PORTAL (Portal Chronicles Book 1)

I am new to Imogen Rose but got the book for $0.99 so I thought I would give it a try. I am so glad I did:) This book was fast paced which is what I need to keep me interested! I just loved it and started on book 2 as soon as I finished Portal! I would recommend this book to any reader YA and Adult alike. I am hoping book 3 will have a price drop so I can get it too:) I think there is a planned book 4 that may be in the works. I will then move on to her other series as well. Great author!!! Keep up the good work!

I don't care for sci fi..I'm not much into the paranormal and I have no idea why I bought this book in the first place. But I'm glad I did!

I honestly didn't expect much from this book even though it had some excellent reviews. I am not a young adult and generally prefer literary fiction and the classics. That said, I had trouble doing anything else while Portal was unfinished on my Kindle.

It's a light read, but has a gripping plot and well developed characters. I had no problem identifying with the 17 year old protaganist, Arizona, despite the fact that I'm 53. I was anxious to read what came next from beginning to end.

Others have given a good synopsis of the plot, so I won't go into it in depth. Just to say that the heroine wakes up on her way 'home' with her 'family' to find that her life as she knew it had vanished. She retains a perfect memory of her previous life in Princeton, NJ, but suddenly lives in CA. Many of the same characters from her 'old' life reappear in a different context and she's utterly confused and angry. Where is her father, with whom she lived? Why does she suddenly have an older brother and WHY THE HECK has she changed from a tomboyish ice hockey player into Cheer-Barbie? I won't give away any spoilers, but despite the fact that this novel is sci-fi, the plot is believeable.

I read Twilight when it was on sale for the Kindle because of all the buzz, but found the writing weak. Not so with Portal. Although it's a different theme (time travel), this is a YA book that works. It left me anxiously awaiting the sequel (get to work, Ms. Rose!!). This is a book that is presumably aimed at the young adult audience that can appeal to just about anyone. Good work.

Portal was my first foray into Indie authors and I am so glad I bought this book. The story of a young girl waking up in a different life/dimension and how she deals with this knowledge is the premise of this book. I felt very attached to the characters and wanted everything to work out for them. I loved this book so much that as soon as I finished it I bought the second book in the series "Equilibrium" and started reading it straight away.

Imogen never lets me down. Im a lifetime fan. . I have read it twice already but the audio version added a new layer for me to visualize the story. . Looking forward to the audio version of the rest of the series.

I really enjoyed this book. When I was reading it I had no concept of time. I'd looked up and an hour had gone by. She really kept my attention and I had a hard time leaving when I wasn't finished. Some of the reviews say she focused to much on the relationships. I think this why I liked it. I am not much of a sci-fi person.

Loved this book! I have always been intrigued with time travel. This book is well-written and I would highly recommend it to readers of all ages. I just finished it a few minutes ago and I already have book 2 on my Kindle!

I don't usually read YA sci-fi time-travel; however, I downloaded a sample of this book because I met the author on-line, and I was intrigued. I decided to buy the book, and I am happy to report that I wasn't disappointed. This is an imaginative tale with well-drawn characters and settings. The author is a talented writer, spinning an entertaining story that holds the reader's interest to the end. The book's formatting is excellent and it is relatively free of typos. This indie author obviously worked hard on this book! Bravo!

I purchased this quite some time ago for my Kindle and finally got around to reading it.

It kept me drawn into the story, and I finished it in one day -- and mostly in one sitting.

The characters are fascinated and well described, and their lives and stories make me want to read more -- so EQUILIBRIUM (Portal Chronicles Book Two) is now open on my Kindle!

Thanks, Imogen, for an intriguing story!

All I can say is wow, bring on the next book!! What an original story. This one had all the things that I like in a story. Love, romance, mystery with some science fiction all wrapped up in a great story. It also had very likeable characters. I thoroughly Loved it!

Portal had a nice storyline but badly needed edits and rewrites. There is a reason it takes mainstream writers months to get their books out to us.
This book about a portal to an alternate earth and time got to be confusing. I'm still not sure if there were two girls named Arizona or if the same one lived both places. It was also confusing about her father - he was either an awful philanderer or a kind but messy dad. There was also needless repetition and multiple tense issues. And the brand name-dropping felt like name dropping it probably could have been worked into the story better.
It really wasn't a bad book and it wouldn't take much to clear it up but I am still on the fence on whether I will read the other books in the series.

As a lover of the time travel and alternate dimensions illusion I loved Portal! Imogene Rose wove just the right blend of a little Sci-Fi, family dynamics and destined love together to create a page turner that is hard to put down. Reading Portal feels like reading about friends. The characters are structured so well and are so relatable it seems as if you are part of the story. I am anxiously awaiting the next installment in series.

... because she self-published a fine book that she designed all by herself (the website looks fab, too)! Imogen Rose didn't wait for one publisher to get excited about her manuscript, but just published it herself, and I'm glad she did. The story is intriguing and the characters are very likeable. Shipping to the Netherlands didn't even take that long. Get this title if you liked The Time Travelers Wife and Twilight.

I love this book. Wow. I received it free as a gift and now I am can't wait to read the other two books. Excellent book that keep me intrigued and unable to put my Kindle down until I finished the book. Thank you so much for a wonderful book.

I liked the idea of the book, but I think it's really difficult to get time travel right. A lot of the explanations were very confusing and I still don't really know what is going on. I still think I will purchase the next book in the series because I am curious to see what happens next.

As others have mentioned, I was drawn to download this book because of the many glowing reviews it had received, and at first, thought I would end up feeling the same way about it since it began with a very intriguing premise. But the further on I read, the more disappointed I became.

The jump from first person to third person narrative and back again with no warning was a big flaw, as were the inconsistent descriptions of the mostly one-dimensional characters. Arizona's new family is so perfect they may as well have been store mannequins: a husband and wife so attached at the hip that she brings him to work with her; siblings so unnaturally sweet to one another they make your teeth ache. New brother Harry seems much older than he apparently is; the little sister seems much younger. And Arizona herself seems to have far too little trouble fitting into this new life and family which should by all rights send her reeling.

Overall, I didn't find the story very compelling. The author gets somewhat mired in descriptions of clothing and mundane details that should have been left out in editing. I didn't even like the romance in the book, as there seemed to be little depth to either Arizona or Kellan, so consequently I didn't care about either one of them. She's often described as clinging to him, or him as picking her up and carrying her around, to the point that it became not just unrealistic, but blatantly annoying.

Overall, this book needs work and because of that, I have no interest in picking up any others in the series. I confess I'm amazed that so many people liked this book so much; I just wish I could understand why and agree with them.

Loved this book. Kept me reading all day. Was a little slow about 1/3 of the way in but quickly picked up. The ending was a read surprise!! Can't wait for the second and third book to be revealed!!

This was a great story, about a girl who woke up one day and found her life all switched around. She isn't sure what is going on, since some things are right, but others just don't make sense, so she goes along with it, afraid her mom would put her away for being nuts. I loved the story in this book. The characters were wonderful, and the love story was awesome. Some of the writing could be tightened up a bit, but for a first book I really enjoyed it.

The story is fun but not outstanding. The premise - time travel through a portal - is not new, but is handled fairly well. The characters are a bit flat and the mom and Rupert are positively nauseating. There were several scenes that over-stretched my suspension of disbelief and most of the characters did not seem well-defined. At times, Arizona is a sassy, spunky, kick-butt spitfire, then she melts into a prissy can't-let-go-of-her-man wimp. Even though this is the first of a three-part series, there were too many unexplained events, too many loose ends. Other than some compound words that were split that should not have been, there were no noticeable spelling errors, but there were quite a few run-on sentences and a noticeable amount of incorrect punctuation. At times the story was written in a breathless, giddy manner, and there was a bit too much saccharine support for Arizona from her "It's-okay-to-be-different; you're-still-one-of-us-even-if-you-are-a-tough-hockey-player-and-we're-ditzy-blond-cheerleaders" friends.

A number of other reviewers have mentioned the product placement, so I will skip over that to a greater concern. I really don't like the amorality of the characters. Mom has no qualms about having sex with and getting pregnant by another man while married to the father of her two daughters, then taking both daughters away from him. She also has no qualms about yanking her older daughter out of the only life she's ever known with no warning and no explanation. Arizona's parents have no major concerns about letting her boyfriend spend the night, not just in Arizona's room, but in Arizona's bed. No sex occurs, but only because the boy shows restraint. Arizona and her friends fly to New York (Money is no object in this book!) and use illegal IDs to go clubbing. Alcohol is not specifically mentioned, but the next day, one of Arizona's friends spends the morning throwing up.

Imogen Rose is a regular on the Kindle discussion boards. Her responses to her fans are always warm, friendly, and polite. Her writing has promise; I hope she will take more seriously the influence her characters have on the impressionable young girls who read her books. Teenagers face enough challenges as it is; I will definitely steer the teens I know away from the series.

