shalfey_sasha

*Spoilers* The premise of this story was so interesting, and I think it was written incredibly well. Considering all the jumping around in time, it unfolds beautifully and holds interest. That being said, something about the whole story bothers me. I can't really pinpoint it. Being a fan of science fiction and fantasy, I have no problem stretching the imagination to believe in things in books. I think the time-traveling aspect of the book was actually the most believable part. The romance between Henry and Clare was strange... and I think that's the aspect that I have a problem with. I actually feel bad for Clare. She spends her whole childhood with this adult version of Henry visiting her and hanging out with her. People in her school think there's something wrong with her or that she's a lesbian because she refuses to date other boys her age. Aside from that, she only gets to see him occasionally and sometimes the wait spans months or years. Also... he's decades her senior in these moments and even though it's his future wife, he's courting a child version of her. He doesn't INTEND it to be that way, but the entire time I kept thinking that their meetings just added to the 'romance' of the book and then was weirded out because she was underage. On her 18th birthday he makes to love her, and he's still way older, having just left the adult version of this woman at home in her time waiting for him. Creepy? When Clare finally meets up with 'real' Henry there's an immediate connection although this Henry has no idea who she is. He's never met her, but she has all these memories of wonderful times of bonding. So she sort of has to start over with him completely. Of course, she's just happy to see him again and finally have the 'real' version of him, but now instead of anxiously awaiting him to appear she's worried sick when he disappears on her. And when there is any stress in his life, she has to deal with him popping out of time. I can't really say for sure, but I find it hard to believe that any woman could be so nonchalant about her present husband disappearing on her wedding day, only to be saved by a future version of him showing up to take his place (aside from the fact that I find it hard to believe that no one but Clare noticed this man she was marrying was a decade older than the one who was around an hour ago). I get it, wedding day nerves, but really? And she sort of chortled good-naturedly about "oh that crazy time-traveling henry" but I really think I'd be a little peeved. The whole idea of it bothers me. And then Henry is killed, and Clare is left alone and depressed. She finds a letter Henry left for her, telling her that he has seen her one more time as an old woman. He describes the scene in detail. So she seems to spend the rest of her adult life, more than 40 years, once again waiting for Henry's reappearance. A week before He finally arrives, she's sitting exactly as he described in the letter, wearing the same sweater, thinking that she will be ready for him when he arrives. It's another week before he does. So how often does she set this scene up just hoping he'll show up? He says he wanted her to be free, but by telling her all of this it seems she's was more trapped than ever before. Also, I find it hard to believe that so many people would be accepting of this time-traveling thing without the entire world being notified. If a car's tire's being slashed makes nighttime news, I really can't fathom how knowledge of a genuine time-traveler wouldn't SOMEHOW get leaked out to the public. Henry wouldn't lead a normal life as he does. I think if the romance and normalcy of the book was removed and somehow the time-traveling aspect remained, the book would be better.

2022-10-21 05:28