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Crosstime Traffic #2
Curious Notions
In a parallel-world 21st-century San Francisco where the Kaiser's Germany won World War One and went on to dominate the world, Paul Gomes and his father Lawrence are secret agents for our timeline, posing as traders from a foreign land. They run a storefront shop called Curious Notions, selling what is in our world routine consumer technology-record players, radios, cassette decks--all of which is better than anything in this world, but only by a bit. Their real job is to obtain raw materials for our timeline. Just as importantly, they must guard the secret of Crosstime Traffic--for of the millions of parallel timelines, this is one of the few advanced enough to use that secret against us.
Now, however, the German occupation police are harrassing them. They want to know where they're getting their mysterious goods. Under pressure, Paul and Lawrence hint that their supplies comes from San Francisco's Chinese...setting in motion a chain of intrigues that will put the entire enterprise of Crosstime Traffic at deadly risk.
Now, however, the German occupation police are harrassing them. They want to know where they're getting their mysterious goods. Under pressure, Paul and Lawrence hint that their supplies comes from San Francisco's Chinese...setting in motion a chain of intrigues that will put the entire enterprise of Crosstime Traffic at deadly risk.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2004
10 people are currently reading
373 people want to read
About the author
Harry Turtledove
564 books1,965 followersDr Harry Norman Turtledove is an American novelist, who has produced a sizeable number of works in several genres including alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction.
Harry Turtledove attended UCLA, where he received a Ph.D. in Byzantine history in 1977.
Turtledove has been dubbed "The Master of Alternate History". Within this genre he is known both for creating original scenarios: such as survival of the Byzantine Empire; an alien invasion in the middle of the World War II; and for giving a fresh and original treatment to themes previously dealt with by other authors, such as the victory of the South in the American Civil War; and of Nazi Germany in the Second World War.
His novels have been credited with bringing alternate history into the mainstream. His style of alternate history has a strong military theme.
Harry Turtledove attended UCLA, where he received a Ph.D. in Byzantine history in 1977.
Turtledove has been dubbed "The Master of Alternate History". Within this genre he is known both for creating original scenarios: such as survival of the Byzantine Empire; an alien invasion in the middle of the World War II; and for giving a fresh and original treatment to themes previously dealt with by other authors, such as the victory of the South in the American Civil War; and of Nazi Germany in the Second World War.
His novels have been credited with bringing alternate history into the mainstream. His style of alternate history has a strong military theme.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
October 11, 2012
This does rate a solid 4 stars in my book.
Paul and his father are from the Home Timeline, a timeline where technology has advanced a bit further than it has in our own and inflation has hit the world much, much worse. The Home Timeline is like an exaggerated version of our world. There are so many people that the world is starving, cars are cleaner, more animals are extinct, gadgets are even more prevalent, and of course, they can travel across alternate timelines. It appears that alternate timelines appear when major world events happen and can end in one outcome or another, the timeline splits at these points. The people at the corporation Crosstime Traffic, travel across these timelines and set up shops selling technology and things that those timelines need in exchange for food and things that the Home Timeline need (and of course to turn a profit).
Paul and his father head to an alternate timeline where Germany won World War I. They've never even heard of Hitler in this timeline because Germany already rules the world. They work at a shop called Curious Notions, selling technology that is obsolete in the Home Timeline, but just above the level of this timeline. However, the German Police start asking questions, because the technology even trumps what they have hoarded to themselves. Pointing their finger to imports from China, (a rising superpower) they get Lucy Woo's family involved in a war between the Tongs and the Germans. When the Germans arrest Paul's father and watch Curious Notions, they find themselves in real trouble. Could they be stuck here forever? Could the Germans learn the secrets of Crosstime Travel?
I found this book to be a frank look at the pros and cons of the direction that our society is heading as well as an honest discussion of how bad (and better) things could be for us. At the same time, this book was rather fluffy and incredibly easy to read.
The character of Paul was a little obnoxious. He was supposed to be that way, I think, however. He was so naive and continually made the same stupid mistakes that he had, the page before, been dismissing as idiotic. I know he was supposed to be a child and naive, but dear Gods, he was an idiot. Lucy Woo, however, was a strong wonderful female character. She felt like Paul's Hermione, a lot smarter and continually saving his ass.
