“Astonishing.” —The New York Times“A fascinating meditation on the many ways traveling through time can change a person.” —HelloGiggles“This genre-bending, time-bending debut will appeal to fans of Doctor Who, dystopian fiction, and life’s great joy: friend groups.”—Refinery29Perfect for fans of Naomi Alderman’s The Power and Margot Lee Shetterly’s Hidden Figures comes The Psychology of Time … Hidden Figures comes The Psychology of Time Travel, a mind-bending, time-travel debut.
In 1967, four female scientists worked together to build the world’s first time machine. But just as they are about to debut their creation, one of them suffers a breakdown, putting the whole project—and future of time travel—in jeopardy. To protect their invention, one member is exiled from the team—erasing her contributions from history.
Fifty years later, time travel is a big business. Twenty-something Ruby Rebello knows her beloved grandmother, Granny Bee, was one of the pioneers, though no one will tell her more. But when Bee receives a mysterious newspaper clipping from the future reporting the murder of an unidentified woman, Ruby becomes obsessed: could it be Bee? Who would want her dead? And most importantly of all: can her murder be stopped?
Traversing the decades and told from alternating perspectives, The Psychology of Time Travel introduces a fabulous new voice in fiction and a new must-read for fans of speculative fiction and women’s fiction alike.
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Time travel is a complex subject. From my childhood days of reading ‘The Time Machine’ by H. G. Wells and watching the movie ‘Back to the Future’ to my adulthood escapes into devouring several new books about the topic, it’s been prevalent all my life. Often the theme focuses on ‘what would you change about the past’ and ‘what happens if you alter reality.’ While those ideas are covered in Mascarenhas’ novel, the Psychology of Time Travel also focuses on exactly what the title implies — the psychological [and physical] impacts on people who have traveled through time. It’s a fascinating topic handled quite adeptly and set against a backdrop of drama in which readers learn very early on, someone has been murdered… yet we don’t know who it is!
I’ll say from the beginning, I enjoyed this story immensely but I also recognized it’s not the kind of book where you’ll understand everything all in one read. Perhaps I’m not smart enough, but there were so many moments where I found myself trying to determine exactly what could’ve happened to lead to the woman’s death. As the layers of this onion peeled away, scenes from a seventy-year period became clues about the murder. But the part that keeps you analyzing every little aspect of the story is not only (1) who is the woman, but (2) what time period is she from! That’s what makes it such a clever and intriguing story. At several points in the book, characters meet themselves in different decades of their lives, and they also live exclusively in another decade rather than the one they should be living in. So… if you’re smart and intuitive, you’ll be totally enthralled no matter what. If you’re like me (whatever that means), forget some of those boundaries and rules… and enjoy the novel as a thoroughly wonderful mystery and a discovery of how people change throughout time.
One of the best parts of the book is the connection I felt with most of the characters. Whether it was the girl who found the body in a museum where she worked, or the determination of a scientist who had a bit of a breakdown trying to force her way back into the time travel program, Mascarenhas offers heavy emotions and painful actions to depict all the ways someone can be hurt. How can one woman be so cold to turn her back on a friend just because it might hurt the time travel program? How can another sabotage science for personal gain? Do you let someone do something you fear just because you know they’ll be hurt even if they don’t? The book tosses out more questions than answers at times, but honestly… some of those answers are probably up to interpretation by a reader and each individual personality. This is where the psychological aspects come into play. We’re all going to read this book differently because we all identify with life experiences differently.
As a mystery, it’s non-traditional. An amateur sleuth or a detective is not trying to solve the murder; this approach is not the forefront of the story. The answers unfold as we see what happens over time to several characters who ask questions in different time periods. It’s a cool concept, and it helps the author focus on many other brilliant parts of these women’s lives. For example, romance… a girl falls in love with one of these women, but they’re nearly 40 years apart in age — except when you travel to different time periods, that’s no longer true. Another example, a woman yearns to help those who are being hurt by time travel, but she doesn’t know how to fix it other than do something illegal. In time, we see how all these events are connected and encourage the dramatic standoff that leads to someone’s death.
The writing is great. The characters are all flawed but you root for them even when they do something wrong. Well… maybe not one of them who just irritated me non-stop once I learned she wasn’t as nice as she appeared to be. A villain is necessary, so it’s not anything negative about the book. It’s actually something well done by Mascarenhas because you love to hate this woman. I wanted to shake her until the truth came out. It’s fantastic when a writer can evoke such emotion from a reader. All this said, I end up giving the book 4.25 stars. So much of it was beautiful and engaging. A few parts were overly complex and left out a few things that might have made the whole story even more connected and immersive. I’d definitely read future works from the author.
