the mix too.
Before this book I read another book about time-travel and that was also party set in the Civil War and there were some things, history wise, that overlapped and that was really nice as I knew what was about to happen. Tim, Carey's brother, is a typical teenager, bored with everything, looking for excitement and once he thinks he gets what he wants, he starts to appreciate for the first time what he had and left behind. His scary experience in this book will turn his life around and will definitely make him a better person. Looking forward to read about the person he is going to be. I loved Tim's story just as much as Willie's story. They both go through similar things and although others make the final decision for Tim, Willie takes his own decision which is very brave and thoughtful. He truly loves his family and there is nothing he wouldn't do for them which is very touching. Two amazing young man.....
Hopefully I didn't give away too much. I liked the read and it was a good and entertaining sequel although I kind of hoped for more. I think the writer does a great job in not leaving any loose ends. At the end there is always a nice round up.
March 25, 2012
Clockwise is a brilliant book. Its sequel, Clockwiser, was always going to have a lot to live up to, but the blurb promised a darker, edgier storyline with a refreshing new direction. While it definitely delivers overall, there are some aspects that make it not quite as good as the first, fantastic book.
So let’s start with the good first…
This novel is written in dual narrative, which works very well. Tim is quite different to his sister, and his perspective is a refreshing addition. It’s great to have a boyish view of the 19th century, and I enjoyed his idealistic computer-game-influenced view of war. Boy, does he find the real thing quite different! It’s really gripping, though, particularly in those last few chapters where you race through to find out what will happen to him.
There are also some neat twists in this. While I don’t want to spoil them, they really make you think about the time travel paradox, and up the stakes in general. At one point I was wondering…well, I can’t say that without spoiling things, either, but I could see the ending being very different very easily, which makes things really exciting…Maybe after you’ve read, you’ll understand what I mean when I say there could so easily have been a complete exchange…
The one thing that bugs me about this story is the Casey/Nate/Chase triangle. I suppose it was always going to irritate me, because it’s hard to imagine Nate as anything other than perfect after the first novel! I think I would have liked Chase to have been more of a real threat, really. He was just a bit…well, too full of it, too obnoxious. I never wanted him and Casey to go anywhere, which might have made him a more dangerous figure in the story. And the literal ‘removal’ of that plotline felt a little…convenient.
Putting that to one side, however, there are a lot of very human moments in the tension between Nate and Casey that I liked a lot. The final resolution between the pair is cute, and I love the line, “I always want to be your first,” hehe.
So overall, I think I will give Clockwiser four stars. It’s not as good as the first in the series, but if you love Clockwise, it’s well worth picking up to find out more about Casey, her family and friends!
I'm hoping for a ClockwisEST! :)
So let’s start with the good first…
This novel is written in dual narrative, which works very well. Tim is quite different to his sister, and his perspective is a refreshing addition. It’s great to have a boyish view of the 19th century, and I enjoyed his idealistic computer-game-influenced view of war. Boy, does he find the real thing quite different! It’s really gripping, though, particularly in those last few chapters where you race through to find out what will happen to him.
There are also some neat twists in this. While I don’t want to spoil them, they really make you think about the time travel paradox, and up the stakes in general. At one point I was wondering…well, I can’t say that without spoiling things, either, but I could see the ending being very different very easily, which makes things really exciting…Maybe after you’ve read, you’ll understand what I mean when I say there could so easily have been a complete exchange…
The one thing that bugs me about this story is the Casey/Nate/Chase triangle. I suppose it was always going to irritate me, because it’s hard to imagine Nate as anything other than perfect after the first novel! I think I would have liked Chase to have been more of a real threat, really. He was just a bit…well, too full of it, too obnoxious. I never wanted him and Casey to go anywhere, which might have made him a more dangerous figure in the story. And the literal ‘removal’ of that plotline felt a little…convenient.
Putting that to one side, however, there are a lot of very human moments in the tension between Nate and Casey that I liked a lot. The final resolution between the pair is cute, and I love the line, “I always want to be your first,” hehe.
So overall, I think I will give Clockwiser four stars. It’s not as good as the first in the series, but if you love Clockwise, it’s well worth picking up to find out more about Casey, her family and friends!
I'm hoping for a ClockwisEST! :)
September 28, 2014
2.5 stars - I still enjoyed the story but not as much as the first one Clockwise. Why you ask? Well:
1. In the 1st novel Casey is brave and competent and as has survived and carved out a decent life in the past for her visits which is pretty amazing considering she did it all when she was so young and taught herself to survive. In this novel she is kind of silly and immature (even though she is a year older). Her behaviour with Chase & Nate is weird and seems to only be thrown in to manufacture conflict. She likes that Chase is flirting with her and goes off with him instead of her boyfriend yet Nate is in the wrong for being upset. Huh? Can you imagine how Casey would react if some girl was throwing herself at Nate & he chose to drive off with her instead of Casey. And deciding not to take Nate back with her looking for Tim made no sense either. He has been back with her multiple times and proven that she can rely on him. They make arrangements to go together and at the last minute she drops his hand. Again huh?
