Tag: time travel

REVIEW: Max and the Midknights: The Tower of Time by Lincoln Peirce

REVIEW: Max and the Midknights: The Tower of Time by Lincoln Peirce

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

As Max longs for answers about her twin, she turns to Mumblin the Magician for help going back in time. But he tells her there’s no spell for that. So the kids head out to find answers for themselves.

Review

This was so fun! It’s a great story – meaty, and it didn’t feel like it was over too soon. It was fun to spend time with Max and her friends once again.

References to the earlier books – Max and the Midknights, and Max and the Midknights: Battle of the Bodkins (♥♥♥½) – reward series readers, but newcomers would probably be all right starting here. The story definitely makes more sense, though, with the context of the earlier books. This is a series I have really enjoyed and look forward to – I think kids will love it!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Gina and the Big Secret by Judd Winick

REVIEW: Gina and the Big Secret by Judd Winick

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

In an effort to save the Nestor, Gina accidentally allowed the world to get “broken.” The Nestor changed Earth’s history. Now, Gina, Lisa, Hilo, and DJ are on a new Earth – where magic has ruled for 100,000 years.

But a new Earth means changes for Lisa and DJ’s family as well as oppression for humans. They NEED to change everything back. But the kids quickly discover they are up against numerous foes in their quest to set Earth right.

Review

This was so fun! Great characters in a new story with some laugh-out-loud moments, tons of action, and new adventures to come in book 9, Gina and the Last City on Earth (2023). I love how meaty these books are – so much for readers to enjoy, both visually and in the story itself.

Series fans will have a lot to love here with old friends and new. Newcomers will enjoy this more if they at least go back to book 7, Gina: The Girl Who Broke the World which launches this new story arc. But honestly, I think any reader would be better off starting at the very beginning with book 1. This whole series is such a delight to read! And this new arc builds on what happened before. You are really missing out if you haven’t read the previous books!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Retake by Jen Calonita

REVIEW: The Retake by Jen Calonita

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Delacorte Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Zoe gets back from her family’s summer vacation, she discovers her best friend, Laura, has moved on without her. New friends, new in-jokes, new interests. And Zoe is left to negotiate the start of 7th grade watching Laura from the sidelines.

Zoe is convinced if she was only cooler, if she did things Laura likes, then they can get back to being best friends. And a mysterious new app on her phone gives her the chance to test this theory.

The app lets Zoe go back in time to key moments in her friendship with Laura and get a do-over. And it works! But not in the ways Zoe was hoping for….

Review

This is another fun twist on the time travel/do over story. No time loop in this one, which is refreshing, but Zoe does get to do a few moments of the last year over. The set up of this story is clever and fun.

It was heartbreaking to see how much of herself Zoe is willing to sacrifice in her efforts to hang onto Laura – who was not a great friend in the first place. Zoe’s sister has Laura figured out from the start, but Zoe has to walk the journey to see those things for herself. And it was satisfying – although cringe-worthy – to watch her work through the issues and decide how she wants to move forward.

This would be terrific as a classroom read aloud or a book group selection. My review copy didn’t have discussion questions, but I think they almost write themselves. Kids could get a lot out of digging into the friendship dynamics of the kids in the book. And the discussion of moments readers might choose to do over would be fascinating. Don’t miss this friendship story with a science fiction/time travel twist from Jen Calonita.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

BONUS REVIEW: Time Travel for Love and Profit by Sarah Lariviere

BONUS REVIEW: Time Travel for Love and Profit by Sarah Lariviere

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Once, during their freshman year of high school, Nephele’s best friend, Vera, said, “I’ll be right back,” and walked away. But she didn’t come back. She left Nephele, choosing a new best friend. Nephele was devastated. But finding Time Travel for Love and Profit in her parents’ used book store was the solution she needed to address her friendship woes.

Nephele is brilliant enough to configure the math and work out the code for her time travel app. She calls it Dirk Angus after the hero in a romance novel. And Dirk works! Mostly. Nephele was supposed to go back in time and repeat her freshman year and keep Vera as her best friend.

And she does repeat her freshman year. But everyone else has moved on in time. Nephele’s former peers are all sophomores. And none of them know or remember her. Her teachers don’t remember her either. And her parents seem to have holes in their memories for anything that doesn’t line up with Nephele being a freshman again – like her birth date or her birth certificate.

After a lonely second run through freshman year, Nephele is ready to tweak Dirk Angus and get it right this time. But it happens again. And again. And again. Nephele is about to start her 10th freshman year. But this time, something is different.

Review

I have mixed feelings about this one. I loved the twist on all of the traditional time travel/Groundhog Day/time loop stories. It’s a brilliant shift from the expected. It’s also terribly sad when you stop and think about how lonely Nephele must have felt time after time. Any time she invested in a relationship outside her family was lost when she started a new freshman year. And the situation with her parents was devastating.

