I thought this was such an interesting science fiction mystery novel. The characters from the different time periods all felt fleshed out really well and i liked how they all had layers to them. The action scenes were balanced well with the quieter more tender ones too. I loved how it built up the world that made the time rescuing possible and i could easily see this getting adapted into a film or tv show.

I really tried with this book but i just couldnt get into it - it was very YA targeted and quite slow at the start

There is so much to like about this book. In particular, there’s Kaliane Bradley’s prose which is absolutely fizzing with wit. She has a real gift for snapshot similes. They’re all over the prose:

“He got out of the car and looked up and down the street with the weariness of a man who has travelled across the continent and has yet to find his hotel.”

“That night, I slept with unpleasant lightness, my brain balanced on unconsciousness like an insect’s foot on the meniscus of a pond.”

She also has a real gift for juxtaposing ideas. The premise of the book is that a government department has plucked a handful of people out of the past and is studying them to see what effect time travel has upon them. The narrator who has been assigned as a minder to one of the time travellers is of British Cambodian heritage (like the author) and continually views the situation and behaviour of her charge through the prism of dislocation and exile. It’s a comparison that yields all kinds of interesting insights.

However, Bradley’s writing is more than a little opaque. Indeed, as the novel went on, I found it harder and harder to understand what was going on until, by the end, I was frankly lost. I don’t think it was all my fault. The closing stages of the book felt full of slightly frantic explanation that didn’t really explain things at all.

Nonetheless, this is an exciting debut from a writer I really want to read more of.

What a brilliantly bizarre book. Immensely clever, this is a tale that tackles mad sci-fi themes in a way that makes them human and relatable. I lost patience with the ending a little, but the concept here is worth picking the book up for alone!

It's taken me a moment to put my thoughts together for this title. And that alone should sell the book to you. It's thought provoking and emotional.

Time travel and an epic love story... Was here for it. And as an immigrant appreciated the whole finding a way to feel at home not only in a strange place but a strange time.

A brilliant premise, expertly executed. A mashup of genres, Kaliane Bradley threads the needle perfectly for a witty and original heart-stomper of a book that ticked all the same boxes for me as Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.

The premise of this story is intriguing, but I found it hard to engage with. the narrator was not well rounded.

I thought this was outstanding!

Nutshell🥜
In the near future our protagonist, a female civil servant, is offered a secret Hugh paid job... She has to act as a live-in companion and guide to an ex-pat called Graham Gore who's been transported from 1847, by the ministry, using a secret time machine door type thing... He is one of a handful of ex-pats from different eras who are being settled into the modern day world. I loved reading about Graham's adjustment to modern ways. Love affairs, comedy moments, twists, surprises and a bit of danger ensue!

♥️This Funny, imaginative, unique time travelling love story was so entertaining and charming... erratic..yes, wordy.. yes, fantastic .. absolutely

👀Titbits:

🔻The main female protagonist is unnamed!!! I only noticed this while writing this review 🙈

🔻Maggie and Arthur the other ex-pats are delicious

🔻The main male Protagonist Graham Gore was a real man who was a first Lieutenant on the I'll fated Ross Expedition (I didn't suss this till towards the end)

🔻I'm now obsessed with the Ross Expedition and stuck in a Google rabbit hole regarding it

🔻While googling Ross Expedition I discovered just LAST WEEK further bones were identified using DNA 🧬

🔻I have a huge crush on a Graham Gore!! The author brought him back to life in the most stunning way

It's taken me two months to finish but it was worth savouring

This is the type of book with a premise so clever one fears the story can’t possibly live up to it. And yet, Bradley pulls off something really extraordinary. A strikingly original, genre-bending premise, exceptional writing, rich characters and a thrilling action ending. A book I’ll be recommending for many years.

