BOOK REVIEW: Rematch by Janine Caldwell

Rematch
(Vortex #1)

Author: Janine Caldwell

Genre: YA Sci-Fi / Romance

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: March 10th, 2012

Book Summary:

Trent Astor is many things—orphan, runaway, musician. But what’s most extraordinary about Trent is that he’s a time traveler. His supernatural gift sends him on missions to the past to save unsuspecting victims from harm. However, when he fails to save the life of a young girl, his life changes in ways he could never have dreamed.

At eleven-years-old, Cassie Moore suffered through a horrific shooting. Tragically scarred from the ordeal, the once promising tennis prodigy was forced to throw away all hope of a future in tennis. Now, as she begins her senior year of high school, the past continues to haunt her. She struggles to find herself, her self-esteem at an all time low. If only she could resolve the past, she might be able to move on with her life. She never imagined that could be possible until she meets the gorgeous new student in her PE class.

Set in contemporary Northern California, The Vortex Series is a teen romance for those who also enjoy a bit of science fiction and fantasy. Told in dual perspectives, we get an intimate view of both Cassie and Trent’s worlds. Family relationships, how they interconnect and drive our personalities, is the heart and soul of this YA time traveling novel.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Author Links:

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MY REVIEW

Cassie and Trent live completely different lives, but when their worlds collide, it sets them on a course of discovery that neither one can turn away from. Trent is gifted with the ability to time travel, which he uses to travel the world in a bid to save people's lives, one of whom happened to be his classmate Cassie. When the two characters discover their connection, they soon become close friends, which quickly blossoms into a romantic relationship.

I must admit, I'm in two minds about this book. On one hand, it's a quick, fun read with likable characters and on the other hand, the logical capacity of parts of the plot (particularly the time travel aspect) was lacking. The momentum at the start of the book pulled me into the story right away. Unfortunately, it didn't maintain my complete focus throughout the rest of the book.

The actual time travel aspect was rather minuscule. I was expecting a little more adventure given the nature of the book. There were unnecessary scenes that didn't impact on the story and which in fact slowed the pace. At times, I had to force myself to continue reading. I did find myself skimming through certain pages when the plot started to lag.

The thing I enjoyed most were the interactions between the characters Trent and Lorelai. Their relationship was believable, and I wanted to invest more of my time in their story. I wasn't convinced by the love connection between Trent and Cassie. It was sweet how she cared about his safety but I never felt the chemistry between them. I perceived their love as more platonic than desirable. I preferred Trent over Cassie. I felt he was more developed as a character. I never connected with Cassie at any time throughout the story. I would have believed Trent and Cassie's love story more if they didn't declare their love for each other so quickly. I didn't experience the growth of their romance. I didn't find it convincing, not merely because the length of time it took them to fall in love but because I never sensed anything beyond friendship between them.

Apart from the dangers of being spotted while jumping (teleporting between destinations), I wanted to see the dangers that had Trent and Lorelai running constantly. They mentioned Fox hunting them, but we never get to experience that side of danger they so often spoke about. I don't want to hear about it, I want to see it. I want to be in that moment with the characters.

The opening to Part 3 brought back the excitement I felt in the beginning of Part 1. It really pulled me back into the story. I enjoyed being on a mission with Trent and seeing just how dangerous and challenging his life was. This was what I had been waiting for. Personally, I think it took a little too long to get to this point, but better late than never.

I liked how the story began. I was in two minds about how it was progressing. I didn't like how it ended. The highlight of the story for me were the characters Trent and Lorelai. They made the story worthwhile and enjoyable. Despite all the problems I found with this story, I actually enjoyed reading it and will consider reading the next book.

VERDICT:

SILVER

Award: Silver

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Source: Review copy