80s, 90s vibe. Those good old days. Cool days. I-wish-I-lived-in-that-era kind of sentiment. Reading this made me feel like I was really there, living that cool smooth chill life.

I truly enjoyed reading this novel. I loved the writing style, the way the story developed, the way all those five feelings were brought to the surface and life and the way they made me feel.
Apropos, the unloveart was beautiful and made this experience even more memorable, so kudos to that artist as well.

I think this is the first time I've ever read a new-adult novel and I think I should do this more often, since I'm a new-adult myself.

When this blog tour invite hit my inbox, I was immediately on board. So much of New Adult Fiction is made up of intense, dramatic romances aimed at women my age. I can hardly make it through one of them before I want to strangle one of the character for being so obtuse. When I come across books like this one being marketed as New Adult, they are immediately added to my reading list. I’m much more interested in coming across something in this target group that I can relate to (or maybe even some science fiction). I wasn’t let down by Tick to the Tock. I was a little surprised by it.

 

The truth is that self-published novels tend to be lacking in good writing. Matthew Turner is clearly not lacking that skill. Turner writes some of the most beautiful settings I can imagine. I’m a visually-oriented person (probably why I enjoy movie adaptations so much). His descriptions were so vivid the picture of nearly every scene was painted in my mind. Keep in mind, this praise is coming from someone who often skims descriptive paragraphs. It’s not only the descriptions, though. Turner writes his characters well. The dialogue felt authentic. The emotions were sometimes very raw (you might need tissues if you’re a crier). The relationships were just perfect.

 

Those of you who’ve been with me for a while or pay attention to what I read may have noticed my near obsession with “cancer books” a couple of years ago. My father had been told by his doctor that he would only have a few months left; instead of spending his time suffering through treatment, he stopped his chemo and radiation to spend some time with us. I think reading stories about people dealing with cancer was somehow cathartic for me. My point is, I have a decent bit of experience with books about cancer. I think I can safely add this one to the ranks of wonderful, moving books on a topic that hits very close to home for me.

 

One more quick note: books aren’t about the resolution, they’re about the journey. This is one of the rare books that gives you an immediate sense of how it will end. There aren’t really any questions about it. When reading a book like this, the tone tells you whether the characters will live or die. That’s almost irrelevant, as far as the reading experience goes. The entire purpose of reading is to take a journey. I think this journey with Dante is worth the grief. Recommended.

For this review and more, visit Such a Novel Idea.

4.5/5 stars

I knew what I was getting myself into when I signed up for this blog tour review. I mean, it says it all right there in the synopsis right? A guy dying trying to come to grips with the last of his days. I don't know what it says about me that I am drawn to books like this, books that force you to delve into the tough issues of life. However, every time I do, I always feel changed somehow. And maybe that is why I do it.

Whatever I thought I knew about this book, I didn't. This book surprised me in so many ways. For one thing, I only cried during the epilogue. Well, and one other time there was a single tear, but I can't tell you when, because it was such a critical moment of the book. So not crying about a dying person may sound like the book wasn't that great, but it was. It really, really was.

See, Turner decided to write a book about life. This book in so many ways was not about death and dying, but about living. Truly living. It was a hard look at what we do everyday that we may one day regret - whether it is not speaking up out of fear, being stuck in a comfortable routine, being afraid of a life you hadn't planned to live, wandering through life avoiding commitment, or even indecision. While Dante is the voice and the backbone of the story, there were four people in this book who went through a transformation. Actually, five, because this book did something to my mind and my soul that I can't quite describe. It so visceral, yet subtle that I didn't quite know what to think until it was all said and done. But it made me want to live.

The moment I started the book, I knew I was going to love the author. He started each chapter with two or three music recommendations. And two of the three on chapter one were two of my very favorite songs. And one of my very favorite musicians. So, I knew that even if I didn't like the words in the story, I would resonate with the music. And I did. I took my time reading so I could listen to each recommendation during the said chapter. This book took much longer to read that way, but I really think it was worth it and provided a rich reading experience.

The book doesn't read like a story -- most times I felt like I was reading a memoir or a nonfiction essay. And that was okay. It made the way I approached the material seem more real and less like a story someone had written to entertain. It felt like Dante was a real person with a real voice, telling me his story.

