Book Review: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Book: All Our Yesterdays
Author: Cristin Terrill
File Type: Ebook
Release date: August 1, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

synopsis: 
"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.


Life is such a mystery. You just never know what’s in store for you. You have expectations, phobias, predicaments, dreams, wants and needs. You want to fall in love or you already have. You dream of climbing the highest mountain or you wish to swim the deepest of oceans. Life is so beautiful and strange and time an unnatural yet natural entity. We live in a world where everybody’s running. We’re running to catch a train. We’re running to be the first and bag that job. We’re running to make it in time to attend our classes. We’re running with our children, nieces and nephews to help them get ready for school. We’re running to get in shape. We’re running against time to meet deadlines. All we ever do is run. In all this running, we sometimes lose ourselves and in a way, just forget to love ourselves. We’re so busy wondering about things in our life that we forget to stop for a while and just think.

You must be wondering? What’s with all this philosophical poop?

You have to understand. After reading this book, all I could do was stop and ponder. I’m remembering my younger self and what I did when I was much younger. I’m thinking about how I am today. And I just can’t help but wonder how my tomorrow is going to be. All Our Yesterdays was so refreshing. I’ve never read anything that consists of Time travel as an element and my my my, what a way to beginning my time travel-related books spree. I think Ms. Terrill has done something extraordinary here. It isn’t everyday that we get to read such books. There was the right amount of adrenaline! Thrill! Suspense! (Yeah, this surprised the crap out of me. AT EVERY SINGLE POINT.) There was love. And not just the romancey kind. The kind of love that creates relationships and makes us love life and ourselves. And the writing? So addicting. Once I started, I just couldn’t stop turning the pages. I was glued to it and refused to leave my reading position from the start to the very end. (My aching neck is a testimony to that.)

I just have to mention the importance of time travel here. One thing I always ask myself while or after reading a science fiction book is that the facts and ideas stated in the book actually make sense? I mean, eggs suddenly sprouting machines obviously won’t make sense, right? The idea presented here sounded pretty sensible to me. And boy, I loved every bit of it! There are so many elements to be looked at here. How far will that drive to achieve take you? How far will you go to do the right thing? This book has to be one of my favourites this year! OH YEAH.

AND THE CHARACTERS! Oh bloody hell. I’m still weeping. I love that the characters were given their space and that each had something to say in some or the other way. I loved the fact that every character was defined. Even the villain. Especially the villain and Em and Finn. *Bursts out crying ALL OVER AGAIN!*

Also, THAT END. So beautiful. I can’t stop crying. I just can’t stop. The last time I cried so much (If I remember correctly) was after finishing If He Had Been With Me.[ God. That book murdered me. And it had a Finn too. :’) (hide spoiler)]

All Our Yesterday was beautiful, exciting, sad, thrilling and amazing. So much awesomeness. SO MUCH.
I’m throwing this book at you all. Yes, throwing. I don’t care if you get hurt or I bruise you. (And if I do, oopsy sorry.) BUT YOU JUST HAVE TO READ IT. And if you already have? Well, I can’t believe how awesome this book was.
I’ll leave you all with the quote I loved the most in the whole book,

”There is always hope for us.”, he said.