The tagline "Dark Matter meets Girl, Interrupted with a feminist twist in this gripping psychological thriller perfect for fans of dystopian fiction, time travel, and shows like Black Mirror and Russian Doll" really got me. This book was just that. I loved Dark Matter in that it was less a story about solving the world's mystery and more about a person finding themselves. This book was much in that same vein. It was well-written, entertaining, and emotional. I never read anything else by Melissa Pace, but I quite enjoy her work. The pacing was perfect. By the time I finished, I felt like my brain had been through a blender—in the best way. I’ve already been telling my friends about it. Also--if you like Severance on AppleTv, this one has those vibes too.

People in two distinct years are telling a woman with no clear recollection of her life that she’s different people; all she knows for sure is that she needs answers, and she’ll do what she must to get them in Melissa Pace’s The Once and Future Me.
Waking with no clear memories of who she is on a bus transporting patients to Hanover State Psychiatric Hospital, a woman is told that she’s Dorothy Frasier and it’s 1954, but something, including an incredibly adamant voice, within her is certain that she’s not and doesn’t belong at the hospital or in that year. While trying to figure out a way to escape from the hospital, the woman experiences an episode where a group of young scientists in 2035 tell her she’s called Bix and that she was sent back to 1954 on a mission to find the key to stopping the Guest, which is rampantly causing the demise of everyone in 2035. As she tries to make sense of all she’s being told and with bits of true memories slowly returning to her, she gets a visit from a man whose face she recognizes from one of her memories and who the doctor says is her husband, Paul Frasier – but that would mean that she’s really Dorothy, even if things still don’t quite add up. Determined to find answers, she endures experimental treatments, some shockingly extreme, at the risk of her freedom and mind as she relentlessly seeks her memories and the truth, with assistance from some unlikely allies along the way, about who she is as a matter of survival.
In a captivating premise following one woman’s fight to regain control over herself, mentally and bodily, while battling eerily relevant gaslighting from others and biological dangers that threaten the likelihood of her survival, as well as that of countless others across different eras in various manners, the way the narrative is presented allows for an engaging and entertaining questioning of reality, or sanity, to occur for a fairly prolonged time as events are gradually unraveled, pieced together, and finally become fully connected. The more serious matters of import for confronting within the self and across broader society in both settings of 1954 and 2035 remain relative constants over the intervening decades, with some improvements in attitudes toward social constructs and treatments for mental health issues by 2035, which should resonate with contemporary audiences in comparison with how it’s addressed in the 50s; however, the strength of character and resilience depicted in Dorothy/Bix was heartening in the wake of the disheartening circumstances she found herself embroiled in during each era, particularly when put in contrast with the more despicable, if stereotypical of their era or corrupted by their mission-declared purpose, male counterparts. As there’s a level of paranoia and suspense embedded within the nature of this story, the way that some characters are noticed and portrayed, even in brief passing, makes them clear targets to be watchful of and, without spoiling anything, by the conclusion that proves to be entirely true, which was easy to spot that they had relevance but perhaps not quite the extent of the relevance they’d have for a potentially hopeful future.
Overall, I’d give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had a bit of trouble getting into this book at the beginning. The writing seemed choppy, and when I first heard the name Bix, I imagined some sort of YA wonder-heroes storyline. I'm so glad I kept reading! Once I got more into the story, the choppiness disappeared, and I was fully invested; I could not turn the pages fast enough. There were a few info dumps, but the main character had amnesia so I guess she needed those. About midway through, I was starting to worry but also hoped that all would not be resolved in this book and that there would be sequels. I don't want to give away too much, but if you enjoy time travel, mystery, historical fiction, and thrills, this book has it all.

Outstanding debut novel by Melissa Pace! I absolutely loved this book. Very engaging and had me hooked from the start. I love the unreliable narrator and as the truth becomes clear the stakes get higher. This book was exhilarating and had me on the edge of my seat. I could not put it down! I can’t share too much of the plot without spoilers. I urge you to dive into this book blind and enjoy every page. A true psychological thriller!

Time travel, mental illness, feminism and deadly diseases- this book had a lot going on but I think it managed to walk the tightrope well. I only wish it hadn’t ended where it did; I could have easily seen another few chapters or even a second book coming along. Overall, I enjoyed reading and I was glad that the sexual violence was mostly kept as a looming threat in the book but not explicitly detailed.

I would recommend if you enjoy books like Man in the High Castle, 11/22/63, or Girl, Interrupted as the synopsis references.

A psychological thriller that really does keep you guessing. Who is she? Is she really from the future, or is it all in her head? The Long Kiss Goodnight meets The Last of Us, with a Back to the Future twist.

