What do you think?
Rate this book
The Girl in the Time Machine
A desperate girl
A faulty time machine
A paradox waiting to happen ...
Laken Mitchel wants revenge, but she also wants to help certain "unfortunates.". Using the time machine in her family's hidden laboratory, she sends them one by one into the last century.
Now the disappearances are being linked to unmarked graves. Parents are lying about their missing kids’ whereabouts. The police want to search the lab. And Laken is running out of time to retrieve the last girl she sent to 1994.
A faulty time machine
A paradox waiting to happen ...
Laken Mitchel wants revenge, but she also wants to help certain "unfortunates.". Using the time machine in her family's hidden laboratory, she sends them one by one into the last century.
Now the disappearances are being linked to unmarked graves. Parents are lying about their missing kids’ whereabouts. The police want to search the lab. And Laken is running out of time to retrieve the last girl she sent to 1994.
220 pages, Paperback
First published February 7, 2016
9 people are currently reading
748 people want to read
About the author
Debra Chapoton
148 books106 followers With over 100 books to her name, Debra Chapoton is a master at writing Christian fiction and non-fiction. Writing under the pen name Marlisa Kriscott, she crafts heartwarming second-chance teacher romances, while under her own name, she transports readers into swoon-worthy Highlander tales (Loved by a Highlander series) and rugged cowboy love stories (Unbridled Hearts, Faithful Hearts, and Broken Spur Ranch series).
But her imagination doesn’t stop at romance—Debra's young adult novels plunge into the thrilling worlds of sci-fi, paranormal mysteries, time travel, dystopian futures, and parallel realities. She also pens insightful non-fiction works such as Sunday School lessons and delightful children’s books, making her a true literary chameleon.
Raised with a love for codes and intricate puzzles, Debra’s passion for storytelling goes beyond words; she seamlessly weaves secrets and hidden clues into her novels, adding layers of intrigue. With a career as a high school Spanish and English teacher, she draws inspiration from her students’ personalities, bringing authentic voices to her characters.
But her imagination doesn’t stop at romance—Debra's young adult novels plunge into the thrilling worlds of sci-fi, paranormal mysteries, time travel, dystopian futures, and parallel realities. She also pens insightful non-fiction works such as Sunday School lessons and delightful children’s books, making her a true literary chameleon.
Raised with a love for codes and intricate puzzles, Debra’s passion for storytelling goes beyond words; she seamlessly weaves secrets and hidden clues into her novels, adding layers of intrigue. With a career as a high school Spanish and English teacher, she draws inspiration from her students’ personalities, bringing authentic voices to her characters.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 8, 2016
Did I enjoy it: It's scary cool.
The Girl in the Time Machine is a dark, creepy, sleep-with-the-light-on kind of fun. I loved it.
I've read several of Chapoton's books, and I love how different they all are. This one, though, is fast becoming my favorite. It gave me goosebumps. I'm pretty sure readers are going to figure things out way before Laken does, but the time traveling thing will keep you wondering how the heck it happened. You know how in horror movies the stars of the show always run right into the graveyard at night? Yeah, it's like that, only with a time machine. I love that Chapoton left some things unexplained, and I can't wait to see what she'll think up next.
Would I recommend it: YEAH. But keep a few bricks handy.
As reviewed by Melissa at Every Free Chance Books.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions are my own, and I was not compensated in any other way for this review.
The Girl in the Time Machine is a dark, creepy, sleep-with-the-light-on kind of fun. I loved it.
I've read several of Chapoton's books, and I love how different they all are. This one, though, is fast becoming my favorite. It gave me goosebumps. I'm pretty sure readers are going to figure things out way before Laken does, but the time traveling thing will keep you wondering how the heck it happened. You know how in horror movies the stars of the show always run right into the graveyard at night? Yeah, it's like that, only with a time machine. I love that Chapoton left some things unexplained, and I can't wait to see what she'll think up next.
Would I recommend it: YEAH. But keep a few bricks handy.
As reviewed by Melissa at Every Free Chance Books.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions are my own, and I was not compensated in any other way for this review.
June 14, 2016
This is an engaging time travel twist with some creepy elements. My rating 4.25.
