Space Hopper is a heartwarming, delightful and engaging novel that I read in a matter of hours. Time travel books are kinda my thing, and the way this one was written made it quite compelling.
The protagonist Faye finds a portal to her past in an old childhood cardboard box, where she gets to meet her mother whom she had lost as a kid. She had always felt the loss keenly, and the disappearance of her mother was a bit of a grey area of her life. What follows is the journey of Faye meandering the multiple challenges of time travel and trying to untangle the mystery of disappearance of her mother.
The plot as well as the prose is fairly simple, and it was probably this simplicity that kept me hooked. The protagonist is a very relatable personality. She struggles with the choices she is making, the risks she is undertaking for just some time with her mother. And this is when she does not even understand the scope of what she is getting into. The differing opinions of Faye's husband, who is training to be a vicar, and Faye, who is a non-believer, is also quite interesting to read. The ending was quite unexpected, but in a good way. Overall, it was a feel-good read with a flavour of time travel.

A DNF at 33% for me sadly, I had such high hopes for this one.

I found it really slow & I didn't want to pick it up again ...maybe I'm missing out on a fabulous ending but I'd like my reads to be entertaining all the way through.

About the book:

Faye has two daughters and a loving husband. Her life seems perfect from the outside, but she's still unable to live her life to the fullest. There's a looming feeling of grief always holding her back. Faye constantly feels the loss of her mother, who passed away years ago. Even more so as she now watches her girls growing up. But then something inexplicable happens that allows her to communicate with her mother again and ask her questions she always wanted. Faye is going to work harder than ever to hold on to her mother and still live in the present.

My thoughts:

What a charming book! I loved that this book deals with so many themes (love, loss, family) in such an interesting way.

I’ve been visiting my mother who died when I was eight.
And I’m talking about flesh and blood, tea-and-biscuits-on-the-table visiting here.
Right now, you probably think I’m going mad.
Let me explain…
A lovely debut novel (hard to believe!) that’s well written and really pulls you into the story. I like the idea of the subject matter but the reality of ready it was so much better, it pulled me in and I just had to keep reading to see what happened – I was surprised at the ending.
A great heart warming read, definitely recommended!
Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
#JumpWithMe #NetGalley

This was a book i could have read over and over my friend has read this too and she also liked it the thought of time travelling to see your mother brilliant. I dont want to give anything away but 5/5 Thank you Netgalley

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for an ARC of this book!

Hmm... I was definitely intrigued by the premise of this novel. Time travel is one of my favourite genres, so I was simultaneously interested and skeptical when picking up this book. For some strange reason, the main character (Faye) stepping into the box that transports her to her youth kinda reminded me of 13 Going on 30?? Idk if it was just me, but I loved the simplicity of the time travel! I was a little disappointed by the ending after all the amazing bits that happened in the middle, and I enjoyed how Faye's actions in the past would have domino effects on her future. If you're a fan of Back to the Future, I def recommend this!!

I really really enjoyed this book and have a feeling it will be one of my top 5 or 10 for 2021. The story is implausible but also incredibly lovely. I want to believe it could be possible. Recommended.

This book was not too far outside my preferred genre and the plot intrigued me.

I felt that the premise of this novel was really interesting and I’ve never read or heard about a time travel novel similar to this one. I felt that all the supporting characters were well written and interesting, and since this novel is written in the first person that does make sense.

However the main character, Faye, was not written as well as she could have been. It started out well but by the end of the novel she had no growth, and was still the same character from the start of the novel. I really feel that the events of the story would have shaped her even slightly. But as the novel draws to a close and she’s more invested in seeing her own mother than the fact that she might be repeating history for her daughters, I realised I disliked her. I didn’t find myself rooting for her, and was actually wishing that Eddie would file for divorce.

I think overall, the plot was handled well. There could have been major plot holes with a time travel novel, but the explanation Eddie gives for believing Faye is rather clever. And discovering that her mum had disappeared all those years ago because she had time travelled to the future was a plot twist I didn’t see coming.

