Oh my god I love this book! That's all haha :D ( )

One of the blurbs for Nick Jones’s Joseph Bridgeman series promises a time travel story without all the “pesky paradoxes.” Well, no. There are plenty of paradoxes, but what you do have in And Then She Vanished is a time travel story without all the pesky time machine technology. Instead, we have time travel through hypnosis, a la Christopher Reeve in Somewhere in Time. Joe’s younger sister disappears at a carnival when he is 13. As an adult, he discovers that time travel may be the key to getting her back. It’s readable, with a nice twist at the end. ( )

First sentence: The smell of roasting chestnuts and sweet candy, the piercing screams of kids being thrown around at impossible speed.

Premise/plot: Joseph Bridgeman is haunted by the disappearance of his younger sister, Amy, even decades after the event. They were together at the fair. It was one second--maybe two--where his eyes were on a cute girl instead of his younger sister. A friend encourages him to see a hypnotherapist, I believe. He learns a few mindfulness techniques to help him relax, to help him sleep...and suddenly...he becomes an insta-time-traveler. (Not that I'm complaining). Now that he's figured out that he can travel to the past--be it ten minutes, two weeks, or ten years--he's convinced that he HAS to save his sister, Amy. His whole reason for being is to save Amy. And by saving Amy, perhaps, he can save his family....

But traveling from 2020 to 1997 isn't easy. And time travel has its own risks....

My thoughts: I enjoy time travel stories. I do. When time traveling is part of the premise, I'm going to be curious and want to read it. I enjoyed this one. There is a lot of set-up--which is to be expected--and the pacing may be slightly uneven. But I found it a compelling read. Definitely this one is more premise-driven and plot driven. But I don't mind that. It is the first in a series. I'm curious to read more in the series... ( )

Great story and narration. Joe adored his little sister, then one day at a carnival, she vanished! everyone searched, but no trace was ever found. The family started falling apart, depression, guilt, grief, and the unanswered question impacting all - what happened to Amy. When joe accidentally discovers he can time travel, he starts trying to find a way to use this ability to find his sister. He tries on his own and with the help of friends, but it's all pretty much guesswork. An amazing read, I plan to get more of the series.

This edition is an expanded version to help support a series, Joseph Bridgeman.

Still haunted by the disappearance of his little sister, Amy, over 20 years ago, Joseph Bridgeman’s life has fallen apart. When a friend talks him into seeing hypnotherapist Alexia Finch to help with his insomnia, Joseph accidentally discovers he can time travel.... ( )

Something I don't get to read very often, are these kind of time travel stories. Ones without tech and the usual aspects of science fiction. It's not in the future, it's in the now, and it doesn't have any of the flashy bells and whistles. And that's exactly what I love about them. It's gritty, it's raw, and it's just so interesting to me that I absolutely cannot get enough of it. This book was no exception. From the moment I picked it up I knew I would be hooked, and to my delight, it won't end at the last page. It's something that will continue to bring me joy in the future. And I'm almost ecstatic about it.

Check out my full review here!

https://radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com/2021/02/02/book-birthday-review-and... ( )