I was deeply invested in seeing Nephele figure out how to break her loop. I wanted her to have everything she deserved – friends who get her, a mentor who encourages her thinking and her gifts, parents with full memories of their life together. While Nephele was sometimes hard to like, I was still rooting for her from start to finish.

In the end, Nephele didn’t get everything I hoped for her. While I don’t begrudge the author the right to finish her story in whatever way she chose, I was disappointed. Maybe it’s a function of my age, which is significantly older than the target audience. But the ending impacted my enjoyment of the book.

I would happily – and without reservation – hand this to teen and young adult readers. I’d love to hear their take on the ending. Science fiction fans, fans of stories centering women in STEM, time travel fans, and those intrigued by this clever premise should pick this one up and give it a try.

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥ = Good/solid/fine

REVIEW: Gina: The Girl Who Broke the World by Judd Winick

REVIEW: Gina: The Girl Who Broke the World by Judd Winick

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House Children’s in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This post contains SPOILERS for the Hilo series.]

Summary

In the final battle with Razorwark, Izzy gave all her energy to Hilo. And now DJ, Hilo, and Gina are still missing their friend. Hilo is adjusting to his new existence as a human (with some… extra features). And Gina doesn’t want to do magic or be a hero any more. She understands the risks all too well now.

But magical creatures keep showing up on Earth. And Gina is the only one who can see them. They are hunting beings known as the Nestor. And Gina is torn between protecting the Nestor and giving up magic for good.

Review

This is book 7 in the Hilo series, but it launches a new story arc. And Gina is the star, which is awesome! This was exceptional. I have loved this series from the beginning (The Boy Who Crashed to Earth – ♥♥♥♥♥). I loved how the author gave space in an action-packed, funny book for the kids to also grieve the losses from their last adventure. It doesn’t overwhelm this story, but it’s also not rushed either. Those scenes were beautiful – and necessary. Hilo fans will appreciate the acknowledgement of the six book journey that has already taken place.

There’s a nice summary in the book of those adventures so that new readers have some context for what’s going on with Gina and Hilo in this book. I think new readers will be able to track this story, but I also think they will want to go back and get the full Hilo experience.

I LOVE the characters in this series. Gina really gets to shine here which was excellent. I was thrilled when I finished book 6, All the Pieces Fit (♥♥♥♥♥) and saw that the new book was going to feature Gina. DJs sister, Lisa, whom I adore, also gets to join the gang for this adventure. The family pieces in this – DJs family, his older brother who comes to stay with the kids, Gina’s sisters – are a hoot! This series is truly exceptional.

The ending of this is quite the twisty cliffhanger. This is especially painful because it looks like we will be waiting a year for the follow up (and I read this book in November of 2020, so I have had an even longer wait already!). But every book has been worth the wait. Do not miss this series, and this new story arc launch starring Gina! (TW: Grief/loss)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

 

“I’m delighted to announce that this review has been shared by Twinkl! For even more great recommendations, make sure to visit their TBR blog“

REVIEW: Rome Reframed by Amy Bearce

REVIEW: Rome Reframed by Amy Bearce

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Jolly  Fish Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. ]

Summary

Lucas Duran is 3 days away from getting his wish and going HOME. He and his family have been traveling around Europe for months while his college professor parents do research for a new book. Lucas has missed a chunk of his 8th grade year, including his last season of middle school soccer, and he’s just ready to be done.

Lucas was assigned a travel journal project for three of his teachers to get credit for 8th grade. But in a family of brainiacs, it’s hard for him to feel motivated when he knows his little brothers could probably do better work.

On Lucas’s last few days in Rome, though, he finds out his poor work has left him in danger of failing 8th grade and being held back. If he doesn’t want to be any more behind his friends when he gets back, he has to ace his final journal entries.

When a strange old palm reader gives Lucas an unusual coin and special tickets to the Colosseum, Lucas finds it weird. But he can’t pass up the chance to fix his grade and save his future. He’s in for a surprise, though, when the coin heats up and transports him back in time to experience history first hand.

Review

This was outstanding! It has such a great voice, and the writing caught my attention right away. I knew from the early pages that I was in for a treat. I didn’t realize there was already a book in this Wish and Wander series – Paris on Repeat. There’s a teaser at the end of this book for a third installment, too. I’m excited to check those out.

It would be hard to beat the cast of this book! (It looks like each book in the series stands alone.) I loved Lucas and his family and his Italian friend, Vivi. At the beginning, I thought Lucas was a stereotypical underachiever. But there’s a richness to his story – the identities he’s layered on like sweaters that lead him to quit before he even starts something. I loved watching Lucas grow into his self-awareness and start to shed the false identities and ideas about himself. His boldness grows over the course of the book, and I loved it.