When reading the book description I had expected Faye to travel back in time more than just the three times she did. It felt like a lot of the novel was rushed, there was a real sense of urgency towards the end. I understand she was desperate to see her mum again in case she had died already, but if she was that desperate I didn’t see the need for all the waiting around.

I enjoyed the novel, it was an easy read and the plot was interesting, but I don’t think I would read it again.

This novel follows Faye who is happily married with children but she still misses her mum who died when she was 8. One day she finds her old Space Hopper box in the attic and it transports her back to the 70s in the year or so before her mother died! There is so much I loved about this novel. I really connected with how much Faye was desperate to travel back to her mother as she missed her so much. I think anyone who has lost their parent would find it hard to resist having one more day with them, even when you realise you might sacrifice things in the present. I loved seeing Faye connect with her mum and getting to know her as an adult. It’s a novel where the time travel element doesn’t really make sense, even within the story, so I definitely had to suspend my disbelief but I was so invested in Faye and her desire to have more time with her mum that I was happy to do that. This novel was so soothing to me in the week when it should have been my mum’s 70th birthday and I’m so glad that I picked it up when I did. I recommend it.

‘Space Hopper’ is Helen Fisher’s debut novel.

Although Faye is happy with her life, the loss of her mother as a child weighs on her mind even more now that she is a mother herself. So she is amazed when, in an extraordinary turn of events, she finds herself back in her childhood home in the 1970s. Faced with the chance to finally seek answers to her questions – but away from her own family – how much is she willing to give up for another moment with her mother?

Helen’s debut novel is a beautifully written story about about new beginnings and second chances.

When Fay discovers an old box of memories in the attic which results in a strange accident, she finds herself reliving her life and getting to see her mother who died when she was only 8.

This book is a beautiful story that really strikes a chord with the reader. Fay is a wonderful character, she’s kind with a huge heart but misses her mother greatly and relishes on the opportunity to relive her life and spend some more time with her. The story is a tender box and the main character being the the Space Hopper box that has travelled with her through the years filled with memories and photographs of happy times.

Beautifully written and heartfelt with poignancy and tender moments throughout, ‘Space Hopper’ is a bittersweet story about grief, love and made for genuinely uplifting reading.

You can buy ‘Space Hopper’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

Time travel and the coolest pair of roller skates ... that was all the click-bait premise I needed to make this book mine.

It wasn't the time travel book I wanted, but it was ok. Nothing spectacular and definitely more chick-lit than scifi, but an ok, quick and easy rainy day read. After all, who hasn't daydreamed of travelling back in time to relish more time with lost loved ones, fix a regret, take back words said in anger, make someone's last moments more meaningful, or a second chance. The chatty first person narrative might be grating at times, but it is a perfect fit for the story. I preferred to think of it as the character mentally working her way through her moral dilemma instead of trying to justify her selfish and dangerous obsession.

But seriously, if any of my friends ever try to be annoying do-gooders and lecture me on the perils of time travel, I'm going to kick you in the balls with my super cool roller skates and steal your dog. It will be Ripley and Doggo's adventures through time forever more. You've been warned.

Recommended for fans of The Time Traveler's Wife, Replay.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK for the ARC.

Faye, an ordinary woman with a family, a fulfilling job and loving friends, is an unexpected time traveller. An old space hopper, a box from her childhood that has survived many moves, now tucked away in the attic can take her back in time. Leaving behind her life, and finally finding a way to deal with her lifelong grief of her mother disappearing, she travels back in time to when she was 6 years old to see her mother. Is there a way she can save her mother? Faye doesn’t know but she will try and this is where I was pulled into the story with the biggest ‘what if’ if time travel was possible.

I was really interested in reading Space Hopper as I haven’t really read many time travel novels where the protagonist is female and it was refreshing. Yet there were times where I found the plot dragged with unnecessary sub plots (especially around her husband’s decisions to become a vicar) and made the pace uneven.