Where I found myself disappointed is that the language got reused and reused and reused. It felt like whole sentences and thoughts were repeated from paragraph to paragraph. And while this makes following the main important points easier, it got a little annoying from time to time.
Paul and his father are from the Home Timeline, a timeline where technology has advanced a bit further than it has in our own and inflation has hit the world much, much worse. The Home Timeline is like an exaggerated version of our world. There are so many people that the world is starving, cars are cleaner, more animals are extinct, gadgets are even more prevalent, and of course, they can travel across alternate timelines. It appears that alternate timelines appear when major world events happen and can end in one outcome or another, the timeline splits at these points. The people at the corporation Crosstime Traffic, travel across these timelines and set up shops selling technology and things that those timelines need in exchange for food and things that the Home Timeline need (and of course to turn a profit).
Paul and his father head to an alternate timeline where Germany won World War I. They've never even heard of Hitler in this timeline because Germany already rules the world. They work at a shop called Curious Notions, selling technology that is obsolete in the Home Timeline, but just above the level of this timeline. However, the German Police start asking questions, because the technology even trumps what they have hoarded to themselves. Pointing their finger to imports from China, (a rising superpower) they get Lucy Woo's family involved in a war between the Tongs and the Germans. When the Germans arrest Paul's father and watch Curious Notions, they find themselves in real trouble. Could they be stuck here forever? Could the Germans learn the secrets of Crosstime Travel?
I found this book to be a frank look at the pros and cons of the direction that our society is heading as well as an honest discussion of how bad (and better) things could be for us. At the same time, this book was rather fluffy and incredibly easy to read.
The character of Paul was a little obnoxious. He was supposed to be that way, I think, however. He was so naive and continually made the same stupid mistakes that he had, the page before, been dismissing as idiotic. I know he was supposed to be a child and naive, but dear Gods, he was an idiot. Lucy Woo, however, was a strong wonderful female character. She felt like Paul's Hermione, a lot smarter and continually saving his ass.
Where I found myself disappointed is that the language got reused and reused and reused. It felt like whole sentences and thoughts were repeated from paragraph to paragraph. And while this makes following the main important points easier, it got a little annoying from time to time.
September 19, 2025
This young adult novel has a five star premise but 2.5 star writing. It's really unfortunate because things written for young people can be written just as well as books for adults with some imagination and effort. 3.5 stars
March 21, 2020
no suspense, no mystery, no deception, no cleverness, no denoument. not recommended. too bad, such a great premise.
January 8, 2016
If there was an official title called "Dean of Alternate History Novels" the competition would be for second place, because Harry Turtledove is far and away the winner. Between his imagining of how things might work if World War II was interrupted by an alien invasion or how U.S. history might have been different had Robert E. Lee not been a litterbug, Turtledove has sent his mind wandering around the land of what-ifs and found a number of treasures.
Starting in 2003, Turtledove began a series of young-adult novels featuring people who work for a company called "Crosstime Traffic." In their world, the discovered technology of moving between different histories has allowed the company to set up secret agents in different timelines where things in the past happened differently. Crosstime Traffic uses the technology to purchase things that the home timeline is a little short of and to monitor the more technologically advanced alternates that might also develop the technology and use it to attack the home timeline.
In Curious Notions, the second in the series, Paul Gomes is a Crosstime employee with his father. Together they run an electronics and toy shop in a San Francisco in which Germany won World War I and later developed atomic weapons to effectively control the world. The shop, called Curious Notions, makes money because it sells items that are better than anything available from the "native" shops. But that same feature has drawn the notice of German authorities and Chinese criminal organizations, which places Paul, his father and a "native" family to that San Francisco in the sights of two ruthless enemies.
As a young adult novel, Notions wastes little time on much beyond the story itself. The characterizations are broad, and although Turtledove includes some passages where Paul and others reflect on the implications of time travel and altering history based on one's own knowledge, he doesn't dig very deep in doing so. His workmanlike meat-and-potatoes prose doesn't really allow him to write a story for younger readers that also explores deeper questions, a la C. S. Lewis. But like the rest of the series, Curious Notions is a solid story that might make a young adult reader try to dig into some of the real history Turtledove uses and learn something as well as enjoy him or herself.
Original available here.
