3:59: 59: A Science Fiction Horror for Young Adults – Parallel Universes, Doppelgängers, and Deadly Nightmares

I am always amazed at how Gretchen McNeil comes up with these brilliant ideas for books that leave me spellbound for hours. Her new novel, 3:59, tells the story of Josie Byrne, whose life is falling apart after discovering that her boyfriend, Nick, cheated on her with her own best friend. In the middle of all this, strange occurrences seem to be happening to her at home, where she is experiencing dreams of a girl that is exactly like her. Same name, same life except to Josie everything seems perfect for her other self. These glimpses into this alternate world happen every 12 hours at 3:59 and Josie makes plans to trade lives for just one day to experience how things would be if they were perfect. Once Josie gets her wish, she is faced with a deadly reality and her hopes for returning home are smashed with the ultimate act of betrayal. I liked Josie because I felt for her when she discovered that Nick was cheating on her and she seemed to be the last person in her school to know. That heartbreak and embarrassment is horrible as a teenager and I could see her wanting a break even if it was just for 24 hours. Once, she changes worlds, she learns that everything that looked so wonderful on the outside was in fact, a living nightmare. Nick wasn't her boyfriend and never was here, her alternate self was a manipulating bully and there was something dangerous hunting people at night. Then she finds that she can't return home and may be trapped there forever with no one that she is able to trust. 3:59 is an amazing sci-fi fantasy with a complex storyline that provides such an array of twists and turns that will keep you guessing. Gretchen McNeil has provided an exciting well-written story that I know will have Hollywood knocking. To me, everything that she writes is magnificent and 3:59 has risen to the top of the list.

First there was a flash. Then there were the dreams. And then there was an image in the mirror of a room that should have been a reflection of her own but wasn't and a girl that looked very much like her but wasn't. When Josie Byrne realized that every twelve hours at exactly 3:59 she could see beyond her world into another universe, she began to wish that for just one day she could trade places with the girl from that world. From where she stood on her side of the portal that girl's life looked perfect. In that world her family wasn't falling apart, her love life wasn't falling apart. So when she realized that stepping through the portal and swapping lives was possible she didn't hesitate to make the switch. But the life she stepped into wasn't anything like she imagined it to be. The troubles Josie faced in her world were nothing compared to the horrors that existed in this one. And when the twenty-four hours were up she was ready to get back to her life. Except Jo wasn't ready to let her return. 3:59 blends together science fiction, mystery and horror with a touch of romance to create a fast-paced and captivating story that will keep readers engaged from start to finish. It introduces a heroine who is both intelligent and brave, scientific theories that are absolutely fascinating, a world where the darkness promises a gruesome death and a number of puzzles that must be solved. When Josie, gets thrust into a world she knows little about she is forced to rely on her scientific expertise and her instincts to not only survive in this hostile landscape but to try and find a way home. With no friends and no clue about the things in the darkness that have everyone living in terror, Josie must figure out a way to create a portal or resign herself to living Jo's lonely existence where she is feared, not liked, and get used to sleeping with the lights on. Author Gretchen McNeil packs a lot into this standalone novel that proves, contrary to the old saying, that the grass is not always greener. Her story is suspenseful, at times chilling, at other times horrifying, and still at others heartwarming. And it touches upon many intriguing ideas that would be interesting to see expanded upon if this was turned into a series. While the science, mystery and horror take center stage in this novel, the love story and Josie's love for her family allow for an emotional connection to be made. And while the scientific aspects to this story are more complex than in some of the other young adult fiction novels with this label, the author strikes a nice balance between having too few details and having too many. 3:59 is an exciting and immensely entertaining read with a quick pace that accelerates as it nears its explosive conclusion. With a number of plot twists and surprises, some easier to identify than others, 3:59 will keep readers guessing until the very end about who can be trusted, who will survive, whether Josie will find a way back home or if she'll want to return there if she does.

Gretchen McNeil writes some amazing suspense stories, and 3:59 is another great one. The concept alone is chilling, so I was surprised by how much horror was put into the plot. The creatures in the parallel universe are so creepy, and the way the people have to live to cope with them makes it pretty important that Josie return to her own universe. I loved the set-up and execution of this story though for many more reasons. Josie's life in her own time is full of high school drama and an unhappy family situation. It is a little shallow when compared to things to come, but perfectly captures what teenagers feel, and how these things seem so important to them. But there was a sense of humor about it - particularly in how Josie reacted to some situations. And in the snowballing effect of all the drama that piles on her. All the characters in this book did feel very familiar - the usual stereotypes you see in a teen thriller which made it easy to focus on the mystery of the parallel universes and why Jo is so eager to switch places with Josie. I was really impressed by how much effort the author put into giving the parallel universes a valid scientific basis. Some of the descriptions and explanations might have gone over my head a little, but it definitely helped to make the world-building realistic. I love that Josie is smart in science and math and that it helped her get out of her predicament. She's a strong character and I admired that she acted well on both intellect and intuition. The resolution of this story was edge-of-your-seat stuff, with a fantastic twist. The actual outcome for the characters was a little open-ended which was disappointing, but fitting because they were in such a difficult situation. I don't believe there is going to be a second book, so the reader can resolve it in their own way.

I was expecting great things from this book. After reading Ten and absolutely loving it, I was disappointed with this book. I enjoyed it well enough, but at the same time, I feel like it fell flat a little. Our MC Josie is physics book smart – to the point where I literally had no idea what the hell she was talking about. She wasn’t, however, very street smart. I mean, c’mon – which woman would try and earn a guy back after he cheated on her with her BEST FRIEND?!? I mean seriously, how stupid do you get. Plus, she decides to walk through a portal and switch lives with someone she barely knows based on a letter and a couple of glimpses into her life? I mean, really? Like I said, book smart, but not street smart. I liked the fact that, whilst the characters were mostly the same in both worlds, there were distinct differences which told them apart. Circumstance made the characters who they are and changed them depending on the events at the time. This book felt slow. I didn’t feel the need to carry on reading and I was ok with the fact that I couldn’t read it for hours at a time. It think, in this sense, the book was boring – which lets it down a bit. I didn’t feel invested in the characters and their well being – which is probably why I didn’t want to constantly read it. In short, I was bored. I liked the premise, I liked the idea with the Nox etc. I think the rest let it down. That ending. I mean really?? It did not go the way that I had planned and I feel like the book has not been ended properly. It feels like it needs another instalment so that we can see what really happened with the characters afterward and whether certain characters made it to places where they wanted to go. It has left the readers with questions that will never get answered. In short, I was disappointed with this book – which I find upsetting. I loved Ten by McNeil, but I feel like this book falls short of the bar she set with that one. I gave this book 3/5 stars.