Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen

As I work my steady way through all the releases for this month, I have reached the second last one which I intend to beat the release date of.

The edition that I got access via NetGalley is set to release on 29th of this month. I am glad I got an opportunity to read an advance copy of this book

I have read more time travel related books in the past year than I have in all the previous years combined. Since my reading numbers have increased, I should probably not be too surprised about this situation. I state this at the beginning (as I do with most of my sort-of disclaimers) in order to show how I would know by now what works for me in this scenario and how much of it has to make an appropriate amount of sense. This book fit all those criteria and hits all the right notes for me. The time travel and the consequences and the paradoxes seem pretty probable and this makes it a more thrilling read.

We meet time travel agent Kin when he has been hurt by his target, and is too wounded and something has gone wrong. He makes the best of a bad situation which is not that great in retrospect when the ‘time’ comes. Kin is a family man, with a lot of emotional investment in his life in the 90s. When his real life beckons, he may have to make changes. There are a lot of mental arguments that he has with himself on all his decisions and although set in a whole different futuristic world, it is very relatable. The writing is simple and gets the point across while at the same time tugging at the heart-strings. Each person introduced to us is fleshed out enough for us to have our own opinion on their role in the tale. Kin is also the sort of protagonist that most people would love to encourage and hope the best possible outcomes for.

I really enjoyed the beginning and the ending, the middle felt a little slower than the rest of the pace but it was an enjoyable read that I would actually recommend to others!