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A remarkably inventive novel that explores what it means to live a life fully in the moment, even if those moments are out of order. It’s New Year’s Eve 1982, and Oona Lockhart has her whole life before her. At the stroke of midnight she will turn nineteen, and the year ahead promises to be one of consequence. Should she go to London to study economics, or remain at home in Brooklyn to pursue her passion for music and be with her boyfriend? As the countdown to the New Year begins, Oona faints and awakens thirty-two years in the future in her fifty-one-year-old body. Greeted by a friendly stranger in a beautiful house she’s told is her own, Oona learns that with each passing year she will leap to another age at random. And so begins Oona Out of Order... Hopping through decades, pop culture fads, and much-needed stock tips, Oona is still a young woman on the inside but ever changing on the outside. Who will she be next year? Philanthropist? Club Kid? World traveler? Wife to a man she’s never met? Surprising, magical, and heart-wrenching, Margarita Montimore has crafted an unforgettable story about the burdens of time, the endurance of love, and the power of family.
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This is one of those stories that start out okay but finish strong. I was intrigued by the concept of Oona's life, and while there were some parts that were kinda tough to get through, the twists & turns in the second half of the book really brought everything together. Ultimately, this was a totally worthwhile and fun read that always kept me guessing where Oona would end up next.
02.2 stars
OVERALL: Despite a cool premise, this book's main character was infuriating to read and difficult to like. Large plot holes are present, and I think opportunities to explore fate and free will were missed; don't let the cover fool you: the tone is darker and more disappointing than light or fun.
Content warnings: drug and alcohol (ab)use, sexually explicit scenes, stupidity
Listened to this audiobook for a book club, and I was excited to start because of the premise! Well, by midway I was already feeling a bit let down, and ultimately I don't think this was really the book for me.
I do enjoy time-travel type stories and was excited to jump into this story. It didn't bother me that we don't know why Oona is experiencing her life out of order, nor that this is never really discussed or resolved. My problem was that Oona was a complete and utter idiot!!! Because she jumps to random years, always throughout this book (at the start of her leaps/condition) she is landing in a year that is immediately after a year her older self has just lived through, and therefore her older self can leave a letter to help out her current younger self. BUT THESE LETTERS ARE SO NOT HELPFUL. Older Oona literally says 'here are a couple ground rules, but I'm not telling you about your life, No Spoilers!' and so for the WHOLE BOOK Oona is confused and depressed and never gets any help from herself! In fact, her older self even leaves her a body that is intoxicated/under drug influence, as if that would make the jump any easier???
I had a lot of feelings about it, you can check out more of my thoughts here: https://youtu.be/eFAXXUdJt6g
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