Review: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

"You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was.

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice

Publication Date: September 3, 2013


This book was absolutely wonderful. It is certainly in contention as my favorite YA read of the year. I loved the suspense and how the author tied together the two parallel timeframes. The characters were also fantastic and I’m thrilled to hear a sequel is in the works.

The action starts from the beginning as Em finds herself tortured and imprisoned by government officials trying to retrieve information from her and her companion Finn. The pair plans their escape and ventures back in time four years earlier.

During the present, teen Marina is harboring a huge crush on her genius neighbor James. She’s willingly to do anything to protect him when she finds out someone wants to kill him. Their lives intersect in heartbreaking ways with Em and Finn.

I finished All Our Yesterdays days ago and my heart still hurts. Time travel novels are hits or misses for me and I loved this one. The concepts weren’t difficult to follow and the pacing never dragged because of scientific jargon. There was a lot of action in the book and although I guessed a lot of the twists, I was still hoping for a different outcome.

The ending wrecked me. It was perfect, sad and hopeful all rolled up into one. I would highly recommend this book to lovers of YA reads, time travel books, dystopians and star-crossed romances.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this novel for review!

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