Time travel is a favorite genre of mine and I thought I would devour this book, but I surprisingly found it difficult to get through. I didn’t feel connected with any of the characters and didn’t care what was going to happen. It felt too long and jumbled. I loved the book cover though, so that counts for something.

Such an awesome time travel book. There was a moment or two where I was left wondering who a person was, but I think that was more my fault for putting this book down too often. This is a time travel book with the resulting time travel craziness and a decent number of characters, so it's probably better read with more continuity than I did.

In this science fiction-mystery, people move back and forth in time as easily as taking a bus. Thus time travelers can go back and hang out with their past selves or leap ahead and spend time with their future selves.

Wedding festivities can be celebrated by a slew of 'silvers' (future incarnations of oneself) and funerals can be attended by a batch of 'greens' (past incarnations of oneself).

Travelers can hop into the future to see how a job interview or relationship turns out or visit the past to give themselves (or other people) things. Nevertheless, NO TIMELINE CAN BE CHANGED WHATSOEVER....NO MATTER WHAT. This premise makes no sense from the get-go (even bringing something to the past changes things) and the book requires a hefty suspension of disbelief. That said, I like the story, which is clever, unique, engaging, and women-centric.

*****
The story:

In 1967 four brilliant women - Margaret, Grace, Lucille, and Barbara - invent time travel. The early experimental trips trigger mental illness in Barbara, so the other women - fearing bad publicity and loss of funding - ruthlessly eject her from the program.

Over the years, time travel becomes a big enterprise run by the 'Conclave', which has very restrictive policies about who can take time-trips. Fearing even a whiff of 'mental instability', the Conclave subjects prospective employees/time travelers to written tests, interviews, and intentional harassment.

Applicants are also assigned unpleasant tasks and required to participate in deadly games.....all to weed out the 'weaklings' who might be freaked out by seeing themselves or loved ones die, etc. In addition, anyone in the program who starts to show signs of mental deterioration is dismissed forthwith.

This regimen is strictly enforced by Margaret, who's matured and become director of the Conclave. Unfortunately, Margaret has also become narcissistic and power hunger.

Jump to 2017 and former time traveler Barbara (Granny Bee) is a widow who lives with her granddaughter Ruby, a psychologist.

When Ruby receives a newspaper clipping from the future, about the mysterious death of an elderly woman in 2018, she fears it refers to Granny Bee - and becomes determined to find out if this is the case. (People insist on believing they can change the future!)

Skip ahead once more to 2018, and Odette - a graduate student who works in the local museum - finds the body of an old woman in the building's basement.

The unidentified victim has been shot in a locked room - but there's no gun - and the scene is suffused with blood and plastic shards. Odette is freaked out, can't sleep or concentrate, and decides to investigate the murder to ease her mind.Thus Odette applies for a job as a detective for the Conclave, so she can go back in time to see what happened.

As a potential employee, Odette meets Margaret and the other founders of the Conclave - Grace and Lucille - who still work for the organization. She also makes the acquaintance of more job candidates and additional employees. Over time Grace learns about the culture of time travelers - a conceited, clannish bunch who think of themselves as better than 'emus' (people who don't time travel, and thus pass through time in a single direction).

Odette meets Ruby as well, when she becomes Ruby's patient for psychotherapy. Odette wants to stop the horrible flashbacks that (mentally) return her to the scene of the crime and interfere with her daily activities.

This is the bare bones of the plot, which is vastly complicated by the past and future Graces, Lucilles, and Margarets that pop up here and there; by additional people that jump back and forth in time; by romances among the characters; and so on. The romance angle is especially weird when it involves people that would normally reside in different time periods. Thus a person can have an affair with the younger version of a person who's currently in his/her dotage. Crazy, right? 😎

The Conclave has singular laws for time travelers, and there's a unique vocabulary for people who engage in time travel. Here are some words/expressions related to time travel:

• Common chronology - the sequence of events experienced by non-time travelers.

• Completion - to live an incident you've already read or heard about.

• Echoing - returning to an incident you've already experienced.