Starting in 2003, Turtledove began a series of young-adult novels featuring people who work for a company called "Crosstime Traffic." In their world, the discovered technology of moving between different histories has allowed the company to set up secret agents in different timelines where things in the past happened differently. Crosstime Traffic uses the technology to purchase things that the home timeline is a little short of and to monitor the more technologically advanced alternates that might also develop the technology and use it to attack the home timeline.
In Curious Notions, the second in the series, Paul Gomes is a Crosstime employee with his father. Together they run an electronics and toy shop in a San Francisco in which Germany won World War I and later developed atomic weapons to effectively control the world. The shop, called Curious Notions, makes money because it sells items that are better than anything available from the "native" shops. But that same feature has drawn the notice of German authorities and Chinese criminal organizations, which places Paul, his father and a "native" family to that San Francisco in the sights of two ruthless enemies.
As a young adult novel, Notions wastes little time on much beyond the story itself. The characterizations are broad, and although Turtledove includes some passages where Paul and others reflect on the implications of time travel and altering history based on one's own knowledge, he doesn't dig very deep in doing so. His workmanlike meat-and-potatoes prose doesn't really allow him to write a story for younger readers that also explores deeper questions, a la C. S. Lewis. But like the rest of the series, Curious Notions is a solid story that might make a young adult reader try to dig into some of the real history Turtledove uses and learn something as well as enjoy him or herself.
Original available here.
May 20, 2008
Turtledove does better here on this Crosstime Traffic novel, which stipulates what might have happened if the Germans had won World War I and gone on to conquer the rest of the world eventually, having never created an angry, revanchist regime like Hitler's Nazism.
Paul Gomes, an average teenager going through a typical clash with his father, is a Crosstime Trader--he operates a low level electronics shop in a decrepit, bombed-out San Francisco while also buying food from California's abundant central valley to feed the home timeline.
However, the Imperial German police were alerted to the advanced technology of the stores and shut it down. In a bizarre twist, the secret, underground Chinese Triads were also looking for the source behind the advanced technology. Paul gets a clunky romance with a local girl, Lucy Woo and some token adventure as he narrowly avoids the Kaiser's men and the angry Tongs.
It's better, but not perfect. However, it moves a little slowly in parts. Still, it's world's above the first and is a promising start to the rest of the series.
Paul Gomes, an average teenager going through a typical clash with his father, is a Crosstime Trader--he operates a low level electronics shop in a decrepit, bombed-out San Francisco while also buying food from California's abundant central valley to feed the home timeline.
However, the Imperial German police were alerted to the advanced technology of the stores and shut it down. In a bizarre twist, the secret, underground Chinese Triads were also looking for the source behind the advanced technology. Paul gets a clunky romance with a local girl, Lucy Woo and some token adventure as he narrowly avoids the Kaiser's men and the angry Tongs.
It's better, but not perfect. However, it moves a little slowly in parts. Still, it's world's above the first and is a promising start to the rest of the series.
April 21, 2022
An interesting premise but an annoyingly moronic set up by the Crosstime Traffic people. There are so many different, obviously better ways of achieving their objectives (get raw materials and food, make sure their tech remains secret) that it grates throughout the entire book. They can forge the local currency and have as much money as they like yet they set up a shop selling higher than local tech gadgets, drawing attention, for example! And why are the people they send so completely untrained in espionage and evasion techniques if that's so important? And why are the baddies, with a fearsome reputation, so reluctant to actually use torture when really they would have if that's what they are like.
As this is really a YA novel I can forgive the characters being a bit stereotyped, and reading their adventures when without adults is ok. But the logic holes just create a constant annoying itch at the back of your mind whilst you're reading it.
As this is really a YA novel I can forgive the characters being a bit stereotyped, and reading their adventures when without adults is ok. But the logic holes just create a constant annoying itch at the back of your mind whilst you're reading it.
June 12, 2010
I love Harry Turtledove. I do feel that this book was one of his weaker stories. This is a juvenile fiction story. The kids in the book are pretty believable but the protagonist's father is fairly one dimensional. The plot is good as is the story. I feel he could have worked on characterization a bit more. There is no need to "write down" for teenagers.
June 4, 2023
This was supposed to be better than the Gunpowder Empire. As a sequel, the premise is set, the stakes are higher, the new alternate is far more dangerous to the traders there and to the Home timeline itself.
But this book is far worse.
