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Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister Book Review

Reasons For Reading This Book:

My mom and sister-in-law have been trying to get me to read Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister for months. I was finally able to get my hands on the library copy. I knew from talking with them that the story was about a mother going back in time after her son commits a crime. Both of them said they enjoyed the book and could not wait to discuss it with me when I finished. My mom also said that she listened to the audiobook twice, so I had a feeling this book would require concentration so that I fully understood all that was happening. 

 

Content of This Book:

It is midnight on Halloween, and Jen is anxiously awaiting her 18-year-old son, Todd's, to return home. After arriving past curfew Jen watches through the window as her happy and funny son stabs a total stranger. Jen does not know the victim nor does she know why Todd has committed this violent act. But in this moment she nows her life, and Todd's, has just changed. With her son in police custody Jen falls asleep but when she wakes up it is yesterday. Todd is not in police custody and the murder has not yet occurred- she thinks there may be a chance she can stop it from happening. Each morning Jen wakes up she has traveled back further into the past, it starts with days, then turns into week, and years before the murder. Jen seizes each new day as an opportunity to uncover what trigged Todd to commit a terrible crime and prevent it from happening. "Both the story of a mother’s love and the sacrifices she will make for her child, and a thriller with a brilliant twist, Wrong Place Wrong Time is a one-of-a-kind novel that begs to be listened to in one sitting."

What I Liked About This Book:

There are two narrator’s, but a majority is from Jen’s point-of-view. I had no strong feelings towards this choice in the beginning because I figured out one of the narrator’s first plot twists pretty early on. I appreciated Jen’s ability to give all the information necessary to understand both the time frame she was in at the time and her thought process for figuring out why she landed on that day. I also appreciated that the author would quickly summarize any conversation that was a repeat of a previous one. It is ironic that at the time of reading this book I was also watching Lovely Runner, which has a similar concept of going back in time to change the outcome of a future event. In my opinion this book was the perfect mix of the crime aspect and the everyday parts that make up the whole picture of the plot. Something I look for in a narrator is character development. In this case Jen’s development was becoming smarter and more observant over time so she could make better use of the time she had each day. On a personal level she did a lot of reflecting on her life and life choices, but overall did not change significantly on a personal level. The author was also able to portray how difficult it would be for someone to come to terms with someone in their family committing a crime and what could lead them to that point. Jen clearly struggled with accepting this from the beginning to the end of the book. Even though there were only two narrators, the author did give them each their own voice, making for a clear distinction between their chapters. 

What I Disliked About This Book:

The whole time I was reading I never felt connected or very favorable of Jen as both a narrator and a character. I wasn’t repulsed by her, but I was also not a huge fan either. I was neutral towards her but leaned more towards disliking. Something that I found annoying, but was clearly intentional was the repetition of certain phrases for emphasis. This was a writing technique that was used throughout the entire book to show the significance of what the narrator, specifically Jen, when she thinking or trying to comprehend. 

 

Would I Recommend This Book?

I agree with the choice for Reese to make this one of her book club choices. There is so much to talk about with this book that it leads to productive discussion. I would recommend this book and enjoyed my time reading it. I am satisfied that I was finally able to read it. With it being a Reese’s book club choice and the possibility of it becoming a show or a movie, I do not think I would watch it. I think it would be too slow as a show or movie.


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