I downloaded a sample of this book because the price was right and it sounded intriguing. The sample (and the first third or so of the book) were fantastic and I was totally sucked in. Unfortunately, the rest of the book didn't measure up. I could well believe that Arizona wanted to keep her confusion to herself initially (after all, she's a teenager that doesn't have a great relationship with her mother), but once she found that her mother knew what was going on, I didn't find either her or her mother's actions and reactions the slightest bit believable from that point forward. Everyone just kind of ignored the situation and went on with their normal lives for several more days without discussing it??? This plot development just didn't work for me and as a result, I felt let down by the rest of the book. Too bad, because the author has a good way with words and definitely knows how to draw the reader into her story.

The prologue was awesome! So was the first chapter....then it quickly went south. Marc Jacobs this...Juicy that...Guitar hero...IPhone......Hermes'.....Blah blah blah blah blah..... Product placement on every page!I expected it to get better so I sped read through 9 chapters and it didn't......

Glad it was less than a dollar or I would have demanded my money back!....As it is I am pissed I wasted 3+ hours on this!

Maybe the author was hoping for a movie deal and dreaming of royalities from the product placement......

Awful....blah!

Portal is an original tale aimed both at teenagers and adults and describes the possibilities which lie in the ability to change both events, and people through time travel. The main character, a teenager named Arizona is intricately painted in both her "real" and "other dimensional" life and her confusion and desire to find the truth about her situation is expertly told. One feels for Arizona in her quest to discover the key to her new memories and character and to find the life that she had before, but mother's tale is equally enthralling, leaving the reader with the wish to maintain the perfect new world that has been so painstakingly created.
The author Imogen Rose, guides the reader through the story with a gently swerving path of gradual discovery although each morsal of the tale leaves the reader asking more questions.
This is a very pleasant readable story which is hard to put down. A tale combining expert science fiction with true romance. I look forward to the sequel.

I teach high school. If I heard a high school student talking they way these students talk I'd drop dead of surprise. I didn't even make it past the first few chapters. These kids are too nice to each other and too well-spoken. They also say way too much, speaking long paragraphs that are just not believable.

I put the book down when one teenager said: "we're none too pleased about it either." If they really weren't pleased, they'd be sulking and silent.

Give me a break.

The premise is interesting, but thank god I only paid .99 cents for the kindle version. You'd have to pay me though to read through any more of this painful dialog.

Come to think of it, they did pay someone to do that. The editor. What happened there?

What a fun read! The Portal was just the thing to get away from the "stresses of life." It's easy & enjoyable and a terrific first for Imogen Rose. I'm looking forward to what comes next. Thanks Imogen.

I have to admit I'm astonished at the number of high reviews for this book. Where to begin? While I found the premise of this book initially interesting, I couldn't help but be disappointed in this book for numerous reasons. The dialogue was painful at times, I'm not sure the author had a good handle on the ages of her characters in respect to dialogue....and character development, come to think of it. Dialogue should be used to reveal things about the characters or to move the plot along, and at times it felt like neither was being accomplished.

I don't think the characters were very well developed or fleshed out, as I'm not sure I could tell you much about the characters beyond the superficial. Arizona herself was a bit of a mystery....is she a tough hockey chick or is she this girly-girl? I'm not sure and the author didn't seem to know either.

Character development and dialogue aside, the thing that bugged me the most was the "name-dropping" of all these high end items. iPhones, Louboutin, Hummers, Harleys and random designer hand bags abound....I mean some of that specificity is ok. But the author has turned Arizona's life into a materialistic wonderland. Throw in a seemingly perfect family, amazing friends, and a couple hot "ripped" guys who adore her, and you have to wonder just why Arizona misses her old life so much, because for most of the book it seems like she's forgotten all about it while enjoying all the perks of her new life.

Other things that drove me a little crazy....a shift from first person to third person narration throughout the story. It got a little confusing at times and maybe could've been helped simply by an "Arizona" or an "Olivia" over their respective chapters.....or just a total shift to third person. Also, a little more focus and a bit more credibility would have been nice in regards to the whole sci-fi aspect of this story. The sci-fi part of this book felt so tagged on, with more focus being on a budding romance, hockey, and running around on motorcycles with new friends.

I think this story had real potential. It just really needed a few more re-writes and a little red pen to become a bit more polished and to find it's voice.

I completely loved this book and can't wait for the next two to come out. The story is awesome and feel it is very different from your usual book. i think what is happening between Arizona and Kellan is very similar to what happened between her mother and Rupert. And they also pretty much met in a different dimension. But I am very interested to see how Simla and her parents become more important characters on the next book.

Well written, thought provoking and reminiscent of George Orwell's 1984. I would highly recommend this book for readers of all ages.The plot is intriguing; the characters are well developed, credible and real; the writing is flowing, detailed and envelopes you into fantasy, romance and action and even turns into a thriller.

PORTAL is a wonderful blend of sci-fi and romance with well defined characters. The plot drew me in, and I found myself thinking about the ending for two days. This book is such a great summer read, and I cannot wait for the next offering from this new author.

PORTAL is a sci-fi romance with well-fleshed characters and an intriguing plot. Normally, a novel in the romance genre would be of no interest to me at all (being a guy and all!) but PORTAL managed to keep my interest throughout thanks to its main character, Arizona, and its fascinating sci-fi plot involving time travel and alternative dimensions. There's such a careful balance of sci-fi versus romance that both genre readers will enjoy it equally. I'd be hard pushed to say which genre comes through the strongest, and in this regard it reminds me slightly of The Time Traveler's Wife, another story that's hard to pigeonhole and one that wouldn't work if either the sci-fi or the romance was taken away.

There's a lot to think about after the book ends. All the complexities of the "experiment" are finally laid out for the readers (and poor Arizona) to see, and yet you come away with your head spinning -- in a good way. The best kinds of movies and novels are those that leave you with something to ponder, and PORTAL certainly does that. And the fact that there's a forthcoming sequel, EQUILIBRIUM, due in Summer 2010, is something of a no-brainer -- there's plenty more story waiting to be explored yet!

Not wanting to give away spoilers, I was happy with Arizona's decision at the end and think it would have been unrealistic for her to choose otherwise. Still, part of me wanted her to "take the plunge" and choose the other option, because what a great story that would make! Maybe that's what we have to look forward to in EQUILIBRIUM... or maybe the author will take us in a new direction altogether. There are so many possibilities, especially after the Epilogue, which almost came out of left field and really throws a sinister spanner in the works. Roll on Book II!

I really had fun reading this book. It was imaginative and creative and I think lots of other young readers will be able to relate to the story. We have all had those days when we wished we could have somebody else's life or go back and re-do all the mistakes we made. I believe other reviewers were too critical of the book. It's a bit sci-fi, a bit fantasy. Stop asking about the "well how did that really happen" questions. Use your imagination. Just be open to a good story that plays around with life's possibilites.

Portal seemed like an excellent choice until I began reading because the reviews made me believe so. The writing was so dull and overly descriptive as in the author put in too much effort describing actions of the characters that had NO importance or significance to the story. It is because of this that i found myself doing a lot of skimming to skip over those details. The story and the characters were poorly developed. All of them were extremely materialistic and lived this perfect life, and literally you would be just reading the characters day to day activities where there was no action, no climax in the story.

Overall I was extremely disappointed in the execution of the story even though the idea was a good one. Thankgoodness I only paid 99 cents for it.

I love the use of time travel in this book. I haven't seen it done in quite this way before, and I think it added an original twist to the paranormal romance genre. Arizona was funny and tough (in a good away) as a leading lady.

The prologue had me hooked, but the first chapter did bog me down a little with product placement - but don't let that deter you! The story quickly picks up rhythm and moves forward in a fun way. The romance hits just right, and Arizona's relationships with her friends and family fleshed out the story wonderfully.

It is the first book in a trilogy, and the end definitely leaves you wanting more, but that's never a bad thing.

I'd highly recommend this book to any fan of sci fi and romance.

I'm a guy and I'm a teenager, usually I don't buy Sci-Fi books but this one was only 0.99 so I brought it. I think it was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. This book was so good. It was romantic but it also had the right amount of science fiction I wanted. I'll recommend it to many of my friends.

Just finished PORTAL. No need to go into a synopsis, it's been done better than I could do. Want to concentrate on how I feel. I didn't realize until half way thru that the book was part of a trilogy. Felt a little cheated in the end. Understand that the writer had to tease the reader into reading the next book. Unfortunately, as of right now, I can't say that I cared enough about the characters to want to purchase the next book. Oh sure, I'm curious as to how the portal work and the whole 'come find me two years ago' scenario -- but again, not enough to purchase the book. Trying to understand where the main character was coming from, she was just plain ole annoying in the end. It's not a bad book and the storyline is interesting. Think I need to think on it more before coming to my final decision on if I'll be reading the 2nd book.

