Title: Hourglass (Hourglass #1)
Author: Myra McEntire
Release Date: June 14, 2011 (hardcover)
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 400
Source: Bought

Overall: 4 Stars

Summary: 

One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut. 

My Thoughts: 
I probably would have read Hourglass just for its cover alone. I mean, the girl is walking down a wall which is too cool for words! But, I guess, it also really helps that the novel turned out to be just as good too because I enjoyed every moment of reading Hourglass! Suspenseful and utterly mysterious, Myra McEntire's debut novel is a welcome escape into a world where there are people capable of manipulating time. 

There was definitely a lot to cover in Hourglass in 400 pages and I thought McEntire did her best to balance every aspect that she could. While Michael and Emerson did seem to have an instant, electric (literally!) connection, I could understand their strong feelings given the context. A friend of Michael's, Kaleb, also played a surprising role by acting as another would-be suitor for our teenage heroine... but again, the introduction of another love interest was also within reason as I came to learn. (And really, Kaleb could make me giggle and blush with his flirty lines while also showing off a deeper, more emotional side to him... so I was hardly complaining.)

The pacing for Hourglass did slow down at times for me. McEntire has an eye for description and making her Southern town setting come to life was an important part of her storytelling. I think there are definitely readers who will have more appreciation for McEntire's attention to detail at times, but I was more ready to impatiently jump right into the action right away. I was very eager to learn about the objectives of the Hourglass organization and about Michael, himself, because I could tell he was definitely hiding some secrets... 

Myra McEntire's debut novel is an awesome mix of science fiction and romance all wrapped up in a pretty package! The build-up to the end is full of plenty of twists and turns which sure surprised me quite a few times! I love not being able to predict what's going to happen next and while Hourglass doesn't leave off on a major cliffhanger (thank goodness!), there are still questions to be answered and loose ends to worry about. I already can't wait to get my hands on the next book!