• Forecasting - intercourse with one's future self. (How cuckoo would that be?)

• Liebestod - A trip to see a lover for the last time before one's death.

• Personal chronology - The sequence of events experienced by an individual time traveler.

• Swim in the same cut - People whose personal chronologies match well, because they belong to the same team (at work).

• Wenches - Freshly recruited time travelers.

• Zeitigzorn - Feeling angry with someone for things they won't do wrong for years.

I applaud the author for creating the compelling, convoluted plot (she must have had walls covered with flow charts) - and for presenting the story in a comprehensible manner. The mystery element is especially intriguing, and I liked the solution to the crime.

Though I enjoyed the story and (more or less) accepted the bizarre sci-fi facets of the plot, I did find one idea very troublesome - that past and future versions of oneself can hobnob together. I just don't see how this would work without generating a paradox.

Still, I strongly recommend the book to fans of 'soft' science fiction, for its originality and inventiveness.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Kate Mascarenhas), and the publisher (Crooked Lane Books) for a copy of the book.

I love the intentions of The Psychology of Time Travel. It presents an interesting take on a subject that's been done to death. I really wanted to like it more than I did, but I appreciate the effort. However, the execution is a little on the dry/boring side. For a first novel it's a great start, and I would absolutely read more from Kate Mascarenhas! ****FOUR STARS****

This was a very interesting twist on your usual time travel story. Rather than focus on the mechanics of time travel itself – though they do mention some of it – it delves more into the both the logistics of it and the psychology. Such questions as: How do you keep track of yourself, how do you get paid if you work as a time traveler but obviously visit different time periods? And as travelers start appearing from other time periods, how do you deal with them? What laws apply to them? Who governs them?

I adored this aspect, which is so often overlooked in these stories, but are so essential. While there is a larger story being played out in the book, I felt slightly detached from the characters – some we journey alongside for almost all the book, others just pop in for a short segment, to add something to the overall discussion. Namely, what time travel does to your psyche. How do you deal with death – both your own, but also of all the people you love. Does it crush you, or do you become insensitive to it? What about relationships – how can you trust someone when there will always be a power imbalance, as one of you knows the future?

I could have spent much more time reading about these issues, as it was fascinating to think about, and some of them could have been much more expanded about, such as the relationship questions. It kind of of let me down in that aspect, and affected its rating. Still, I highly recommend this to anyone interested in these aspects of time travel, and it has some nice discussion of mental health around this subject as well.

Time travel, who doesn't like a little time travel? This story begins in 1967 when 4 scientists, all women, discover the thrill of traveling through time. What they also discover are the affects/tolls as well. Well written, but confusing (as most time-jumping, plane-hopping can be). I got lost at times, almost needing a chart to keep up, or behind. Overall, I liked this debut novel. Definitely recommend to those who like time travel. 3.5 Stars

An exciting premise but ultimately it didn't really grab me. The book dragged, despite being fairly short

The Psychology of Time Travel has time travel being perfected by 4 women in 1967. There are rules - you cant travel back before the invention, you cant change anything, only observe. The one that threw me for a loop was that you can travel within your own lifetime and meet yourself, multiple selves. That is very different from most time travel novels. There are a lot of characters presented by the author, some more dimensional than others. I thought some of them could have been consolidated. The pacing of the book is rather slow, it became too easy to stop and not as compelling to pick back up again. There is a mystery, however it's more a mystery to the characters than to the reader, so not a great deal of suspense. Overall, I was entertained.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

DNF at 30%

While it has an interesting premise, it did prove that but completely made a turn around at a point. I love that it has endless positivity when it comes to the world-building aspect. There are far more than you can do and play with things that could intrigue more readers in the future, the amount a sci-fi lover can get from this aspect alone was highly, highly recommended! The mystery gives off appeals quickly, though like I said had made a turn for me that did not sit well with me.

Honestly, I hate it when I mark books as a DNF. And if you would notice I have a low ratio of DNF books in my shelves. With that, I really feel bad doing this. And hear out why I did so too. I tried and tried to read, days turned into weeks until I really couldn't. I feel asleep reading this thrice. A lot had been saying that I really should stop. And when I gave it another try, I couldn't get into it.

