Review: The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster by Scott Wilbanks

Publisher- Sourcebooks Landmark

Published- August 4, 2015

Genre- Time Travel Adult

Source- Print ARC

Rating- 5 Stars

Goodreads- http://bit.ly/1IeVRxY

Blurb:

Annabelle Aster doesn’t bow to convention—not even that of space and time—which makes the 1890s Kansas wheat field that has appeared in her modern-day San Francisco garden easy to accept. Even more peculiar is Elsbeth, the truculent schoolmarm who sends Annie letters through the mysterious brass mailbox perched on the picket fence that now divides their two worlds.

Annie and Elsbeth’s search for an explanation to the hiccup in the universe linking their homes leads to an unsettling discovery—and potential disaster for both of them. Together they must solve the mystery of what connects them before one of them is convicted of a murder that has yet to happen…and yet somehow already did.

Review-

Time travel. Murder. Mayhem. Magic. The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster is full of twist and turns you should but won't see coming. This is one of those books where the synopsis doesn't do it justice; it's one of those ones that surprise you. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel! I wish the story didn't have to end because I fell in love with the characters as if they were my own friends and family. In the beginning I had no idea how everything would come together and it had me a bit skeptical. But I shouldn't have feared anything because it ended up being a damn good story. 

Annabelle lives a somewhat lonely yet peaceful life. When she buys a door at an antique shop, her life will forever be changed. In her own backyard in the middle of San Francisco, mysteriously lies a cabin along with a wheat field. Annie's life is forever changed when she receives a letter from a woman by the name of Elsbeth Grundy. Even more amazing, it's dated back from eighteen ninety-five. What would you do if you received a letter that seemed to have come from another time? Well, you write back of course! 

Here starts the wonderful story where life gets tons more complicated for Annie and gang. She'll be tested beyond anything she could imagine. And when she tries to stop a murder from happening, she'll have to go back in time to try and clear Elsbeth and her from a murder she didn't commit. Along the way, Annie meets some young kids that are willing to help her frame a very bad man. Not only will it benefit Annie and Elsbeth, it will also help them out too. 

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed reading this. My eyes were glued to the pages as if my life depended on it. Overall, I suggest this book to readers who enjoy a good plot and even better
character building. Time travel has always been confusing to me and it still is. But I loved every
minute of the story. I look forward to reading more from the author and can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Buy Links:

Amazon- http://amzn.to/1VX9VDo

Amazon UK- http://amzn.to/1VXa8qh

About the Author:

They say, “Write what you know.” Who ‘they’ may be still remains a mystery, but I took the advice to heart when I wrote a book about five misfits who found themselves walking a path I trod daily, seeking understanding in an indifferent world, but more on that later.

With my life constantly pushed and pulled by a pair of opposing bugaboos—ADD and drive—I surprised myself by graduating summa cum laude from The University of Oklahoma while also garnering a handful of titles in the sport of gymnastics.

Life-changing accidents, lost loves, and an unremarkable career path followed, that is until a lawsuit and Mike changed everything. The lawsuit motivated me to step away from my career. Mike added the extra push, convincing me to take a leap of faith, and move to the country of his birth, New Zealand, while also encouraging me to “see where this writing will take me.”