Book Chop: The Hourglass Door

Title: The Hourglass Door
Author: Lisa Mangum
Genre: Teen Romance/Fantasy
Rating: 4 Italian Rock Songs

Lisa Mangum's debut novel shows the efforts of a meticulous editor-turned-author. Tailored to the Twilight audience, The Hourglass Door is a teen romance with characters that are actually competent and capable, while still being realistic for their age.

The prologue was well-constructed, starting with a teenage Italian revolutionary in the 15th century. He's been imprisoned and sentenced to walk through a dangerous machine that isn't fully described. The only thing that is emphasized is the fact that he constantly counts in order to keep his sanity.

Flash-forward to the present. Abby Edmunds is a high school senior who thinks she has the ideal life until a strange new foreign exchange student named Dante moves to her school. At the same time, a local rock band plants its roots in her town, hailing from the same country as the new kid: Italy.

Suspense and intrigue are well-sparsed throughout the story. I can honestly say that the buildup to the climax was paced very intelligently, without being drawn out for too long. If any one element was a little too overdone, or a little too close to Twilight, it was the fact that Dante considered himself a danger to Abby, though she couldn't keep herself away from him. Nonetheless, this element worked in such a way as not to be forced, but a result of Abby's inquisitive nature, and Dante's desire to protect a dangerous secret he holds.

As it turns out, Dante is the time-obsessed prisoner from 500 years ago. The new Italian rock band trio hails from the same place--and time--as Dante, though they have different ideas of how to live their lives in our century.

The Sci-Fi/Fantasy aspect of the time travel in this story is thoroughly defined and plays a major role in the development of the romance between Dante and Abby. It's simple to understand, has a major cost and an even greater consequence should its rules be broken.

The characters are smart, like I said before. Abby has a strong will but isn't the type to play the victim, like one emo-cursed Bella Swan. It's easy to respect her, and therefore easy to care about the same things she does. Dante isn't impossibly perfect either, though admittedly portrays a series of chivalrous qualities lacking in my gender peers. Instead of wishing he would constantly take a stake to the chest, I found myself giving him props in my mind as I read this book.

On top of all that, the ending isn't corny or fecetiously romantic; it actually has a cliffhanger, something I didn't expect for a book of its kind. Its sequel, The Golden Spiral, will come out next year.

It wasn't like I couldn't put the thing down, but then again, I'm a guy in my twenties. I'm sure that teenage girls (the target audience) will gobble this story up, especially in the wake of Twilight, and with no Midnight Sun coming anytime soon. Again, Mangum's debut has the same feel as Meyer's masterpiece, but carries itself regardless of the accomplishments of its predecessor. Indeed, had Hourglass Door come first, Twilight would've ridden the wake of its success. Either way, it's a book I immensely enjoyed. Not since Mistborn has a story actually pulled me in like this.

The Hourglass Door is available for pre-order through DeseretBook.com or Amazon.com. It is slated for a May 13th, 2009 release. Get your order in now; you won't regret it.


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