For me the strongest part of this novel are the themes as the author explores these and pushes her characters. Themes of grief, mother/daughter relationships, acceptance and love are really strong through Space Hopper and kept me reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ebook review copy.

Absolutely loved this book, I was drawn in by the title and blurb straight off the bat and instantly hooked.
I really liked the sections that were written about the past and all the nods to the 70s and 80s.
I wasn't sure how I felt about Faye, but I loved how her mother and husband were written.
I laughed, cried and cheered my way through this lovely book and all the feels.
My only minor criticism is I felt the ending was a bit rushed, but I didn't want it to end.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for my eARC in return for my honest review.

A time-travel novel with a difference, dwelling more on the more philosophical questions arising from it as well as the usual more sci-fi tinged ones about changing history, such as: is the belief in something like time travel the same as believing in God? (The MC's husband is training to be a vicar.) For this is primarily a story about belief (though not necessarily in God) wrapped up in a moving story of the universal desire to know one's parent(s) and recover what we have lost.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for review.

It took me a really long time to get through this book. It is quite slow paced and in my opinion not much happens for most of the story. That being said, I did enjoy it. It is written solely from the perspective of the main character who often speaks to the reader directly. This makes you feel like you are going on the journey with her and for me, it increased my interest in the story.

It is not your typical time travelling story and it challenges everything you have ever read about time travel. The concept was definitely interesting and I did really enjoy the ending, it was a real *gasp* moment. For most of the book the main character she struggles with the dilemma of returning to visit her mother in the past but worries about how this might impact her future with her family. Overall a slow burning, enjoyable book with a good ending.

✨4⭐️ BOOK REVIEW✨
Space Hopper
Helen Fisher
Simon & Schuster UK

If you could, would you change history. Your past? What are the consequences of tampering with the world’s timeline?

I’m not really into time travel (I loved Outlander mind), however this piqued my interest and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a lovely story about memories, moments that shape your life and in particular, mothers.

You know what, if I could, I’d do anything to meet my mom again. I still miss her terribly, often think she’d love this and that.

Faye travels back in time, and visits her mother who died when she was just 8 years old, going back to her childhood home in the 1970s as an adult and meets her younger mother and 6 year old self.

You may be thinking, REALLY? However this is a heartfelt, thought provoking read, compelling and poignant with philosophical moments. I found the writing style and content interesting and captivating, it moved me and made me think, what if? It’s an exploration of family and faith and Fisher’s style shares with you their conversations, it’s quite an emotional journey. Her relationships with her mother, Eddie, children and Louis are all explored.

Faye is happily married to Eddie, who is training to be a clergyman, with two daughters, Evie and Esther. Faye’s not quite sure about being a vicar’s wife as she is an atheist, but going with the flow. Losing her mother when she was so young, has left her with unanswered questions. Her mature foster parents, Em and Henry who were neighbours at the time, didn’t really share much about her past and how her mother died, which left her longing for answers.

She travelled back by accident, unexpectedly, and when she travels backwards and forwards, she does get physically hurt, so it’s quite a dangerous experience.

Funny, I formed a deep connection to the story when Fisher introduced roller skating to the plot, I had my own roller skates and loved skating back when I was a teenager.

The characters were well developed and Louis, her blind friend was exceptional. The way Fisher involves Louis in the plot is really clever, another dimension.

Excerpt:

“Before I did anything, I needed another glimpse of my mother; I was emotionally thirsty and she was my glass of water. Then I needed to get out of here without being seen.”

I don’t want to give too much away about the plot, which is quite different and as always there’s a twist at the end, very clever. It’s worth the time to read. I’m so grateful Fisher didn’t give up trying to get this published.

A very enjoyable 4🌟

Thank you @simonandschuster @netgalley and @helenfisher_author for this ARC provided in exchange for my unbiased review.