In Zack Snyder's insane 2011 film Sucker Punch, a fever dream in which young women sent to a mental asylum fight their way out through fantastical sequences, the Wise Man (who later is revealed to be the bus driver that brings the women to the asylum) tells the girls 'don't ever write a check that you can't cash with your ass.' This insane sentence, which I'm choosing to interpret as a warning against overpromising and underdelivering, is what I remembered most about the film which failed to deliver on a really fun premise. Melissa Pace's spectacular time-travel, mental asylum escape, feminist thriller The Once and Future Me, on the other hand, absolutely delivers.

We open on Dorothy, who has woken up on a bus approaching a mental asylum. She's not Dorothy at all, she tries to explain as she's admitted as a patient, but she can't quite remember who she is or why she's there. Which is of course not an ideal thing to bring up when you're being admitted to a mental asylum in the 1950s. Dorothy is, of course, Bix, a time-traveling soldier sent on a top-secret mission to save the world from The Guest, a pandemic ravaging the near future.

Inside the asylum, Bix is too cocky and unwisely draws attention with her behavior. Luckily, other patients Georgie and Mary are willing to help her survive. Bouncing between the 1950s and her actual timeline, Bix is working against the enigmatic leader of a cult called Tabula Rasa with a personal vendetta against her in her future and a sexist 'healthcare' system, potentially/definitely run by the CIA and supported by her more-than-suspicious husband, that will absolutely lobotomize her given the chance in her past. In both timelines a blank slate will kill her. But Bix is a survivor and won't give up without a fight.

The Once and Future Me gripped me immediately and didn't let go until the bitter(sweet) end, I can't recommend it enough. It's a firecracker of a debut and I can't wait to see more from Melissa Pace. Five stars!!

A little “one flew over the cuckoo’s nest” and part dystopian hell - of course I enjoyed it. Being in “Dorothy’s” head was an interesting space to observe throughout the entire book. It’s unclear how reliable she is throughout some of the book.

I loved the feminist girl power moments in 1954 where I was reminded how women were property of men and couldn’t make their own decisions. Sometimes our history and the fear of our future sound quite similar.

At points it felt a bit drawn out and repetitive which is why it didn’t get 5 stars, but at least a solid 4.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had a lot of potential but ultimately floundered. So much of the futuristic story line felt rushed and underdeveloped.

Well this one was definitely different. I don't usually like books with time travel, but in this one, it just worked. A real unusual but highly intriguing unreliable narrator story

Wow! I loved this book so much! I couldn't stop talking about while I was reading it. I loved Dorothy (Bix) for being such a bad ass hero! I loved the fact that as a reader we weren't sure if what was happening was really happening or all delusion. I really hope there is a sequel, I would love to see how things play out in 2035 after they found the rat virus. I will highly recommend this book to anyone who reads!!

I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher for a review. It sounded very intriguing and weird, so I requested it. I ended up really liking it! It was a crazy ride from beginning to end and you’re never sure exactly what is going on.

A woman wakes up on a bus heading to a psychiatric hospital. She has no memory of anything before the bus, but she’s sure she shouldn’t be on it. Everyone keeps calling her Dorothy, but she’s convinced that’s not her name. The doctors at the hospital tell her she’s experiencing a delusion and that she is, in fact, Dorothy.

Suddenly, the woman’s body begins to vibrate and she wakes up in a lob surrounded by people. They tell her it’s 2035 and she was sent back to 1954 to find a doctor who is the key to saving humanity. As abruptly as she was transported to the future, the vibrating begins again and she’s back in the mental hospital. The doctors tell her that the episode is one of her delusions. She’s Dorothy and it’s 1954. As more and more delusions take place, the woman isn’t sure what to think. Is she crazy or is she actually traveling through time?

I really enjoyed this one. It’s a neat concept and the characters feel pretty real, for the most part. The author took the “save the world trope” and added something special and new. I appreciated that it’s not your run of the mill dystopian Armageddon that I’m familiar with. You can get your own copy August 19, 2025.

Well, that was super fun and I absolutely flew through the pages. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Absolutely loved this one! It's been awhile since I read something I couldn't put down, so this was a fun ride. We first meet Bix, or Dorothy, as she wakes up on a psychiatric transport bus on the way to Hanover, a psychiatric hospital. However, she is not crazy, and could be in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, she can't remember who she is, and why she is there. Suddenly she gets transported to the future, where they tell her she's on a mission in 1954 to retrieve a sample of a virus from a dr. at the hospital. This sample is the virus that kills millions in the future, and they are trying to create an antidote.

While in the hospital, a man shows up claiming to be her husband, whom she has one memory about. As we go back and forth between the present and past, slowly you get an idea of what's going on, and you root for Bix to outrun time to prevent the deaths of millions. However, there are various nefarious players that keep getting in her way so the suspense is intense and ongoing.

