Really Loved

sci-fi with romance/mystery undertones 

For Real This Time – Gracie Abrams 

At the surface level, this appears to be a time travel novel where those from the past, known as expats, have a bridge “or escort” to help assimilate to the twenty-first century. From the perspective of one such bridge, we follow the challenges of teaching hundreds of years of history and cultural norms and get some funny banter about modern life. However, at a deeper level, Bradley mixes time travel and critiques of colonialism and immigration with romance and wit to make The Ministry of Time a fast-paced, genre-bending read. 

Government secrecy, questions on morality, a look at ingrained bigotry, a lot was going on in this novel, and at times, I had trouble keeping things straight. While I think the author intentionally left some details up to the reader’s interpretation, I would have enjoyed a little more explanation surrounding the climax. That said, I enjoyed the warm yet demanding nature of the writing. Incorporating old phrases was a fun yet challenging hurdle for my dictionary skills. The perspective was unique, with the narrator intermittently breaking the fourth wall and almost encouraging the reader to focus on specific details. It worked well. 

 Ministry of Time made me think deeply, a positive sign. I admired the way Bradley confronted colonialism (and it, gender roles, sexual liberation, and even the internet with remarkable honesty. I especially enjoyed mulling over how one person’s actions can have ramifications on the futures of hundreds. The vibe reminds me of Cloud Cuckoo Land in that I was both blown away but also felt I was missing pieces as I was reading? Not sure if that makes sense. I loved both books! 

After finishing the novel, I re-read the book’s first chapter, and I think it would be perfectfor a book club. If you have read it, I have some theories. 

Overall, I inhaled this! The narrator, the social commentary, the mention of 17th—and 19th-century customs—it all felt well written and, in the end, came together in a completely unexpected way!