The time travel episodes are a means to an end – Lucas’s growth – rather than the focus of the book, which I enjoyed. I was captivated by the personal growth emphasis. The target audience for the book is 10 to 14 year olds, which I believe is an under-served group in publishing. I’m so happy to add this to my list of titles to recommend to readers in this age group. There’s a bit of romance to the book – feelings, hand holding – and a depth to Lucas’s journey that are a great fit for older middle grade readers.

Don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: The Camelot Code: Geeks and the Holy Grail by Mari Mancusi

REVIEW: The Camelot Code: Geeks and the Holy Grail by Mari Mancusi

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

A young druid named Nimue, charged with protecting the Holy Grail, is on the run from Morgana’s soldiers. She and her sisters were taking the grail to Camelot where King Arthur is sick and in need of its miraculous powers. But Morgana struck, and now Nimue is all alone and in fear for her life. Then she spies a familiar cave – the home of Merlin. Maybe he could save her life once again!

Sadly, Merlin is on something called “Spring Break.” There’s a boy in his cave – Emrys the Excellent – who says he is Merlin’s apprentice. Desperate, Nimue asks Emrys to use some magic to hide the grail from the men hunting for her. The good news is that Emrys succeeds in hiding the grail just in time and sends off the men with nothing. The bad news is that by the time Emrys is done with it, the grail is a young, gaseous dragon, and Emrys has no clue how to change it back.

Nimue summons the Companions by reciting the Camelot Code. Which means Sophie and Stu are summoned from our time to help. Only, Sophie and Stu aren’t together. He’s at home getting some surprising news while Sophie is trying on the world’s ugliest bridesmaid’s dress with her obnoxious soon-to-be step-sister, Ashley. When Sophie responds to the distress call, Ashley unexpectedly gets dragged along to Camelot.

Review

This is a fun second adventure for Sophie and Stu. The addition of Ashley, Emrys and Nimue was a nice touch. I enjoyed the larger cast and all the things the story was able to do with more characters working on a solution.

While this is solidly a fantasy story, it also deals with family issues and friendship concerns, both for Sophie and Ashley and also for Stu. Even Emrys and Nimue to a smaller extent are dealing with family – or lack there off – issues. There’s a fun back and forth again between our world/time and Camelot. Some funny situations develop as well as lots of suspenseful ones. There are a few unanswered questions at the end to pull readers forward into a third book in the series.

You can read my review of the first book, The Once and Future Geek, here. This is a great series for kids who love King Arthur’s legends, or for kids who enjoy fantasy and magic in their reading (think Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Wings of Fire, etc.). Fans of book one should not miss this sequel!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Camelot Code: The Once and Future Geek by Mari Mancusi

REVIEW: The Camelot Code: The Once and Future Geek by Mari Mancusi

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Arthur and Guinevere are best friends and constant companions. Sure, he’s an orphan – a peasant – and she’s a princess. But when the knights aren’t around, they can have sword fights and hang out and visit Merlin and just be friends.

Sophie and Stuart are best friends and constant companions. Well, at least they were…. They used to play Camelot’s Honor together all the time where they tried to defeat the sorceress Morgana. But Stuart has started playing soccer at school, and Sophie’s afraid things between them are changing.

When Guinevere accidentally sends a vital magical item into the 21st century, Arthur decides to go after it, arriving in Sophie and Stuart’s world. But Merlin pulls Sophie and Stuart  back to Arthur’s time because of their successes at Camelot’s Honor. He wants Stuart to pretend to be Arthur and pull the sword from the stone so they can keep history on track. Then Sophie goes back to her own time to get Arthur and the magical object in order to send them back to where – and when – they belong. But when Arthur Googles his own history and sees how his story turns out, he’s happy to play football and stay in the future. Unfortunately, that future is changing every day that Arthur stays away and Stuart tries to cover. Will Sophie be able to get Arthur back home safely and get her best friend and her old life back? Or is it already too late?

Review

This was so fun!! I loved the characters. Sophie’s a great, strong lead. Stuart really understands his mission to stand in for Arthur and what that means in the big picture of history. And Arthur’s desire to stay in the future is absolutely understandable, but the reader can see hints already of the leader he could be.

The story was so fun – gaming, friendship, time travel, jousting and magic. I loved the fantasy elements. This is exactly the sort of middle grade novel I enjoy.

There’s no cliffhanger, and the story is wrapped up well. But the series – The Camelot Code – is just getting started. I’m excited to see where the author takes the kids next. Highly recommend. I can’t wait to tell kids about this story.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