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There are currently 16 member reviews
for The Day Tripper
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Deborah C. (Rochester Hills, MI)
The Day Tripper is a Treat!
I've always been fascinated by time travel stories, from the original Back to the Future movies to the TV series Quantum Leap, and the books The Time Traveler's Wife, The Midnight Library, and Oona Out of Order. Each of these stories have their own plots, problems, and solutions. The thing that they all have in common is that you are unsure how it will all work out until the end.
This book, The Day Tripper, is ingenious and thought-provoking and kept me entranced. It started out slow, but once the main character, Alex, became caught up in his daily time switch, I was reeled in. I could feel his frantic confusion and his frustration while he was trying to figure out what was happening to him.
This story ultimately becomes a testament to the power of love and leaves the reader asking themselves, If I could change something in MY past, would I do it and what would it be?
This book is a "must read" for fans of time travel stories, but I would also recommend it to just about everyone. This could possibly be a good discussion book for book clubs also.
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Mark S. (Blauvelt, NY)
A must read for time travel enthusiasts
As a fan of all things related to time travel, The Day Tripper was outstanding! While I generally spend a few weeks reading each book, this page turner was completed in two days. Goodhand is a gifted writer who does an amazing job of dropping the reader into the same sense of confusion that Alex feels as he navigates through various iterations of his life. We are drawn into his progression from trying to understand what is happening to him to his later recognition of how his choices directly impact his life and the lives of those around him. What makes this novel even more enjoyable is the way in which Goodhand dances with the debate between fate and free will. This allows Alex to exist as character who is both frustrating and likable at the same time. It felt like a blend of It's a Wonderful Life and Groundhog Day, with a splash of The Five People You Meet in Heaven. This would be a great read for a book club!
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Catherine H. (Asbury Park, NJ)
The Day Tripper
The Day Tripper by James Goodhand is a novel showing how events in the main character's life are responsible for other future events, and how these events can be altered by time travel. Most of us at some point have thought "What if I had done something differently." This story shows how cause and effect in our daily life influences us to be a better person.
I really enjoyed this book and plan to re-read it. I liked the fast pace and little jewels of thought such as "The worse our enemies can do is to turn us into them."
Fans of Quantum Leap and The Twilight Zone would be impressed with this story. I recommend this book for group discussions for others who think about free will, change, and commitment to making a difference.
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Linda S. (West Linn, OR)
Time Travel With A Twist
I'm drawn to time travel books, favorites being Stephen King's 11/22/63 and Jack Finney's two-book series Time and Again; and From Time to Time. James Goodhand's new book The Day Tripper is time travel with a twist. Each day Alex Dean confronts a new place and year, but the days are not in chronological order. One day he might be 36 years old and the next he's 22. He is experiencing his life out of order, often bewildered as to what events have gotten him to a specific place and time. For the reader It would be easy to get frustrated and confused. At the beginning you have no idea what is going on nor why, but neither does Alex! It doesn't take long, however, for the story to begin to take shape and you are hooked. The format is so unique and the book is so well-written that you are swept up in the quest to find out what is happening, how it's happening and why it's happening.
My feelings about Alex Dean were all over the place. Much of his life is fueled by alcohol, laziness, and irresponsibility. However, he also has a loving kindness about him that is so endearing it moves you to tears. As you learn his background story you can't help but root for him.
About half way through the book I decided I needed a visual aid and I made a timeline, with very brief descriptions of what took place on each date. I don't typically interrupt my reading with note taking, but the time line was actually quite helpful. Prepare to put everything on hold as you delve into this beautifully written, one-of-a-kind time travel escapade.
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Junko W. (Pahoa, HI)
A different twist to time travel tale
James Goodhand's The Day Tripper is a refreshing new take on time travel. Our protagonist Alex Dean is a young man with a bright future, with university ahead of him. He has a woman who is the love of his life. However, after a traumatic beating by an old nemesis, he is thrown into the Thames where he expected to die. He wakes up but in a day in his future. Every day, he wakes up to a different day in his life. He searches for his love and for ways to alter his life. Can he change the future, the past with his actions? No spoiler here.
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Jackie R. (Clark, NJ)
A Wrinkle In Time
This book is a refreshing look at time travel. You will find yourself advocating for the main characters.
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Alana G. (Palmetto Bay, FL)
Trippy time travel timeline
As a fan of time travel novels, I was very excited to read The Day Tripper. I enjoyed the fresh take on the idea, as this novel features a jumping timeline and both the reader and protagonist never really know at what point in the timeline they will land in each day (this could be infuriating if you had to live the rest of a lifetime this way, but that's a topic for another day). I also enjoyed the tone of the novel and the character's voice/inner dialogue. There was a point about halfway through the story in which the jumping timelines seemed to drag on and not really move the story forward, I was ready then to move on to more action and the next plot point.
This is a wonderful story for someone looking to escape for a few hours in a feel good novel and for readers who enjoy uplifting stories of redemption and hope. If you are bit of a cynic (which I tend to be) and like stories with a bit of punch, this one might be too nicely wrapped up in a bow for you.
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