This was a 3.5 star book rounded down.
For the first 25% is was a 4.5 because of the writing and humourous play on words, it was actually laugh out loud funny. But as the narrative progressed the author fell back on wordy descriptions and most of the humour was lost.
There were some great characters, especially those from the past. The characters from the time when the book was set were a little prickly and obscure - I never felt that I really got to know them.
Also the romantic relationship seemed to progress in fits and starts, certain behaviours felt out of character and a couple of times the descriptions resembled laundry lists.
And the ending felt incomplete - it was fitting that it didn't end wrapped up in a nice bow but I could have used more background information on some of the characters and their motivations.

It was an interesting concept which sagged in the middle and didn't quite reach its potential but I would be willing to give this author another try.

How wonderful to see another new author coming through with such a superb first book? A story full of adventure, romance and magic - my students are going to adore this!

The Ministry of Time has been on many "Best Books of the Year So Far" lists and I'm fairly convinced it'll be a shoe in for the Goodreads Choice Awards this year, so I wanted to get my hands on it as soon as possible. I also really enjoy time travel stories, so I immediately thought this could be a hit for me.

I found the start of the book to be very captivating and intriguing. I enjoyed reading about the main character from the government agency meet and get to know Graham, who should have died in an Arctic exhibition but was whisked away into the present day. The main appeal of this book is reading about their relationship as it grows and changes.

I didn't so much love the sci-fi thriller side of this book. It felt a little shoehorned in, as like I said above the main focus of the book was definitely on Graham and the main character's relationship. I feel like the thriller aspect of the book could have been entirely left out and instead this could have simply been left as a beautiful love story akin to This is How You Lose the Time War (which I haven't read but I've heard a lot about it thanks to Bigolus D*ckolus).

Firstly, a disclaimer. I always struggle with time travel in books as my mind just can't comprehend it - probably an autistic thing for me. However, I am always fascinated by the concept.

The Ministry of Time is a fantastic story and a complex one, exploring themes of identity and ethics, forgiveness and hope. There were so many moments to stop and take in the sheer beauty of the writing. I did struggle initially to connect, then I really became enthralled, and then I struggled again. I believe some books benefit from a second read, for me anyway, and this is definitely one of those. It's complex and I think I will absorb way more upon a second read. I loved it though and think so many others will too.

I loved The Ministry of Time for its humor, charm, and poignant exploration of colonialism and trauma. The accusations of plagiarism are ridiculous. The book is completely original, with its unique characters and plot. The author’s exploration of themes like inherited trauma and identity is both thought-provoking and moving. Despite the controversy, this is a fantastic read.

It wasn't perfect but I really, really enjoyed it -- really creative, funny and moving, and I love that a book this genre-bending and bonkers has been such a commercial hit.

Bradley’s debut is a wry, original take on a time travel romance. It blends multiple genres – sci-fi, comedy, romance and thriller – all into a unique story of a modern-day woman who is tasked with caring for a time-travelling soldier from the 1800s. The concept was excellent and this writer clearly has talent but, despite its genre-bending ambitions, the story felt a little slow for me at times. 3.5/5.

Utterly intriguing, witty and engaging .. from start to finish (even a few longueurs didn't put me off@) it has commentary on our times, as it contemplates 'real' time travel .. I love the brilliant idea of people from different time periods being aliens or refugees .. this is perfect analogy for us, now, and allows many issues to evolve alongside its story ... I highly recommend this highly welll written fiction that rings so familiar!!

A superb time travelling story. It starts to show the growing relationship between people from the past and the present, but slippage is occurring and they must fight to preserve what they have or might have had

A captivating exploration of time and memory. Bradley creates a world where time travel is not merely a tool for adventure but a profound mechanism for confronting personal history and trauma. Completely fascinating.

Super fun. The Ministry of Time hits you between the eyes with a whole new way of looking at paradoxes of time travel. The clue is in the title, a secret ministry is established to manage "Time". As with many central government interventions the bureaucrats are taking logical decisions without all the necessary information and the end results are never quite as expected.
Travellers from different eras are babysat and observed in near future Britain. The end results don't produce belly laughs, but the sinister working of Government departments and the unexpected and inexplicable behaviour of human beings are immediately recognisable as true life dilemmas that we face daily. It's impossible not to smile ruefully at the super smart observations.
Highly Recommended