You Don't Belong Here by Tim Major

You Don't Belong Here Reviews

• 
  Char

  You Don't Belong Here is a story that is very difficult to categorize. It's a time travel/mystery/psychological mind game. How's that?
  
  The premise is a good one: a man, Daniel Faint, steals a time machine. He doesn't know anything about it, (like how to operate the thing, for instance), and to learn, he needs to find a safe place to set it up and experiment. The solution presents itself when he obtains a job as a house sitter at a large manor. Daniel is a strange man, with no friends, and a mysterious brother named William, that he thinks about often.
  
  The story progresses with time machine experiments, though not exactly scientfic in nature, and Daniel does figure out a few things. My problems with the story began here; I thought the pacing was too slow. When things did happen, the descriptions became rather vague, and my understanding of the events became a little hazy. Turns out there were reasons for this, but for me, it was too long of a wait for the reveal. Another thing that bothered me was that I didn't like any of the characters in the story. I know that I can enjoy a book with no likable characters whatsover, but the tale has to be outstanding for me to do so, and unfortunately that was not the case here.
  
  Overall, I did enjoy this book. I thought it was well written and had an excellent premise. It was just the reasons I listed above that caused me to give this rating. I do recommend it to those that find the premise intriguing, because your mileage may vary.
  
  *I received a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*
• 
  Kay

  A sort of time travel story that would have fitted in with the classic TV series, Tales of the Unexpected. Hard to review without giving away the plot but what starts out with the theft of a time machine goes off at an unexpected tangent. Felt it was a bit slow initially but it enticed me in so much that I finished the novel in a 24 hour period.
  
  Ray Smillie
• 
  Hayley

  Loved it!
  
  After I'd read the first couple of chapters I really wasn't sure where this book was going to end, which I liked as too often you can guess what the endings going to be! And I can definitely say that I didn't see the ending coming.
  
  This book was well written and the topic, although at first didn't seem my thing, I found myself completely engrossed and couldn't wait to read more. If you read the blurb and your not sure I would definitely recommend giving it a try and I think you'll find that you'll like it!
• 
  Seregil of Rhiminee

  Originally published at
  Risingshadow.
  
  Tim Major's You Don't Belong Here is an interesting piece of time travel fiction, because it's a combination of science fiction, thriller and mystery elements. It's an entertaining novel for everyone who enjoys reading time travel stories.
  
  The problem with time travel novels is that you seldom find anything original or fresh in them, because authors tend to recycle familiar elements too much. This is not actually a big problem, because many time travel novels are entertaining and worth reading, but sometimes you just want to read something that has not been written dozens and dozens of times over and over again. I'm not an expert on time travel novels, but in my opinion You Don't Belong Here feels delightfully different from the time travel novels that have been published recently, because it has freshness and it's fluently written entertainment.
  
  I admit that I'm difficult to please when it comes to time travel novels, because I've been disappointed with a few novels and haven't liked the authors' way of handling time travel elements, because they've paid attention to wrong things. Fortunately, You Don't Belong Here was an intriguing and pleasant surprise for me, because I found myself enjoying the gradually unfolding story and wanted to know what happens to the protagonist. It's nice that the author has managed to write a story that is entertaining and sufficiently mysterious.
  
  Here's a bit of information about the story:
  
  Daniel Faint has stolen a time machine from a laboratory in Oxford and is putting as much distance between him and the lab as possible. He is worried that something will happen to the time machine, so he is driving slowly and feels a bit paranoid about speed cameras taking pictures. He knows that he is a thief now and can't allow himself to get caught for what he has done. He finds a safe place for the time machine when he acquires a job as a housesitter at a large Cumbrian manor, which will be empty during the summer. He doesn't know anything about how to use the time machine and what to do with it, but he begins to experiment with it...
  
  This is the beginning of a gently flowing story that gradually becomes increasingly intriguing.
  
  The characterisation works well, because Daniel Faint is described as a person who has more than a bit of problems with his life. He is the only one to blame for what has happened to him, because he has made a mess of his life. I think it's great that Daniel is a flawed person who has problems, because it's interesting to read about him and his life.
  
  I like Tim Major's writing style, because he writes fluent prose. It's great that he doesn't rush into action, but takes his time to introduce Daniel to his readers before anything significant begins to happen. To be totally honest, this is actually a very good thing, because I don't much care for time travel novels, in which everything happens at once and the reader is left feeling baffled by why the author has to maintain constant fast-paced action. I admire the author for not hurrying with the story.
  
  The author handles various aspects of the story well. For example, he writes fluently about how Daniel experiments with the time machine and tries to figure out how it works. He also writes well about what happens between Daniel and other characters, and he spices up the story with mystery elements.
  
  This novel has a good atmosphere, because the author slowly builds up suspense and describes the happenings in an engaging way. The isolated manor serves as a perfect setting for the story, because it adds a bit of creepiness to the storyline.
  
  I give this novel strong four stars on the scale from one to five stars, because I enjoyed reading it and found it entertaining. I think that Tim Major has the makings of a good speculative fiction novelist, because he knows how to entertain his readers and he has a gift for storytelling.
  
