A twist in time returns 40-year-old John Lennon to New York City in 2020. He is fascinated by the technology of our near-future world, but dismayed by the political, religious and environmental turmoil he finds. This action-adventure melds historical fact, fiction and fantasy. The issues John deals with in this intricate time-travel tale are hot topics right now: political discord, climate change, nuclear threats, terrorism, violence and poverty. John’s reappearance is fantastical, but Yoko, Sean, Julian, Paul and Ringo recognize him as the real deal. Lennon’s world-altering escapades as he continues his quest for peace are poignant and humorous.
Quarter Finalist
Assessment:
Plot: This novel is deftly plotted. The engaging story moves along nicely and the text is rich with true-to-life descriptions.
Prose: Hartwell's novel boasts extremely well-written and straightforward prose that is also beautifully imaginative.
Originality: This is a very original story. Bringing John Lennon back to life and sending him back and forth in time to ultimately try to save mankind is very ambitious and works extremely well.
Character Development: The characters, both real-life figures and fictitious ones, are well defined and real. Hartwell's portrayal of John Lennon is spot-on.
Date Submitted: August 23, 2018
“…deftly plotted…the text is rich with true-to-life descriptions.”
“…beautifully imaginative.”
“…a very original story.”
“Bringing John Lennon back to life…is ambitious and works extremely well.”
“The characters, both real-life and fictitious ones, are well-defined and real.”
“[The novel’s] portrayal of John Lennon is spot-on.”