Laken is a seventeen-year-old who has struggled through her school years as an ‘odd girl’. She has been laughed at and scorned by the other girls in her classes. She has no friends and spends most of her non-school hours at her parent’s laboratory. Her parents are two eccentric scientists who have hidden a time machine in their unusual, secluded laboratory.
One night Laken finds one of her classmates stumbling in the park. Laken realizes the girl has been abused and decides to help by sending her back in time. Over the next number of months Laken decides to “help” a few other girls from school. Then she meets a new girl at school, Sky. Finally Laken has found a friend and she is willing to share her secrets and seek her help in a rather scary mission.
Many of the missing girls from the community have had no one who really cared to try to find out what happened. But Laken has learned new facts about one of the latest girls, Megan, who she sent through time. Laken decides that she must go back and retrieve Megan and she talks Sky into helping. Sadly, when they return with Megan she doesn’t survive. Now Laken is alarmed and trying to think if going back earlier would make a difference. But in the process they have to be careful to avoid triggering a paradox.
This is not a usual time travel story. Oh what trouble a rejected young teen can create. This is a twisted journey that soon travels into a rather “creepy” tone. Not quite enough to be horrified, but enough to cause cringing. I sensed the ironic overlap fairly early into the read and found it fascinating to see where Ms. Chapoton would take Laken’s character to get to the reveal part of the mystery.
The read moves smoothly and quickly. The story is very engaging even as it is a bit circular with time travel paradox issues. I think young adults –okay, older adults too-- who like the idea of time travel, might find this story unique and intriguing.
I received this title from the author for an honest review.
Laken is a seventeen-year-old who has struggled through her school years as an ‘odd girl’. She has been laughed at and scorned by the other girls in her classes. She has no friends and spends most of her non-school hours at her parent’s laboratory. Her parents are two eccentric scientists who have hidden a time machine in their unusual, secluded laboratory.
One night Laken finds one of her classmates stumbling in the park. Laken realizes the girl has been abused and decides to help by sending her back in time. Over the next number of months Laken decides to “help” a few other girls from school. Then she meets a new girl at school, Sky. Finally Laken has found a friend and she is willing to share her secrets and seek her help in a rather scary mission.
Many of the missing girls from the community have had no one who really cared to try to find out what happened. But Laken has learned new facts about one of the latest girls, Megan, who she sent through time. Laken decides that she must go back and retrieve Megan and she talks Sky into helping. Sadly, when they return with Megan she doesn’t survive. Now Laken is alarmed and trying to think if going back earlier would make a difference. But in the process they have to be careful to avoid triggering a paradox.
This is not a usual time travel story. Oh what trouble a rejected young teen can create. This is a twisted journey that soon travels into a rather “creepy” tone. Not quite enough to be horrified, but enough to cause cringing. I sensed the ironic overlap fairly early into the read and found it fascinating to see where Ms. Chapoton would take Laken’s character to get to the reveal part of the mystery.
The read moves smoothly and quickly. The story is very engaging even as it is a bit circular with time travel paradox issues. I think young adults –okay, older adults too-- who like the idea of time travel, might find this story unique and intriguing.
I received this title from the author for an honest review.
February 2, 2017
I kinda feel bad about this.
The other reviews are generally pretty positive and seem to have enjoyed the book and characters more than I did.
I will say this - the book gives a very fun twist on time travel, and experiments a lot with multiple travels and potential paradoxes. Too often a time travel story is trying to keep everything so carefully controlled that it gets lost in its own rules. This one felt like a wild ride from beginning to end, and it was fun to have rules that were kind of fast and loose.
I also liked Laken and Skye as well...sort of. Spoiler tagged:
I found it hard to like Laken too much. There was a distance there between her and me for the majority of the book. It's hard to explain why without spoilers, so once again, spoiler tags are needed.
I'll admit, the multiple time travels and potential paradoxes might've just been too much for me. Maybe I just didn't comprehend it as well as the other people who have left reviews, but I just couldn't get into them as much, and I didn't entirely understand everything.
