Infinityglass by Myra McEntire
Hourglass #3
Egmont USA, 2013
I loved the first two books in this series, so I really wanted to love this one. I did, but at first I was scared I wasn't going to. It's narrated by Hallie, whom we've never met, and Dune, who has been only a vaguely peripheral character up until now. And for a large part of the book, the familiar Hourglass faces aren't around.
I shouldn't have worried. Hallie is a spitfire narrator and Dune is just lovely, and it was so much fun getting to know them. And there is just so much story going on! The rips are getting stronger, and time is running short to figure out just how the Infinityglass powers work. I could not put it down - I just had to know what was going to happen and that these characters I had come to love so much would be okay.
And the world-building is seriously excellent. Seriously, the first time in the series that I had to stop and question something was when they were merging onto a northbound interstate to go to New Orleans, and that was just because I missed the part where they were going to NOLA by way of the Nashville airport. The only thing I questioned was an interstate, and this book is about crazy time travel shenanigans. So yes. Good world building.
(The characters are still the best part, though.)
I am so sad to see this series end! I want to read more and more about all of these characters forever. The Hourglass trilogy has not gotten enough recognition, and Infinityglass is a fantastic conclusion.