This wonderfully original novel blends quirky family drama, mystery, and a hint of speculative fiction into something truly special. I was completely captivated by the story of twin sisters raised to believe they came from the future, and the slow, layered reveal of their unusual upbringing had me hooked. Mayne’s use of shifting timelines and small cliffhangers is masterful, and the emotional payoff—especially the reveal of long-held secrets—hit hard. The characters feel real, messy, and lovable, and I found myself laughing, tearing up, and rooting for them throughout. Joy Moody is Out of Time is smart, heartfelt, and completely unforgettable—I couldn’t put it down and now consider Mayne an auto-read author.

The premise of this novel is offbeat. Joy Moody is sure that her daughters are time travelers, and that they are scheduled to be returned on their next birthday. But is that belief an artifact of the brain tumor that is killing her? Has she created this story to justify her past actions? Is it really true?

Kerryn Mayne is not afraid of characters with serious quirks. I cheered for the daughters as they overcame their fears and upbringing to find a path into the future.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is quirky little mystery that has you engaged in the lives of all the characters. I especially loved the laundromat setting. It fits the main character so well. Although this is not the type of genre I would normally read, I found it very entertaining. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book.

I loved Lenny Marks. I figured I would love this.
Not so true. I liked it, but it didn’t love it.

This is a quirky story about a mother and her daughters, interlocking with some odd sinister moments.
I honestly don’t want to ruin this book for anyone, so a synopsis feels impossible.
If you’re looking for something different, here’s your ticket. Joy Moody is out of time is an extremely unique tale.
Thank you netgalley for the arc!

Do not judge a book by it's cover; this cover is beautiful.

The first part of this book was sooooo draggy and boring, I had to push myself to get past it. It picked up once Joy is found dead, only for it to then go back in time and bore me to tears again.

The entire thing just didn't make much sense to me. Joy tells the girls a lie and then somehow starts believing it even though she knows its a lie? I know there's a "reason" for this, but without spoilers it sort of seemed like a cop out. I also felt this way about Joy's death; I waited and waited for something good and then it was like .... that's it?

Overall, I feel like I wasted my time with this. I'm sure some people will like it, but if you're looking for a fun mystery, go elsewhere.

Such a delightfully bizarre story! After an unusual, unexpected beginning, I thankfully decided to keep reading. The setting, in a pink laundromat, with a mother who isn’t totally functional was quirky and poignant. Lots of discovery for the twin daughters, their neighbors and the people who loved each other in various ways…a great read!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I had such high hopes for this book based on the synopsis. For the first half I was absolutely sucked in. After that, it really felt like the pacing stayed stagnant for me and I kept waiting for something to happen. Th ending was lackluster and I’d hoped more would have happened on the magical realism / cultish vibe side of thing but it’s ended up being ordinary compared to what I had hoped for.

This was a good thriller with a unique plot! I enjoyed how different this was from other thrillers, but something just lacked in the writing style and character development for me.

I loved Kerryn Mayne's book Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder so much that I would read anything she writes. Joy Moody Is Out of Time did not disappoint. It is full of intriguing characters and a zany premise. Highly enjoyable, I would recommend this for fans of Mayne's, as well as anyone who enjoys quirky characters and inventive storylines: you will not be disappointed!

#JoyMoodyIsOutOfTime

Kerryn Mayne does it again! Joy Moody is Out of Time is a triumph! I ILOVED Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder, so I read this with fingers crossed! The colorful, quirky characters and unexpected plot are delightful! You’ll laugh, cry and cheer for Joy and her girls and their neighbors! Don’t miss this one!

When I started reading Joy Moody Is Out of Time, I found myself wondering what I had gotten into. At the beginning, Joy’s daughters, Cassie and Andie, are preparing to return to the future—specifically, the year 2050—to fight in a revolution. It was a strange premise, but as the story unfolded, it began to make more sense and became more appealing.

Joy, the owner of a laundromat, has kept a major secret from her daughters about their birth mother. She’s created an elaborate hoax, isolating them from others and social media, and has done a remarkable job convincing them they’re truly from the future. As we learn more about Joy, the reader gains insight into her motivations, which are clearly rooted in love and a desire to protect her daughters. At the same time, we see the consequences of her choices—missed opportunities and the difficult position she’s placed the girls in.

While I didn’t love the book, I did find it to be an enjoyable read. There were moments of quirkiness and light-heartedness that I found endearing. I also think the story could have gone deeper into the psychological and ethical implications of Joy’s actions. Still, it offered a unique perspective and raised interesting questions about truth, protection, and the stories we tell to shield those we love.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

#JoyMoodyIsOutOfTime, #KerrynMayne, #NetGalley

4⭐️

An incredibly unique premise with an emotional punch I was not expecting! This was a very enjoyable read with a very quirky main character and a very interesting story! I really enjoyed the twins and Joy herself and felt the book was quite the refreshing read! Definitely a bit odd but also delivers an emotional side that left me thinking about the lengths we go for those we love. A great read and I hope to check out more from Kerryn Mayne!

