ARC REVIEW – TWIST by Karen Akins

Posted February 23, 2015 by Emma in Blog / 24 Comments

TWIST (Loop #2)
by Karen Akins 
Publisher – St. Martin’s Press
Release Date – 31st March 2015
Buy – Amazon | Book Depository 

The unbelievably thrilling sequel to the time-travel YA novel Loop.


Bree Bennis finally has it all—a non-comatose mother, an uber-hot (albeit anachronistic) boyfriend named Finn, and a newfound mission to protect the timeline from those who would skew it for their own gain. But when she leans over one day to smooch said boyfriend, her lips meet those of her arch-nemesis Wyck instead. The timeline has been altered, and Bree is caught in the crosshairs. But when she goes back to repair the damage, she is stopped by none other than her Future Self, who delivers an urgent message: Someone is kidnapping Shifters from the distant past. It’s up to Bree to stop them. But first, she has to figure out who…and why.


To follow the trail of chronocrumbs, Bree reluctantly accepts her new undercover gig as Wyck’s girlfriend. Everything goes spiffy until Finn shows up in the 23rd century on the eager arm of a gorgeous fellow Shifter. Blark. Even as Bree struggles with jealousy, she battles the nagging dread that Finn might be better off with someone less chronologically complicated. Her worst fear is confirmed when Finn becomes the kidnapper’s next victim. As Bree zeroes in on the culprit, they unravel her life one timeline-change at a time. She realizes that she alone has the power to save herself and everyone she loves. But to do that, she may lose Finn forever.

At the end of last year while on winter holidays I read LOOP in one sitting and I absolutely adored it. It was one of my first reviews of this year and what a way start out. Now TWIST is even better than the first book. No sequel book syndrome, this book sends your spiraling across time and space.

TWIST continues one from the drama that is the consequences of time travel and changing a specific point in time. Bree Bennis has finally got her life under control even her shifts. Her mum is out of a coma, her boyfriend from the Twenty-First century couldn’t be more perfect, and no more cryptic messages from her Future-Self or so she thought. LOOP left off with the danger that is Ice, an organisation hell bent on destroying the lives of Shifters and using and experimenting on them. When she became the carrier of the reverter, an object that can identify when someone is making a change in their own timeline, she shifts and stops it from occurring. But with every change, their is essentially a consequence, another echo of a timeline is created. When Bree tried to stop a major change for her and for Finn, her Future Self showed up once again, to keep his, destroy yours, that is her clue and one that would indefinitely revert everything to the true timeline. Bree has to fix every change, but it could also lose everything she hold most dear.

Confused yet?! Well that’s alright, I was the same, but that the beauty of her time travel books, especially those that leave your mind whirling when you finish for a time. But to be honest when you turn back to it, your just so entranced by it, it’s hard not to love it. It literally is a page-turner, so if I could have read this one in one sitting I would and that’s what I love about Akins books. Her plot-lines are utterly flawless, her language and stylistic writing is pure genius, there are just some things that just crack you up with her references. What I loved the most was that some of Bree shifts made her end up in 2016. So close to us, which was fascinating to see Akins view of the world too, in different times and places.

Akins creates the most, engaging, brilliant, comedic, characters. Bree Bennis, has a lot on her shoulders, especially when she has the control of the future in her hand. Bree loves to say ‘Oh Blark’ or ‘Blark’ in general which makes me giggle, and I have to say on more than one occasion I have said it myself. Bree isn’t your casual, simple, YA character, she has depth, and experience. You can’t do anything but just connect and love her. Oh and Finn. Finn, Finn, Finn… he couldn’t be more perfect than when he was in Loop. Together, they both face some pure happiness, and love but also loss, sadness and some horrific decisions to be made. No matter what they were destined to be together on any timeline.

I don’t know what is to come of Bree and Finn now… I don’t know if there is another book in the series yet. But I can’t wait for what this series and Karen Akins has to offer next. If you want to read a YA Sci-Fi series, then I recommend this 100%. I’ve never been so addicted to a time travel, shifting series as this.

Rating – 5

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24 responses to “ARC REVIEW – TWIST by Karen Akins

  1. I remember reading your review for the first book and I said then that I was willing to give it a try as I needed a good time travel book, so I'm thrilled to see that you loved the follow up book just as much! Lovely review Emma, I need to get my hands on the first book soon!

    • Oh I hope you read them soon Jasprit! They are truly amazing. It's the best time travel books I've read in ages. Thank you!

  2. I keep on thinking about checking this series because I love time travelling and there aren't enough books that I've enjoyed in the genre!
    Great review Emma!

    • There is only a handful of the books I can say I've enjoyed in this genre but not as good as this. I hope you get to read them soon, Pili. 🙂

  3. I haven't heard of this series before but I'm excited to see that it continues to deliver. I rarely find a series that manages to be strong from beginning to end so I'm definitely going to be adding this to my TBR. Wonderful review, Emma!(:

    • I don't usually find ones that are equally or even more so better than the first book so I really can't wait to continue this series. Hope you get to read them soon! 🙂

  4. I haven't heard of this series before but I'm excited to see that it continues to deliver. I rarely find a series that manages to be strong from beginning to end so I'm definitely going to be adding this to my TBR. Wonderful review, Emma!(:

    • I don't usually find ones that are equally or even more so better than the first book so I really can't wait to continue this series. Hope you get to read them soon! 🙂

  5. I am so glad you loved this! I have the first book and want to read it soon and I am even more excited about reading it now that I know book two is just as great!

  6. Anonymous

    I heard so many good things about Loop and I've wanted to read it for some time! Glad to hear this sequel is just as brilliant 🙂

  7. wow it sounds really good that's great! I haven't read this one and I don't think I know about the first book but it's nice when the second is even better, many great surprises like that. I'm glad you had a great time and that it was different! thanks for the review.

    • Oh you must have a look at this series. So many surprises and I can't wait to see what this series has to offer in the future. Thanks for stopping by Melliane! 🙂

  8. I have heard some interesting things about the first one and I know you loved it, but I had no idea that the sequel is out. I'm so glad that you loved it even more than the first one and I will have to give it a try. Amazing review, Emma 🙂

  9. I've heard so many excellent things for this series! I must jump on this bandwagon sometime soon.

    Excellent review, hun <33