Tyndale House Publishers / 2012
About the series:
Death comes for everyone. But what if you were given seven more hours? Would you go back and relive a previous time in your life? Or would you live those seven more hours, starting now?
In this collection of seven full-length novellas, seven writers come together to tackle the questions of life, death, and time as we know it. Each author has taken the same concept, featuring a mysterious central character, and spun their own story.
Stories include: All of Our Dreams, Whole Pieces, Teardrop, Escapement, Recollection, Rear View, and The Last Night of Alton Webber.
7 Stories. 7 Writers. 7 Hours.
~
Rearview by Mike Dellosso
About the book:
In each installment of 7 Hours, a character is visited by the enigmatic Thomas Constant, who makes a heart-stopping statement: “You are about to die. But you may choose from one of three options: Live seven more hours, travel back in time and relive seven hours, or accept the inevitable and die now.”
Professor Dan Blakely has it all . . . until a false accusation leaves him in financial ruin with nothing to fall back on and little hope.
In a moment of desperation, he decides to do the unthinkable. But when he loses control of his SUV and careens down the side of a mountain, his plans take another turn.
Trapped beneath the frame of his mangled vehicle, Dan is visited by a mysterious stranger who offers him three choices. Filled with regret, Dan makes a decision . . . but little does he know that his troubles have only just begun.
The clock is ticking. What will you do with the time you have left?
In each installment of 7 Hours, a character is visited by the enigmatic Thomas Constant, who makes a heart-stopping statement: “You are about to die. But you may choose from one of three options: Live seven more hours, travel back in time and relive seven hours, or accept the inevitable and die now.”
Professor Dan Blakely has it all . . . until a false accusation leaves him in financial ruin with nothing to fall back on and little hope.
In a moment of desperation, he decides to do the unthinkable. But when he loses control of his SUV and careens down the side of a mountain, his plans take another turn.
Trapped beneath the frame of his mangled vehicle, Dan is visited by a mysterious stranger who offers him three choices. Filled with regret, Dan makes a decision . . . but little does he know that his troubles have only just begun.
The clock is ticking. What will you do with the time you have left?
My rating:
My thoughts:
I found Rearview to be a really good read! I did, at times, think it was a bit too descriptive/wordy which made it hard to get into the story. The characters were good and there were some surprising things that made the book all the more interesting to read.
Escapement by Rene Gutteridge
About the book:
In each installment of 7 Hours, a character is visited by the enigmatic Thomas Constant, who makes a heart-stopping statement: “You are about to die. But you may choose from one of three options: Live seven more hours, travel back in time and relive seven hours, or accept the inevitable and die now.”
Mattie Bigham has lost his job, is losing his wife, and is not losing any weight. At just under four hundred and fifty pounds, he figures his doctor’s prediction that he's going to drop dead any second is about to come true. He is right.
When Thomas Constant appears, Mattie chooses murder—to carry out revenge on the bully who tormented him all through school. Except when he arrives for the showdown, he’s shocked to find this man in a scenario not unlike his own. Things get complicated quickly, and time is running out.
The clock is ticking. What will you do with the time you have left?
My rating:
My thoughts:
I really liked Escapement! After reading Rearview, I thought I knew what to expect with the 7 Hours series (regarding Thomas), but Escapement was way different, yet still very good. I liked all the references to the makings of a clock and thought the characters were nice, although not that gripping to me.
Teardrop by Travis Thrasher
About the book:
In each installment of 7 Hours, a character is visited by the enigmatic Thomas Constant, who makes a heart-stopping statement: “You are about to die. But you may choose from one of three options: Live seven more hours, travel back in time and relive seven hours, or accept the inevitable and die now.”
Mike Harden is living a comfortable life when he discovers he is going to die. Though skeptical of the stranger’s offer, Mike chooses to go back sixteen years to the day he married Ashley.
When Mike realizes this wish has come true, it doesn’t take him long to begin to make plans. He didn’t relive this because it was the happiest day of his life. Mike made this choice in order to go back to the moment when a man named Vince Levy first saw Ashley. The first and only time Vince saw the woman he would go on to kill ten years later. Mike has gone back to his wedding day to kill his wife’s murderer.
The clock is ticking. What will you do with the time you have left?
My rating:
My thoughts:
Teardrop is my favorite in the 7 Hours series so far! I loved it! The characters were great and I loved the whole premise to the story (how a man chooses to go back in time to when his wife met her eventual killer to try and prevent the murder from ever happening). Great read!