I don't know. Perhaps don't take my review for it. I didn't particularly enjoy it, and it left me feeling more confused and frustrated than anything else. Perhaps my mind just doesn't work in a non linear fashion. I can't say whether or not you'll enjoy it, but be prepared for a confusing ride through time and space. If nothing else, I DID enjoy it for how much it played with the concept and didn't just rehash the same tired tropes that other books do. But the format, the characters, and the general choppiness of the narrative left me feeling kind of apathetic towards the story as a whole.
The other reviews are generally pretty positive and seem to have enjoyed the book and characters more than I did.
I will say this - the book gives a very fun twist on time travel, and experiments a lot with multiple travels and potential paradoxes. Too often a time travel story is trying to keep everything so carefully controlled that it gets lost in its own rules. This one felt like a wild ride from beginning to end, and it was fun to have rules that were kind of fast and loose.
I also liked Laken and Skye as well...sort of. Spoiler tagged:
I found it hard to like Laken too much. There was a distance there between her and me for the majority of the book. It's hard to explain why without spoilers, so once again, spoiler tags are needed.
I'll admit, the multiple time travels and potential paradoxes might've just been too much for me. Maybe I just didn't comprehend it as well as the other people who have left reviews, but I just couldn't get into them as much, and I didn't entirely understand everything.
I don't know. Perhaps don't take my review for it. I didn't particularly enjoy it, and it left me feeling more confused and frustrated than anything else. Perhaps my mind just doesn't work in a non linear fashion. I can't say whether or not you'll enjoy it, but be prepared for a confusing ride through time and space. If nothing else, I DID enjoy it for how much it played with the concept and didn't just rehash the same tired tropes that other books do. But the format, the characters, and the general choppiness of the narrative left me feeling kind of apathetic towards the story as a whole.
February 22, 2016
I was provided an ARC of The Girl in the Time Machine in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Debra Chapoton for the opportunity.
I have a weakness for the time travel theory and always enjoyed the movies and the books. But this book was different from the others I have read. The Girl in the Time Machine was a unique, captivating, edge of your seat read from the very first page. I was impressed!
Laken is a normal young girl at first but when she learns her parents have a time machine, she begins to help other girls around her "disappear" by sending them back in time. These girls all needed saving in Laken’s mind because each one had really horrible home life. Of all the girls she helped she found fault in one story. That's when she decides she has to save the girl from the past and bring her home. Laken and her best friend Sky then begin a series of time travel events that change their lives forever.
The story was phenomenal! It wasn't anything like I've ever read before involving time travel. It kept me deeply enthralled from the beginning. It was one big thrill ride with action, humor, and mystery. A superb all around book.
Sometimes, you read books and think wow, that would make a great movie. Well, The Girl in the Time Machine had that effect on me. I think this story would be great if made into a movie. The ending absolutely wraps up most things in the book. It’s like wow, how did I not realize that!
I absolutely loved this story!...Stormi
http://www.boundlessbookreviews.com
https://www.facebook.com/BBReviews
I have a weakness for the time travel theory and always enjoyed the movies and the books. But this book was different from the others I have read. The Girl in the Time Machine was a unique, captivating, edge of your seat read from the very first page. I was impressed!
Laken is a normal young girl at first but when she learns her parents have a time machine, she begins to help other girls around her "disappear" by sending them back in time. These girls all needed saving in Laken’s mind because each one had really horrible home life. Of all the girls she helped she found fault in one story. That's when she decides she has to save the girl from the past and bring her home. Laken and her best friend Sky then begin a series of time travel events that change their lives forever.
The story was phenomenal! It wasn't anything like I've ever read before involving time travel. It kept me deeply enthralled from the beginning. It was one big thrill ride with action, humor, and mystery. A superb all around book.
Sometimes, you read books and think wow, that would make a great movie. Well, The Girl in the Time Machine had that effect on me. I think this story would be great if made into a movie. The ending absolutely wraps up most things in the book. It’s like wow, how did I not realize that!
I absolutely loved this story!...Stormi
http://www.boundlessbookreviews.com
https://www.facebook.com/BBReviews
May 20, 2016
**We received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review**
The whole time paradox was intricate and wove perfectly with the story, hinting throughout the novel, and creating a bit of mystery. There were also talk of physics and of course, Star Trek quotes. I thought it did well as a sci-fi.