Aptly named, The Psychology of Time Travel combines mystery, fantasy, and yes, a ton of psychology in a complicated and multifaceted story that flows in and out of time. In the 1960’s, four scientific pioneers all bring their expertise to the table to create time travel. It’s a true team effort. But what happens when you create something Earth shattering? You change the world. And when you have the power to change the world, you better check yourself. With a large, primarily all-female cast, there is no overshadowing or credit stealing from the male gender, showing that the inclusion of this sort of drama is not the only way to validate women (nor is it the only way to create romance and truly villainous behavior). However, exclusion still manages to infiltrate this story as themes of alienation by way of intellect and mental illness are evident throughout.
Being a psychologist herself, author Kate Mascarenhas gives this book such an intelligent foundation on which to build incredibly creative layers. But make no mistake, this book was downright confusing for me at times. There is a lot to keep track of despite the chapter headings that specify the date/year and point-of-view(s). However, the further I read, the more I absorbed the rules and norms of this fantasy-like world and it gradually became easier. Will it be that way for everyone? I’m not sure.
I absolutely loved Mascarenhas’ imagination as I read about how time travel impacted ethics, accountability, views on death, currency, tax contributions, the judicial process and even partner options for romantic ventures. She thought of it all, people! My brain hasn’t been this challenged in a while. Smart, diverse and stimulating, it’s worth the read. Check it out.
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for mailing me an advance readers’ edition of The Psychology of Time Travel. In exchange, I agreed to share my thoughts on my favorite social media sites. This generosity did not impact my honesty when rating/reviewing.
Kate Mascarenhas deftly weaves an innovative tale with The Psychology of Time Travel―part mystery; part time travel. Entirely entertaining!
A surprising, mysterious, and sometimes unsettling novel, threaded with off-kilter ideas and wonderful insights.
An elegant braid of a narrative, delivering queer joy and time-traveling women… Fans of Jo Walton will feel very much at home in this gorgeous, nested tale.
A Locked-Door Murder Mystery in a Poorly Conceived Alternate History
The Psychology of Time Travel provides the reader with an alternate history in which four women scientists develop time-travel technology in 1967. Fifty years later, a fifth woman discovers an unidentified body inside a locked room and becomes obsessed with solving the case, while a sixth woman worries that the dead woman is her grandmother and launches her own investigation. While this seems considerable grist for a tense, suspenseful mystery, the book falls somewhat short of that goal. Part of the reason is suggested in the two-sentence summary above – there are a lot of characters (more than just these six). Additionally, the chapters are short, moving among these individuals and across time periods in an unpredictable sequence of flash forwards and backs, making the story feel choppy. And finally, the mystery isn’t maintained. By the midpoint of the book, the victim is known and at three-fourths, the perpetrator. The rest is tying up loose ends, which is rather dry.
In general, character development is good but with as many people as there are, some are included only to be victims. Romance between some of the women helps with development, although as is often the case in thrillers and mysteries, the sex is superfluous to the plot and often seems like a means to kill time (pun intended). The villain was particularly loathe-worthy, as she descends into unbridled narcissism and cruelty. There are also the usual thought-provoking paradoxes in the concept of time travel. So, even though in this version of the capability, history cannot be changed, wouldn’t the mere presence of items from the future change its course?
The primary weakness of the book is its alternate version of history. Time travel would be the most revolutionary and dangerous technology devised by humanity in 1967. And yet, when the scientists extensively self-experiment (which is improbable to start with) and one develops a mental disturbance that’s caught on camera for the world to see, there is no outcry, no public health group demanding a moratorium on testing. Rather, the group’s leader ostracizes her, which also fails to generate negative press for her callous treatment of the mentally disturbed, and the technology is commercialized. Now, with everything from new, life-saving technologies to advanced weaponry just an easy trip into the future, what’s brought back to 2018? Not much beyond some new types of candy and a few plants that were about to become extinct. Psychology still uses paper-and-pencil tests and dream interpretation. The British government doesn’t declare time travel essential to national security, despite the immense threat it poses, leaving the three women to manage it. There are no foreign spies trying to steal it, no industrial espionage, not even much use of it for personal gain (beyond sex). The only control against proliferation and misuse is the exorbitant cost of the fuel – 500,000 British pounds for a single piece. And yet, one of the few commercial uses of the tech is as a child’s toy; it makes a piece of candy disappear by sending it a minute into the future. With the cost of fuel, it would be a gift that gives new meaning to the phrase, ‘batteries not included’.