Author Imogen Rose took an original idea and created a world where time travel intertwines with romance, power of love can alter the course of life and erase painful memories... A fascinating story that will captivate your heart and ignite your imagination!!

Author Imogen Rose's writing style is elegant and highly enjoyable.

In view of the many positive reviews posted here, I expected a lot more than this book delivered.
I consider "Portal" to be half-baked in a number of ways.

First, as a Sci-Fi book, it scores practically zero. The only detectable sci-fi is the already somewhat
hackneyed scheme of using a "mini-wormhole" to transport people through time and space. The only effect
this has on the plot is to plunk a few teenagers down into an unfamiliar place, about 3000 miles away
and 8 months earlier than their memories told them it should be.

The characters are pretty thin. Each girl is scaled according to her level of fashion-consciousness
and level of macho (yes, macho!). Each boy is classified according to his hunkiness (and the main characters
are all pretty "hunky") and his relationship to the heroine. Everybody who gets a chance loves a Harley,
or, if they are stuck for a ride, settles for a Jeep, Hummer, or Porsche.

The setting and plot are equally thin. Just imagine any couple of teens in a new neighborhood and
school, and you've got about 80% of the plot line. Add to this some major confusion caused by
a mixture of memories from the old life plus (who knows why?) intuitions from the more recent life
just preceding the disruption, and you've got almost the whole picture.

There was just enough plot and character development to encourage me to read through to the end, thinking,
"Let's see if the author has something up her sleeve." There was no magic hiding near the end.

It's possible that pre-teens or teens would like this book, and there's no big reason they shouldn't read it.
Adults shouldn't expect a lot, and parents shouldn't kid themselves into thinking there's some great literary
or imaginative experience to be gained here.

By the way, there were numerous typos and some grammatical errors in the Kindle version.

This is indeed a teen novel, so I was disappointed. Although it has a sci-fi thing thrown in there, the story is mostly about teens in school, teens getting ready for a dance, teens being at the dance, and teen romance.

The sci-fi angle is vague and not developed much.

Just finished Portal and started Equilbrium... which I will not finish.

I guess I must be missing something. I love Diana Gabaldon and thought these stories might be along the same lines. They're not.

I only finished this book because I wanted to be able to write a good review. I had some kind of sad, naive hope that maybe it wouldn't be completely terrible.

Nope.

If you can't tell already, I hated this book. The plot barely existed, the characters perfect and annoying and completely unrealistic. There was barely any of the sci-fi promised. The story starts out with Arizona suddenly having been transported into an alternate universe, where she is no longer the hockey-playing, rough and tumble girl, but it a cheerleader Barbie girl type. After wondering for a little bit why everything was happening, Arizona settled back into her life easily. Despite the fact that she repeatedly says she hates this new life, she seems to be enjoying herself.

Her love interest with Kellan confused me. I didn't really understand why they liked each other, except... except... abs? He's poorly developed.

Although, to be fair, most of the characters weren't developed. They were 2-D and flat, and I didn't understand any of their motivations. One character in particular that annoyed me was Ella. I never understood how old she was. On one hand, her siblings were reading bedtime stories for her. And yet, she was wearing make up and acting. Also, Mom and Dad needed some classes in parenting. For a portion of the plot, Kellan was sleeping upstairs, in a bed, alone, with Arizona. Not only did Mom and Dad agree, they then thanked him, and I quote, "Kellan, thank you again for being so thoughtful." Personally, I know my parents would never allow this. Ever. I think most parents probably wouldn't.

There was also a problem with the dialogue and character interaction. Most of the characters in this book were teenagers. However, none of them acted like that. The way they spoke was completely unrealistic. There wasn't any slang or profanity. While I understand why the author might not want to curse, slang would help characterize the poorly developed Gary Stus and Mary Sues. Arizona once said, "These pastries are yummy!" First of all, no self-respecting teenager would ever, in his/her life, ever say pastries. Secondly, 'yummy'? I have honestly never heard anyone say that before, even in when talking with adults. Also, the characters burst out laughing, with tears "streaming" down their faces for things that didn't even make me smile.

On the issues with the plot, it didn't really exist for the majority of the book. Arizona was mostly concerned with getting in the hockey team, and not worried about where she had come from. I got the feeling that the author was trying to turn Olivia into the bad guy, but I really didn't understand how she was. All of the characters had perfect lives in the alternate universe, and I didn't really understand how any of them would want to return to their other lives.

Usually, I try to find something redeeming about the book. Like, 'okay, there wasn't any plot, but the characters were good' or 'I hate the characters, but the style is amazing'. However, I really can't find anything to like in this book. I couldn't even like the grammar; the author abused the !. I think it needs to go into therapy. Every other sentence was an !. It grated on my nerves to the point where I wanted to throw the book against the wall.

I wanted to like this. I really did. But I found nothing to like, and everything to hate.

I had high hopes for this one, as there seemed to be a buzz about it, and generally favorable reviews. The premise was interesting, and I see potential, but overall it was a disappointment. If I could describe the book in one word, it would be: muddled.

Portal switches back and forth from three character points of view- Arizona Darley/Stevens, her mother Olivia, and a third character not introduced until the very last chapter. Rose not only switches perspective, but also voice, jumping from a fairly compelling first person narrative to third person without warning or much transition. The third person character, Olivia, seems flat. I was left floundering as to whether she was a good or bad person. The novel tries to set her up as bad, but her selfish, morally questionable actions have no negative consequences whatsoever.

In fact, the whole novel is based on the idea of one life being switched for another, without the main character's consent. Arizona supposedly hates her mother and wants to get back to her old life as a hockey playing tomboy with serious anger management issues, but instead she wakes up as a Barbie doll with a perfect life. Instead of fighting to get to the bottom of things, she settles quite nicely into her new life, tweaking just a few things here and there to make herself more tomboy than Barbie. Overall, Arizona seems quite happy in the new life she's supposed to hate.

Her new life in the alternate dimension is so perfect it's disgusting. Rich, beautiful, a perfect family, cheerleader, a solid member of the "in-crowd," she has so few enemies and problems you can count them on one hand. This is yet another muddled point: Rose veers into an entirely different genre. I felt like I had gone from time travel drama to an episode of Gosssip Girl, then back again. The entire book's fatal flaw is lack of conflict and consistency.

On the other hand, Arizona is well-written, and deserves center stage. She's not afraid to challenge barriers facing women athletes. I wish I had seen more of this aspect of her character. Rose does well when she sticks to this first-person character. Arizona's relationship with Kellan is one of the more intriguing aspects of the novel. He alone seems to get it that Arizona Darley is actually Arizona Stevens, and he is both confused and attracted to the change. The idea of falling in love with the fantastic girl who's been right under your nose your whole life is great, and kept my interest throughout the novel. Their relationship seemed genuine and sweet. Kellan himself is a strong romantic lead: sensitive, understanding, kind, loves family, and he's smart enough to figure out something's up even before the novel's double Ph.D. does.

Overall, I have to say that Portal is a decent debut, but it needs work. I really think Imogen Rose has potential. I will read her sequel, Equilibrium; maybe it will outshine her debut.

I completely understand that I am not the target audience for this book. However, I enjoyed The Hunger Games, so the store recommended this to me. It reads like Twilight fan fiction. The book starts off with the foolproof character introduction:

Step 1: Write your book in the first person
Step 2: Have main character/narrator look around a room/car and give the entire back story of each other character in the vicinity.
Step 3: Have main character/narrator look into a mirror and describe what they see.

I forced myself to continue past the end of the first chapter, and I even finished the second. I literally couldn't force myself to go any further. Save your money. Go read the Hunger Games instead. Already read them? Check out His Dark Materials or Ender's Game.

I put this book down a couple of times before I finished it. When I read the sample I just loved it. Olivia's story got me completelly in. Unfortunatelly, the real story starts from a different point of view, her daughter's Arizona and I couldnt relate to her at all. Even if Im an adult, I never have trouble putting myself in the skin of a teenager but in this case, her reactions never made any sense. She's supposed to hate her mum and their relationship and to adore her father. Well, she doesnt seem to have any trouble getting used to this alternate reality, the blond hair, the new father and brother, the whole enchilada. On top of that, she thinks about her father like twice during the whole thing, and I found it difficult to understand why she was so fond of him, since he was always drunk, disappearing and leaving her behind to spend time with his numerous girlfriends. It didnt make any sense.
The premise was interesting, I just couldnt relate to anything regarding Arizona. The story is difficult to believe, but not for the paranormal reasons. I wont be reading the rest of the chronicles. I can recommend the Bonfire Chronicles by the same author, though.

This book caught my attention because of a post from the author in the Kindle forums, the price was only $1.99, and the sci-fi theme it seemed to have.