Laken, like most teens, holds grudges against those who humiliated her. I don't know a single teen who can't recall a moment where they felt embarrassed, but she kind of took it to a whole new level by shooting people she didn't like through time and pretending it was an act of kindness. This is where I get a little foggy on her character.
The plot twist was obvious to me, but it was fun to see the foreshadowing the author offered the reader to keep them guessing. The relationship that Laken had with Skylar is that of a true friendship. How they interact around the time paradox and the things that happen to tear them apart and pull them together was fascinating, and really entertaining.
I couldn't really get around the whole murder thing. It didn't seem to really bother her in the least. Like a "oh yeah, that girl was mean." And as much as the author tried to make it that Laken thought her heart was in the right place, it was so, so wrong. Her lack of remorse was a bit strange.
CONCLUSION
There were a few questions I had at the end about Laken's parent's and how the diary might affect the total outcome, as to me, it might change everything. But, I enjoyed the twisting of the tale through time and the problem that arose with playing with time travel.
The whole time paradox was intricate and wove perfectly with the story, hinting throughout the novel, and creating a bit of mystery. There were also talk of physics and of course, Star Trek quotes. I thought it did well as a sci-fi.
Laken, like most teens, holds grudges against those who humiliated her. I don't know a single teen who can't recall a moment where they felt embarrassed, but she kind of took it to a whole new level by shooting people she didn't like through time and pretending it was an act of kindness. This is where I get a little foggy on her character.
The plot twist was obvious to me, but it was fun to see the foreshadowing the author offered the reader to keep them guessing. The relationship that Laken had with Skylar is that of a true friendship. How they interact around the time paradox and the things that happen to tear them apart and pull them together was fascinating, and really entertaining.
I couldn't really get around the whole murder thing. It didn't seem to really bother her in the least. Like a "oh yeah, that girl was mean." And as much as the author tried to make it that Laken thought her heart was in the right place, it was so, so wrong. Her lack of remorse was a bit strange.
CONCLUSION
There were a few questions I had at the end about Laken's parent's and how the diary might affect the total outcome, as to me, it might change everything. But, I enjoyed the twisting of the tale through time and the problem that arose with playing with time travel.
April 18, 2020
Great idea, but this is about 1/2 a book. Not because it’s short (which it is) but because it’s more like a first draft than a finished work.
It’s plot-heavy, which is fine, and the pacing was good. I liked how time travel was handled. But there is next to no world- or character-building. A bunch of small details make no sense, unrelated to the time travel stuff. There is a big twist that is telegraphed early on, taking away its narrative power. I also kept thinking that Laken was being set up as an unreliable narrator, when actually she was just not very well written.
And Laken does a lot of slut-shaming of other girls in this book. What’s up with that?
It’s plot-heavy, which is fine, and the pacing was good. I liked how time travel was handled. But there is next to no world- or character-building. A bunch of small details make no sense, unrelated to the time travel stuff. There is a big twist that is telegraphed early on, taking away its narrative power. I also kept thinking that Laken was being set up as an unreliable narrator, when actually she was just not very well written.
And Laken does a lot of slut-shaming of other girls in this book. What’s up with that?
Read
October 29, 2021In this young adult time travel novel, 17-year-old Laken is desperate to fix a horrible mistake, but when she screws things up royally, she’ll have to go into the future as well as the past to change the present.
Yes, it’s complicated. This is a page-turner, full of twists and turns, unimaginable aftereffects, a paradox or two, and a race against time itself.
Oh, and the time machine is wonky.
Recommended for readers who enjoy edge-of-your-seat suspense and unpredictable plot lines. If that’s you, check this one out.
Yes, it’s complicated. This is a page-turner, full of twists and turns, unimaginable aftereffects, a paradox or two, and a race against time itself.
Oh, and the time machine is wonky.
Recommended for readers who enjoy edge-of-your-seat suspense and unpredictable plot lines. If that’s you, check this one out.
June 14, 2020
Fascinating!!
