Review: Infinityglass by Myra McEntire

Infinityglass

Author: Myra McEntire

Release: August 6th 2013

Genre: Supernatural, Science Fiction, YA

#3 in the Hourglass trilogy

Series: Hourglass (#1), Timepiece (#2)

Plot:

The stakes have risen even higher in this third book in the Hourglass series.

The Hourglass is a secret organization focused on the study of manipulating time, and its members — many of them teenagers -­have uncanny abilities to make time work for them in mysterious ways. Inherent in these powers is a responsibility to take great care, because altering one small moment can have devastating consequences for the past, present, and future. But some time trav­elers are not exactly honorable, and sometimes unsavory deals must be struck to maintain order.

With the Infinityglass (central to understanding and harnessing the time gene) at large, the hunt is on to find it before someone else does.

But the Hourglass has an advantage. Lily, who has the ability to locate anything lost, has determined that the Infinityglass isn't an object. It's a person. And the Hourglass must find him or her first. But where do you start searching for the very key to time when every second could be the last?

Goodreads | B&N

Review:

My favorite part was the Epilogue. Because EMERSON EMERSON EMERSON.

Myra McEntire did something very, very horrible with this series that I will never ever understand. She switched POVs not once, not twice, but three times. The entire series is told by four POVs. So while I was extremely disappointed at first when I heard that Timepiece would not be in Emerson's POV, I still hold out hope that she would combine Em's and Kaleb's (who narrates Timepiece) POVs in this last book. Alas, she added two completely new ones that were to narrate Infinityglass: Hallie and Dune. And I was SO. MAD.

You see, I loved Hourglass. The characters were absolutely amazing, relatable and had definition. Michael was great and I cannot tell you how much I'm in love with Emerson. She was one of the best heroines ever, an awesome narrator and, simply put, she is one of my favorite characters ever. And all this did was make me wish to re-read Hourglass just so I can read the story through Em's eyes again. So much nostalgia for her, especially when she actually made appearances in Infinityglass, which she does. Every time she was in the scene I was unbearably sad, because I wanted her to tell me what's going on.

But, now onto Infinityglass proper. I was very confused by Hallie, because at first, she seems like a slut extraordinaire. And I don't mean to slut-shame, but ... seriously? What is wrong with her? She was definitely  messed up in the head and while the rebellious and demanding side of her appealed to me somewhat, she never grew on me. She was too ... impulsive and uninhibited. Just no. No. Dune was a surprise, because I never paid much attention to him in the first two books, but he, too, wasn't a very good character. He was okay, and he didn't irritate me nearly as much as Hallie did, but he didn't grow on me either. Neither of them did. 

Their different POVs were sometimes extremely hard to separate from each other since they could sound nearly identical. Not always, but it happened, especially around the end. Now, besides that, I absolutely despised Dune and Hallie's romance. It was too fast. Too sappy. Too senseless. Why do they fit together? What makes them complementary? I tell you what: nothing. Absolutely nothing. Those stories of loss they have both gone through and bonded via seemed like it got pulled out of thin air. Maybe McEntire should have done a bit more work prior to Infinityglass to build that up, but this way it just felt like the author simply invented that out of convenience for them to have something in common. Other than that, their relationship promptly annoyed me to no end because there wasn't much happening outside of it. The whole world is nearing disaster and catastrophe and they're whispering sweet nothings and sexual innuendos to each other. Really b really? ...

What action there was was nice, though, and I did like the villains. Especially the showdown was well done and at last finally something to focus on other than the very annoying romance. 

I just wanted Emerson back, was that too much to ask? I think this series could have been really great, if McEntire would've have stuck to at least only two POVs. I mean, Timepiece was mostly okay too, even though it wasn't Em's narrative. Why did she have to change it again? I know it was more convenient because this story does center on Hallie specifically, but still. The constant POV change was simply confusing and saddening. Don't do this, aspiring authors. Stick to one, two at the most. Especially if you already have amazing, well-rounded characters that are telling the story — don't let go of them and replace them with shallow, unlikeable ones.