While reading the book, it became very apparent that I was not the target audience of this novel. This is definitely more suited for a teenage girl looking for a romance book in a new setting than an adult male looking for an intriguing sci-fi.

The main character in the book (Arizona) found herself in a new world where she had basically everything a typical teenage girl would want (e.g. big house, nice car, popularity, cheer leading, etc.). I kept trying to wrap my mind around a brilliant physicist mom having that as the life she would engineer for her daughter. My wife told me that perhaps the scientist built that life for her daughter so she could live vicariously through her, or live the life she wish she had in high school but her brilliance and academic drive kept her from such popularity. However, the more the book progressed, it became evident the mother was not going to be developed as a scientist. She would not walk the walk nor talk the talk of a brilliant woman.

The sci-fi element of this could have easily been turned into a modern fantasy book by changing the portal into a genie. I think the characters would have made much more sense in that context than in the home of a physicist engineer.

It is obvious from the current rating of this book, that most people reading it are the ones the author was targeting. I can see how this book would be enjoyable to a different reader, but it just did not appeal to me.

My rating is actually 3.5 stars

Note: This review contains NO spoilers

Hmmm...interesting story. Portal has imagination and potential. The narrators did a great job in bring these characters to life. I really enjoyed their ability to read this book in character for the dialogue. It definitely brought personality to all the characters. The narrators also emphasized the distinct personalities of each characters as they read...which made listening to the story enjoyable. There's a lot of promise as Imogen Rose creates this twist in alternate realities.

However, I found it difficult to believe the main character's reaction of being in an alternate life of herself. But, then again, it is a different approach...does everyone have to get hysterical when their life doesn't seem right? It's different...I liked that. Yes, she knows it's not her life, but instead of just "losing it," she "investigates" to learn more about this alternate life. Plus, much of the dialogue seemed awkward and forced. Although the narrators did a great job reading in characters, the characters seemed flat and superficial. There definitely needs more work on character development and world-building. I also found it confusing when the point of view would flip-flop from first to third.

Evaluating both the good and the bad, I can't say that I totally loved it. However, I'd say that this is the start of an interesting story in a series. Not too bad for a first book that has a lot of potential. Plus, the audiobook was very entertaining with the narrators ability to voice characters as they read.

Portal is a fun read that fans of this genre may enjoy... It's definitely not for everyone.

PORTAL is one of those books where its enjoyment level is linked severely with the age of the reader. Although it is marketed towards YA, it would be most love by Tweens or MG readers. Adult readers might find that the lack of science behind this science-fiction novel hard to swallow. Not even the scientists in the book understand exactly why some characters have memories from their previous reality and others have none. That’s where science fiction differs from fantasy. Fantasy can use the excuse ‘magic’, while Science Fiction…well, someone better know why the hell things work the way they do.

PORTAL is an easy and entertaining story, however, and I planned on rating it much higher until the final couple of chapters. It annoyed me that for every question answered by the ending scenes, two more questions popped up.

Despite the low marks on other reviews for editing, I only found one typo — a missing quotation mark on page 237 — and overall it was very polished. The author’s writing style felt extremely familiar to me, though I know this is the first book I’ve ever read by Imogen Rose. I think her style reminds me of Caroline B. Cooney, who writes for a similar age level.

The characters weren’t as fleshed out as they could have been, yet they diverged from the stereotypes and didn't make predictable decisions. I like how Arizona’s love interest and her best friend clashed, especially towards the end. I liked the conflict between what Arizona expected the characters to act like from her old life and the way they act like in her new one. The villain was especially well-fleshed out and I appreciated the fact that I could sympathize with many of the decisions that character made, even if they were selfish.

I’m fairly certain I’ll continue reading this series, since it did hold my interest from the first page to the last. I hope that in future books some of the questions I have are finally answered.

The general idea of the book is really interesting and the plot had potential... But, it was so hard to read. It wasn't easy nor fun, the main character's actions in the first 4-5 chapters we're really off. I felt that more detail could have been used to pull the reader into her world.
With that being said, it's a good book for children between ages 8-15.

Like most novels, I went into Portal completely blind. From the prologue I had assumed that I would love the novel to death, that I would read the story and instantly be in love. While I'm not sure if it met those expectations, I will admit that the prologue definitely sparked my interest. It starts with the main character Arizona's mother seventeen years ago, at a bar where she ends up meeting a mysterious man in black who she ends up becoming infatuated with and ends up being told to find him "Two years ago". What does that mean? Is that supposed to mean anything? Apparently, and during the novel the mystery of those three words are slowly unraveled. I feel that right now is a good point to just bring up my only complaint which was the dialogue (simply because everybody sounded like an apparent teenager and as a teenager myself I know that we sound nothing like the way we were perceived here).

After the prologue came to a halt, we watch as the main character Arizona is thrown from one world to the next without any recognition of how. One minute she was with her Dad and the next she's in the back seat of her Mother's car in a world that she isn't from. At first, I have to admit it was a bit funny when Arizona was assuming that the world around her was at first a dream and to be honest the way that the world was written made it seem very dreamlike at first. However, and I feel I should just bring this up now, there came a point in time when all of Arizona's frightened emotions towards being in an entirely different dimension suddenly became... unrealistic (for lack of a better word). By that, I mean that when Arizona suddenly realizes that she's living in the past with; a step-dad she doesn't know, a brother who didn't exist a few weeks ago and a no-longer-dead grandmother... she didn't take action to find out what was going on considering that taking action was all she ever thought about.

As the story progressed, the world that Arizona was living in was something of both a nightmare and a daydream. Mainly because, Arizona finds herself in a position where she is everything she wasn't before she entered this dimension. But! She also ends up snagging herself a boyfriend. While the romance didn't seem realistic enough for me, I will admit that it was very adorable; I just wish that her boyfriend (who will remain unnamed) wasn't so protective. What I did find intriguing about the novel was the way that, despite being Arizona Stevens she ends up having slight memories of Arizona Darley, that was definitely something that I kept an eye open for.

There were so many parts of the novel that stirred up emotions for me, especially the character Olivia a.k.a. Arizona's mom. She was a character who had me biting the inside of my cheek and had me yelling at the book. Constantly, whenever there were chapters in her point of view... I was disappointed with how selfish of a mother she was. Not only does she drop everything and run for a guy who she doesn't even know, but she ends up ruining the lives of her daughters so that she can spend life with said stranger and their illegitimate child. Not to mention, that when in romantic situations with said stranger (and she's like 40) they would make-out in front of their children. Much like teenagers, which is kinda gross. She was definitely a character who I personally looked at as the main antagonist in the story.

I would recommend this to fans of the sci-fi genre and fans of teen fiction. Fans of those genres will definitely want to pay Portal a visit.

Summary:
The story starts with Olivia at a pub crawl. She's there thinking about her pregnancy and the unhappy marriage she's in. Then, in walks a beautiful man. She's immediately drawn to him. As she's getting ready to leave, he stops her and tells her to go back two years to find him. So, being the physicists that she is, she's determined to make that happen. The problem is that she's married and pregnant with another man's child.

Arizona Stevens has succeeded in being the only girl hockey player at her school in New Jersey. She lives with her father, since her mother and sister have moved to California after her parents divorce. Then one day Arizona wakes up and she's not in New Jersey anymore. She's in California with her mother, sister, and dog.

In California, she's known as Arizona Darley. She looks different, acts different, and her family is different. She now has a brother and her father isn't her father. Arizona has no idea what's going on, but one thing she does learn is that she doesn't want to live with out Kellan and somehow her mother is to blame for this mess.

My Take:
I have no idea where to start. The concept of this story really intrigued me initially and I've been interested in time travel books lately. As I started reading this story a few things happened: I had no idea what was happening and I fell in love with the characters. Confusing right? Yep, that's me with this book.

I really did like Arizona's character. She was easy to identify with and I had a clear idea of who she was. I also liked Kellan, Harry, and Ariele. The group surrounding Arizona were all likable. I'm very interested to see how David fits into the story. AND by the way, where was he in the week she was in school??? He just showed up at the end of the week and at the dance, but I sense he will play a larger roll in the story. Hmmm.

Her mother drove me nuts. She's obviously extremely selfish and had no regard to the consequences of her actions. I'm not quite sure what to make of Rupert either. I mean, he tells her to come back to meet him two years ago, but I was kind of confused on how he knew to tell her that. Maybe it wasn't mentioned yet.

The story was a bit disjointed for me at times. I felt like as soon as I would start to grasp what was happening, I'd get lost again. I usually don't have trouble like that with a story. It's not that there were a whole lot of scientific facts or even that the story jumped around. I guess it just didn't flow well for me. I did have a reviewer copy, so it's possible that some of those sequence errors were corrected. Maybe not.