Twists. Turns. Surprises. Fast-paced. Theories, theorems & thought-provoking coincidences. Intellectually stimulating at times and inspiring. Everything you want in a time-travel novel, Chapoton delivers.
Twists. Turns. Surprises. Fast-paced. Theories, theorems & thought-provoking coincidences. Intellectually stimulating at times and inspiring. Everything you want in a time-travel novel, Chapoton delivers.
September 20, 2023
This was compelling, and fun to read, and different. But for being so plot-fixated it left too much unexplained and unsorted. I felt like I was missing something.
January 12, 2025
Borrowed on audible. I really disliked the artificial voice narration.
August 5, 2016
I recently got an Amazon gift card, and I used it to order a book that I really want to read, but I have to wait for it to arrive. Also, I just finished (and loved) a book that I really wanted to read, but I’m still working on writing that review. So I searched through my Kindle for other books that I’d bought along the way, searching for (1) something that wouldn’t be a long read, (2) something that wasn’t about mermaids because I'd recently read a few books about them, and (3) something drastically different than the two YA contemporary books between which I’d wedge a book.
Meeting all three criteria: The Girl in the Time Machine.
Oh. My. GOSH!
I had it all planned out. There are twenty-five chapters, and it was about five more days until the book would arrive. Five chapters a day isn’t much at all. That’s easy. Well, on Tuesday night, I read the first fifteen chapters. The only reason I stopped reading was because it was 1:30 in the morning, and I needed to sleep. But as soon as I woke up Wednesday morning, I finished the book. This book grabbed me and didn’t want to let go of me.
Before I tell why and how this happened, let me give the basic set-up. It will be really basic, however, as I’m not going to reveal any spoilers.
Laken Mitchell’s parents have built a one-way time machine. After being bullied at school, Laken uses the time machine to send the girls bullying her to other times. She rationalizes her actions by providing them better lives than they have in the present, as at least one of them is being abused. Most of the girls are written off as runaways, but when one’s disappearance is being investigated—and the bruises on the girl weren’t from abuse but from medical treatment—Laken and her friend Skylar travel back in time to retrieve the girl. The story begins with Laken having to BURY the girl they retrieved while feeling terrible about leaving Skylar behind in 1994.
Oh. MY! GOSH!!
The entire book is written as a long apology to Skylar. Thus, it’s written in first-person narration from Laken’s point of view, but the second-person usage of “You” (referring to Skylar, if/when she reads the message) gave it an immediacy I’ve never experienced in a book. I felt like Laken was apologizing, rationalizing, confessing everything to me personally. Suffice it to say, the choice is effective and brilliant.
Time travel is a tricky subject to do correctly for many reasons, especially when the characters have to cross their own timelines. As much as I thoroughly enjoy the Back to the Future trilogy, there are many inconsistencies in logic. The movie shows timelines can change, but after Marty drastically alters his father’s confidence, what are the odds that his parents conceive their three children at exactly the same times? Very little. When Marty and Doc Brown leave unaltered 2015 for 1985, how do they cross timelines and end up in Biff-corrupted 1985? On the other hand, you have the everything-already-happened theory of time travel, handled well in the movie 12 Monkeys. I also hear the movies Project Almanac and Primer do time travel well, but I haven’t seen them.
Well, The Girl in the Time Machine can be added to the list of stories that do time travel well. Or it seems that way, anyway. I have to give author Debra Chapoton immense credit for the sheer volume of outlining her characters’ timelines needed to craft this book. Without taking notes on my first read, all their travels and looping seem to work. I still have time before my next book arrives, and I’m seriously contemplating reading the book again with a poster-sized paper nearby to keep track of it all. Its complexity is expertly plotted.
OH! MY!! GOSH!!!
So why didn’t I give the book five stars if I’m so clearly raving about it?
Without revealing a spoiler, there’s something that I predicted far too early in the book. The clues for it are there, but I sniffed them out almost immediately. Then again, I’m a writer and avid reader, so I’m always looking for details, so this is only a minor quibble.
