Mike E. Miller

I received this book from Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.

There are times when a book I pick up grabs my attention and doesn't let go. Such was the case with The Timekeeper's Son . I finished this book in one sitting, never feeling like it was too slow paced or moved too fast, or lost me at any point.

Andy wakes up one day suddenly in his past, with no explanation how he ended up there, and just a few days before some tragic events from the past are set to occur all over again. With full memories of these events, Andy has choices to make, even after finding a mysterious note stuck to his bathroom mirror advising him to "let it happen". Andy is being eaten up by the things he's struggling with and eventually confides his secret (coming back to the past) to his childhood friend Lanie. She, of course, struggles to believe the truth but gives him the benefit of the doubt.

Throughout decisions made and a series of events, Andy comes to find out some family secrets and things he struggles to wrap his mind around, including something about himself that was one thing he didn't remember.

At times I find it hard to read some Science Fiction, which is where I would put this book in terms of category, because some seems really far-fetched and unbelievable. I did not find myself having that problem while reading The Timekeeper's Son . Mr. Miller did a wonderful job of putting it on a scale of being believable, and the characters relatable. The book kept giving new twists right about the time I though things were going to go one way.

The Timekeeper's Son did leave me questioning what kind of decisions I would make if placed in the situation of awaking in my past with full knowledge of my future, which, I believe, was one of the books intentions. I am very much looking forward to reading the next book in this series!… (mere)

This book was absolutely fabulous to about 75% then it just took off and became stupid. Like the author had lost the story somewhere, and was desperately trying to find it again. He should have been editing, instead of writing plot in those moments. (Yes, I have a thing for well-written prose. It's my thing).
And this? This needed an editor to tell him when to use the verbs lie/lay, to check on his facts (you do *not* have a sophisticated "palette" when you are a chef, you have a "palate". Your anger cannot be "diffused" before it can erupt, it can be "defused". You can't write "the Timekeeper's are punishing you" you write "the Timekeepers".
I'VE PAID GOOD MONEY FOR THIS, and it pisses me off. there are more examples, but I can't be bothered now.

The ending was highly unsatisfactory, there I was, ready to be awed, waiting for the big reveal and explanation, and a WOW!—and all I ended up with was "Oh?"

I was Oh'ed instead of Awed. I really wanted to be awed. It didn't happen.
Moving on.

***
I was NOT asked to read this book by anyone, I paid for it with my own money, as I do for all the books I read, all the music I listen to and the movies I watch.… (mere)

What if you could return to your childhood to the point where it was truly carefree; before everything changed and not always for the best?

That is the premise of this story. Andy, a 35 year old man, finds himself back in his 9 year old body, and has that chance. Whether or not the chance was a gift or a curse, and how do you adapt ‘backwards’ are all revealed in the pages of this book.

I read this book in one sitting; I could not put it down. First it was the story premise that intrigued, and then the action within the story took over. I needed to know how it ended, and what Andy would learn about why he was there, and could he get back. I was intrigued about the significance of his “making a different choice” than he had in the past, and the consequences for the 35 year old brain making the decisions while acting as a 9 year old boy.

Mike Miller has done a wonderful job in creating a believable and sympathetic character in Andy. I don’t think that I am alone in thinking of all the things that I would like to go back and change, or effect a change for others – and how that is antithetical to the premise of any time traveler I have ever encountered. What the author has created for me, and I hope for others, is a reminder that choices are important, and you should be a conscious and aware “Chooser”.

The writing was smooth and tight, with a friendly and welcoming style that leads you right into the midst of the plot. Since the point of view really is an adult male, the discomfort and frustration he feels from being treated as a kid is palpable. And he is loath to forget the life he had at 35, continually wondering when, how and if he can adjust the scenario so he meets the wife he left behind. It was an emotionally available story, where characters were developing as their importance to the plot was revealed. Every character was not developed as fully as I would have hoped, but part of that felt “right” to me, as Andy is approaching them with a prejudice and preconception from the life he already lived, with choices he and others made that impacted his life. And he is determined to ‘not forget’ the life he had, despite frequent admonishments and suggestions that it is important to his here and now.

This was a marvelous debut effort from the author – and easily one of my top 20 books of the year. I hope, and expect that this is not the last we will see of Andy and his new life, for the last 3 words of the story were “Not The End”.

I received a PDF copy from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review – and all conclusions are my responsibility. The copy that I got review was the final product before release; I had a very polished copy which may not have been the case for some reviewers.
… (mere)

Mike E. Miller’s first novel, The Timekeeper’s Son gets three stars for its innovative use of time travel. That means, I don’t regret having read it. It did not waste my time. But I didn’t love it, either.

In The Timekeeper’s Son, Andy wakes up one morning to find himself in his nine-year old body, twenty-six years earlier than it had been the night before. Without getting into spoilers, Miller provides a fascinating concept of this time displacement happening to others as well and of a secret organization that ensures the process does not go wrong. It is a great set up for a great novel – and that is what kept me reading.

Unfortunately, Miller falls short in executing on the potential of the concept. His protagonist makes every decision correctly and heroically, rendering him uninteresting as the story proceeds. The information the reader is given about the role of the secret organization leaves huge gaps that render the organization nonsensical, or at least confusing. And Miller’s prose lacks crispness and belabors every thought Andy has – stating each emotion directly, repeating it several times in sequential sentences, then reviving it a paragraph or two later. Granted, I am a bit outside the intended audience who may overlook some of these shortcomings more easily than I (as a writer and editor) am able to do. More importantly, despite these flaws, the book was still a decent read.

Before writing this review, I checked into Mike E. Miller’s profile. This is his first novel and he wrote and self-published it in the same year. Given that, I believe Miller has a great deal of potential as a novelist, but he rushed this novel. I look forward to reading his next novel as his writing develops.

Disclosure: This review was of a free copy provided to me by the author for review.… (mere)