Review: I wish there were 6 stars to give...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 10, 2014
I have been offered a free copy of this book for an honest review.I have to admit that, at first, the title “The Pauper” did not tell me anything. It really does not let you into the content of the novel. But, as I kept reading, I realized the irony and the humor behind it, the same characteristics of style that define the writing throughout.The theme is an unusual one: time travel. It is not disclosed from the beginning, the author letting us guess and discover along with one of the main characters, Heather. I was surprised by the notion of travelling through time without a time machine of sorts. Besides the fact that I find it very original, it is presented and explained in a way that makes it sound logical and believable. But I would not advise you to try it.The author seems to love all her characters, creating a bond with all of them, making the reader fall in love with them too. All the characters, no matter how little space or attention get in the novel, are very well delineated, portrayed through their actions, words or direct characterization. The main characters are Heather and Ammon, a couple that fights not for, but against their love. They undertake the task of changing the future, and they end up changing themselves and each other. It is difficult to choose a favorite here. I loved them all, I grew attached to them. I could see the crazy Rachel Madera preach about nanotechnology in 18th century England before my eyes, I was taken care of and amused by the Vissers, I looked deep and analyzed myself together with Heather.The writing is full of humor, seldom the kind that makes you burst out laughing, but a more subtle form of it, which keeps you smiling for pages in a row. Irony and sarcasm also play a big role. Apart from the main characters incessantly teasing each other from beginning to end, irony is used as a characterization method or as a source of humor. The title is also ironic, but you will have to discover why by reading the book.Dialogue is present throughout, as is inner thought, leading us directly to the characters’ core.The language used is illustrative for each time period that takes its turn in the storyline. We read old English, modern US English and – what I guess are – Egyptian words.These characteristics, together with the fast pacing, make the book an easy, fast, very interesting and, if I may say, delicious read.I almost never say this, but you have to read this book! It is too good for you to miss out on. I recommend it to teenagers, young and not-so-young adults, readers of all genres, as the novel touches and quenches desire for adventure, romance, fantasy and history.