The Hourglass Door

I heard about this book a little and then found out the author is a good friend of my friend Ally, which added to the intrigue. I had a couple students who read it last year and really enjoyed it and even heard it referenced when looking for the next big thing after Twilight. I think it has been out for a year, that the buzz about it is picking up and then when my sweet mother in law bought it and got it signed for me at the ULA conference this year, well then I had my own copy and just couldn't let it sit there and not read it. I read the prologue one morning just to start and was hooked.

This is the story about a girl named Abby who always does what is expected of her, applies to the schools she is told to apply to, is the assistant director of the school's play production, has a safe and predictable boyfriend who has been her friend her whole life. Then a foreign exchange student, Dante, moves in and things start to change with her view on the world, her relationships with her boyfriend and life long best friend and there are the secrets that make her unable to quite figure Dante out. The process of discovery leads to an amazing mystery that stems in Italy - centuries ago.

Remember when I said I started this book and was hooked? Yea, well that is an understatement. Reading this book was like the first time I read Twilight for the reason that Twilight was given to me before the hype and I was obsessed with the book until it was finished. That is precisely the reading experience I had with The Hourglass Door. I read it in a day. It was in my purse and if I had any downtime, I read it. The characters are mysterious, but new and not copycatted (is that a word?). The complexity of the plot was amazing. The depth Mangum went to to ensure the reader could understand the concept added so much intrigue, great detail and complexity. Truly, truly, an amazing book.

The best part? The sequel is out already! The worst part? The third isn't and won't be available until NEXT YEAR!!! I'm going to have a year long wait. So, do I read the second now and wait for the year or do I wait and read two and three in a year. ARGH.