Title:  Hourglass [Indie Bound] [Amazon]
Author: Myra McEntire [website] [twitter] [facebook]
Genre:  Paranormal, Romance
Publisher: Egmont USA
Series: Hourglass
Format: Paperback
Source: Provided by Publisher
Parental Advisory: criminal activity, violence
Teachable Moments: teamwork, acceptance, science

“I’d decided a long time ago against popping the people I saw like balloons.  Sticking my hand out into what looked like a person, only to meet thin air…it had to freak them out as much as it did me.  I tried to leave the visions alone, unless I had to walk through them.  Most times I just went around.”

Summary (from the publisher):
One hour to rewrite the past….

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there:  swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant.  Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she could be normal.  She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure.  But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says?  Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around?  And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Opinion:
Hourglass is the perfect kind of paranormal fare — it’s got a pretty believable supernatural element, strong unique characters and a great love story.  There is a strong bond of family, a fantastic feeling of mystery and plenty of the right type of angst.  Oh, and it builds anticipation so effectively that it’s neither overpowering or a let down when the resolution presents itself.  Myra McEntire does it right!

The main focus of Hourglass is on Emerson, a young girl who is experiencing some sort of mental health issue.  Believed to be brought on by the sudden and traumatic death of her parents Emerson now finds herself saddled with uncomfortable capability of seeing thing.  People and places are just materializing out of thin air in front of her eyes.  She does her best to craft defense mechanisms to deal with leading her life this way but fails enough to be institutionalized for a short time.  Once released she begins living with her brother and sister-in-law, both of whom are caring and giving people.  Along with the one remaining friend she has Emerson knows she has a decent support structure and can hope to achieve the best possible success acclimating to a “normal” life at home.  Even so, she leads a a horribly lonely existence.  Though desirous of Emerson’s success her over-protective brother takes it upon himself to police her every move.  So much so that he hires a consultant from familiar with her type of affliction to come in and work with her to become stable and well adjusted.

Enter Michael, the boy who’s been hired by her brother to help her turn up from down.  The thing of it is he’s no psychologist or psychiatrist, he’s more of an academician (or so we’re lead to believe).  He’s someone who has done extensive research on her circumstances but there is definitely more to him than meets the eye.  The more, I’ll leave out here because it’s a good arc revealed over the course of the story.  Because he’s knowledgeable on what Emerson’s ailment is he is well equipped to guide her through managing it’s effects.  Michael is a charismatic, obstinate, protective sort of person who takes his job seriously.  He’s dedicated to Emerson and ultimately the cause they both embrace over time.

For her part Emerson is equally obstinate but she adds in a biting wit and sarcasm that allows her to keep people at a distance.  She’s fundamentally flawed, in a good way, and is careful to be reserved around others.  It’s the nature of her affliction to be casual and seemingly aloof.  Honesty is hard to come by when having a nervous breakdown it seems.  But much of her persona is an act; a mask to cover the torment she lives with on a daily basis. It is a way for her to attempt to feel control over her life when there really isn’t much.

Here starts the romance part.  With Michael’s help the two set out to discover the why’s and how’s of Emerson’s special abilities.  There is a great deal of push and pull and quite a few secrets between them.  These secrets stem more from Michael’s research than anything Emerson knows or experiences.  Further, there is a bit of a triangle with a friend of Michael’s named Kaleb.  Kaleb is similar to Emerson in the way that he’s vulnerable and broken as a result of family tragedy.  He’s gruff but ultimately sweet — kind of the big burly guy who’s actually a teddy bear at heart.  He desperately wants to be loved and have peace (much like Emerson) so they bond over shared desires and similar experiences.  Michael is, of course, jealous of this but McEntire turns the tables on Emerson well by including Ava the hot sexy girl who works with Michael and want so very much more.  She’s everything Emerson is not and Em knows it.

This is where the mystery comes in. Just in case you were worried that good characterizations and romance are the only elements of value in Hourglass I’m here to tell you that there is a well rounded plot too.  As one would expect, everyone mentioned above plays a role in what it is that Emerson is experiencing.  There are different levels of participation, naturally, and each has certain motivations but McEntire plots it so well that it’s difficult to distinguish exactly who wants what and for what reason.  It is a genuinely action filled read that, on several occasions, caught me off guard.  In a good way of course!    It’s got an interesting combination of the paranormal and science fiction that fits well together but I can’t really describe exactly how that plays together in the plot for fear of ruining it for you.  Because, for me anyway, one of the best parts was experiencing the revelations and trying to pick my way through the mystery.  Is the Hourglass a place?  Is it a thing?  Is it something else entirely?  There are so many answers that could be had and as each layer of the story is peeled back I learned a little bit more about it and the people who are directly affected by it’s existence.

I’m very much looking forward to the second in the Hourglass series as I enjoyed these characters, their relationships with each other, and the somewhat uniquely mysterious plot involving the Hourglass.  If this sort of focus appeals to you you then McEntire’s Hourglass is one you should certainly add to you list of books to read.