Overall, The Psychology of Time Travel provides the reader a decent, if not exceptionally suspenseful mystery. It’s unfortunate that its alternate history involves inexplicable changes in human perception and significant lapses in public policy, as well as time travel.
I obtained an advance copy of this story from NetGalley without obligation. I choose to review the book.
I picked this book up because a friend of mine kept going on about it.
Four genius women invent time travel. The travelling triggers a breakdown in one of them, so she is excluded from the time travel. The other three go on to develop a huge organisation called the Conclave.
The Conclave has its own laws, its own way of dealing with currency and its own conventions.
In the present day, someone in found murdered in a locked room. One of the characters tries to solve the mystery of who this woman is and who killed her.
There are a huge number of characters in this book. It’s really nice to see women scientists being at the forefront of it all. That said, the characters felt a bit like they were pawns being moved round by the story. I didn’t feel connected to many of them. I think it’s possibly because there were so many POV characters. (In the first chapter, the narrative is very much outside the women’s heads – possibly on purpose because of the way it links to the story. It does get better after a few chapters).
The story, on the other hand, is intricate and brilliant. The world building is AMAZING. I can see this book being turned into a TV series or a film. The plot is complex and the locked room mystery keeps it moving.
If you like a tightly plotted time travel story, this is definitely the book for you
The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas is a unique story. I admit that I am drawn to books regarding time travel (I am a big Doctor Who fan) and was eager to read The Psychology of Time Travel. The story is told from alternate POVs as well as three different timelines. There is the past, present and future. Then there are the four female inventors (Barbara Hereford, Margaret Norton, Lucille Waters, and Grace Taylor) plus Ruby Rebello and Odette Sophola. The people can run into their past, present or future selves along the way. The Psychology of Time Travel is a very confusing story (that’s putting it mildly). I kept hoping that it would become clearer the further I moved into the story, but this was not the case. It was interesting, though, to see how time travel affected each person. The chapters were short and choppy. There were romantic entanglements (of course), but there was one that was just plain strange (really hard to wrap my head around). I was never able to get involved in the story or get to know the characters (thanks to the short chapters). I did like the mystery that was woven into the story. It was the one thing that kept me reading The Psychology of Time Travel. I wanted to know who committed the crime and how it was accomplished. The author certainly has an active imagination. While The Psychology of Time Travel was not for me, many others just loved this innovative tale. I suggest you obtain a sample to see if this book is the right fit for you. The story does contain foul language and strange intimate situations. There is a time travel dictionary of terms at the end of the book. The Psychology of Time Travel is unique novel with time travel, a strange slaying, plentiful points-of-view, convoluted conundrums, and rare romantic relationships.
I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I waited a while to read this because I knew the time travel element would require some serious attention. And I’m so glad I waited until life was slower and I would really sink my teeth into this novel!
I’ve always been fascinated with time travel and stories about it so this was a no-brainer. And Kate Mascarenhas did such a wonderful job of making it seem like a seamless part of our history, of real life, that it was entirely plausible. All of the characters were amazing and unique. Grace was probably my favorite, with Ruby at a close second. And to evoke as visceral a reaction as I had to Margaret is a skill not many authors possess; well done, Kate!
I thoroughly enjoyed that the story was told through differing points-of-view. It gave me a glimpse into the lives of the time travelers and how they had to adapt. It gave the story that extra oomph! But at the same time, it was grounding to read the chapters told by the non-time travelers. It kept it real and all the more poignant for it.
I’d recommend this novel to anyone who:
– is curious about time travel
– enjoyed The Time Traveler’s Wife
– is looking for a fiction book with substance
Gosh, I did so want to love this book, but I knew that by maybe 30% in, if I had not engaged yet, it wasn’t going to click for me. But so many other readers loved it, so it’s definitely me, not the novel. I guess I’ve indulged in so many hard sci-fi time travel novels that this one, which reads more like a cozy mystery, diverged too far from my paradigm to work?
The world building was unique, the pioneering women of time travel were sympathetic, and the idea of time travel as a culture was interesting. However, I couldn’t bring myself to care. Ruby, Odette, Margaret, Barbara, etc. — they were just names and times and places to me, nothing I felt invested in. I wanted to care about how the travel was wreaking havoc on the mental health of those using it, but instead I just got confused by the timelines and bored with how little was happening, how slowly it was unfolding.
I fully recognize it’s nearly impossible to find a killer when you have not just space but also time to investigate, so why wasn’t this more compelling?
A thoroughly unique novel incorporating elements of history, mystery, romance and sci-fi.