A Penny Lost has a great premise about two twin sisters and one is forever in the shadow of the other but she also has a gift she tries desperately to hide until she and the boy next door are thrown into a new dimension and have to get home. The characters in this novel were great but the fantasy element of the second dimension was flat. I would have loved the book more if they had stayed on Earth but the main character had to learn to understand the gift she has.

I gave this book 4.25 stars. My first ever .25 starred book. I couldn’t give it a 4 and I didn’t think it was quite a 4.5 so 4.25 seemed the most logical to me.

A Penny Lost was a bit I didn’t expect to love, but did. I’ve had a copy for a while and just never got around to actually reading it until now, and reading this left me wondering why I waited so long in the first place.

It really took me no time at all to fall in love with the characters and the plot. Penny was a flawed but relatable protagonist and I loved that about her. She was very human and I felt her emotions along with her. There was part near the end where she was upset about something (which I can’t disclose because spoilers) and I could actually feel myself on the verge of tears. I didn’t cry, but I almost did.

I know what you’re expecting. I’ve been pretty vocal about how I don’t think time travel novels would ever be possible because of many different factors, but I feel like everyone is getting tired of hearing it and I’m getting tired of saying it so I’m just gonna say that I liked it. It added so much needed drama and adventure.

There are many questions I had after finishing up this book that I hope will be answered in the sequel. The most prominent question being: What is Stranger’s name? I would really like to know.

Overall, if you are into young adult and time travel books then this is definitely the book for you. I would highly recommend giving this a read, it’s so easy to fly through.

Beautiful cover and summary but everything fell a little flat. :(

Penny can see auras, but no one believes her, not even her perfect twin sister. When Penny senses a powerful void of energy, she goes into a house and encounters the mysterious Stranger, with whom she falls through a crack in time. Trapped on the Lusitania during WWI, Penny and Stranger will have to figure out who he is, and why they have traveled into the past.

An interesting premise and well-written, but I feel sometimes there was a bit too much going on. I look forward to reading more about Penny and Stranger.

Interesting tale of time travel that will leave readers guessing and hungry for more. It does end with a bit of a cliffhanger so readers be aware. Definitely recommend.

I couldn't even get to the time travel part because I didn't like the the story.

This book was amazing! The ending was superb! This will be added to my collection of keepers!

I received an ebook copy of A PENNY LOST via NetGalley, so I first want to thank Skyscape and Two Lions, as well as Aspen Bassett, the author. Their decision to send me a copy did not influence my opinions of this book. So let's jump into it!

I really, really love the concept of this book. It's kind of amazing, really, that I haven't read about a similar mechanic in another story. Penny, our main character, is a twin - but she's the one that ended up with her ability to see the auras around other people. They tell her exactly how that person's feeling, and even extends to objects or places. Imagine a world lit up in rainbow colors, that told you everything you ever wanted - or wished you didn't - know. That's Penny's life.

The plot dives in almost immediately, introducing a dark energy that lures Penny and her sister into the basement of an old house and throws them into a completely new realm of adventure. As far as Penny's love interest goes, I didn't mind the fact that I felt like he was a mystery basically the entire time. It made sense with his backstory and character, and it was fun to try and pick up on hidden information about him.

Overall, I'm giving this book 4.5 stars, with the half star taken off because some of the phrasing was really odd, and my copy had a lot of errors. It may well have been an ARC that had yet been finalized, but that was pretty distracting. This is definitely a book I'd recommend to fantasy/YA lovers!

This book was a fun read. The time traveling was epic with great references to certain pieces of history. The characters were unique in this story and I really saw them develop throughout each new experience. This book was adventurous with an interesting enemy. The cliffhanger at the end really has me wanting the next one. I definitely recommend to those who love time travel books.

I have to admit I found this book a little crazy at first and incredibly unbelievable. I know, it's sci-fi so it's not going to be that believable but I still like to be able to imagine the crazyness happening in another galaxy. I also struggled with the amount of unanswered questions and how the author never answered them.

However I loved the second half of the book! The plot started to make more sense, questions got answered and I really started to like the main characters. The book ended on a great cliff hanger, leaving me wanted more and definitely in the mood to read the next book!