Recollection by Tom Pawlik
About the book:
In each installment of 7 Hours, a character is visited by the enigmatic Thomas Constant, who makes a heart-stopping statement: “You are about to die. But you may choose from one of three options: Live seven more hours, travel back in time and relive seven hours, or accept the inevitable and die now.”
New York City cabdriver Adrian Colfax awakens one night muttering a mysterious string of numbers and with the fragments of a bizarre dream in his head. He can’t shake the feeling there’s something he’s supposed to do. Something very important. He just can’t remember what it is.
Through a series of haunting visions, Adrian comes to believe he's been transported back in time to prevent the violent murder of the girl he loved. But he also learns that saving Kate could result in something even more catastrophic.
The clock is ticking. What will you do with the time you have left?
My rating:
My thoughts:
Recollection was a wonderful story! I was surprised by a lot of things in this book - especially what all the numbers meant.
Whole Pieces by Ronie Kendig
About the book:
In each installment of 7 Hours, a character is visited by the enigmatic Thomas Constant, who makes a heart-stopping statement: “You are about to die. But you may choose from one of three options: Live seven more hours, travel back in time and relive seven hours, or accept the inevitable and die now.”
After a brutal attack left him without a limb and his team dead, former Green Beret Haytham “Hawk” Wilson is angry at life and God. Bitter, he pushes everyone out of his life. Every day he relives his decision to send the Afghan boy home rather than following orders to kill any who came upon his hidden team. So when on his deathbed at age 36, eaten alive by grief and regret, he’s offered the chance to relive any seven hours, Hawk is determined to go back, kill the boy, and save his team. The decision is simple . . . until he gets there.
The clock is ticking. What will you do with the time you have left?
My rating:
My thoughts:I really liked Whole Pieces. I loved the whole military aspect and thought the story was well written. I liked the characters, but none of them stand out as a favorite to me. Thomas Constant's actions were very interesting in this installment and I was really surprised by something Hawk did. Overall, a good read.
All of Our Dreams by James Andrew Wilson
About the book:
In each installment of 7 Hours, a character is visited by the enigmatic Thomas Constant, who makes a heart-stopping statement: “You are about to die. But you may choose from one of three options: Live seven more hours, travel back in time and relive seven hours, or accept the inevitable and die now.”
Luke Harrison is haunted by dreams of an imaginary past. Five years ago his wife, Arianna, fell victim to a horrifying degenerative disease, unraveling all of their dreams in an instant. Luke’s entire life is focused on her care and comfort.
But there is an approaching darkness, a malevolent Watcher who seems intent on taking Arianna from Luke.
Dreams and reality collide as Luke faces his own impending death. He doesn’t know what's real anymore, and time is running out.
The clock is ticking. What will you do with the time you have left?
My rating:
My thoughts:
All of Our Dreams was another good installment to the 7 Hours Series. The story was interesting and I liked getting to see another side of Thomas Constant - and learn more behind what started the 7 Hours. While I didn't agree theologically with everything in this book, it was still a good read.
The Last Night of Alton Webber by Robin Parrish
About the book:
In each installment of 7 Hours, a character is visited by the enigmatic Thomas Constant, who makes a heart-stopping statement: “You are about to die. But you may choose from one of three options: Live seven more hours, travel back in time and relive seven hours, or accept the inevitable and die now.”
Thomas Constant ventures to a mansion on a remote island, where a powerful criminal empire is gathering to witness the final moments of one of their own and readying their latest dark and dangerous plot.
They weren’t always this way. They were once ordinary people like anyone else. But a lifetime of complicated circumstances and difficult choices slowly molded them into this shadowy organization.
Can their long, complex history be changed by seven hours? The end has come, but this last leg of Thomas’s experiment may be the most challenging task of his remarkable life.
The clock is ticking. What will you do with the time you have left?
My rating:
My thoughts:The Last Night of Alton Webber is definitely my favorite of the 7 Hours series, which is fitting since it's the final installment in the series and the best was saved for last (at least in my opinion). I loved how the story switched from present day to the past almost every chapter, and I have to say I did not expect some of the things that happened in this story at all - so surprising! As with the previous books, I loved getting to know more about Thomas Constant and some of the things he did in this book were fascinating.
Overall thoughts:
All in all, this was a very interesting series that I extremely enjoyed reading! I loved how so many of my favorite authors came together with this series and I really enjoyed all the installments, though my two favorites were The Last Night of Alton Webber by Robin Parrish & Teardrop by Travis Thrasher.
I recommend the 7 Hours Series if you enjoy quick reads with some intriguing and supernatural aspects.
*I received a complimentary eBook copy of this series for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
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Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. ~ Philippians 4:8