In the first book, the traders go through the motions of bringing merchandise and moving food out. Here, nothing of the sort is mentioned. On the contrary, when asked the very sensible question of "where do you get the stuff from" they have no prepared answer and have to go blame someone on the spur of the moment. Nobody even asked them where they put the food.
In the first book, there is a second access to Home timeline nearby - to fake transport outside the town and as backup. No such thing in the second book.
The locals are just as unbelievably simple. If they put the shop under surveillance, they did not put 2 and 2 together to question how the food was magically transmuted to gadgets in the basement.
All characters are cardboard-cutouts with zero personality, and quite often a caricature of stereotypes. The Germans are an extreme case - laughably evil for the sake of being tyrannical.
And in the first book the people from Home timeline were a bit self-conscious ("we also had slavery before the Civil War", "we interned the Japanese during WW2") and the author being even a bit more conscious of them (like saying they were revulsed by fur, but were happily eating meat). In the second one - there is no such thing. No "we occupied Japan and Germany, it must have sucked for them". No food for thought, comparing ways of life and thought. Seemingly, no thought at all.
My only explanation for this book, and its relatively high score, is that the author heavily leaned on US patriotism-baiting, the feeling of being passive, betrayed, bombed and occupied.
But this book is far worse.
In the first book, the traders go through the motions of bringing merchandise and moving food out. Here, nothing of the sort is mentioned. On the contrary, when asked the very sensible question of "where do you get the stuff from" they have no prepared answer and have to go blame someone on the spur of the moment. Nobody even asked them where they put the food.
In the first book, there is a second access to Home timeline nearby - to fake transport outside the town and as backup. No such thing in the second book.
The locals are just as unbelievably simple. If they put the shop under surveillance, they did not put 2 and 2 together to question how the food was magically transmuted to gadgets in the basement.
All characters are cardboard-cutouts with zero personality, and quite often a caricature of stereotypes. The Germans are an extreme case - laughably evil for the sake of being tyrannical.
And in the first book the people from Home timeline were a bit self-conscious ("we also had slavery before the Civil War", "we interned the Japanese during WW2") and the author being even a bit more conscious of them (like saying they were revulsed by fur, but were happily eating meat). In the second one - there is no such thing. No "we occupied Japan and Germany, it must have sucked for them". No food for thought, comparing ways of life and thought. Seemingly, no thought at all.
My only explanation for this book, and its relatively high score, is that the author heavily leaned on US patriotism-baiting, the feeling of being passive, betrayed, bombed and occupied.
September 22, 2025
I have been reading Harry Turtedove books for decades now (that is very weird to say) and he has always been one of the best at alternate history. In this series however, he creates a fascinating alternate reality, but the premise of the series seems a bit threadbare. I must admit I had grabbed this book at a book sale, not realizing it was Book 2 in the series, so perhaps the initial book gives a bit more background It just seems a bit of a stretch that a universe that can create gateways through alternate universes also must barter with these universes for items as mundane as almonds. As usual, Turtledove creates a believable world where the Kaiser won World War I, leading to German domination of the world. I think the book would have been more interesting without the "traveling to alternate worlds" plot.
October 11, 2020
3.5 stars. A young man and his father are sent to another timeline to run a business that involves selling high tech goodies in order to buy and ship food back to their own timeline, where the population has outstretched the ability of the planet to feed it, but people have been asking questions of where these goods are coming from and the father’s attempt to deflect trouble lands trouble in the doorstep of a Chinese-American family, with a daughter just a year or so younger than the young man. Although getting involved with people in the other timeline is forbidden, it happens when the young woman visits the business, Curious Notions, to seek help.
In the new timeline, the Germans won World War I, which is a more novel twist than winning WW II.
In the new timeline, the Germans won World War I, which is a more novel twist than winning WW II.
November 20, 2018
I enjoy the Crosstime Traffic series, although they don’t exactly blow me away. Curious Notions is an amusing story, set in an interesting alternate San Fransisco where the Germans are in charge after having won WWI nearly 200 years earlier. The characters are a bit flat, but the story development is good.
My edition should have been proofread a bit better, as it contained quite a few spelling errors.
My edition should have been proofread a bit better, as it contained quite a few spelling errors.
