The Next Together

April 15, 2017
James takes a well-worn trope--lovers reincarnated across time--and gives it a spin. Katherine and Matthew, both white, exist in four different times: 1745 Carlisle, 1854 Crimea, 2019 England, and 2039 England, where the latest incarnations stumble on a mystery surrounding their 2019 selves (who are also their respective aunt and uncle). This is a lot for an author to manage; despite clear planning, the execution is often weak. Both the 1745 and 1854 storylines combine anachronistic dialogue with weak characterization, while the 2039 future tantalizes but never comes across clearly. Meanwhile, insta-love flattens what should be swoony emotional beats throughout. In the 2019 section, Katherine and Matthew (seen only through their correspondence) have an engaging dimensionality (even if they also seem like lovesick teens rather than the professional researchers they are supposed to be). The other timelines, with two similar typefaces for the past and a quite different one for the future, combine "primary source" documents and third-person narration but lack the presence of the 2019 versions. The conspiracy surrounding the 2019 deaths creates a much-needed sense of tension, considerably enlivening the 2019 and 2039 sections. Unexplained brief inserts commenting on the various timelines similarly evoke a larger plot; the authorial decision to leave this feature unexplained leads to a needlessly confusing and unresolved ending. An ambitious, promising premise ultimately disappoints but still marks James one to watch. (Science fiction/romance. 13-18)

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May 1, 2017

Gr 10 Up-It's 2039, and Kate is a college biology student in England when she meets her lab partner Matthew for the first time-or so she thinks. After a Google search, Kate finds pictures of people who look strikingly similar to her and Matthew and discovers that her grandparents had twins; one of the twins married a man who resembles Matthew. Kate and Matthew learn that the couple were also lab partners in 2019 and were accused of terrorism when they were caught with a biological weapon in their possession. As they attempt to clear Kate's aunt and uncle's reputation, the two teens realize that their own bond spans hundreds of years and several wars. This is a reincarnation novel that centers on the love between Kate and Matthew. As we meet them in different time periods, they find each other regardless of class or nationality. Interspersed with love notes, emails, and blog posts, this work captures not only the love between the couple but the danger surrounding their circumstances. Fans of Alexandra Bracken's Passenger and Heidi Heilig's The Girl from Everywhere will enjoy this romance through time and history. VERDICT This science fiction take on European history will excite any historical fiction reader. Although the main characters are teens, this title also has crossover adult appeal.-Dawn Abron, Zion-Benton Public Library, IL

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

maggies20 - If you love romance and adventure, The Next Together is the perfect book for you. This book takes you through a journey of two lovers, Katherine and Matthew. Even though they both love each other very dearly, their destiny always seem to challenge them by letting them born again and again in different periods of time and destination. Each time they are born, their relationship and status changes, however in the end they still fall helplessly in love but forced to separate. So together, Katherine and Matthew have to solve this mystery to successfully get together and live their happily ever after. The main key of this book that fascinates and attracts me is that the ideas are all so creative and new. During each life the characters encounter different conflicts but they still all somehow relate back to each other. Reading it also brings deep thoughts such as the real meaning of true love and the cycle of birth and death. Even though the story switches from one life to another, the author manages to use different text features such as the font to keep it clear for the readers. So I was not confused and frustrated while reading, instead it’s like a simulation of time-traveling between the pages a book. My favorite part of the reading process would be observing how each time Katherine and Matthew fail only to learn even more. For example, as the number of times they reborn increases, the more clues they receive about this mysterious reincarnation. In the end they are still tragically separated, but it leads to a better possibility and opportunity next life. This proves that you should never let failure bring you down, because we learn from our own mistakes. It’s alright to have errors as long as you try your best to improve and learn from them. Therefore, I would sincerely recommend this book to my peers and everyone else. The Next Together is a book that will take you through experiences of heartbreak, true love, magic and miracles.