**Blog Tour** The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas #BookReview @crookedlanebks

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Psychology of Time Travel!

Special thanks to Kate Mascarenhas, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for the privilege of previewing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publish Date: February 22, 2019

“People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.” — Albert Einstein

In 1967, four female scientists worked together to build the world’s first time machine. But just as they are about to debut their creation, one of them suffers a breakdown, putting the whole project—and future of time travel—in jeopardy. To protect their invention, one member is exiled from the team—erasing her contributions from history.

Fifty years later, time travel is a big business. Twenty-something Ruby Rebello knows her beloved grandmother, Granny Bee, was one of the pioneers, though no one will tell her more. But when Bee receives a mysterious message from the future reporting the murder of an unidentified woman, Ruby becomes obsessed: could it be Bee? Who would want her dead? And most importantly of all: can her murder be stopped?

This book transported me into a life with time travel and the possibilities of altering one’s path with a spin through a machine. It made me think about so many things: How would you use this revolutionary tool? What if you had the power to eliminate fate? What if you could change the development of events by controlling it? Would you alter your life path or others paths if you could? Would you want to know when and how you die?

This story is about friendship, love, family, mental health, science, betrayal, fate, death, anxiety, soul searching, and a whodunit all wrapped up in time travel. It has strong, smart female characters, an LGBTQ aspect, and a storyline that really made me wonder: Would traveling to the future impact how you live right now?

The story is told from multiple perspectives and alternating timelines. It jumps from the 1960s to the present and all times in between. The characters are distinct, diverse, and well developed. It’s a very complex and complicated story with many POVs.

The story also made me think of the downfalls of time travel. For example, unrestricted time travel could mean that someone can change their life dramatically at any whim. Chronology will lose its meaning because we couldn’t tell if something happened before or after something else, or if a situation is a cause or an effect. We’d lose the ability to predict outcomes because we can change them. It could make us crazy!

I love the world that Kate Mascarenhas has created with time travel. It’s very believable for those of us that are not scientists. The highlights for me include the Conclave, which is the organization that manages time travel, and its fascinating rules. Workers could travel back or forward in time. You can meet your older/younger self and have a conversation. You have glimpses into your future. Fate is eliminated. No more guessing or wondering when you’re going to die.

The Psychology of Time Travel is an elaborate story with intricate LGBTQ relationships. At first, it was challenging for me to keep track of the characters and their plot lines. There are so many, and it was a bit confusing at times. It’s definitely different than what I normally read and a little bit out of my comfort zone, but I’m glad that I had the opportunity to preview this book.

I don’t delve into the world of magical realism or science fiction very often, but this one is a fantastic new spin on an age-old concept. The twists are unusual and unexpected, because they defied rational logic.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars 

I recommend this book if you’re looking for something different that will transport you into a world that is so different from our own.

The author’s writing reminds me of Alice Hoffman’s The Rules of Magic. If you like that book, you’ll like this one too.

Here is a YouTube video where the author, Kate Mascarenhas, talks about the book.

And please check out my fellow bloggers featured on this blog tour! I am looking forward to reading their reviews and talking with them about this book.