When she finds out who her husband really is, it's a race against time to get the right information to the right people at the right time to prevent a disaster. The author does great character development here as you really care about Bix and what will happen to her, as well as her friends and rag tag group of 'sane' women trapped in hospital. This would make a great movie and I'm already thinking about the casting options in my head.

The Once and Future Me is the perfect blend of mystery, thriller, and sci-fi. This novel had me hooked from the very start and I couldn’t get through it fast enough. This book was compared to Black Mirror and I would definitely recommend it to fans of the show. I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read more from Melissa Pace.

November 30, 2024
Definitely a page-turner. The author had me feeling as though I was the one who wasn't sure whether I was sane or not. Most of "my" memory was lost and I had input in the year 1954 from those in the mental ward, my supposed husband, a deputy sheriff, and in the year 2025, from a group of young scientists in the future. My only disappointment was that the tone of the book changed when the protagonist was "in the future", to a much more young adult feel. While she was in the past, she was determined and resourceful. While she was in the future, the group of young scientists seemed more like a group of high school buddies on the run. When Bix began to pull her identity together her struggles were best addressed during the times she was relying on herself. The story could have done without the good and evil "gangs" in her future, and I think it could have reached a wider audience.

From the very first page, the unnamed protagonist grabs your attention with her fierce will to survive and razor-sharp instincts. Labeled as Dorothy Frasier, a person with schizophrenia committed against her will, she is a woman caught between two opposing realities—one where she’s told she’s a delusional housewife and another where she’s a vital piece of a fragmented, futuristic puzzle. Her struggle to uncover the truth is thrilling, made all the more compelling by her uncertainty about whom to trust, including herself.

The novel’s structure is wonderfully executed, with chapters switching between Dorothy’s present-day fight and hallucinatory glimpses of a dystopian future. These shifts are both disorienting and enthralling, mirroring the protagonist’s fractured state of mind and pulling readers deeper in.

Dr. Sherman is chilling, to say the least. His experiments on Dorothy lend a nightmarish quality to the hospital setting. But the introduction of Paul Frasier—a man who might be her savior, captor, or something else—raises the stakes.

Overall, it’s a story that will keep you guessing until the final page.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book starts off with a woman who has no idea who she is and why she got sent to a psychiatric hospital by her husband. She struggles with believing if she is Dorothy, a woman who suffers from mental illness, or if she’s a time travel sent from the future to the past in order to find the cure to a pandemic.

This was incredible! I absolutely loved reading it! The hospital scenes were very sad and hard to read due to the abuse that the patients experience. The last half had me on the edge of my seat. It was heart pounding. I was so shocked with all the excellent plot twists. I wasn’t expecting the ending.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Once and Future Me by Melissa Pace: A Time-Traveling Adventure

Rating: 4 stars

Melissa Pace's "The Once and Future Me" is a captivating young adult novel that masterfully blends science fiction, romance, and coming-of-age drama. This beautifully crafted story follows Evie, a 17-year-old high school student, as she navigates time travel, identity, and first love.


Plot

Evie discovers a mysterious app that allows her to communicate with her past self. As she explores this extraordinary ability, Evie must prevent a catastrophic future, confront her deepest fears, and find her true place in the world.


Writing Style

Pace's prose is characterized by:

Engaging narrative voice. Well-balanced humor, wit, and poignancy. Intricate plot twists. Vivid descriptions of time-traveling experiences


Themes

1. Identity and self-discovery
2. Family dynamics and loyalty
3. First love and heartbreak
4. Time, memory, and the consequences of choice


Character Development

1. Evie: Strong, flawed, and endearing protagonist
2. Asher: Charming, mysterious love interest
3. Evie's family: Complex, loving, and imperfect


Strengths

1. Unique time-travel concept
2. Emotional resonance
3. Engaging plot twists
4. Well-developed characters

Weaknesses:

1. Pacing issues in some sections
2. Supporting character development could be enhanced
3. Some plot threads feel slightly convenient

Target Audience:

- Young Adult readers (14-25 years old)
- Fans of science fiction and time-travel stories
- Readers of coming-of-age dramas and romance novels

Conclusion:

"The Once and Future Me" is a captivating, emotional journey that will resonate with readers. Pace's writing style, characterized by humor, wit, and poignancy, makes this novel a compelling read. With its unique time-travel concept, well-developed characters, and engaging plot twists, this book is a must-read for fans of Young Adult fiction and science fiction.

I really enjoyed reading this, it had that element of fantasy and how it uses the psychological thriller element that I was hoping for. The characters worked well overall and was engaged with going on this journey with them. The plot had that feel that I wanted and was glad I got to read this. Melissa Pace has a strong writing style and can’t wait for more.