Linked Through Time

Linked Through Time by Jessica Tornese

(Summary taken from the back book cover) "Fifteen-year-old Kate Christenson is pretty sure she's about to experience the worst possible summer at her grandparents' rural farm in Baudette, Minnesota. Without cable, cell phones, or computers, she is headed for total isolation and six tedious weeks of boredom. Until the storm. A freak lightning accident has Kate waking up in 1960. But she is not herself. She's the aunt she never met but has eerily resembled her entire life. Thrust into living a dirt-poor, rural farm existence, Kate struggles to make sense of her situation--a boyfriend with a dark side, a "townie" who steals her heart, and the knowledge that 1960 is the very summer her aunt drowns in the local river. But was the drowning an accident or a suicide...or something much worse?"

This book was a fun surprise. I really enjoyed it. I like Ms. Tornese's writing style because it is easy to read and flows well. Her character development is well done and she hooked me almost from the very beginning. I really liked Kate and her dad, and I really liked Sarah and her siblings. If I had older brothers I think I'd want them to be like Sarah's. They had their moments, but for the most part they were loving and protective. I felt for Kate as she tried to figure out what had happened when she woke up in the past, and as she tried to get used to everything that had to be done. It would be hard to jump into someone else's life.

There were some great lessons to be learned in this book as well. Some of them included: a hard work ethic, learning to live without technology, not taking the things we have today for granted, and loving your family and watching out for them. Also, being a strong woman who can say "no" and get out of an abusive situation. Kate (Sarah) is a good role model for today's girls. She knew the situation was out of hand and knew she needed to get out of it. And, I love that she did it thinking of her aunt.

There was a little bit of language, here and there, but the worst of it was the domestic violence and the abusive boyfriend. There were a couple of attempted rape scenes that were difficult to read. There was also the murder of a character. Overall, though, I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters, the story, and the lessons learned.  I would recommend it with the previous warnings.

Rating: PG-13+ (A little bit of language, domestic violence, attempted rape, and the murder of a character)

Recommendation: 16 and up. As with any book, parents may want to read it first to see if it is appropriate for their child. A mature 15 yr-old may be ok with the attempted rape scenes, while an immature 17 yr-old may not be.

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.