A Year Without Autumn

(Breaking from the normal schedule today: we're talking about the Virtual Book Club book! We meet on Twitter and you can join in too! Just follow along with #vbcbooks!)

A Year Without Autumn
Liz Kessler

My rating: ★★★★

ISBN: 978-0763655952
Publisher: Candlewick
Date of publication: October 11, 2011
Age: Grades 5 - 9
Genre: Fantasy, Realistic Fiction

Themes: friendship, family, relationships, time travel, elevator, hardship

It is time for Jenni's family's annual vacation and she is excited--she gets to spend the week with her bestest best friend, Autumn! But when Jenni decides to take the antique elevator up a floor to visit her friend, she's not there; some terrible tragedy has struck Autumn and her family, and Jenni doesn't understand. And when did mom have a baby?? How did everyone get a year older? By the time Jenni realizes what happens, she tries to figure out a way to go back and fix everything to prevent the future she's seen. But it won't be as easing as pressing the elevator button...

While it may have been a little slow to get started, all while feeling as confused as Jenni at what's going on...I was sucked in. Because that's just it: you don't quite know what's going on. Oh man, this book had me riveted. The concept just felt original and well-thought-out. The writing is fantastic, and the characters are amazing because Kessler develops them to the depth I need for a time travel book. I mean, a person is going to change in a year, so I want to see this character changed. And she delivered. The timeline is a little hard to follow, but that's because you're time traveling. So yeah. Go and read it. It's fantastic.

Find it at your library or on Amazon