I was afraid going in that I wouldn’t like Laken as a character because the premise is based upon her enacting revenge. Turns out that wasn’t a problem because she holds herself accountable for it all, and I respect that. But I felt she lost some of her edge at the end of the book. The book rapidly and tensely builds to a climax, but the resolution was missing something for me. The race-against-time excitement just kind of stopped, and then some things happened that I don’t fully understand. Maybe on a re-read, I’ll see the clues for it and increase my rating.
But I’m talking about a re-read, and that’s nothing but a high compliment to this taut, thrilling, twisty-turny time travel tale Chapoton crafted. Until I travel back through The Girl in the Time Machine trying to change the past, the complex plot and effective urgent narration deserve at least FOUR STARS.
Meeting all three criteria: The Girl in the Time Machine.
Oh. My. GOSH!
I had it all planned out. There are twenty-five chapters, and it was about five more days until the book would arrive. Five chapters a day isn’t much at all. That’s easy. Well, on Tuesday night, I read the first fifteen chapters. The only reason I stopped reading was because it was 1:30 in the morning, and I needed to sleep. But as soon as I woke up Wednesday morning, I finished the book. This book grabbed me and didn’t want to let go of me.
Before I tell why and how this happened, let me give the basic set-up. It will be really basic, however, as I’m not going to reveal any spoilers.
Laken Mitchell’s parents have built a one-way time machine. After being bullied at school, Laken uses the time machine to send the girls bullying her to other times. She rationalizes her actions by providing them better lives than they have in the present, as at least one of them is being abused. Most of the girls are written off as runaways, but when one’s disappearance is being investigated—and the bruises on the girl weren’t from abuse but from medical treatment—Laken and her friend Skylar travel back in time to retrieve the girl. The story begins with Laken having to BURY the girl they retrieved while feeling terrible about leaving Skylar behind in 1994.
Oh. MY! GOSH!!
The entire book is written as a long apology to Skylar. Thus, it’s written in first-person narration from Laken’s point of view, but the second-person usage of “You” (referring to Skylar, if/when she reads the message) gave it an immediacy I’ve never experienced in a book. I felt like Laken was apologizing, rationalizing, confessing everything to me personally. Suffice it to say, the choice is effective and brilliant.
Time travel is a tricky subject to do correctly for many reasons, especially when the characters have to cross their own timelines. As much as I thoroughly enjoy the Back to the Future trilogy, there are many inconsistencies in logic. The movie shows timelines can change, but after Marty drastically alters his father’s confidence, what are the odds that his parents conceive their three children at exactly the same times? Very little. When Marty and Doc Brown leave unaltered 2015 for 1985, how do they cross timelines and end up in Biff-corrupted 1985? On the other hand, you have the everything-already-happened theory of time travel, handled well in the movie 12 Monkeys. I also hear the movies Project Almanac and Primer do time travel well, but I haven’t seen them.
Well, The Girl in the Time Machine can be added to the list of stories that do time travel well. Or it seems that way, anyway. I have to give author Debra Chapoton immense credit for the sheer volume of outlining her characters’ timelines needed to craft this book. Without taking notes on my first read, all their travels and looping seem to work. I still have time before my next book arrives, and I’m seriously contemplating reading the book again with a poster-sized paper nearby to keep track of it all. Its complexity is expertly plotted.
OH! MY!! GOSH!!!
So why didn’t I give the book five stars if I’m so clearly raving about it?
Without revealing a spoiler, there’s something that I predicted far too early in the book. The clues for it are there, but I sniffed them out almost immediately. Then again, I’m a writer and avid reader, so I’m always looking for details, so this is only a minor quibble.
I was afraid going in that I wouldn’t like Laken as a character because the premise is based upon her enacting revenge. Turns out that wasn’t a problem because she holds herself accountable for it all, and I respect that. But I felt she lost some of her edge at the end of the book. The book rapidly and tensely builds to a climax, but the resolution was missing something for me. The race-against-time excitement just kind of stopped, and then some things happened that I don’t fully understand. Maybe on a re-read, I’ll see the clues for it and increase my rating.
But I’m talking about a re-read, and that’s nothing but a high compliment to this taut, thrilling, twisty-turny time travel tale Chapoton crafted. Until I travel back through The Girl in the Time Machine trying to change the past, the complex plot and effective urgent narration deserve at least FOUR STARS.
