On "Doomsday Book": A Book Review

Last book review of the year...

Title: Doomsday Book 
Author: Connie Willis
Genre: Science-Fiction

About the book….
Winner of the Hugo and the Nebula award, Connie Willis’ Doomsday Book is a story of time travel, of history, and of the ability to survive. There’s nothing more Kivrin wants than to go to the Middle Ages despite the adamant arguments of her tutor, Mr. Dunworthy, of how dangerous it is, not to mention that it’s off limits for traveling to because it’s rated a ten. However, in the absence of the regular department head and a period of preparation and inoculations she gets her wish. Things don’t go quite right, though. While she finds herself quite ill in the 1300’s, back in the present they’re dealing with a pandemic of their own and when the tech who helped coordinate the drop comes down with the mysterious illness after claiming something went wrong, Dunworthy takes it upon himself to do everything in his power to try to rescue Kivrin.

What I think… 
I’ve read this book about six times now and it’s still just as good as when I first read it. 

As someone who both loves books set in medieval Europe and stories about time travel this book really appealed to me when it was first recommended and continues to do so with each reading.

Connie Willis’ writing draws you in and keeps you captivated from start to finish. She masterfully balances the two storylines, swapping between the present and the past at just the right time to maintain the suspense. The parallels between Kivrin’s time in 1300’s and the mass amount of people falling ill in the present creates a world that is believable and that it takes place around Christmas makes the story even more compelling.

By the end of the book you become very attached to the characters and their lives. Dunworthy and Kivrin are both developed in such a way that you wish that you had more to read about them, as are the others they interact with as they become further involved in their current situations. 

This is the best of Willis' four time travel books, my most favorite of all the books I've read by her, one of my favorite modern day books (of which there are few), and one that I very happily look forward to reading again every year. 

(For those interested there is also a short story that was the basis of this book called “Fire Watch,” which can be found in the short story collection of the same title, as well as in The Time Traveler’s Almanac)

To sum it all up…

If you like time travel, the Middle Ages, or are just looking for a sci-fi book that’s exceptionally well written, this is the one to choose! ♥