Book Review: Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor

Book #1 of the Into the Dim series
Genre: YA Sci-fi Historical Fiction
Publication: March 2016 by HMH Books for Young Readers
Acquisition: read a free eARC via NetGalley

Synopsis:

When fragile, sixteen-year-old Hope Walton loses her mom to an earthquake overseas, her secluded world crumbles. Agreeing to spend the summer in Scotland, Hope discovers that her mother was more than a brilliant academic, but also a member of a secret society of time travelers. Trapped in the twelfth century in the age of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Hope has seventy-two hours to rescue her mother and get back to their own time. Along the way, her path collides with that of a mysterious boy who could be vital to her mission . . . or the key to Hope’s undoing.

(from Goodreads)

3 / 5 Stars

So...yeah...not really sure on this one.

I found myself really drawn into the story. There were a lot of characters and a lot of back story and everything seemed to fit together well.

But...I don't know...there was just something about it all that didn't really work for me.

Time travel is always awesome but it didn't really like how it played out in Into the Dim. The rules? I couldn't wrap my head around. I like my sci-fi explained a bit more. Into the Dim treats everything with an air of magic but it's not substantiated.

Everything seemed just a little bit off. I couldn't really feel connected to any one thing - the characters, the setting, the romance - it all felt a little flat.

Other little quirks really got to me too - the way characters in the past acted and spoke didn't feel genuine. Also, the motivations behind the 'bad' guys wasn't as cohesive as i would have liked.

All in all, by the time I got to the climax of the story, I wasn't all to excited to see what happened. There is a twist of sorts at the end but it only made the story more muddled for me.

Oh, and there's some heavy insta-love going on. And it's creepy.

It's light on the sci-fi, heavy on character interaction and not enough questions where asked, let alone answered.

I wouldn't write it off entirely as it is a story many readers would enjoy - especially if you like lighthearted time travel. Unfortunately, it wasn't really for me.