A Time Travel Adventure (The Downstream Diaries Book 1)

This was really different to the last 4 books I read about time travel.not time travel machine nor special technology to time travel. At first I thought I was not going to like it. It was such a fast and a great novel.i loved it

I wanted to stay up every night to keep reading. Is a very compelling story and it kept me very entertained. At the end i was hoping for a second book. I really like the main character and was rooting for him to figure it out.

I always enjoy time travel stories. They fascinate me and intrigue me. What would it be like? Through Joe Bridgeman we see from his perspective the goid, bad, and ugly. I liked the occasional humor as well as the character's flaws and growth. From first jump to last i was caught up.

You may to be me and be really into time-travel stories and The Beatles and vinyl in general, but I really dug this book. Really drew me in, read for hours at a time which is not the norm for me. Highly recommended.

Quite an interesting and fun read. Characters well drawn and the story flows with the exception of the first few chapters. For me those were disjointed and extraneous. If you stick with it, it becomes a worthwhile read.

I love to read time travel books....I found this set to be very enjoyable, really likable characters that you can get involved with. Very fast paced & not alot of science-like explanations. Only reason I didn't give it a 5 is because of the foul language, it was at my very limited of tolerance. That being said I'm glad I bought it & will definitely read more from this author!!

It took me awhile to get into this book, the beginning seemed to place so much drama on the main character's life. This is happening to me, I had this come up in my face, why is this going on, etc., I just couldn't grasp why this was layered on so much. Once the novel got going into what came to be the characters ability to "time travel" and how he went about the discovery of this ability the book started to move along and I really got into what he was trying to accomplish with his "gift" and the persons that became involved with him in reaching his goal. I found myself wanting him to get everything he set his mind to. I don't want to spoil the main story by explaining more detail, just let me say I enjoyed the ride, and was sad he lost one thing, however, he settled on finding a way to remedy that situation...........only we never know if it happens again.;

While this is, according to the title, a novel about time-travelling, it is not really science fiction or fantasy. Instead, and much to my surprise, it is a very well-developed, sometimes funny, sometimes touching character study of a man in his mid-30's whose personal and professional lives are spiraling downhill. Joe Bridgeman is haunted by the disappearance of his little sister, for which he feels responsible, twenty years earlier. At first he is haunted by all-too-realistic dreams of the day he lost her, then he finds he begins to dream about past events in the lives of people he comes across. Unable to sleep and face these painful memories, both his and those of others, he goes to see a hypnotist. But whatever she does to him works in a strange way: instead of just dreaming about things in his past, he is sent back to those moments and finds himself reliving them. He doesn't know if this newfound ability is a blessing or a curse, and when he tries to use it to solve his problems he finds he has little control over it.
It sounds convoluted, but it isn't, and despite the fantastic elements the story is very grounded in the day to day details of an average man living an average life...except for his secret power. The story is told in the first-person and in the present tense, neither of which I'm usually enamoured with, but, in this case, they lend an intimacy and immediacy to the narration which had me living through Joe's adventures along with him. The characters are well-rounded, and this confidently-written story never veers toward cliche, making the trip Downstream one that I think most readers will enjoy.

The first half of this book was somewhat hard to get into, but it does pick up and get more interesting. For me, though, that was the point when I suddenly became aware of the writer's insane overuse of italics, and once I noticed it, it became annoyingly intrusive.

Since you can't do italics on the store reviews, I'll substitute asterisks. For example:

‘I’ve done *similar* things to do with stress or smoking or eating disorders,’ she pauses. ‘Okay, so not *quite* like this, but it’s the same principle.’ She leans in and I smell her shampoo again, clean and soapy. ‘We send you *back* and I program you to jump *again*.’

Virtually every conversation contains these *unnecessary* italicized words, as though I *might* not understand what the author is *saying.*

I find myself wondering now how much more enjoyable the book might *be* if it wasn't for all the over emphasized words.

It's unclear if I'll be able to finish (I'm nearly to the end) because of how jarring it is. At one point I counted *five* italicized words within one paragraph and that's five too many.

If the author does a revision and someone takes out the italics, this would be a better book. There are other issues with the story - the first third could be streamlined a bit and there are some continuity missteps - but I think it would flow infinitely better sans italics. Sorry, I mean it would flow infinitely *better* sans *italics.* - There, I italicized the word italics.

