Review: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Release Date: September 3rd, 2013

368 pages

Disney Hyperion

"You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside. 

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was. 

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

Like any other time travel novel, All Our Yesterday has those moments in which you have to stop and think about what you've read to make sense of it all (they are not so many, fear not!). However what distinguishes All Our Yesterday from other time travel novels, is that:

- The plot is mindblowing;

- The characters are realistic and ever changing; you can easily differentiate the past Em from her future self;

- There are many twists and turns and guess what, they weren't always that easy to predict

- The ending was bittersweet but fitting

So you see, there is close to nothing for me to criticize in this novel. Maybe I can say that the author wrote a novel so perfect (I could imagine Cristin Terrill sitting and writing this novel especially for me...) that I would leave it that. Therefore I was a bit surprised when I found out that there is to be a sequel! All Our Yesterdays could be the perfect standalone, leaving readers to fantasize about the future of the characters, however I'm equally intrigued and excited to see what the author is planning on doing next!  

I was pulled into this novel from the first chapter and I couldn't put it down, for even a second. I loved that we got to read both Em's past and future points of view leading to the mindblowing ending. Furthermore the characters were easy to discern. Past Em sucked, Future Em was awesome; to better understand why the characters change so much, the author gives the story away slowly (the past and the future chapters intercalate and we understand better what not only led the characters to the decision to go back to that exact moment in their past, but also why that moment changed Finn, Em and James so much). 

The romance was also a bit surprising. I was expecting one thing and then, something else happened in that department. The romance was so bittersweet but really lovely. There are so many life and love lessons in this novel. Sometimes we have a crush on someone who doesn't deserve it; sometimes there is someone who likes us and we don't open our eyes enough to see it; sometimes love is something that comes after experiencing something and holding on together...but not only that, but if you could go back to the past, what would you say to yourself? Could you hurt someone for the sake of the whole future? I honestly wouldn't know what I would do in Em's and Finn's shoes.

All Our Yesterdays was a surprisingly un-freaking-believably good read! I wasn't expecting to like it THIS much. It has certainly made into my "best of 2013" list. As said, I'm a bit afraid of the sequel, since I enjoyed this one so much and don't want it to be one of those superfluous sequels, nevertheless I'm getting my hands on it! I loved the characters, I loved the story, I loved the setting...yes, I'm completely blown away by it and I'm certain you will be too!