Joy Moody is Out of Time by Kerry Mayne

I was excited to read this after loving Kerry Mayne’s debut, Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite land for me.

The premise is intriguing: identical twins Andie and Cassie have grown up believing their mother’s unusual claim—that they’re from the future and will return to the year 2050 on their 21st birthday. But when their mother, Joy, suddenly dies, the twins are left grappling with grief, uncertainty, and lingering questions about their past and future.

While I appreciated the creativity of the concept, the story took a while to get going—and even once it did, it never fully took off for me. It felt like it dragged in parts, and just when I thought things were wrapping up, the story stretched on for several more chapters. The nearly-final scenes, where the community comes together to support the sisters, were sweet and heartfelt, but ultimately not enough to redeem the pacing issues.

That said, I still believe Mayne is a talented storyteller. I’m chalking this up as a one-off and look forward to seeing what she writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley for the gifted ARC.

Kerry Mayne is a breath of fresh air for authors. She writes quirky novels with a lot of heart at the center. this was just as good as Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder. I was lucky enough to get both the written and audio ARC. They are both fantastic.
thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was an interesting fun read! Joy Moody has two adopted daughters that have grown up believing in a fairytale. Now that they are older Joy Moody has to recon, not only with the fairytale she told her daughters but also what unfolded for Joy to become their mother. The Author, Kerryn Mayne, has done it again, creating characters that were entertaining yet heartbreaking. The structure of the book helped to build suspense and kept me coming up with new theories as the plot unfolded. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding Joy Moody and her daughters and look forward to the next book by Kerryn Mayne.
Thank you to Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author, Kerryn Mayne, for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was weird, sad, and wonderful in the best way. I went in expecting time travel, what I got was a story about love, grief, and the lies we tell to protect each other. Joy is a heartbreaking character, and I couldn’t stop reading as everything unraveled. Quirky, emotional, and quietly devastating. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.

Joy Moody Is Out of Time is a novel unlike any other I've read. Twin sisters Andie and Cassie have been prepped all their life for their 21st birthday, when they're supposed to time travel to 2050, or at least that's what their mom Joy has told them.

All is not at it seems though and secrets are revealed as the story goes on. Are the twins time travelers? If they're not, then how did they end up in Joy's care and where are their real parents?

Unique, emotional, uplifting, humorous, and sad, Joy Moody Is Out of Time was a true joy (yes, pun intended) to read.

Joy Moody is out of Time by Kerryn Mayne

Joy Moody keeps a tight rein on her twin adopted daughters. She has secrets, so they all remain within the small orbit Joy has created for them. The girls must be kept out of this world to be innocent enough to go to their planet when the time comes. That date is August 1, 2023, and is right around the corner.

Joy is a good mom and has a friend or two she trusts. She runs a laundry and the girls help by folding the clothes without complaint. Artistic Cassie is quieter and less adventurous than Andie. As “Daughters of the Future Revoltion,” they cannot be too bold. Joy has prepared them for their duties.

This was an interesting novel and not really in the sci-fi realm. Joy’s stories eventually fall apart leading to a very satisfying ending but not without conflict. I rate this five stars for its originality, good character development and storyline.

This book has an interesting premise. Joy Moody is the owner of a laundromat. She has twin daughters who have been sheltered and taken care of their entire lives. On August 1, 2023, they were to be fast-forwarded 27 years in the future to 2050 where they would help in the revolution. A bit before August 1, Andie started to wonder about the situation because she found out new information that caused her to wonder if everything she had known was a lie and the book evolves from there. I started liking the book more after Joy died and everyone started to sort out what happened. The mystery starts to come together at that point. I liked all the supporting characters, but I think it was Joy herself that I started to have issues with. She’s a bit quirky. Having said that, I liked the book!

Thank you to Kerryn Mayne, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: August 19, 2025

4.5 stars

The Moody twins have been raised in the house attached to Joy Moody's laundromat, Joyful Suds. It's pink and bright and has a steady clientele with companionable neighbors in the stores around them. All very regular and unassuming. Cassie and Andie however are special — or so they've been raised to believe. What began as a playful tale about their origins as her adopted daughters, went on much longer than Joy initially intended. Right? Unless it's true.

Knowing they have to be kept somewhat secret and safe from The People, Cassie and Andie believe they are vital to the future and must wait until their 21st birthday when they will be pulled forward through time to their real era in the year 2050. There they will take their place with the daughters of the future revolution. But the plan — or is it a lie? — starts to take a strange turn, and suddenly Joy is found dead in the laundromat, and Cassie and Andie find themselves completely unprepared for the real world without their mother.

The layers into which Mayne spins her tale are nuanced and yet playful. She's got a grasp on her story with the same strength I found surprising in Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder, and so the turns she chooses are often unexpected and a little bit out there, but also heavily grounded in reality. The unique balance of quirky and dark, cozy and slightly twisted, seems to be what we can expect from her — and I couldn't be more delighted. I will absolutely be reading whatever she offers up next.