It went this way for me: it began smoothly and compelling, there were four characters that introduces the readers with so much interest. They were all surely and progressing with much more gusto. And then the thing happened. I had no complaints about it. It was the beginning and was anticipating how the story unfolds, however, the pace changes and rushes to scenes I didn't even make sense. I still went on reading because maybe when I hit its momentum I will enjoy it further again. I did not. Hence falling asleep three times now... The characters I've grown to like feels like they were washed away. The new ones introduced didn't appeal as much. My interest waivers and then fading out.

I would still recommend it though, it may not work with me I am pretty sure to some it will. It has intricate world-building. Filled with every possibility. The great representation of women and women of color for that matter. And there is also sapphic romance in it.

Trigger Warning/Content: mental health issues, violence, murder, discrimination.

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

It took me quite a while to finish this book, not because I did not like the story, in fact towards the end I loved it, sped through it, and now I want to read it again, but because this story changes perspective with every new chapter. The narrative is told through multiple characters in multiple different years and this threw me off immensely during the first ten percent of the book. I could not keep the time line straight. This ends up being the perfect example to show the readers how the time travelers live their lives in this story and I am only realizing the brilliance of this strategy now, whilst writing this review.

To be honest, I could tell you everything I like about this book, but it would come out as a jumbled mess. The narrative is very scattered and only comes together towards the end, it is a murder mystery that you have to solve through several years and several people. This creates chaos, but also builds tension and excitement. I ended up finishing the second half of the book in a day, simply because the writing style is amazing and because I wanted to know the ending, figure out if I had the correct answers to all of the questions, I wanted to solve the puzzle.
Even though it is a murder mystery, I still think I would love rereading it, because this puzzle spans several years and is told through several people. With each reading you will probably find new hints, references, and connections, making the story richer each time you read it, and that sounds like a really fun book adventure to return back to.

As someone who's very much in love with anything with the idea of Time Travel, this book really caught my attention.. The cover is just gorgeous and that name? Very eye-catching! So I decided to give it a try. And I would like to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane for the chance of reading this book!

Kate's writing is just very amazing, and I'll be looking for more books of her and I was simply pulled to this world she build! Very well written characters and a plot you just have to give it a try if you like the idea of Time Travel!

This book, for me, was like the flip of a coin, you don't know what you are going to get until you get it. It is hard to say anything without giving away a little. If you like books that are psychologically mind-bending infused with thrill, this is the one for you.
The book is also written in a unique style, flipping between past and present incidences (since the time travel part makes it unavoidable). Unfortunately, that wasn't to my taste even though the story made me feel hungry for more, the style left me unsatisfied. But if that isn't the case with you. I will highly recommend you pick a copy of this book.
And yes, I mean a physical copy as you might have to go back and forth at time as you try to piece the puzzle together.

3.5 stars

I'm not gonna lie, I struggled reading this book but I'm glad I finished it because it is actually worth reading. The author really did a great job in every aspect of this book. From plot to characters, I liked it. The characters are definitely personas of Girl Lady Power. The plot, I think, is so intricately woven that I got so fascinated by the concept of Time Travel and what it can do to people who associate themselves to it. But I think the intricacy of the plot is what also made me struggle to read this book. Don't get me wrong I love intricate plots and in this book, particularly, I liked it, but at some point, I was like, Ok, cool' but wasn't that interested anymore. Also, I find some parts of the narration as too much telling than showing so it appears info-dumping even though it's not.

But overall, this is a fine read and won't be the last I'll read from this author.

I enjoyed it at first, but I kept putting it down and never picked it back up again.