At first I didn't care for the girlfriend Danii. I think I was already loyal to Dante and didn't want her to hurt him. But, she grew on me. All four of the characters did. It was great to see how they grew from the experiences they had together. I loved when Ethan confessed that he hated that he was having fun, when the trip wasn't about him having fun, but making sure Dante was okay. When he confessed that maybe, just maybe that daily routine he cherished so much didn't have as much meaning as he had been giving it.

And the end, the emotional turn that the book took was just a perfect way to end the story. I had a thought earlier in the story, but I was still taken aback when it happened. And of course the epilogue. It's like when we know what is going to happen, and yet we somehow still wish for it to not happen.

The one critique I do have of the book is the wordiness. I feel like an edit to trim down on some of the dialogue and thoughts could have tightened and polished this book up. It was definitely different from any book I've read in awhile. It wasn't something I normally would pick up. It was a hard read, but it was worth it. And it was probably hard because it did seem so real -- I didn't feel the way I feel when I read a YA book or a book that makes me escape to another world. It was gritty, raw, and unabashedly uncomfortable, because it made me take a hard look at myself. And that my friends, is why I loved it most of all.

Beyond Parallel - Matthew Turner Usually, I don't read New Adult novels because I can't really relate to the characters. But I was intrigued by Beyond Parallel and the concept of alternate realities. It's so very cool! And this novel didn't disappoint me but it didn't impress me either. With so much going on I felt a little left in the dark during some chapters and bored or excited with others. Between chapters, six months goes by which is a lot of time for things to happen. Nonetheless, Beyond Parallel is a book that readers will enjoy.Bella and Clark are such a cute couple. The only problem I have with them is that the beginning of their relationship is the classic case of insta-love. Their relationship happens so fast and maybe this is how adults do things, I'm not sure, but it feels very forced in the beginning. It would have been nicer if readers were eased into their romance instead of shoved into it. I also don't like Bella. At all. Throughout the story, for both stories in fact, she's annoying, whiny, and very self-centred. She expects her best friend, Alex to help her through a breakup (fine), be her wingman (fine), but to also just talk about herself and then whine about it without asking Alex about his problems (No way). It's really annoying how flat and boring all of the secondary characters are also. They have little life to them. A big element in the novel is travelling and finding that special missing something or someone. The story starts off in Thailand where Bella and Clark both are and I liked that Matthew Turner used Thailand because it's a really exotic, fun place with some breathtaking sights. Beyond Parallel has two stories inside of the book, one with Bella and Clark as a couple and the other one is without Bella and Clark as a couple. For me, I really enjoyed reading about Bella and Clark being a couple because I got to read about both sides of their story instead of just one. They both start freaking out over little things and their hardships as a couple that they are forced to over come shows how realistic any kind of relationship is and I liked that.Overall, Beyond Parallel is a good read full of romance and a few tough parts to get through. Just like any relationship and although the middle is very slow and most of the characters are quite flat, I did enjoy the story. Especially the ending, it's so cute and Awe worthy! I recommend this to anyone who enjoys new adult or romances with some travelling going on.

Beyond Parallel - Matthew Turner Is the word "beyond" meant to be equivalent to the word fate? There are two lives running simultaneously as the title suggests, and what lives they are! Different in all implications of that word are the two characters that the readers follow.Turner weaves these tales in such a way that it truly feels as if the reader is getting a peek into the actual, real people.Their angsts, their triumphs, their anxieties, the ups and down, the struggles, the joys, and their loves can be felt by the reader by the way this talented author spins this tale.I bet numerous readers will identify themselves in these characters as they run through the gamut of emotions, all of us having had our own trials and tribulations and similar emotions in our own lives and experiences with love.Beyond Parallel is a romantic novel which deals in the reality of life as opposed to a fantasy set out of time, out of this world, out of place. It manages the romance in the real life settings which more readers may easily identify with and therefore enjoy it immeasurably. You see the romance, the idea of fate, the realism, and the love of Clark and Bella, the way it ought to be.The parallel lives for them are woven in such a way that the readers won't find out if they are fated for one another. It is one of those stories that is so seamless, so intricate, the reader will be eager for the end to find out what happens. It captivated me entirely. These two paths were extremely interesting and entertaining especially because they were so uniquely different. I am no writer and cannot begin to describe how much you immerse yourself in this story, watching and learning. The prose is contemporary and smooth-flowing without any glitches to kick you out of Reader Zone. You must read this.