TimeRiders, by Alex Scarrow
Maddy, Liam, and Sal should have died. But a strange man came to rescue them and give them a new life. Each teen is from a separate time. Maddy was rescued from a plane crash in 2010. Liam was rescued from the sinking Titanic. And Sal was rescued from an event in 2026. Each has special gifts that make them ideal candidates for their new job – working to correct time displacements. These TimeRiders watch from a bunker in 2001, to catch any discrepancies and right the errors in time that anyone from the future might make to the past. Their first task is to discover what happened back in World War II that led to Germany winning, as their present has altered to a Nazi-occupied America.
Scarrow’s characters are vivid and interesting. The teenage team works well together, as well as apart. The historic elements are presented in a fascinating way. And the technology aspect of time travel is touched on, but not bogged down in details.
Time travel is one of my favorite subgenres of science fiction, so I had high expectations for this one. And I was more than impressed. This has been one of my favorite reads of the summer, if not the year. The writing is fast-paced and extremely engaging. Full of danger and suspense (in more than one period of time) this high-octane adventure will appeal to readers of all ages. Culminating to a thrilling conclusion, I found it impossible to put down. Don’t miss this exciting series debut.
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TimeRiders releases today from Walker Books for Young Readers.