2. Tim is completely unlikeable and his decision to stay in the past so he can join the civil was inexplicable. I really genuinely didn't care if he died (aside from the fact that it wold upset Casey and her parents). That a good portion of the book deals with his story and POV made this book less enjoyable. If you want to show the horrors of the Civil War then at least have him conscripted and having to fight until he and Casey could meet up again. That would have made more sense.
3. Chase added nothing to the story except some weirdly manufactured conflict between Casey & Nate. It would have made a lot more sense to introduce his character if he had something to do with all the time travel stuff.
4. The stupid insta-love between Willie and Lucinda.
Interestingly Nate (who I didn't love last time around cause he was kind of a jerk to start with) was actually much more likeable this time and I wanted to smack Casey for the way she was treating him.
1. In the 1st novel Casey is brave and competent and as has survived and carved out a decent life in the past for her visits which is pretty amazing considering she did it all when she was so young and taught herself to survive. In this novel she is kind of silly and immature (even though she is a year older). Her behaviour with Chase & Nate is weird and seems to only be thrown in to manufacture conflict. She likes that Chase is flirting with her and goes off with him instead of her boyfriend yet Nate is in the wrong for being upset. Huh? Can you imagine how Casey would react if some girl was throwing herself at Nate & he chose to drive off with her instead of Casey. And deciding not to take Nate back with her looking for Tim made no sense either. He has been back with her multiple times and proven that she can rely on him. They make arrangements to go together and at the last minute she drops his hand. Again huh?
2. Tim is completely unlikeable and his decision to stay in the past so he can join the civil was inexplicable. I really genuinely didn't care if he died (aside from the fact that it wold upset Casey and her parents). That a good portion of the book deals with his story and POV made this book less enjoyable. If you want to show the horrors of the Civil War then at least have him conscripted and having to fight until he and Casey could meet up again. That would have made more sense.
3. Chase added nothing to the story except some weirdly manufactured conflict between Casey & Nate. It would have made a lot more sense to introduce his character if he had something to do with all the time travel stuff.
4. The stupid insta-love between Willie and Lucinda.
Interestingly Nate (who I didn't love last time around cause he was kind of a jerk to start with) was actually much more likeable this time and I wanted to smack Casey for the way she was treating him.
August 12, 2012
I was eager to continue reading about Casey's travels, what happens with the Watson family and about the rest of her "normal" life. This book skips ahead quite a bit, and it seems that Casey hasn't "tripped" since the last book left off (which is a long time to go without?). Anyhow, I found this book a bit more frustrating than the previous one mainly because everyone acted true to their character - or more simply: TEENAGERS. Moody, self-centered, and lacking in forethought. This book differs than Clockwise, in that it is told from both Casey's and Tim's POVs. Tim really wasn't a big part of the first book, so getting this large dose of him was trying on my nerves (seriously he was a selfish brat).
Lots of character growth though! All the characters, including Lucinda, are put in new situations and are unsure of how to proceed. Casey went from being an awkward nobody to having two guys pursue her. Although I don't think Casey handle the situation particularly well, she did stay true to herself and everything worked out in the end. That sentiment holds true for Nate, Tim, and even Willie (whom I adore). You even get appearances by Samuel (!!!) and Nate's mom, plus some of Casey's friends.
My problems with the book: for someone who is put in such unusual circumstances and has shown that she can adapt to survive, she really isn't good about remembering things (i.e. Officer Porter). Also, she definitely lacks forethought, which is something I would have thought she'd have learned by preparing the bag of supplies and getting clothing. Lastly, why is everyone so good-looking in this book (series)? I'm not sure how good hygiene was back in the 1860's - no regular baths I'm sure, let alone dental work, but everyone sounds flawless. Anyway, still a good read, and I'm interested in seeing what happens next!
Lots of character growth though! All the characters, including Lucinda, are put in new situations and are unsure of how to proceed. Casey went from being an awkward nobody to having two guys pursue her. Although I don't think Casey handle the situation particularly well, she did stay true to herself and everything worked out in the end. That sentiment holds true for Nate, Tim, and even Willie (whom I adore). You even get appearances by Samuel (!!!) and Nate's mom, plus some of Casey's friends.
My problems with the book: for someone who is put in such unusual circumstances and has shown that she can adapt to survive, she really isn't good about remembering things (i.e. Officer Porter). Also, she definitely lacks forethought, which is something I would have thought she'd have learned by preparing the bag of supplies and getting clothing. Lastly, why is everyone so good-looking in this book (series)? I'm not sure how good hygiene was back in the 1860's - no regular baths I'm sure, let alone dental work, but everyone sounds flawless. Anyway, still a good read, and I'm interested in seeing what happens next!
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