I can see how others would like this. It's an interesting mix of sci-fi and weird twist of events to keep people guessing. But I knew right from the beginning, it wasn't going to work for me.

The writing, to me, felt detached. Right from the first chapter, it felt like the story was written like a checklist and the main character was reading the list to me - then this happened, then this. I kept me from really getting into the story or the groove of the characters. Which meant when the story got really odd and seemed to change what it was about, I wasn't invested enough to get into it.

I wish I'd loved it - if the synopsis sounds like your jam and you like to read books before you see them (Goodreads says it will soon be a major motion picture) - then definitely read those other 4 and 5 star reviews and grab this one. It just wasn't for me.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

THE TWIN PARADOX by Charles Wachter
Publication: 8/23/2020 by Trevaney Bay Books

Jump aboard this thriller SF Thriller roller coaster ride …overflowing with intriguing concepts. Explore the concept of nurture versus nature … which is really more important. In this far reaching melange of ideas explore the nature of time and cloning, while conspiracies and sabotage abound. I would recommend not getting bogged down in the hard science .. such as interwoven discussions involving quantum physics and laws of relativity. This wild ride can be read just for a fun adventure.. and will appeal to lovers of Jurassic Park. In one setting ten years pass for every three minutes of experienced time in an environ / ecosystem where mega-evolved species roam the hellish region … all on the hunt for prey.
Wachter weave a complex narrative with astounding world building … utilizing a cast of multi-layered characters to build intrigue , suspense and menace. These honor graduate teenagers are actually clones of famous intellectual giants of history. If anything this this gem is filled with too many ideas and concepts… but remains very cinematic. Thanks to NetGalley and Trevaney Bay Books for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

It's been a while since I've read a book that I was genuinely SHOCKED wasn't an audiobook. I don't read a lot of non-audiobooks anymore and that's why it took me so long to actually get this one finished. Charles Wachter does an excellent job of setting the stage, building the intrigue, and ultimately having it pay off.

I found the pacing and the storytelling to really allow this book to shine, and I hope that someone can turn this into an audiobook sooner than later. This could blow up if it was re-released or released as an audiobook.

DNF as I was not able to get into the story. This is something I may try again at a later time. I did choose it because it was being compared to ready player one.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed reading it the plot was interesting and the characters made me want to know more about them. I highly recommend.

I wasn't able to finish this book on time but I plan to go back to it, it really does sound interesting, the title sounds very intriguing. Thank you to the publisher for early access to this title.

Oh this was one wild ride! Adventure, science fiction, friendship, deception. It was a wholly original idea, and while it did have some moments where it definitely out-scienced my brain's aptitude, overall it was told in a relatively accessible manner.

It had strong characters, some incredible world building (and at time, you really need to focus to keep up), and some huge twists and turns. It was a fun ride, and one that I'd read again.

Put down at 50%, maybe to be picked up later

Fascinating ideas, but the execution didn't work for me. Too many things going on at once and I didn't care enough about any one of the characters to keep me engaged. So I skimmed some of the reviews to see if I should keep going or just give up and move on.

And I came across a reviewer mentioning Stalin riding a giant chicken, which gave me pause.

And that my friends, is the true paradox:

Is Stalin riding a giant chicken intriguing enough for me to keep going, or so ridiculous that I should just stop where I am?

I've had this ARC in my to-read pile for so long, and then time got away from me and I missed the review window, Then, I managed to pick up a sale copy and finally read it, and I'm so glad I did. It was really something. Imaginative, fascinating premise, and even some humor throughout. (A throwaway line between Paul and Alastair on the plane to Texas had me laughing out loud.)

At a research facility in Texas, there are clones, a time machine type phenomenon that's creating an ecosystem that speeds through 10 years for every three minutes, flora and fauna that have evolved over time to kill you in the worst ways, Russian spies...and then things really get weird. I devoured this book in a couple of days. I'm hoping there's a follow-up, but if not, this was a great read!

Full review to be posted soonish.

I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was so intrigued by the premise of this book, but it fell flat for me. The science part of it was confusing and seemed too impossible to even really follow. I liked the idea of the clones but thought the book could have focused on that more rather than the fantasy jungle world created by a time warp. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I can see why this movie is soon to become a major motion picture! As a huge fan of SciFi, this book really did it for me. I also loved all the academia in the story and the bits of science everywhere. Great characters as well - so different from each other. Overall, the story was really enjoyable! Thank you!

