Snapshot
Brandon Sanderson
Anthony Davis’ job is to participate in the same day twice to catch crimes as they happen – to provide data to people in the here and now. In the ‘Snapshot’ time passes again exactly as it did the first time the day ran, except there has been a cop inserted into the scene o observe it. As the day unfolds, Davis finds himself moving on with his life… until the twist.
It’s a novella, so it won’t take you long to read at all. Sanderson still manages to fully realise his characters and build a vivid world within a world for the reader to look at. The premise itself is rather mind-bending and I tried not to think about it too hard. You can’t change the past… but you can view it and hope you don’t change it too significantly.
I admit that I didn’t actually work out what I was supposed to work out by the end of the novel. When I read the afterword by Sanderson I was confused. I hadn’t seen the ending coming at all! I was totally wrapped up in Davis’ perspective. Thus I really wanted to read it again to see what I had missed.
I was just browsing by the shelves of Sanderson novels because I wanted to reread Way of Kings before starting Oathbreaker. And then I saw Snapshot! So of course it went home with me, and I read it immediately. 5 stars from me, and I need to own it myself ASAP.