With all of that said, I would still consider reading the next book to see what happens. I think there are too many unanswered questions and I'm curious to see how they play out. Also, I truly did like the lead characters. 3 out of 5 stars
[...]

Author Imogen Rose was very gracious to send this book to me after I expressed an interest. Along with Jane Austen novels, I go for almost anything with a time-travel motif. This preoccupation with the genre probably began when I was a child after seeing Christopher Reeve in Somewhere in Time. After that I was hooked. Then Back to the Future pulled me in more as a teen.

So here we have Portal, the first in a series of books called The Portal Chronicles that Ms. Rose is producing. It's centered on young Arizona Stevens, who finds herself in a new time and dimension. Much of her life is the same, but there are enough differences that alert her to this new existence. We later learn that she and other loved ones have traveled through a portal. She once was Arizona Stevens hockey player, but in this new reality, she's Arizona Darley, cheerleader and Barbie emulator. She begins making a life for herself in her new reality, but she presses to return to her old life. Matters are complicated when she meets the attractive Kellan and begins a romantic relationship with him. She wants her old life back, but in order to get there she must leave Kellan behind.

* * *

Portal was not quite what I expected, although I don't know exactly what my expectations were. However, it was a delightful surprise. I love the concepts introduced in Arizona's world, and I came to care about the characters within the story. While simply written for a young, Twilight-saturated demographic, this adult enjoyed the read.

The technology of the portal is shrouded in mystery--we don't get much information on what it's like or how it works for most of the book. But technological explanations really aren't the key here--the story is. And while I found the first 100 pages a bit disorienting, it later enabled me to feel like a part of the story, as Arizona experienced the same confusion herself. What is going on? Where am I? Who are these people? These were thoughts that ran through my head as I began the novel. But as things became clearer for Arizona, they became clearer for me as well.

The book ends on a dramatic note, setting the story up for the next book in the series, Equilibrium, scheduled to be released later this year. I assume that this second title will not be a stand-alone volume, so I recommend that you go ahead and jump into Imogen Rose's Portal when you're ready for a light, entertaining, yet thought-provoking read. I'll be looking forward to more of the same in Equilibrium.

Laura Hartness
The Calico Critic Blog

Portal by Imogen Rose is the first in the series of what has been described as a science fiction romance. It is more than that. Science fiction is often things we wish could be true. Other times it is the alternative reality that we are terrified if it came to be. Portal manages to be both sides of the coin.

The book starts with Olivia being pregnant with her unborn daughter, Arizona, and facing the inevitable breakup of an already rocky marriage. She walks into a bar to meet friends and rubs against a blue-eyed man who steals her heart with one look. The strangest thing is he tells her to come meet him in the past. Olivia does just that. How many of us wouldn't love to live part of our lives over especially when we find ourselves in a sticky situation? Olivia is no exception.

The only problem is not everyone might be on board with the plan. Arizona, her daughter, has developed into a tough hockey-playing girl who doesn't take crap off anyone. She falls asleep in her father's car and wakes up in her mother's car. If that isn't weird enough her mother insists she is taking her home. Only their home is palatial. The man her mother keeps insisting she call Dad is unknown to her. Her bratty sister turns out to be nice and she has an older brother. If that isn't enough in her new world, she's a blonde cheerleader.

This might be someone's version of paradise, but it isn't hers. All she wants to do is go back to the way things used to be. There are a few problems. Her mother is determined to keep her there. She's met a guy who only exists in the new world. Some kids at school seem to have it in for her. Then there's the chance her new place might be self-destructing. It's up to Arizona to find out what is going on because the adults aren't talking.

Portal is amazing in detail, but I find Arizona's inner struggles even more complex. While she realizes she doesn't fit in her new world, she does find things to like about the new Arizona's life. Her desire to return interferes with her mother's perfect world for her family. There is a great deal of teen angst too for the younger readers. There's a message for the mothers too.

Portal is a great read from its beautiful cover to riveting plot. Adult and teen will both enjoy it. Two thumbs up for this book.

PORTAL by Imogen Rose is a fascinating tale, weaved around a fascinating concept.

Arizona Stevens is a fairly typical teenager with a fairly typical life. She lives with her father in New Jersey, in the wake of her parents' divorce, finds her little sister annoying, and does not get along with her mom. In high school, she's on the varsity ice hockey team, has a life rich with friends, and has, though just barely, passing grades. Everything is black and white. No shades of gray to worry about.

That changes, however, when the reverie of the sweet victory in her latest game is interrupted. Things are familiar but different, all at the same time. Initially assuming it's all a dream, she goes with the flow for a while, but soon enough it's clear that it is not. She recognizes the face in the mirror, but what's up with her hair? And why does her California driver's license say Arizona Darley?

Concerned that she will be perceived as crazy, she goes through the motions of this strange life she instinctively knows something about, filling in the blanks with carefully posed questions and observations. This can only last for so long, though. People are starting to see differences in her, and she is, as most people would be, determined to understand what has happened.

From the depth of the characters to the intricacies of the portal itself, this story makes you want to keep turning the pages until the end. Take the journey with Arizona as she attempts to piece together this vast puzzle, finds love, and brings balance to both versions of herself.

Please allow me to say this before I start. I LOVE YOU KELLAN LUTZ!

As most of you are aware of, I am in love with Kellan Lutz. As soon as my eyes read Kellan... I knew this book was going to be a keeper. Any book that has one of the more important characters with the name Kellan has to be good. And might I add, it was incredibly good.

From the very first page, I was confused. I have never had a book that had me so confused I was thinking the whole time "I have to find out what happens" I loved it! Though confusing can get frustrating at times, its a great feeling while reading. I think its hard to write without giving things away or wanting to give little hints but Rose did a fantastic job of keeping everything mysterious. As usual, in the end it all made sense. Well, most of it did. There was still some questions running through my head that I could not deny.

Arizona was an interesting girl. You would think that a girl would need more time to adjust when going into an alternative world but Arizona fit right in! Arizona was a tomboy in one world and a cheerleader in another. While personally, I am not a cheer leading fan, I enjoyed Arizona the tomboy very much. She did not mind getting down and rough with the boys. Hockey is one of the toughest sports for guys, yet alone for a girl which is why I respect her so much. Sometimes I wish I was more sporty, im more of a sideline kind of girl.

Kellan was of course, very fun to read!! While he is no Kellan Lutz, he does have the name and perhaps the standards to be close. From the first meeting with Kellan, I knew I liked him. Not only is he the older brother type, but the perfect boyfriend. Plus, he is great at taking bad news! Which can always be a plus. Even though Kellan and Arizona have supposedly known each other for years, Kellan notices Arizona is acting very different. Another plus, he notces things most guys dont!!!!!! Watch out ladies, Kellan will blow your mind, and im not talking about his mad hockey skills! Kellan sounds like such an amazing guy.

Bottom line, Portal was an amazing book. Very memorable and highly recommended. With tons of twists and plenty of mystery. All of the characters have their own personalities and are very real. Most of the characters can possibly remind you of some of your own friends or maybe even someone you are associated with. Portal is an incredible book and you should read it as soon as you have a chance!!! There is a little something for everyone, hockey fans, sci-fi fans, and maybe a little something in there for you cheer leading girls and especially those who are suckers for a good romance story! Like me!

I was overjoyed when Imogen Rose sent Portal to me for review, as i've had my eye on it for awhile! This book was everything that I expected it to be, and more. A mysterious, enjoyable read with a relatable main character and time-travel and romance.

I could really connect with Arizona. She finds herself in an alternate world with a whole new life and feels frustrated and confused. I felt like I would do the same things Arizona did, had I found myself in her situation. She feels a lot of anger towards her mother, once she finds out that she is behind everything. She is completely different person in the alternate world and wants to go back to the way she was before.

Olivia, Arizona's mother, was a very selfish character and only thought about herself throughout the whole story. I was glad that Ms. Rose had chapters told through Olivia's perspective, as I got to really understand her motives, though I didn't like them. All she is concerned about is being with the love of her life, Rupert, and the heck with the consequences. She thinks her new life will be perfect, with the love of her life beside her and her children brought with her to her new life. What she doesn't expect is Arizona to remember her past life.

The supporting characters were all enjoyable and I found myself supporting all of them. My favorite character would have to be Kellan, as he is such a darling to Arizona. Though they start off a little rocky in the beginning, he and Arizona come to truly love each other.

I really loved Imogen Rose's unique story and I can't wait to read the second book in the series, Equilibrium. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a new take on YA fantasy romance!

Thank You, Imogen Rose, for a terrific YA tale that never disappointed!
If your whole world was suddenly turned upside down, how could you decide where you belong? Would you choose to stay in the almost perfect life you've appeared in or go back to the life you knew & hated but now miss? The longer Arizona is here in this new life the more attached she becomes to the new sides of people she's learning to love again. And then there's Kellan...that little addition makes her decision even more difficult.
The spin Imogen throws at us is what grasped my attention, & as always I did not stop reading until the very last page. I look forward to beginning the next book in this journey ASAP.