This story had a very intriguing premise, which is what peaked my interest in it. I love all things time-travel. I felt like the author's take on it was very unique and different, especially as we see timelines hopping around and intersecting at different points. I also really liked Penny's empathic abilities! That's something that is fresh and new and I felt like it was described really well. I liked that this book avoided many typical clichés. The story was fast-paced and kept you interested in knowing what was going to happen next. The plot set up a lot of questions, gave a couple answers that led to more questions. At times, however, the plot felt too convoluted and I wasn't sure exactly what was going on.

I liked the character of Penny, and I felt like her frustrations, sense of humor, and bravery were shown well, though her logic was sometimes really dumb. Stranger was sweet but kind of blah, even with the hint of his tragic backstory. Ricky had the most interesting story, but he was basically there as a plot device for Penny.

My biggest hang up was that the writing was not as polished or smooth as it could be. The tone shifted constantly, sometimes within the same scene. The dialogue often felt stilted. Plus, it may have just been the format of the copy I received, but conversation lines weren't different paragraphs, so sometimes I had to reread sections because I missed where the quotation marks ended or started because it wasn't clear.

The mystery behind the plot and the ending are interesting enough that I think I might read the next book to find out how it all fits together, and to find out who Penny really is, though I don't think I would buy it.

*chooses not to form any opinions about the book based on the time travel system*

I loved A Penny Lost way more than I expected to. I am not a fan of time travel, especially time travel involving the future and or messing with timelines, but the story worked for me. The characters had me gripped and the writing was more seasoned and enjoyable than any Kindle Unlimited book has a right to be.

Okay, I'm gonna try and explain this. With first person main characters, I often like the author rather than the character. But with Penny, I actually liked her. Penny is just the best.

I loved Penny’s voice—especially the way she was able to visually compare everything, and in a way that never turned annoying. I like that Penny didn’t come up with a pseudo name for Stranger, and that this trait stuck with her character. Her voice is so realistically “teen,” her character itself and phrases and words she uses. Plus I’m never bored of sarcastic protagonists.

I immediately loved Ricky and Penny’s friendship, and I’m glad Ricky wasn’t a minor character. But I'm sorry, every Ricky ever. That name is annoying and should never be associated with a grown man.

We were two thirds though the book before Penny thought about liking Stranger, and she didn’t even bring it up. And I really, really liked that.

Stranger used literally correctly. *applauds*

Amnesia is the most convenient plot device ever imagined.

Maybe second most annoying, next to vapid reasons for withholding information.

I wondered a couple times when the book was going to be over. Not because I wanted it to be, but because the pacing in the middle had a lot of definitive pauses.

Was anyone else wondering about the state of Penny’s hair after everything and she never brushed it?

But finally, I want a physical copy because that cover.

I gave 3 stars, there were a lot of flaws in the book and though it was an interesting read, it just wasn't really for me. I just had trouble keeping interest in it. It seems it should have been a book I'd enjoy, maybe just not the right read for me at this moment.

Bassett has given readers an unforgettable emotional journey! Penny is an empath that time travels. While this may seem overly ambitious at first Bassett executes this brilliantly and creates a deeply intense and engrossing story.

What a fantastic enjoyable read i loved the story line and thought it was well worth the read.

I had a hard time getting through this book. Penny sounded more like a child than a teenager and I never truly understood what was going on once I'd gotten past the first few chapters.

Let me start by saying how much I loved this cover! It's so pretty <3

I really enjoyed this book. It's a unique idea, and unlike anything I've read before. I loved Penny's character, and there were some twists in there that I wasn't expecting.

And that ending! I really hope there is another book, otherwise I just can't deal!

There were a couple of grammatical errors that should have been picked up during editing, and that's the reason for me giving it 4 stars instead of 5.

This book is definitely worth the read!

If you’re into time travel stories you have to check out this adorable book especially since Bassett managed to avoid those oh so boring clichés that seem to be a staple in this kind of story.

She found a way to make Penny’s journey emotionally touching, exciting and perceptive as she poured out some wonderful character development in this well-written adventure. She examined grief, love and self-esteem in a way that has you forgetting all of this is going on in a sci-fi ‘ish’ novel. Her empathy was beautiful to watch as it unfolded amidst an emotionally charged storyline. She practically makes emotions into their own characters in this book.

Bassett still threw a twist towards the conclusion that will leave you wanting a sequel.