Middle school students have reading interests that run the gamut from Diary of a Wimpy Kid to Twilight. Sometimes as a parent it is hard to know what is age appropriate for your child. Through this blog, I will try to help parents make informed decisions about what is available in our library. I am hoping that this blog will be a resource for our parents, and that we can all work together to make our students life-long readers!



Tuesday, September 3, 2013

All Our Yesterdays

All Our Yesterdays
by Cristin Terrill
From the publisher:
""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."


This book is unbelievably mind-boggling and intense. As I was reading it I kept thinking, "Who comes UP with this kind of plot?!" Kudos to Cristin Terrill for having such an impressive imagination. I was drawn in from the first page and was so wrapped up in the action that I dreamt about it one night. Reading this book is kind of like putting a jigsaw puzzle together... slowly, piece by piece. Not that the plot is slow (definitely NOT!), but slowly you begin to piece things together in your mind as you make your way through the breath-taking action. The characters were believable and well thought out, and you have complete sympathy and compassion for them. I don't want to say too much about the characters for fear of giving something away, but it is so interesting (and at times heartbreaking) to see the growth and difference in their personalities as the book progresses. I found this a remarkable debut novel by an author that I will be watching in the future.

Areas of concern: The *b* word, the *a* word and the *s* word were all used around 3 or 4 times each. The *f* word appeared 3 times. While I never condone use of bad language, I will say that the *f* word was not used gratuitously in this book, it was used in moments of extreme emotional or physical distress. So while I wish it wouldn't have been used at all, it didn't bother me as much as it does in books where teenagers are just using it as a part of speech. 
There is a lot of violence, as you can tell from the publisher's synopsis. A young woman needs to kill her best friend. Aside from that, there are scenes of torture (not too graphic) in the prison.
There are a couple of kisses. 


Suggested Ages:
Kirkus Reviews:  Ages 12+
(Since this was an Advanced Reader Copy, there was only one review posted that had age recommendations.  Please see the "Areas of Concern" to determine appropriateness for your child.)

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

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