Go ahead and add this book to your TBR list. This is an excellent book. I came across Imogen Rose's website and was immediately interested in her Portal Chronicles series. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed! I loved this story. She had me hooked right from the beginning. I started reading this book in the morning and didn't stop until I finished the book. Imogen Rose wrote an intriguing story from beginning to end. I loved the storyline and the characters. I also loved that this story was different from other books that I have read lately. It's was like a breath of fresh air. Portal is the first book in the Portal Chronicles. I will definitely continue to read this series. So, if you haven't done it yet, add this book to your TBR right now.

This, honestly, is one of the first books that I've devoured in a while that was given for a tour book. Usually, I feel so-so towards the book and I'll like it, but I won't actually want too much to read the sequel. It's mainly because my blog's still pretty small, and nobody's really interested in my blog, with only a measly 350 followers. Until I get more, I'm not getting any ARCs for review or requests for those big books on tour. That's completely not the case with this book. I feel like this book is really awesome and I loved it a lot.

This book jumps right into action and we meet Arizona very early on. I think she's a very great character and a very strong one. She handles her whole "situation" very well, considering she knows nothing about Arizona Darley's life, and she has to plow right in and take over that life. It was a little confusing to at first digest everything because in between Olivia's POV and Arizona's POV, you could see that there was trouble, but it was really hard to absorb anything without a few questions.

As Arizona learns more about her alternate personality, you learn more about her surroundings. First of all, Kellan. AHHH! He's such a great guy and such a sweet love interest. He first opens his eyes to Arizona when Arizona Darley becomes Arizona Stevens (I know, confusing, right?) and then the relationship sort of goes from there. The entire plot of this book is basically them living their lives normally, but with the bombshell at the end that really gets me curious about the next book.

What I also like about this book was how it wasn't slow at all, despite the lack of action. I think that the transition of the two girls was so traumatic enough that I was a little shaken up until later. And throughout the first half of the book, I was mentally egging Kellan on, going, "Come on! Come on! Ask Arizona out! You know you want to!" And then it happened, and you should have seen my reaction. Just imagine a girl in her pajamas jumping around with her Kindle in hand.

Arizona also brings a little of who she really was to Arizona Darley, and I really like what she brings, because Arizona seems like a really strong character to begin with, and being able to keep it after all that is also really cool of her. I was really sad at the end of the book because everything seemed like it was fake. After the big bombshell, I realized something very crucial. Everything had taken place inside this "perfect world" that was mentioned in the synopsis, so it wasn't real life. It didn't feel real.

It's like in Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay, where Juliet was sent into an alternate dimension, which I found very stupid and a complete defying of the law of physics used in the books. In here, it was a little less of that, but I was still slightly annoyed at how fake it seemed, and how much I wanted it to be real instead of just an illusion. At least, that's how it was to me. But, I still really loved this book and I seriously have to read the next books.

I was reading the synopsises for the next books, debating whether to be interested in getting them--and usually I never do that for tour books--and then I read a synopsis and I was like, "NOOOOO!! WHYYY????" And after bringing it up with my parents, the usual reaction was issued: "No. You read too much. So wait for it to get to the library or something." Apparently, they don't understand the value of owning a book and having it in your hands. :) Guess it's back to cleaning toilets and sweeping floors for a few more months, having recently spent all my money on some really expensive books. (I really hate hardcovers.)

This book was epic i have never read anything like it. Arizona's life will never be the same with the clothes, the school, and the boys. This isn't her life or is it because she has been living it for the past eight years. But how can that be. Who is she? And who will she turn out to be? Arizona is an incredible character. But i have got to say i seriously love Harry and Kellan. Both incredible characters both caring and protective. Imogen Rose blows me away with another outstanding book with AMAZING male characters. :)

Past
Future
How can you choose one over the other?

Wow! Portal is a great read. That was my first impression when I read Portal, and a few months on now, I'm still enthralled. I can't wait for the sequel.

I was pulled into the story immediately and held captive until the last page. Once inside the Portal, there's no going back, for the reader, that is.

To be clear up front - Portal is written for an adolescent female audience. There is a teenage protagonist, Arizona. There is dress up, there are baby sitting arrangements, and there are boys who are much too nice.

And there's a big problem in Arizona's life that's Mother's fault. Portal has a powerful universal theme in it's engine room.

Arizona's mother kidnapped Arizona away from her life in Princeton with her father. She transported her not only across state lines to California, but across time portals that suppressed Arizona's identity while a new identity was formed over it. The Portal develops a glitch. When Arizona suddenly wakes up to her Princeton identity in the middle of her California life, that's a big problem for Arizona and her mother. Arizona's tomboy Princeton identity and her cheerleader California life are not a match. And what happened to Dad? Arizona's mother has much to answer for.

In answering Arizona's and the reader's questions, the author skillfully raises so many more compelling questions that the sequel is a MUST read. Portal ends as Arizona makes her first free choice about her future life.

One senses there is a fine mind behind Portal and that one is in competent hands here. Kudos to Imogen Rose.

Arizona Stevens lives with her father while she finishes high school. Her sister lives with their mother on the other side of the country. Or at least that's how it was before she fell asleep in 2009 and woke in 2008 in her mother's car in an alternate life...

As a general rule I don't read YA novels, but as with all rules, there are exceptions. PORTAL (Portal Chronicles) is that. Whilst I can't comment on the authenticity of the story's teenage characters, the premise is intriguing and Rose's engaging writing style kept me turning the pages. An excellent debut.

Highly recommended for fans of teenage romance and time travel.

Master storyteller Imogen Rose has created a universe in which the impossible is possible. Brilliant physicist Olivia, stuck in an unhappy marriage and newly pregnant, has a brief but fateful encounter with Rupert, the charismatic musician who implores her to meet him "two years ago." Olivia manages to do exactly that, by slipping back and forth in time through a secret portal that opens and closes each year during the month of October. By doing so, Olivia also irrevocably alters the lives of those she loves most.

The tale begins with Olivia's teenage daughter Arizona finding herself in unfamiliar surroundings and part of a loving family with a new last name. Arizona is now the popular blonde cheerleader Arizona Darley, although she's certain she's really Arizona Stevens, the sullen, dark-haired and ferocious varsity ice hockey playing teenager who loathes her mom, finds her younger sister annoying and lives in squalor with her divorced dad in New Jersey.

Imagine suddenly not knowing who you are, and everything you thought to be true about yourself in question. Who's this happy mother that Arizona gets along with, this sweet little sister Arizona actually likes, this handsome and helpful man happily married to her mom and who she's supposed to believe is her dad, and this protective big brother she'd always longed for but never had until today? And who is drop-dead gorgeous Kellan, the love of her life who'd been right under her nose for the past eight years but she swears she never met until today? Arizona's quest for answers threatens to undermine the perfect world her mother has so carefully constructed and takes the reader on a marvelous adventure chock full of issues to ponder along the way.

This book will appeal greatly to the teen/tween crowd (the same ones who faint over Twilight). AS an adult, I found myself rolling my eyes throughout. For an author who is actually a PhD herself, I felt very sorry how she was dumbing down the science in order to plug in as much brand names and silly teenage romance as possible. I guess her readers want more descriptions of the clothing that teenagers wear (Uggs! skinny jeans! hoodies! flip flops!) and all the gizmos that "every" teen (ha) has in his/her arsenal (iMacs, iPhones, iPads, oh and I suppose all teens get to drive Jeeps and ride motorcycles). What makes Arizona (the main character) a favorite is probably the fact her mom lets her dye her hair blond and decks her out with Hermes accessories.

Pardon me while I hit my head a few times.

Strictly speaking, regarding the plot, I did like the idea of people messing with time and fate. I commend Arizona's mother for pretty much building her entire career and company with the goal of creating a time portal so she can go back in time for her true love. Sure it sounds selfish but at least this woman shows some backbone and drive (also helps she has abundance of $$$$ to finance her goals).

Ok that paragraph is pretty much the end to any sort of "plot" that doesnt deal with teenage stuff. The book could've gone farther with dealing with Arizona's confusion (she remembers her "old life" and is confused when she wakes up in her SoCal glamour life, which is the life her mom creates for her). Arizona spends maybe two pages worrying about her dad (the one she left behind) and then she sees her fabulous new life and all her $$$$$$ and she's like, "OK!!!!" the rest of the book is about her fending off hot hockey players (no, they're not werewolves or vampires at least) and befriending the cheerleaders. And learning to "relove" her impossibly awesome family (the little sister is especially jaw-droppingly annoying. unless you like little girls who wear lip gloss and makeup and who are en route to becoming the next teen dream/Mickey Mouse club kid).

