YA Buddy Readers' Corner ♥ discussion

Casey Donovan has issues: hair, height and uncontrollable trips to the 19th century! And now this --she's accidentally taken Nate Mackenzie, the cutest boy in the school, back in time.

Protocol pressures her to tell their 1860 hosts that he is her brother, and when Casey finds she has a handsome, wealthy (and unwanted) suitor, something changes in Nate. Are those romantic sparks or is it just "brotherly" protectiveness?

When they return to the present, things go back to the way they were before: Casey parked on the bottom of the rung of the social ladder and Nate perched high on the very top. Except this time her heart is broken. Plus, her best friend is mad, her parents are split up, and her younger brother gets escorted home by the police. The only thing that could make life worse is if, by some strange twist of fate, she took Nate back to the past again.

Which of course, she does.

Clockwise (Clockwise #1) by Elle Strauss will be our 3rd GBR for September 2017.

Please read at your own pace, and hide any spoilers ☺ You are welcome to join at any time during the month ☺

Happy Reading Everybody!

Pre-Reading Questions -

Anybody got any thoughts on this one before we start?

Has anyone read anything similar to this before?

Anybody read anything else by this author previously?

Link to free ebook - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

This is on my TBR list, so I may as well knock it off the pile - plus, it's a freebie!

Just downloaded this, if I have the time I'll be joining! Sounds fun c:

I just downloaded this and would love to join! It sounds super cute. I can't think of anything that sounds similar that I've read :)

Chapter 1: (view spoiler)[ Well it kind of just throws you in, doesn't it? I really hope we get some more background on the time traveling but this is only the first chapter so I'm optimistic. Lucky that Casey always travels to the same place so that she at least knows where she is. (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 2-3: (view spoiler)[I still feel very disconnected from the story. There's been really no background yet and Casey reads a lot younger than she is. Still not sure how I feel about this one (hide spoiler)]

Sounds like a fun light read! I plan to finish up my current read tomorrow and then will dig into this one ;)

Kelli wrote: "Sounds like a fun light read! I plan to finish up my current read tomorrow and then will dig into this one ;)"

It's definitely a nice light read so far. Glad to have someone joining me :)

Chapters 4-9: (view spoiler)[I'm still not connecting to the characters at all. I do like all of the historical elements when Casey travels back. The author does a good job of showing that time period and the events that take place. (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 10-13: (view spoiler)[Hmm I think there's something more to Samuel than he's letting on. He's kind of acting like a time traveler as well. (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 14-18: (view spoiler)[ I knew it! Samuel is a time traveler just like Casey. Interested in how shes going to get out of this on and if Nate will still be there when she goes back (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[Well I guessed the major twists of the story - Samuel being a time traveler and Samuel's sisters baby actually being Casey's dad. So there was nothing really shocking about it. The writing made the characters seem a lot younger than they actually were and I still am not a fan about how things were explained to us (basically they weren't). I'm assuming the time traveler we met at the end will focus more heavily in later books because otherwise that was completely random and not needed. But I still really liked the historical aspect. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5

(view spoiler)[ I think that things will start getting different for Casey in the past now that Sara knows she's a girl. I wonder if the others will think she is someone else or if they'll know she was 'Casey'? I also found myself wondering what was going to happen - what big event. And now at the end of Chapter 5 here it is! How on earth is this going to go with Nate??!! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 10

(view spoiler)[ of course Nate went back to the way he used to be right? I think its great that Sara is so 'understanding' of Casey's in and out of their lives - hopefully things stay that way as I'm assuming Casey will deal with time traveling her entire life... (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 16
(view spoiler)[ Hmmm maybe Nate is seeing Casey a bit differently now. I can't believe how Robert is acting but then again that is a different time and place. While putting his hands on her wasn't right I can see how women of her age do get married in that time and Casey probably is acting a bit differently than other girls her age from that time period. Hooray for Nate breaking up with Jessica - but is Nate touching her a trigger to travel? (hide spoiler)]

Kelli wrote: "Chapter 10

[spoilers removed]"

I really like Sara as a character. She's such a strong women for that time period. Ugh and I hate Robert!

Jenn wrote: "Kelli wrote: "Chapter 10

[spoilers removed]"

I really like Sara as a character. She's such a strong women for that time period. Ugh and I hate Robert!"

Yes!! I agree that Sara is one character that definitely makes a strong impact on the whole story. I wonder if we'll see more of Robert in future books?

Complete

(view spoiler)[ first of all - yay for Nate coming to the rescue when Robert was being a grade A d-bag. Its so crazy the twists that came out in this story! traveling with Samuel - him being her uncle and Casey almost witnessing the birth of her father! haha I found this to be a fun read. While I'm not sure if its at the top of my list I will happily move on with the series when I need a fun easy read :) (hide spoiler)]

I read this in 2014 but will be re-reading. This was the first time reading a book by Ellie Strauss. And I tend to enjoy time travel novels.

I rated it 3* the first time around. I am curious how it stands up on a second read. I remember the voice was of a typical teen girl who grows over time. And as I got the boxed set cheap recently may read the rest of the series as well.

I agree with Jenn’s view for the first thirteen chapters. Not much world building per se. I think that if it had been written primarily in the past I would have been happier. And time could have been set up for Casey and Nate characters to develop more. But to be fair, the voice of the teen seems authentic. Even if a more younger 15-16 year old.

Surprisingly I haven’t remembered much about the novel except the first part. But it is clean and light read. And I wanted a light read after some harrowing stories I’ve read this month.

And as a curly girl, I’m slightly annoyed by the comments Sara makes on her hair.

Chapter 21: (I've been reading and not posting) (view spoiler)[Poor Casey! Ouch! And I'm not just talking about her head. Nate is a back and forth guy, and it frustrates me to no end. Ugh. Switching gears, Rosa must be her dad's mom, and Samuel is her great uncle. I think I'm right. It makes sense. Also, I really like this book! (hide spoiler)]

Anyone want to read the second one in October as a BR?

Finished. (view spoiler)[I really liked it. Here's my review: 4.5 stars. This book was original and engaging. I had fun reading it and laughing at all the stuff that happened. I rooted for the characters, and would like to read book 2. (hide spoiler)]