#The Twin Paradox is such a wonderful science thriller. Here's a short description:
Ten years pass for every three minutes on a remote stretch of Texas, planes fall out of the sky. People dieing in one of the most vicious ecosystems ever grown. All a result of the government's effort to slow down time......
Thank you for the advance copy,
#Netgalley, #Charles Watchter, and # Trevaney Bay

The first quarter of this book really pulled me in. We start with a murderous thief who stalks his prey to steal mysterious vails with names. of famous historical geniuses. Later we are at the bottom of the ocean where strange larger than life animals swim in colorful variations. Things start connecting after we meet special teens, which we find to be clones of the previously mentioned famous historical figures. The story was enjoyable but I never found the characters to be likable. Not sure if it was the teen angst or just simply not feeling any connection with the characters. I thought the plot was interesting and I liked Charles Wachter's writing style. I look forward to future books from this author.

I want to thank Charles Wachter, Trevaney Bay and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

this was a really well done scifi thriller novel, I was invested in what was going on in the story and what was happening to the characters. It was a really well done story.

The Twin Paradox attempts to combine the questions of “what if” and “does everything need to make sense” into a calculated, cultivated order. A secret facility uses cloning to explore a nature vs. nurture mentality with different characteristics being inherent while others are learned. All this is a bit like Jurassic Park with the idea being to create the ultimate version of a species. However, that is the most basic principle of what occurs. There is conspiracy and sabotage and, ultimately, evolution is turned on it’s head in a hellish environment. Which raises a deeper question of can the optimal species be created through manipulation or is there more to it?

I absolutely LOVED The Twin Paradox by Charles Wachter! It’s hard sci-fi, along the lines of Michael Crichton. Their writing style isn’t the same, but they are both very good at my favorite part of science fiction: taking something innocuous, like time or nanites, and asking, “what happens if it all goes to hell?”

My Thoughts
Charles Wachter brought to life an amazing story. Stories about time, especially time travel, tend to give me a headache. This one did a little bit, too, even though it has nothing to do with time travel. The Twin Paradox is definitely “hard sci-fi,” because it uses tons of actual science, such as quantum physics, and the laws of relativity. Because of Michael Crichton’s books, I’ve learned to love that part of science fiction, and I absolutely adored The Twin Paradox because of that.

Sadly, this book only mentioned what The Twin Paradox is, once, which frustrated me a little. I enjoy the title of the books I read actually being a theme throughout the story, and while this one talked about The Twin Paradox a little, it didn’t really feel like an ongoing theme.

Characters in The Twin Paradox
I can’t really say I related to any specific character, because each one had traits that I understood. They all felt like misfits, and like they never really fit in anywhere, but each had different reasons for feeling that way. As the story progressed, each character seemed to evolve into who they could be, and were able to work together in various pursuits. Obviously, I can’t give away anything, because you really should read the book. Trust me, though, The Twin Paradox has a character for everyone. Each person who reads it, will find someone with whom they can relate.

Conclusion
Overall, I absolutely adored The Twin Paradox by Charles Wachter. It has a sequel coming at some point, and I’m super excited. If you’ve read this book, let me know below! I’d also love to know if you want to purchase this book! If you enjoy Michael Crichton’s books, you’ll love The Twin Paradox. Like I said above, their writing styles are different, but they are both able to make various scientific principles thrilling, and even scary at times.

This is a title I've been sitting on for awhile but when it came time to read it, I am no longer interested in it. I'm sad when this happens, but I can't bring myself to read something that I'm no longer interested in, unfortunately.

Some of the chosen quotes about the book show exactly what’s wrong: the author tried to fit a bit too much of everything in. The prologue seemed extremely promising, but the first few chapters introduced a group of characters I had no desire to read more about, and in completely ludicrous circumstances. Unfortunately, they didn’t particularly improve and it truly felt like a book torn in half: half enjoyable while still too madcap to be believable (which isn’t the problem), but the other half overloaded with annoying and ridiculous (and not “sci-fi” ridiculous, but annoyingly “Really? No one noticed this?” ridiculous characters that stretches your suspension of disbelief to the breaking point in a book that’s already speculative sci-fi. I recommend downloading the Kindle sample (even if you intend to buy the book); if meeting the “adolescents” in the book doesn’t annoy you, then perhaps you’ll enjoy the rest of the book, since I enjoyed the 50% without them.

I wish I liked this book, but sadly I didn't. At all. This was a great idea, but it was not executed well and was a total mess. I found myself skimming through most of the book and all of the science. It did not hold my attention, and I barely wanted to even read the last few pages to see how it ended.