Book Review: Twist by Karen Akins (5/5)

Title: Twist

Author: Karen Akins

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Pages: 336

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Science Fiction, Time Travel

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads Blurb:
Bree Bennis finally has it all - a non-comatose mother, an uber-hot (albeit anachronistic) boyfriend named Finn, and a new-found mission to protect the timeline from those who would skew it for their own gain. But when she leans over one day to smooch said boyfriend, her lips meet those of her arch-nemesis Wyck instead. The timeline has been altered, and Bree is caught in the crosshairs. But when she goes back to repair the damage, she is stopped by none other than her Future Self, who delivers an urgent message: Someone is kidnapping Shifters from the distant past. It's up to Bree to stop them. But first, she has to figure out who... and why. 



To follow the trail of chronocrumbs, Bree reluctantly accepts her new undercover gig as Wyck's girlfriend. Everything goes spiffy until Finn shows up in the 23rd century on the eager arm of a gorgeous fellow Shifter, Blark. Even as Bree struggles with jealousy, she battles the nagging dread that Finn might be better off with someone less chronologically complicated. Her worst fear is confirmed when Finn becomes the kidnapper's next victim. As Bree zeroes in on the culprit, they unravel her life one timeline-change at a time. She realizes that she alone has the power to save herself and everyone she loves. But to do that, she may lose Finn forever. 

‘Loop’ was one of my favorite books of 2014. So, needless to say, I had huge expectations for this book. And, I am happy to say, that I was not disappointed.

‘Twist’ was exceptional: there were so many great things about it. First off, the plot was incredibly interesting. This wasn’t really a shock seeing as how the previous book was fantastic. You can check out the review for that book, ‘Loop’, here. First of all, the fact that this book was based on time-travelling made it all the more thought-provoking. Secondly, the mystery of hunting down the kidnapper was incredibly intricate. There were so many twists and turns as well as a plethora of moments when I was incredibly shocked by all of the mind-blowing changes that the criminal was causing by altering the events of the past. Just having to read about how different types of people reacted to the changes in the timeline was fascinating. And as the book progressed there are so many more pieces to this complicated puzzle that are revealed. By the end of the book, the plot has taken such a drastic turn that you would never expect what happened. I know I definitely didn’t.

One of the best parts of this book was the world-building. There were so many mind-blowing time-travelling details that made this book amazing. At first they were a bit confusing, but it was after rereading them that the true impact of these words became apparent. 

And then there were the characters. There was Bree, the heroine. She was incredibly independent, courageous and overall, the perfect heroine. There was a clear and direct path into her thoughts, something that I felt wasn’t there in the first book ‘Loop’. But besides that, she had a lot of the same characteristics as she had before. She was witty, strong, and persistent. Additionally, now that she’s in charge of reverting all changes made in the timeline, it’s easier to see how she reacts to great burdens of responsibility.

Another thing relating to the characters is that I had really liked all the questions Finn asked in ‘Loop’ seeing as how this was the first time he had actually time-travelled. In ‘Twist’, a part of me was sad that that part of Finn was gone, but another part of me was happy. This was because in the previous book, when he was asking all the questions about the future, there wasn’t much that you could glean from his character. Now, in the sequel, it was easier to really analyze Finn’s character and get a good idea on who he really was. And he was amazing. He was the perfect boyfriend who completely supported Bree and was always there at her side. But not only that, he never doubted her – not for a second. Besides that, he was witty, charming, and for lack of other words, the perfect guy for Bree to fall in love with. He definitely grew as a character as the book progressed.

Then there was the romance plot. I’d have to say that this one was better than the one in the previous book because the emotions between Bree and Finn flowed so well. In ‘Twist’, there weren’t any awkward encounters where the two first discovered their emotions – they were already together. And, beyond that, when Finn is put in danger, even though Bree has doubts about their relationship, she continues to risk her life to save him. It’s easy to see how much she loves him as she puts everything at risk to give Finn the perfect life that isn’t so chronologically complicated.

And finally, there was the conclusion. I’d have to say that this part of the book was the best. And all I can say without giving the ending away is that it was absolutely striking and completely unexpected.

All in all, this book was first-rate. The time-travelling twists and turns were absolutely amazing to read about and incredibly complex – ‘Twist’ definitely isn’t a beach read. The characters were better than before, as was the romance plot. And the conclusion was fantastic – a fitting ending to a great two books. I definitely recommend this book to people who love time-travel, adventure and romance books.