January 10, 2017
Title: The Girl in the Time Machine
Author: Debra Chapoton
Published: 3-2-2016
Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing
Pages: 188
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Sub Genre: Time Travel; Teen & Young Adult
ISBN: 13-9781523967551
ASIN: B01CADY2SK
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For: Debra Chapoton
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
I receive a copy of The Girl in the Time Machine from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Most of us can empathize with 17 year old Laken and her problems in High School. Laken was just a touch more inventive in dealing with those who were making her life miserable. She sends them back in time so that they might learn the error of their ways by using the time machine in her father's basement. The they begin discovering unmarked graves.
As the police begin investigating and start asking questions about her father and he is doing in their basement Laken races to retrieve the last girl she sent through the time machine. Lies, police closing in and suspicion on all sides make this a must read for any science fiction or mystery buff.
With interesting characters and a well laid plot Debra Chapoton has manage to use her writing talents to bring us a novel that captures readers from the very beginning. At 188 pages The Girl in the Time Machine is a quick read. My rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CADY2SK/...
Barnes and Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-g...
GoodReads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Reading Room link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...
Author: Debra Chapoton
Published: 3-2-2016
Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing
Pages: 188
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Sub Genre: Time Travel; Teen & Young Adult
ISBN: 13-9781523967551
ASIN: B01CADY2SK
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For: Debra Chapoton
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
I receive a copy of The Girl in the Time Machine from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Most of us can empathize with 17 year old Laken and her problems in High School. Laken was just a touch more inventive in dealing with those who were making her life miserable. She sends them back in time so that they might learn the error of their ways by using the time machine in her father's basement. The they begin discovering unmarked graves.
As the police begin investigating and start asking questions about her father and he is doing in their basement Laken races to retrieve the last girl she sent through the time machine. Lies, police closing in and suspicion on all sides make this a must read for any science fiction or mystery buff.
With interesting characters and a well laid plot Debra Chapoton has manage to use her writing talents to bring us a novel that captures readers from the very beginning. At 188 pages The Girl in the Time Machine is a quick read. My rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CADY2SK/...
Barnes and Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-g...
GoodReads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Reading Room link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...
February 27, 2016
This book has such an original story in the time travel genre, I was riveted from the opening line and spellbound all the way through to the incredible conclusion.
Laken is the lead character in the story and she is very likeable. She is believable and relatable, and had her flaws. Laken thinks she is “helping” or “saving” girls from her school that have been suffering abuse by sending them back in time using her scientist parents time travel machine. But then she realises she has made a very terrible mistake with one of the girls she sent back in time, and with the help of her best friend Skylar, she tries to go back in time and bring the girl back to the present, hoping to amend for what she did, and all the while trying to avoid a fatal paradox. Additionally, there is a tragic mystery in the town where Laken lives and she is fearful that she may inadvertently have something to do with it.
The intricacies of time travel and the numerous possible issues it presents is woven well into the storyline. The toggling between past and present throughout the story was skillfully done and the unexpected plot twists and turns took me by surprise again and again. I really loved how this book was written in a narrative format and that an underlying theme of “things aren’t always what they seem” popped up throughout the novel.
This book is wonderfully written and the uniqueness of the tale sets it apart from other time travel stories. This is a must read if you like a bit of science fiction merged with an intriguing mystery and are looking for something fresh to read. I highly recommend it.
Laken is the lead character in the story and she is very likeable. She is believable and relatable, and had her flaws. Laken thinks she is “helping” or “saving” girls from her school that have been suffering abuse by sending them back in time using her scientist parents time travel machine. But then she realises she has made a very terrible mistake with one of the girls she sent back in time, and with the help of her best friend Skylar, she tries to go back in time and bring the girl back to the present, hoping to amend for what she did, and all the while trying to avoid a fatal paradox. Additionally, there is a tragic mystery in the town where Laken lives and she is fearful that she may inadvertently have something to do with it.
The intricacies of time travel and the numerous possible issues it presents is woven well into the storyline. The toggling between past and present throughout the story was skillfully done and the unexpected plot twists and turns took me by surprise again and again. I really loved how this book was written in a narrative format and that an underlying theme of “things aren’t always what they seem” popped up throughout the novel.