I felt there were too many characters and didn't feel invested to learn more about them. I was 49% through when I stopped reading. I might pick it back up in the future, start from the beginning again, but not at the moment. But, as always, thank you to Net Galley for allowing me early access

Time Travel. It is diverse, it is complex, and it is limitless. When Time Travel is in a novel, it can take you anywhere. It can be historical, and futuristic. It can be dangerous, and fun. You can pick the good times, or blindly leap into the unknown. That being said, The Psychology of Time Travel was an interesting read. Triapsing through diverse ideas, playing with the very construct of reality. Kate Mascarenhas has constructed a gem of a piece, that is by focusing on the psychological impacts of such magnificence, shes opened the already limitless idea of Time Travel and made it more. It is realistic, and fantastical enough to leave the reader hooked and wanting more. | Spoilers |In this novel, we see four women inventing time-travel in the 1960's. After using this miraculous machine, one of the women (Barbara) loses her mind. She struggles with the mundane, unable to form a coherent sentence. After this is discovered on live television, the women disown Barbara in an attempt to retain their scientific credibility. Their research, concludes that Barbara as someone susceptible to mental illness, was open to the detrimental effects that time-travel can result in. As a result their tests are rigorous, ensuring that the candidates for time-travel are psychologically sound, and not weak-minded. In writing this, Kate Mascarenhas jumps through perspective. Perspectives jump across people, areas and time. As the novel progress', it does so with the added boost of the discovery of a dead body circa 2017. With something as fundamentally world-changing as time-travel, how does one find a murderer. Adding another spanner to the works, this women is a Jane Doe. Not a single iota of identification is found on, or near her body. She's so badly damaged that she could be anyone. By anyone, we are literally talking about anyone. You could have jumped through time - a future you - and committed this murder. You wouldn't know. Discovering this murder, and perhaps investigating something in relation could be what leads you to commit this murder. It really acts as provocation for some rhetorical thinking. Shall we ignore the mind-boggling intricacies of what-if, and the very really potential of this technology already existing and this situation being something that could happen? I digress.Kate Mascarenhas, a intelligent women with a PHD in Literary studies, and Psychology adds an interesting dimension to the novel. Her academic background lends brilliance, and imagination. It leant enough structure that the messiness of the plot did not detract from the overall story-line. Despite this, Kate Mascarenhas has created a well-throughout, provoking novel with themes that traipses the normal boundaries of time travel and make it more.

Great concept and an enjoyable story. Glad to see women with intelligence and determination highlighted in a science based novel. Will recommend to others.

Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!! I loved this book so much!!!!!!!!!! Time travel, women in STEM, and a murder mystery. This book is literally made for me to enjoy. All of those words are my buzzwords for things that will get me to pick up a book. I'm excited to read more from this author in the future and can't wait to see what's next!!!!!

I love time travel stories but this one felt different than others I've read due to the focus on the 4 women rather than the journey of time travel. The 4 women are scientists and their lives and relationships are scattered across different parts of time. There's even a murder thrown in that one of the women tries to solve which I found interesting and unexpected. The way the novel unfolds, however, often felt messy and chaotic. I often struggled with feeling like the plot details seemed out of context or jumbled around. While I enjoyed following the women and their relationships, struggles and journey, I don't think i enjoy feeling like I have to concentrate quite so much to keep ahold of a plot. In the end, the story did come together and I appreciated how it was tied up but it wasn't the easiest reading experience

Psychology? Time travel? Pretty cover? Of course I had to read this book!

Told across a few points of view, and timelines, we learn about four female scientists who discovered time travel in 1967. And how that impacted on their minds, friendships, and relationships. Fast forward to 2017 and one of the founding time traveller's has a grand-daughter who becomes interested in an unusual murder scene.
The book jumps around a bit and it can be hard to get your mind around the whole timey-wimey part, but I thought all in all it is really enjoyable and easy to read. The mystery takes a bit of a backseat to the character development, which is totally fine by me, but it was nice to get a good explanation of the mystery (even though it is a bit mind bending too!). I also thought this would make a great start to a series, and it really is left open to learn much more about these characters - so hopefully there will be another book in the works.

I'd recommend this to anyone that enjoys time travel books which are more alternative reality rather than sci-fi, and is ok with time periods jumping and multiple characters. You just kind of need to close your eyes and go for the ride :)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review