Book Review: "The Hourglass Door" by Lisa Mangum

By Nichole Giles

I wasn’t actually asked to review this book. But I was lucky enough to get an advance readers copy, and I’d heard such good things about it that this was first on my list after the writer’s conference last month. If you’d seen the bags (yes, plural) full of books I brought home, you’d know that means a lot. I was so excited to read it.

Of course, because the writing was so engrossing, the story so well told, I read it within two days. (Two only because I was suffering from a terrible headache and couldn’t read it all in one sitting—but even suffering, I couldn’t leave it alone for long.) The story is beautiful, full of human emotion and the characters seemed very real to me.

Lisa Mangum has a way with words that make them sound poetic and lovely, and the storyline is enchanting. Seriously, I truly loved this book.

I felt a little bit sad at the end, because I didn’t want the story to be over. But, really, it isn’t. There will be a sequel, and I’m already looking forward to it, knowing it’s one I’ll snatch as soon as I can get my hands on it. (Hopefully before the release date again, because I’m dying to see what happens next!)

Here’s a taste of the cover blurb:

His past. Her future. Can love bring them together in time?

Abby’s senior year of high school is going according to plan: good friends, cute boyfriend, and college applications in the mail. But when Dante Alexander, foreign-exchange student from Italy, steps into her life, he turns it upside down. He’s mysterious, and interesting, and unlike anyone she’s ever met before. Abby can’t deny the growing attraction she feels for him. Nor can she deny the unusual things that seem to happen when Dante is around. Soon Abby finds herself drawn into a mystery whose roots reach into sixteenth-century Florence, and she uncovers a dangerous truth that threatens not only her future but the lives of those she loves.

Now, the question is, can I actually wait until summer 2010 to read more? I certainly hope so. Lisa Mangum is sure to be a huge hit. Go Lisa! (And please hurry and finish the next installment—pretty please with sugar…)