This book is wonderfully written and the uniqueness of the tale sets it apart from other time travel stories. This is a must read if you like a bit of science fiction merged with an intriguing mystery and are looking for something fresh to read. I highly recommend it.
December 21, 2016
4.5 stars. Kept me riveted!
February 12, 2016
"The Girl in the Time Machine" is a story with a macabre and tragic twist. As with all good time travel stories it weaves itself back and forward through the timelines of the main characters until you think your head will explode. I can't tell you more than that without huge spoilers.
It's also about growing up and learning the hard way how to deal with anger, jealousy and teenage dilemmas. Laken and Skylar, sometimes known as Lake and Sky have a bond that goes beyond friendship. When things get weird, and they do, we find out just how far that friendship is willing to go and why.
I'm honored to have been asked to review this novel. I give it four out of five stars because I can't decide if I liked the ending or not (and I try to be stingy with my stars) but I have no hesitation in recommending it as a great read. It's full of surprises at every turn and it kept me reading right along. I finished it in one sitting, to the detriment of my housekeeping.
It's also about growing up and learning the hard way how to deal with anger, jealousy and teenage dilemmas. Laken and Skylar, sometimes known as Lake and Sky have a bond that goes beyond friendship. When things get weird, and they do, we find out just how far that friendship is willing to go and why.
I'm honored to have been asked to review this novel. I give it four out of five stars because I can't decide if I liked the ending or not (and I try to be stingy with my stars) but I have no hesitation in recommending it as a great read. It's full of surprises at every turn and it kept me reading right along. I finished it in one sitting, to the detriment of my housekeeping.
December 11, 2016
I love time travel books. They confuse me at times and make my head hurt but I love them LOL This one was was creepy and good. Lake used her parents time machine to send girls that were mean to her back in time, of course at the time she told herself she was helping them, but there was a bit of revenge in there too. But when she and her friend Sky try to go back to 1994 and bring back the last girl she sent to the past things started getting very hairy for them. And that is when the twist of the book kicked in. I figured out the twist early but still was really enjoyable to read. The book is told from Lake's point of view, but it is told as she is writing to Sky in her diary. I so wish the book was longer though, Only 158 pages. But it did not skim over things or move to fast, I just wanted it longer cause I was not ready to stop reading about Lake.
April 30, 2016
The concept of this book totally blew my mind. Have you ever wanted a do-over or to solve a problem by erasing the fact it ever happened? This book is full of those what-if's as it takes us through a complex world of time travel. When I thought I had it figured out, something smacked me in the face. It was fast-paced and hard to put down. The characters were well developed and easy to cheer for. If you're looking for a suspenseful escape, I'd recommend picking up this book. It will be worth the mind-bending read.
July 28, 2016
If I'm 100% honest with myself the reason for at least 2 of these stars is because of the revenge fantasies I had about some of the girls I went to high school with. It wasn't an awful book, but it was predictable. I enjoyed the thought of sending high school mean girls (now mean women) to different time lines so much so that the predictably thing wasn't able to make me hate this book. It should be noted though that I do have a tendency towards reading garbage for distraction--though I wouldn't put this book in that category.
December 11, 2016
I have always been fascinated by time travel stories. What I really loved about this one is that it is not the same old thing. It is definitely a new take on time travel. I won't go over the story again, since several other reviewers already did that. All the overlaps in timelines made my brain hurt, but that's probably just me. :-) I am also an author and don't think there is any way I could have gotten all of the timelines straight if I tried to write this. So, congrats on doing a fine job with that. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
February 17, 2016
I really enjoyed this book by Debra Chapoton. In my opinion, a book is worth its words if the reader can't predict every outcome in the story. I thought I knew where the story was headed, but it threw a bunch of surprises at me. The Girl in the Time Machine has a unique take on time travel. The adventures of the main character, Laken, and her friends Skylar will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.
Want to read
March 22, 2016I received this book through the First Reads giveaway program on Goodreads. Review to follow.
September 23, 2016
I was totally captivated by this book. Once I started it, I sat until it was finished!!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews