How to Stop Time

by Matt Haig
Jan 5-17, 2019

First review of the year! I really like an occasional fantastical story that can almost be believable. In How to Stop Time, the overarching theme holds true whether fact or fiction – no one should be alone. At what cost or sacrifice can loneliness ever be justifiable?

"If I could live without doubt what would I do? ...  If I could love without fear of being hurt? What joys would I allow myself? What internal mysteries would I solve? How, in short, would I live?"

Tom is 439 years old. He's been convinced by the leader of a secret society of equally-aged people that no one can ever find out. The society only has one rule – never fall in love. So he moves around every eight years, never allowing roots to be planted or friends to be made. But, he did personally know Shakespeare and F. Scott Fitzgerald, to name a few. These were fun "facts" that kept me invested in this unique plot. And then, this quiet, meandering sweep through four centuries suddenly turns sinister. Luckily, it happened in the last ten percent of the book, because for me there was no going back. It's a shame really. Such a fun concept with real life questions; I think the opportunity was missed to end a better way.

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