2.5 stars; could be 3.5 or higher with a judicious revising.

Fantastic entertainment from the off, a ‘what if’ observantly played out in all probability. Bristling with irony and pioneering witty one liner’s, Nick Jones becomes his credible characters with sane reasoning and the exact wondering ramblings we all amplify. Efficiently detailed, sprinkled with analogous film quotes, and fat on enlightening facts. And there is philosophy too, my favourite being ‘if there is a God, he’s wonderfully considerate when it comes to noise pollution’, brilliant.
Nick writes with a realistic rationale for an impossible capability, he makes the inexplicable not only viable but plausible. There is edge of your seat tension and a paradoxical, pulse racing pinnacle that had me reading faster than my eyeballs could contend with, the twists and turns unpredictable. There’s enough complexity to challenge the old grey matter, music, a spoonful of romance and a bucketful of love, and a tease at the conclusion of further outings for our hero.
My book of the year so far, surely a movie in waiting.
Elongate your rubber band people.

In 1992 at the age of 14, tragedy struck young Joseph. His 7 year old sister went missing at a fair he took her to. That day shaped not only shaped his life, but that of his family. Now in his mid 30's, Joseph has learned that he can time travel. The only catch: the further back in time he goes, the less he can spend in that time. Time is literally running out for Joseph to set things right, and he will soon learn that nothing comes for free.

This was a book that was quite interesting with a fascinating twist on the idea of time travel itself. The main character of Joseph was intriguing. Someone tortured by the past that you could truly empathize with. The storyline itself was well thought out. While I would never give away spoilers, I will say that the ending chapters were ones that I would have never guessed at.

So why 4 stars instead of 5? The length of the book. I don't mind long books, in fact I love meaty books. This one could've stood to lose a few pounds though. The book took quite a bit of time to really get into. If some of the beginning had been perhaps condensed (not edited out because it was important), it would have made for easier reading. Nonetheless, once the book picks up it makes for a very entertaining read.

I have loved time travel stories my whole life, and "The Unexpected Gift of Joseph Bridgeman", beyond all others, takes the process, impact of, and 'what if' answers, to perfectly logical sense, making this the most believable time traveler's tale, ever. Joseph, haunted by his repeated visions of his sister's disappearance decades before, discovers how to control, and with help from friends, even predict his travels. His obsessive need to save his sister from her disappearance, maybe save his father in the process, leads Joseph to risk more than just his life to save the sister he loved and lost. Not without learning that comes from errors in judgment, this story is wonderfully written, intensely involving, and leaves the reader not only satisfied, but with an inkling of a possible future for our time traveler brother and sister. I want more!

Joseph Bridge man was a hard character to like at first, but since he liked The Beatles, I was able to overlook a lot of his quirks. He lived irresponsibly, slovenly and chalked up all his bad habits to being depressed. Yes, he definitely was depressed, but I just wanted to shake him and say, "Get a grip on yourself!"

And then the time travel scenarios started to unfold. I absolutely love time travel stories! Diana Galbedon, Karen Marie Moning, I gobble them up! So to discover a male writing in this genre was delightful! No, I haven't forgotten Robert Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land". That was an object lesson book. And very, very good! Mr. Jones is coming close to that level of writing. Succinct, thought provoking and completely entertaining.

I will definitely be reading more of his books. This is highly recommended!

I loved it! Great characters, excellent world building, and a really surprising story. If you like fantasy and/or time travel books, read this. It's an honestly incredible story and is really well-written. I devoured this book and am dying to know what happens next!

I actually read this as Downstream Episodes 1-4. And I'm guessing I got this book from an author email as a freebie (I'd be specific on this, but I honestly don't remember - I only know that there's no cover on the book in my kindle, which usually means a download that didn't come from the store.) I'm wondering if this version, "The Unexpected Gift of Joseph Bridgeman", is the same, or if there's more here than where Downstream left off. And where is book 2?! I need it as badly as I need coffee to function!

Could not really get into this ---- only finished it by skimming rather than wading through the excruciating amount of tedious detail.
While the premise of the tale is way over the top far-fetched: there are gaping holes, unexplained actions, omissions and contraditions in the logic and story.
Too erratic and impossible to enjoy.
.