This was one of those books where the characters stayed with me every time I had to put the book down and deal with life. Originally drawn in by that awesome line, "Come find me two years ago," I loved the fresh take on the time-travel concept. The mystery of what the heck is going on pulls the reader along, looking for answers. And while looking for those answers, it's so easy to be sucked into the story, and the budding romance between Arizona and Kellan. I loved the differences between the Arizonas in the two different dimensions, and how Arizona Stevens tries to settle into Arizona Darley's girly shoes. An overall enjoyable read. I look forward to new installments in the series as they become available.

I loved this series the first time I read it and the second. I'm rereading it to get ready to read the conclusion that was just published. I love Kellan and the concept of time traveling has always been a favorite of mine. Without giving anything away, this is a great introduction to the series. It is a quick read that I really enjoyed :)

Love, identity and self-preservation are all primal urges that have a hard enough time trying to incorporate into an individual's life, but then add time travel? Portal, by Imogen Rose, introduces these themes in a modern fairy-tale-meets-reality work of science fiction.

The main protagonist, Arizona Stevens, wakes up in a parallel universe, with a few changes: slightly different year and totally different environmnent. Her east coast, tomboy, ice hockey identity is supplanted into a west coast cheerleader. Her mom is the same, her sister the same, her dog, same; but her dad, her school, her brother and her new pink-themed room are new. Her last name, now Darley? What happened to her real dad? Her life? Where is she and who is she?

Add in Arizona's mom's secretive October Project at the Ames research facility, her past romance half a world away, and the possibility that Arizona recognizes a classmate from her former life and the questions guide the plot.

Arizona's struggle to come to terms with her worlds and a new boy unfurl a story full of questions, struggle, and quiet defiance as she tries to make sense of her place in the universe. Or through it.

An excellent first work of fiction aimed primarily at teenagers, Portal has all the elements to appeal to a broader reading audience as well. Fashioning an unusual and riveting tale of teenage angst and self-discovery, with well-drawn characters and all the twists and turns you'd expect from a more seasoned writer, Imogen Rose is an author to watch. I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed the read and impatiently await the arrival of Equilibrium. A word of caution, however: You may find yourself resenting those times when you have to put down the book and go about your daily life, because once you've entered Portal, you won't want to leave! Lots of thought-provoking, page-turning, time-traveling fun.

A fast-paced roller coaster ride that propels you head first into an adventure through time and space. A romantic tale that will capture your heart and peak your imagination.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel back in time to meet your soulmate? But, what happens when it is an unplanned trip!
She fell asleep, Arizona Stevens, New Jersey high school senior, star of the varsity hockey team, and woke up Arizona Darley, a beautiful blonde cheerleader from
California, with a father that she had never seen before! When she looked in the mirror, she sees a stranger, but she is the same girl on the inside. What is the secret that
her mother knows, but is afraid to tell her for fear of losing her?

Imogen Rose is a dreamweaver that draws you in with a story of love that has no boundaries of time or dimensions.

If time travel, romance and adventure have always been calling out to you, then come and open your mind to new dimensions and explore this wonderful book unlike any
that I have ever read before. A must read!

PORTAL by Imogen Rose is a page turning, fast paced read. I could not put it down, yet I didn't want it to end. Imagine waking up in a whole different life. Portal blends time travel/other realities, romance and the struggles teens and their parents face seamlessly. The twists and turns are never predictable and will keep you up at night. The characters are well thought out and seem very real to the reader. I just bought the second book in the series EQUILIBRIUM and it is also excellent. Can't put it down!

It seems like I was a teenager a million years ago. Back then I was embarrassed of my parents, hated my mother, wanted to fit in, could kill my brother, and at times wished I was something other than the jock I was known as. My teen years were full of angst and opposition, thus, I have a huge soft spot for Portal's protagonist Arizona.

Arizona is somewhat a typical teenager. Her parents are divorced and she has chosen to live with her father who doesn't irritate her like her mom does. A star hockey player on an all-boy's team, she's a jock and comfortable with it. She has found her niche and is ready to ride out her teenage years until something better comes along.

Unfortunately, like all great stories, happily ever after doesn't come so easy. Arizona wakes up and is shockingly transported to another life. Everyone seems to know her but she has no idea how she has ended up across country in Bizarro world. Perhaps some teens' perfect life, but not hers. She is blonde, gorgeous, thin, popular, and wealthy. A part of the "in" group everyone wants to love her. She should be happy, right?

As Imogen Rose's tale unfolds I can't help but wish that Arizona is able to embrace her new life and give in to happily ever after. I find myself rooting for the mother who would have been my perfect teen mom but whom conflicted-Arizona is so dead-set in opposing and exposing.

Getting caught up in this tale is so easy and you will not be disappointed. I am eagerly looking forward to Imogen Rose's next book so that I can learn the fate of Arizona.

This book is the work of a truly creative writer, an author who knows how to setup a narrative and then deliver the goods. Being a fan of time travel, I fell for the tag line immediately, "Come find me two years ago" LOVE IT!

In the character of Arizona, Imogen Rose creates a character drenched in verve and subtle complexities. The balance between science fiction and romance is just right as she blends the two genres into a seamless, well-crafted tale.

While this book seems to be targeted for the YA audience, I would recommend it for anyone looking for a truly captivating read.

i downloaded this book on kindle because it captured my attention from the short description, and because of the great price. i am so glad i did. i cannot wait to find out what happens next in equillibrium with arizona, kellan, ollie, and the rest of the characters.

This concept is so bizarre that you just keep reading to find out how it will end. The characters are fun to get to know. I enjoy Imogen's writing style and her character development. This a series to read from start to finish.

Master storyteller Imogen Rose has created a universe in which the impossible is possible. Brilliant physicist Olivia, stuck in an unhappy marriage and newly pregnant, has a brief but fateful encounter with Rupert, the charismatic musician who implores her to meet him "two years ago." Olivia manages to do exactly that, by slipping back and forth in time through a secret portal that opens and closes each year during the month of October. By doing so, Olivia also irrevocably alters the lives of those she loves most.

The tale begins with Olivia's teenage daughter Arizona finding herself in unfamiliar surroundings and part of a loving family with a new last name. Arizona is now the popular blonde cheerleader Arizona Darley, although she's certain she's really Arizona Stevens, the sullen, dark-haired and ferocious varsity ice hockey playing teenager who loathes her mom, finds her younger sister annoying and lives in squalor with her divorced dad in New Jersey.

Imagine suddenly not knowing who you are, and everything you thought to be true about yourself in question. Who's this happy mother that Arizona gets along with, this sweet little sister Arizona actually likes, this handsome and helpful man happily married to her mom and who she's supposed to believe is her dad, and this protective big brother she'd always longed for but never had until today? And who is drop-dead gorgeous Kellan, the love of her life who'd been right under her nose for the past eight years but she swears she never met until today? Arizona's quest for answers threatens to undermine the perfect world her mother has so carefully constructed and takes the reader on a marvelous adventure chock full of issues to ponder along the way.

Loved this book. Author Imogen Rose has a winner in her fast-paced imaginative story of Arizona, a teenager from New Jersey, who wakes one day to find herself living in an alternate dimension. The book has plot twists, romance, time travel and a mystery. It's a fast-paced impossible to put down read that will be enjoyed by teenagers and adults alike. Move over Stephanie Meyer, L. J. Smith and Charlaine Harris we have a new original imaginative writer in town. I can't wait for Equilibrium to come out in the fall.

Another great book by Imogen! It does read like a kid's diary at first, but then I got into it and can see how so many would enjoy this type of story! Original and great characters and what a relief from all those vampires stories!

So I was referred to preview this book by a friend and read as much of it as is available here on the store.com. It is mysterious enough to intrugue, but informative enough to let me know I want to read more. I've been trying to write a book myself, but find my own writing strictly amateur when reading published works, definatly including this one.

Bottom line is this: I will get this book and I will not put it down until I finish it!

Love sci-fi, romance, and mystery? Well, this book has it all! I found myself instantly getting attached to the main character Arizona! Great plot, and fantastic story line. Although a bit bizarre but that is what makes this an enjoyable read. Don't miss this book!

Fasten your seat belt because Portal is a wild ride! The story centers on time travel or more specifically, dimension jumping. It is hard to wrap your head around the concept as outlined at first but once you do, you are in for one fun read! The characters are well developed and intriguing. There seems to always be "something else there" for each of them. The plot is interesting and keeps you turning the pages. Also of note, is that the book features both adult and child/teen characters so it has a little of something for everybody. Clearly this is the 1st in what promises to be a addicting series.

