Review: Rewrite Redemption by J H Walker
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 14, 2013
Autumn Juniper "AJ" Jones has been 'disappearing' for her entire life - a situation that has damaged her parents and caused her to hide from everyone. Well, except for her two best friends who know her secret.Constantine DeMille also disappears, but he knows how and why - and, most importantly, can control it. Unfortunately, he isn't as good at controlling his impulses and his rash actions have had devastating results - his brother has been injured and his family is falling apart.When the DeMilles move from Seattle to Boulder, the teens' worlds collide. AJ finds the one person who can answer all of her questions. And Constantine finds the one person who may be able to help him undo all of the damage he's done.High school is/ was (for many of us) a pain in the ... neck.Imagine, if you will, how difficult it would be to battle the social morass that is all things high school while worrying that - at any moment - you could be yanked into another time. Add in dysfunctional families and meeting the one person who may have all of the answers to all of the problems in your life.This, in a nutshell, is Rewrite Redemption. And, yet, it isn't. It isn't even close.~*~*~It's difficult to not gush - there is just so much that I loved about this book. From page one, I simply was lost in the story; completely sucked into the world of AJ and her friends.There are those who have complained that three kids, living in a treehouse without adult supervision, would have long ago attracted the attention of CPS. Well, yeah, in the real world. And, then again, maybe not.Personally, I loved the world that Walker created. She obviously invested tremendous time and effort on the rules, regulations, and possibilities - a plausible 'science' for time-travel; not to mention, on letting us inside the heads of four very different teenagers.At times, it was a bit like being trapped in one of those nightmares where you're back in school and can't remember your locker combination. It felt and sounded so real - cliques, teen-speak, and just trying to get through the day. Well, except for the lack of potty-mouths. Not all kids drop f-bombs, but most do throw a s*** or a damn into the mix; especially around their friends.On the down side, there were a few errors along the way. They weren't so overwhelming that they ruined my ability to enjoy this fascinating story, just a bit unexpected in such an incredibly well-crafted first novel.And the ending? Let me just say - I cried.~*~*~Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book as part of the Around the Universe Blog Tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.