Just finished the final book downstream #7 and liked all the others before it, I found it to be a very good read, with well thought out characters. The last episode really had a nice twist to it that I much enjoyed. I love books on time travel and find all of the paradoxes both interesting if not sometimes mind bending. I think that Nick Jones does a great job with his ability to put forth some mind provoking concepts about time travel. He has spun quite a series of tales, one on top of the other, that are seldom brought out in other fictional books. The plot twisted and turned like the yellow brick road. In other words a wonderful time travel mystery. Good job Nick! I Highly recommend Downstream to anybody who enjoys a great time travel book!

I ABSOLUTELY love this authors writing style!! It was funny, informative, and easily evoked a gammet of emotions, like fear, anger, disappointment, joy, anticipation, and elation. Perhaps my favorite part of this book was the authors writing style, and that's saying a lot since there were many great parts in this novel!

I wasn't completely thrilled with the ending ~ unless of course there is a sequel to come, which would be AWESOME!!

This was a great story with a new take on time-travel that was quite refreshing.

Definitely worth the read and I highly recommend it.

i won this book from Author Nick Jones from a event on facebook, i had not read of any of his book before so he was new to me as a reader, but i have to say i am planning on reading more of his books. this story is a great look into the way things if we could go back in time and even if we should. I like the character Joe, and Alexia who is women that doesn't believe first about Joe's time traveling but learns that it is true. This is a must read, If you like time travel and not being able to know what is going to happen next.

I'm picky about my time travel genre. Joseph Bridgeman doesn't just go flying willy-billy through time. Joe is a well-developed character and his story quickly pulled me in. I was rapt from the first chapter and egret how quickly I flew through, because now I'm desperate for more. I can pay no higher compliment. I'll be waiting rather impatiently for Nick Jones' next installment on Joe Bridgeman's life.

I've been reading time travel stories for over 50 years. This book is right up there with the best of them. I would've liked to see Joseph's life at the end of the story explored a little more, and I loved the way the author sets up the next book in the series while completely resolving this one. So many writers take the weasel way out these days, with a cliff-hanger to sell upcoming books. Great job, Nick. Give us more Joe!

This is a great read. Takes a while to get into, but once the story takes over it becomes very difficult to put down, Not only is it great fun and really entertaining, but the premise for the story - the lost sister in childhood and the devastating impact that has on the narrator's life and family - is utterly compelling. I went from thinking the protagonist not particularly likeable at the beginning to REALLY caring about him and the entire cast of colourful characters who support him on his various sojourns into the past, and being desperate to see if things turned out OK. Nick Jones handles the suspense very well indeed, keeping you guessing and turning the pages as the fuller picture gradually emerges - and some of the twists and plot turns are genuinely unexpected. I thoroughly enjoyed this book - it cheered up a goodly number of dreary winter bus rides into work and kept me up late into the night. I heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good story and characters they can make friends with - no need at all to be a science fiction fan or time travel buff. Really looking forward to the sequel!

Great read very likeblencharacters they experience one of the quirkiest time travel experience breaking the supposed rules of TT and actually demolishing tthe time paradox theory in a way that makes sense sort of he even breaks the biggest nono when he.....oops almost a spoiler that!! Get the book and have a wild ride it will make you young!!!

This book is a trip and a half. It's so totally worth your time and money and I am so looking forward to reading the next book in this series. I just finished and really wish I could sort of comment on the story but my mind is still reeling and it's a little hard to find the words....except like awesome, and the main character is fabulous. It's just a fantastic read and I highly recommend it.

Unlike other reviewers, I was hooked into this story from the beginning. It grabbed my attention right away. The writing is excellent and the story original. I wanted to read it non-stop but wasn't quite able to do that. I did read it in two days.
It had some very interesting surprises!
Congratulations Nick. Hope you have many more successes.

I liked this series a lot. Complaints about "episodes" are empty, because I got an entire book series for $7. It was a bit predictable at some parts, but I'm hooked and looking forward to the next installment.

Jones does a good job in making a believable time traveler, and the story is compelling enough to draw readers in. The way time travel occurs, and how it's described, is very engaging, and the quest for answers is an intriguing mystery.

Definitely recommend.

I've always loved time travel stories, ever since I first read the Time Trader by Andre Norton.

But this book is not like that. This is a more personal story, about a brother searching for a sister lost in time. I suffered right along with Joe as he went through all he did. (Don't want to spoil anything here.) I definitely recommend this book.

This book reminded me of The Time-Traveler's Wife, another wonderful story and movie.