From the title to the last chapter, Imogen Rose makes the most of our journey into romantic science fiction, and the reader is the beneficiary. Portal is a wonderful novel for young teenagers and their parents alike because the plot has something for each of them as it blends fantasy and teen romance with alternate reality and the adult questions that it raises. Ms. Rose's ability to weave a unique story of time travel by engaging, well-developed characters, written in her easy, flowing style left me wanting and waiting for her next installment--Equilibrium.

I really enjoyed this book! Would be great for teens, but as an adult I was able to relate to many of the characters. Leaves a lot of unanswered questions at the end, so be prepared to have the next book, Equilibrium, ready to read when you finish this!

Exactly - how could you? I know I couldn't. Being an avid reader with a short attention span it takes something to keep me from putting a book down and promising myself to get back to it (only for it to collect dust, much to my unhappiness). But Portal hooked me right in from the first few pages. I HAD to know what happened! Trust me, you will be amazed at how quickly you get through this book and the ending...where is the next one?!?!?

An intriguing and well-crafted tale by first-time author, Imogen Rose. First time author? That in itself is difficult to comprehend, as the story line moves along at a smart pace; the characters are believable and well developed, and the time travel/alternative reality premise, although visted often in other works of fiction, some how seems fresh and new and even possible in Portal.

Although aimed primarily at the young adult reader, I was sufficiently captured by Ms. Rose's storytelling ability to keep turning the page until the very end. In fact, I was sorry to see it end but heartened by the fact that Arizona's journey, Olivia's dilemma, and the enticing possibility of a time travel portal will continue in Equilibrium.

Now, when is that launch date?

Hard to believe this is Imogen Rose's first published work of fiction. She sucks you into what would normally be an impossible to wrap your head around story and takes you with her on an intriguing journey to an alternate reality. She grabs your attention and holds onto it into the wee hours, effortlessly weaving her tale of Arizona, a teen who wakes up to a totally different "reality" than the one she went to sleep in. Her characters are well-developed, her prose is smooth. The only unfortunate part is waiting for her next one.

I'm not normally a Science Fiction buff, but this book had the perfect blend of real-life (new Millenium) angst and the right touch of supernatural. The characters were very real and could be any of us!
This is a fanciful idea and I LOVE the thought that there is a sequel! Without giving too much away, this book is about time travel, family life, young love and parent-child dynamics. This will dispel some stereotypes about teenage girls and their friends!!! This is a GREAT read for teenagers on up!!! Moms out there--maybe something in this book will be a great conversation starter for you and your teenager!
I don't know how Ms. Rose did this, but there's something in here that will touch everyone and their teenage experience!! Good, quick reading...a fun book!

it was enjoyable and a good way to pass extra time, but it wasnt so great so i felt like i couldnt put it down... it was also slightly confusing at times. i would say 3 1/2 stars, but its not an option.

This was not quite what I expected. Not bad, just different. Well worth two dollars, mind you. Just keep telling yourself it only cost two bucks, that helps. It's not really SF, I would definitely call it contemporary chick-fantasy-lite. Mostly, it was a lot of day-dreaming in the character's head. Also, it is really at least partly a teen book. I was thrown off when the main character was talking about her doctoral thesis (its called a dissertation in the U.S.) but she didn't feel like a person who was terribly educated. When I hang out with science profs and doctoral candidates, they are normally NOT tossing girl-girl kisses around in bars--they simply aren't invited to parties that are that good. But, like I said, it is a fantasy. The women are muscle-bound yet tiny and pretty, and the men are handsome. Right to the end, I had been hoping for some cool twist, but did not get one.

This book was amazing. I thought I wasn't going to like this book but i actually did. I would totatlly recommend this to anyone who likes romance and sci fi mixed into one. Seriously don't wait to buy this book totally worth your time reading it was amazing. Your going to frickin love this book.

Portal a wonderful read - easy to pick up and hard to put down. Teenagers will identify with the protagonist Arizona who wakes up in a different time and place suddenly conscious of her old self in her new life. Adults will be yearning for more and more story on Arizona's mother, a scientist who has discovered a way to combine a new life with a stranger she fell in love with and disappeared two years before and her two daughters from her old life that no longer exists. There is something in Portal for everyone, and it ends with us wanting more.

Love this book! This is a book that was hard to put down! I limited myself to one chapter a night, giving myself something to look forward to at the end of the day.

The story is unlike anything I've read before, and it's beautifully told. A great book for adults and teens alike!

I can't recommend this book and this author enough!

I don't have a great deal of free time so the books I read need to be really interesting. Portal is just that, a well paced fantasy book that straddles the two lives of one girl, and the mom that caused it all (spoiler alert!). There's twin friends, a love interest that complicates the girl's life but also makes the jarring transition a little smoother, and a new father to boot. Pick up Portal and end up waiting for the sequel.

"Portal" by Imogene Rose is an imaginative, fast paced read about Arizona, a time travelling teenager, her family and loved ones. First time novelist, Imogen Rose, entangles us from the first page into the intriguing web of the story line, causing the reader to want to take the time out to race to the end, and look forward to the next in the series, coming soon, called "Equilibrium". How could I not fall in love with the family's darling dog, Gertrude, Arizona's close knit collection of friends, and her scientist mother? A job well done, Imogene Rose!

Superb! A fast-paced, highly suspenseful adventure. Master storyteller, Imogen Rose, writes an unforgettable book that has mass audience appeal. Arizona wakes up to a new life. She is no longer a hockey player, but a cheerleader. Join Arizona has she pieces together clues and finds her way. Then, she faces the toughest decision of her life.

The ideas are good but everything else...is not. There's very little plot and many useless scenes that show the author doesn't know how to pace a story. The clunky writing style doesn't help. Author needs to take classes on how to turn a good idea into a good book. Read the sample befoe you buy.

Where to start? I picked this one up off the deals page. The opening chapter intrigued me. Then, without warning, the point of view switched. It was jarring but I stuck with it, and I want to say I'm glad I did, but the jury's still out on that one. Overall, what it most reminds me of is a Twilight fanfiction. I have never read a Twilight fanfiction, but I have read and written fanfiction and seen the Twilight movies and recognize the potentiality here. Don't assume I mean it's all bad. It's not. What I do mean is it lacks polish. The character conflicts (inasmuch as there are any) are juvenile and whiny. The overall tone of the main character is juvenile and whiny. Everyone the reader is expected to sympathize with is juvenile, whiny, and far too perfect. Pop culture and brand references pop up far too often, like fangirl japanese in a yu-gi-oh fanfiction written by a fourteen year old girl. Typos and misused words abound- were for was, things of that ilk. The plot had a lot of potential, and I finished it, but in the end was sadly disappointed. The ending leaves you wondering what you just read, and if you should bother with the sequel. I hoped for more from it, but like it's obvious influence Twilight, it is a twinkie. If you like twinkies, and go into it knowing it is a twinkie, you will probably really deeply enjoy it. If, like me, you prefer something with more substance, you would probably be better served by this book if you bought it to snack on while you read one of Terry Pratchett's "Tiffany Aching" series of Discworld-based YA novels.

I absolutely loved this book! The idea is so original. The story kept me guessing and I couldn't wait to get to the next page.
I think that fans of Twilight will put the Twilight series down, and pick up Portal.

I guess the author's intent is to get the Twilight crowd. Killian is like Edward on steroids. He is obsessed with Darcy and she with him. He watches her sleep, he protects her at school, he is at her house all the time. We get it, they are inseparable.

Darcey is so inconsistent. Simla nearly chokes her to death and she is so distraught that she can't stop shaking and the next day she is going to teach her a lesson.

I would die for a person I love, but I would not let them grip my hand so tightly, they left a fingernail in it. I thought she was supposed to be tough and street smart. However, she gets around her boyfriend and she literally can't let go of him. Please. No wonder kids have totally unrealistic expectations of relationships.

The author is horrible. She writes like a middle school child. The narrative changes point of view, even within the same chapter. The dialogue is pedantic.

Olyvia and her daughter share the same weakness, their entire existence is centered on men. Men who ride motorcycles and carry them in their arms, repeatedly.

A number of the characters seem to exist only to tell Olyvia's and Darcey's story. Harry, Rupert, Ella, and Killian aren't real enough to allow the reader to imagine they have a life other than to serve the female leads.

I absolutely loved this book! The idea is so original. The story kept me guessing and I couldn't wait to get to the next page.
I think that fans of Twilight will put the Twilight series down, and pick up Portal.

I am willing to read up to half of a book before the plot line thickens and the story becomes engrossing but that has not happened with Portal. I am three quarters through Portal and I will probably not finish the book. The characters are bland, the events are predictable and saccharine, its a teen story, and the story line is taking so long to develop that I don't want to finish it. I am a real fan of science fiction but Portal leaves me wondering about the purpose of the story; fantasy romance or a little science fiction. Like others I purchased this book based on reviews and the awards that the book apparently obtained but I cannot believe that this book could achieve such status. I certainly will not be reading the series. For me it is a zero.