I am not a fan of time travel stories. I should say this from the start. I love Back to the Future but even that makes my head melt with time/space continuum issues and once I start thinking about it my head gets sore. You are probably wondering why I chose to read a book called Space Hopper which is about time travel and I can only say this: I like roller skates and they were on the cover.
However, once I started reading the story I actually found myself enjoying it. I think the reason for this is that besides the science fiction element the story has an awful lot of heart. Faye's desire to spend time with her mum is palpable. Her yearning for a relationship with her aches off the page and the reader connects with this element.
Yes, if you look at Space Hopper from a realistic perspective you are left with some questions such as the butterfly effect but Fisher navigates this well. If you are going to read Space Hopper it is best to suspend your disbelief and read the story as a heartwarming tale of mother and daughter.
Space Hopper by Helen Fisher is available now.
For more information regarding Helen Fisher (@HFisherAuthor) please visit her Twitter page.
For more information regarding Simon and Schuster (@SimonsSchusterUK) please visit www.simonandschuster.co.uk.

Space Hopper by Helen Fisher is her debut book and let me just say, she knocked it out of the park with this one. I love when books can make us think, feel, and at the same get invested in the character’s life, so much so that we are cheering them on from the sidelines. This book is no different in that regard. A wonderful and emotional read that will grip you from the very first line and will not leave you adrift. If you love stories of time travel and magical realism, this one is for you.

The story is about Faye a 36-year-old woman who has been living her life happily with her wonderful husband and her two daughters. Despite leading a happy life, she feels dissatisfaction and a hollowness in her life from the loss of her mother at a very young age. As an orphan at a young age, Faye was taken in by her sweet old neighbors. She was taken good care of by the couple and later on they adopt her and raise her as their own. Faye was happy and did lead a good life, but the loss of her mother threatens her security. Accidently she finds herself traveling back in time and meeting her mom. This is equally unbelievable and yet with her yearning to learn more and spend more time with her she decides to continue her travel back in time losing her foothold in the present. Will she be able to make up for the lost time? Is she going to get closure from her mother?

Overall, I loved this book. It’s definitely made into my favorites. This was a much-needed bundle of goodness to lift my spirits up. It is a feel-good story that is heart-warming and poignant. I know that magical realism is not for everyone, but I think this one makes it so easy and the simplicity of the storytelling draws you in. By now, I am sure you guys might have already guessed my rating of the book, with all the incessant raving about the book. Yep. I gave it 5 stars. I highly recommend checking it out and my advice is don’t miss out on this bundle of joy. It was a lovely experience and I loved every second of it. If you love time traveling and magical realism, do pick this book up. It is amazing!!

After reading the sampler for Space Hopper I was looking forward to reading this novel with a time travel plot that covers grief, loss and childhood memories. I loved the 70s nostalgia and this is a moving story but ultimately I found it hard to connect with the main character and the time travel plot, so it was a disappointing read for me. I'd still recommend a read if this is a genre you are drawn to.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC

"They say those we love never truly leave us, and I’ve found that to be true. But not in the way you might expect. In fact, none of this is what you’d expect."

Faye never really got over the death of her mother when she was young. So when one day she accidentally finds herself back in the 70s, in her childhood home, she can't believe she finally has the chance to ask her mother all of the questions she wanted to ask.

Space Hopper is a unique and nostalgic debut novel about the grief that never leaves you, especially after the unexpected death of a loved one - when you can't stop thinking about the questions you wished you'd asked or what you'd do to spend another day with them again.

Despite concerns she may drastically change her future by her actions, she can't stop herself travelling back to visit - to the point where its unclear how much she will give up to see her mother again.

I secretly love books with a bit of sci-fi in and this is a very engaging and well devised time travel story. It's everything I like in books - historical fiction, sci-fi and mother/daughter relationships. I also enjoy that Space Hopper is a play on words cos she's literally hopping through space (and time), lol. Anyway, I loved this book - a 5⭐ read for me!