Was slow going at first, but well worth the effort to continue reading. I think it is because I am not a first person book reader. But once other characters started joining the story it was a fascinating read. I loved the concepts having to do with the ways time-travel might work that came up throughout the book.

I really enjoyed this time travel book. It's a little different in the how and the why, but all TT books have an air of unbelievability, don't they? It's the whole paradox, butterfly wings, etc, but I digress. I enjoyed the plot and characters and even the ending, and I'm a HEA fanatic. I can't wait for book 2!

I dare you to find a better contemporary time travel book. I think it will be difficult to do.

I was so impressed by this book, truly. The characters are so real, there is depth and substance, humor and excitement.

Really, very well written and an outstanding storyline.

Cannot recommend highly enough!

This book knocked my socks off! Time travelers and romance, heartbreak, action, intrigue, great characters! This book has it all. I am hoping book 2 comes out soon. It flows smoothly and I read it in one day, could not put it down. Bravo!

This is one of the best series I've ever read and a must have for readers of time travel. Disregard the few low ratings as they are way off base (one person stopped reading at 14% which isn't really giving it a fair shake and probably was before the fun time travel stuff!). Again, this series is just fantastic and I recommend it very highly. Can't wait for the next season!

Nick Jones. Very well done . I couldn't put this book down. I was mesmerized from the first page. An exciting ,emotional roller coaster ride from the first page. Its one of those , "ah screw it , im gonna take a sick day , and finish this book". Highly recommended. Just wish there was a follow up to this.

Excellent book-great story, great writing, great characters! Really enjoyed this book of the Time Travelling Joe when after accidently discovering his ability to Time Travel at his hypnotist therapist appt, tries to change an event that shaped his life. Funny, poignant, loving. I really enjoyed this book.

I got Episode 7 around midnight of the release date and stayed up until I finished it. That’s how great this series was. Many kudo’s on going with a good satisfying ending too. I always like to finish off a story feeling good rather than pondering a lingering mystery or deep philosophical question. I got a lot of enjoyment from this, plus time travel is a favorite plot device of mine and I really like the take on its rules and workings developed in this story. Pretty cool the way it was serialized it into bite sized chunks, like seasons of a tv series only in print.

This was a book of time traveling in search of his sister that went missing in 1992. I really liked the characters and the story it was a very well thought out storyline that I hope everyone that reads it will enjoy as well.

You got me! I loved this book and could not put it down! The author has a down to earth style that I appreciated while becoming thoroughly immersed in the story. I believe. Looking for more of his books now.

It was very slow to start...almost boring, but I trudged thru determined to read, hoping it would get better...and it did.

It was definitely a "British" book , giving you an insight into typical British life. I enjoyed the storyline, the humor and the read.

Download this book and read it right now. It is excellent. This will make a great film. Stop reading this review, and start reading Downstream now.It begins when Joe accidentally discovers he can time travel. I do not want to say what happens as it will totally spoil the surprise for you. However the ending is totally unexpected, it is a self contained story, but leaves you looking forward to the next in the series. While you are waiting for the next series go and find Nick Jones- Hibernation books 1 and2, different to these books but again great books. I am so pleased I discovered Nick Jones. Enjoy.

I can't wait for the second installment . This was a story of life of tragedy of hope and love . It's also about not having it all and being alright with that especially if you're giving the choice of what to keep

Ok i really tried to read this, got 14% of the way and I just can't take it anymore. Poorly written, I already hate the main char. It was torture to get as far as i did. I love time travel stories, but this is just bad.

I know time travel novels are not for everyone but you don't want to let that stop you in this case. This is an author that you simply cannot miss! This book is a joyful ride with unforgettable characters. Sure it has much of the deep scientific mumbo jumbo that often muddies up the waters with time jumping but you are not left alone in your struggle to comprehend as the players in the story are right there with us trying to grasp the same stuff. Exciting and sometimes hilarious but always emotionally connected, The Unexpected Gift of Joseph Bridgeman was a wonderful read!

In the beginning I was a little confused by the use of brackets and web sites but as I continued reading it all made sense. This book was well written with a very interesting take on time travel. Now I want more. I loved it.

Ok i really tried to read this, got 14% of the way and I just can't take it anymore. Poorly written, I already hate the main char. It was torture to get as far as i did. I love time travel stories, but this is just bad.