My rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
        Before I review a darn thing, let me share that, because Twitter is awesome, I was able to learn from Jess Evander (she might appreciate your follow - @AuthorKeller) that book two in this series will be out in early June. Thought I'd get that out of the way as nothing sucks quite as hard as getting interested in a book only to find out that you're left hanging with no sequel - especially a book like this that ends with so many loose ends. So let me get that out of the way immediately. Next book: June.
        Gabby has good friends and a bad family situation. Her Dad is an alcoholic and her mother is dead. On her birthday, she is suddenly pulled into the past. Soon, she learns that she is a Shifter, and that means that she will be spending the rest of her life being pulled by the mysterious 'Nicholas' into whatever time period has a need for her (including her own current time period, but only when she is most needed there).
        I have only 2 small hiccups
        1. How slowly information is given to the protagonist. Now, Evander uses that slow release of information effectively to maintain a great level of stress on Gabby, which I liked, but, at the same time, I struggle with the logic behind leaving Gabby in the dark for so long; to me, it just didn't make sense, in terms of what would logically happen in her situation.
        2. Gabby is afraid of nothing. I mean, in no situation is she anything other than in-your-face-I-know-how-to-do-things. Even when she doesn't, actually, know how to do things. Her strong convictions get her and others around her in trouble, which is normal and rings true for her age and voice, but there were times when it seemed like a point was trying to be proven. This was a STRONG female protagonist with no shades of grey, and I guess I just prefer more subtlety in my heroines. Some people will fall in love with her for the same reason, I'm sure.
        All of that said, I fell in love with Michael (the romantic interest). It's not often that I find a leading guy character who I really invest in, especially in a female-driven novel like this. He plays his cards close to the chest, he has a really interesting back story, and he seems to care for Gabby with sincerity that doesn't become syrupy. I am also completely in support of the slowly-developing romance. Give me more lingering looks and hesitant conversations - that's good stuff! At the end of the novel, when you're left hanging the way you are, I found myself stabbing my Kindle, maybe a tad too aggressively, thinking that there surely MUST be more to this relationship. I love ending a book like that (especially when I know that there's another novel on the horizon).
        Also, the reader is kept guessing as to who is for and who is against Gabby. You meet several characters who could go either way, and Evander kind of lets you squirm. And then the major villains, the Shades. They feed off of sorrow, and have a unique interest in Gabby. The more information you get about them, the more you want to know about them. And then you may have had a monkey wrench thrown into everything there near the end... but maybe you didn't? There are a lot of questions to answer! There are so many potential ways for this novel
        I really enjoyed this novel and am very excited to read the sequel. It was the kind of book that you catch yourself reading "one more chapter" until later into the night than you plan to! I recommend this one to anyone looking for a YA fantasy escape. This was an all-in-all fun read!