Review: All Our Yesterdays

Title: All Our Yesterdays

Author: Cristin Terrill

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Publication Date: September 3, 2013

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

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What would you change?

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 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, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. 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. Em and Marina are in a race against time that only one of them can win.

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

This was a refreshing read for me because before this, I’d just been consecutively reading pure romance novels. The idea that there were sci-fi elements here and the fact that I’ve been hearing good things about this book for a while now got me really excited to read it, and it certainly didn’t disappoint!

The story was well thought out; even from the beginning I was sucked right in. Even though the ideas are not so complicated, the plot still managed to be really compelling. There was good character development, and it was a treat to follow how Em, Finn, and James changed over the years from a few teenagers into these strong and fully capable people.

That being said, some parts around the middle of the book got a bit boring for me. I have to admit that I wasn’t quite into the romantic aspect of it all, and although I had fun reading about the characters, I never really connected with them as much as I would’ve wanted to. I couldn’t understand why they did some of the things they did, and the explanations I was expecting to come never did.

All in all, though, it was a nicely written book with a unique and interesting concept — definitely something worth checking out!