Book Review: Life II by Scott Spotson

I've encountered a number of time travel stories -- in books, tv, and movies -- but this to me is a completely different, yet totally creative spin on time travelling. And while ultimately this is still fiction, I found it to be a very well thought out story, one where the entire story connects and seems logical. Just that alone is enough for me to give this book 5 stars. But there's more.

The story focuses on Max, a regular middle aged guy who would think about the what-ifs in life -- what if he studied medicine instead of being a desk-bound accountant, what if his relationship with his family and friends progressed differently...things would have been much better now. And this wish would come true for Max -- he travels 26 years in time back to his high school years with the earnest hope that, armed with the knowledge of hindsight, he could help the people close to him have a much better life. But as he would find out, things aren't so simple, results don't go the way he would have wanted, and even his very life would be affected in ways he didn't expect.

I was a bit skeptical initially on how the story would pan out but once the story shifted and presented how time travel works, things start to pick up. I got really intrigued with how the story would unfold that it became a real page turner for me. I found a portion of the ending a bit bizarre though, but perhaps the author just wanted to point out the vast possibilities of how people would react knowing such a time travel device exists. Nevertheless I believe the book ended in a fitting manner.

The author's writing style, plus the way in which each chapter was structured made for a very easy read. Very entertaining and something I will definitely recommend to others.

A Final Word: How plausible is this spin of time travel from a realistic standpoint? To me, the main issue that probably prevents me from thinking this is realistic is how to bridge someone's mind/awareness from the present time with his past's physical body. Although this does eliminate the conflict of having 2 versions of the same person. In any case, I am not an expert in this field, but it did elicit some further thoughts on the topic.

About the Book

Series: Life II (Book 1)
Genre: New Adult, Sci-Fi and Fantasy

Upon discovering a 1958 book titled "Account of Time Travel on Earth Using Wave Theory," 42-year-old Max Thorning's life is thrown into chaos. Seeking answers to the book's cryptic clues, he discovers Dr. Time, a seemingly benign alien who has control of the Time Weaver, a remarkable device that can command any scene from the Earth's past. Dr. Time offers him a choice to go back into Time, to any point in his lifespan that he can vividly recall. The catch: he can only bring his memories, and can only live the future one day at a time. Follow Max's dilemma as he goes back to his 16-year-old self and tries to forge his destiny into a new one called Life II.