  Tim Major's You Don't Belong Here will be of interest to readers who enjoy time travel stories and want to read something a bit different. The gradually unfolding story will keep readers entertained, because the author drops readers into the middle of Daniel's life and lets them wonder what will happen to him. When you begin to read this novel, you'll soon find yourself immersed in the story.
  
  My final words are:
  
  Tim Major's You Don't Belong Here is a good and intriguingly fresh time travel novel!
• 
  Tim

  I'm struggling with how I feel about this book. It seemed to angst ridden to be escapist yet to off the wall to be read as a 'serious' book.
  I guess that my confusion mirrors some of the theme of the book which, in many ways, was a Jekyll and Hyde for the 21st century.
  
  In the end it had to be four stars because it hooked me and I left feeling satisfied.
  
  I received my copy free via Goodreads giveaways
• 
  Paul

  If you were given the opportunity to escape all your past mistakes would you seriously be able to resist? You could start afresh, with a new life, and a clean slate. The only tiny stumbling block? A time machine that you don’t really understand how to control. I ask you, what could possibly go wrong?
  
  Daniel Faint is an intriguing character. You very quickly realise he is barely holding his life together. He has dug himself into a hole and you can almost guarantee that each action he takes is going to be the wrong one, and only ends up making things worse. Watching him come apart at the seams is captivating stuff. I quickly found myself pitying him. I genuinely believe Daniel is not an evil person but each choice he makes takes him one step further down a dark road that has distinctly dire outcome on the horizon.
  
  Most of the action takes place in an isolated manor house, and I couldn’t help but feel that this was exactly the wrong environment for Daniel to be in. Thinking about it though, I guess that is kind of the point. Daniel is left rattling about alone in this large building most of the time, and this only adds additional stresses to his already fragile mental state. I ask you, have we learned nothing from the debacle at The Overlook Hotel? Caretaking a deserted spooky old empty building is always guaranteed to end badly!
  
  I always worry a bit about any book that contains time travel as an element. Will the author be able to produce a compelling story that fits within the confines of the rules they have created? In the case of You Don’t Belong Here, the answer is an emphatic yes. Major’s interpretation of time travel is sneakily ingenious, but also devastatingly simple. Consider me suitably impressed.
  
  Initially you may find You Don’t Belong Here a trifle confusing. I’ll be honest, I did a little. The plot drops you straight into the middle of Daniel’s more than complicated life. Once again though that is entirely the point. My advice is to persevere as everything will become clear in the fullness of time. Trust me, the ultimate payoff is entirely worth it. In the final chapters Tim Major brings all the threads of the narrative together and there is a wonderful ‘Ah Ha’ moment. Suddenly, the full scope of what is going on is revealed.
  
  You Don’t Belong Here is that perfect blend of cautionary tale, psychological horror and introspective character study. Tim Major does a great job of picking apart his protagonist and also keeping the reader on their toes. This is the sort of suspenseful writing I always enjoy. This story feels like it should sit somewhere between an episode of The Twilight Zone and Tales of the Unexpected. Highly recommended.
• 
  Stephanie Cox

  A great read! So different to what you think it's going to be like. But really intriguing and kept me interested throughout.
• 
  Becky Hodson

  Due to some health issues it took three attempts to get through the first chapter of this book; it was absolutely nothing to do with the novel itself and I am very glad that I stuck with it. Daniel Faint, the main character of the novel, is a rogue through and through. A thief, a man at least partially responsible for his twin brother's murder and not adverse to using people to gain what he wants or needs.
  
  The novel introduces us to Daniel at the point he is running north with a stolen - and experimental - time machine. In an attempt to hide from the owners of the machine, he has arranged to house-sit a large former hotel in the Cumbrian countryside, on the assumption that it would be the last place anyone would look. Paranoid from the beginning, Daniel's mental state deteriorates further from the time he decides to step into the machine and test it out on himself. Although unnerved by what happens, Daniel continues to use the machine again and again. The more he uses it the further he appears to skip forward in time.
  
  Each time he awakes after using the machine Daniel is in a different location from where he started. Unable to figure out what is happening his paranoia hits new heights when the security guard whose ID he stole in order to gain access to the time machine arrives at the Manor. If Jimmy can track him here, then who else can? Not all is as it seems, but unable to process what is happening to him, Daniel resorts to drastic measures.
  
  Tim Major has created an interesting and well-written character in Daniel. I felt as though I was there, witnessing Daniel's confusion, desperation and paranoia. I love it when I read a book and feel for the characters within it; doesn't matter whether I like, hate or love the character, but I think that it takes skill to create a believable character.
  
  I have no clue whether other readers guessed what was happening or the twist near the end, but I didn't. It came as a pleasant surprise in a book that, once I was over my illness, I couldn't put down. Really enjoyable and one that I will no doubt end up reading again.
  
  *Received as a Goodreads giveaway; this didn't alter my opinion of the book at all.*