July 18, 2020
This is a charming, throughly enjoyable story. It is what I'd call a fuzzy SF story. While it explores the notion of alternative universes and what they may be like, the mechanism for navigating between these realities is not at all talked about. And it's not germane to the story. The story is quite good and I think the characters are well defined. I liked it a lot. Maybe you will too.
March 15, 2019
Interesting idea for time travel, but written at a simple level, like a junior high book. Needed more depth, but a quick read with an in concept.
October 26, 2021
Very poor editing. More typos than I can remember ever having seen in any other book. Too juvenile.
September 29, 2013
I'm starting to like Turtledove's adult work; this is one of his books aimed at a younger audience. It was the only book of his a particular library had, and I often pick up YA books for quick easy reads.
It was an interesting premise, using alternate worlds to address the main world's resource needs. That sounded awfully familiar. However, I later realized I had read another book in the series awhile ago before I got into Turtledove in particular. That was Gunpowder Empire; both did well as standalones, and I suppose that would go for the series as a whole.
I think Turtledove explained the alternate world's history well enough without overloading us with such exposition; however, he could have provided more information on the main world. Germany winning the First World War was a refreshing change of pace from all the alternate history stories about the Second World War. The Schlieffen Plan working, isolationism coming back to haunt the US and somebody eventually developing atomic weapons all seem reasonable, or at least reasonable enough to form the backdrop to another story. I wondered if a quick defeat of France and allies would have been better than their painfully drawn out victory of real life; Turtledove offers a convincing argument against that with his tale of German dominance. I'm not sure if the parallels to real-life Industrial Revolution living/working conditions are interesting or are a cheap shot.
Turtledove weaves a great tapestry of local-level details.
I like how Paul and Lucy were purposely not made into a romantic couple despite in-character wondering about that. Such a subplot would have felt cliche.
Both of them seemed uncommonly cool under pressure. YA or not, a lot of books with young main characters seem to have them act beyond their years. As such, the Palace Hotel incident, Paul snapping under the pressure of protective custody, seemed realistic. Sometimes it seemed too convenient how someone else from Crosstime Traffic often showed up just in time. However, those escapes at least made sense in character.
I liked the ending of evacuating Lucy's family and them trying to fit into a different San Francisco.
It was an interesting premise, using alternate worlds to address the main world's resource needs. That sounded awfully familiar. However, I later realized I had read another book in the series awhile ago before I got into Turtledove in particular. That was Gunpowder Empire; both did well as standalones, and I suppose that would go for the series as a whole.
I think Turtledove explained the alternate world's history well enough without overloading us with such exposition; however, he could have provided more information on the main world. Germany winning the First World War was a refreshing change of pace from all the alternate history stories about the Second World War. The Schlieffen Plan working, isolationism coming back to haunt the US and somebody eventually developing atomic weapons all seem reasonable, or at least reasonable enough to form the backdrop to another story. I wondered if a quick defeat of France and allies would have been better than their painfully drawn out victory of real life; Turtledove offers a convincing argument against that with his tale of German dominance. I'm not sure if the parallels to real-life Industrial Revolution living/working conditions are interesting or are a cheap shot.
Turtledove weaves a great tapestry of local-level details.
I like how Paul and Lucy were purposely not made into a romantic couple despite in-character wondering about that. Such a subplot would have felt cliche.
Both of them seemed uncommonly cool under pressure. YA or not, a lot of books with young main characters seem to have them act beyond their years. As such, the Palace Hotel incident, Paul snapping under the pressure of protective custody, seemed realistic. Sometimes it seemed too convenient how someone else from Crosstime Traffic often showed up just in time. However, those escapes at least made sense in character.
I liked the ending of evacuating Lucy's family and them trying to fit into a different San Francisco.
October 27, 2014
The Crosstime Traffic series is based on the premise of a world with depleting natural resources that also discovers the existence of alternate world. They develop a machine that helps them travel back and forth. They use that machine, and the teams that travel with them, to trade simple, but high-technology devices, with the other worlds in exchange for food and other things needed, while keeping the idea of cross-dimensional travel secret. Curious Notions is the name of the shop out of which they sell their items. The book tell of a father and son who travel to an alternate history San Francisco where Germany and the Kaiser won World War I and went on to conquer most of the rest of the world.
The series is, as far as I can tell, also Turtledove’s attempt to break into the young adult or possible the teen market. Each story includes at least one teen character—usually two, a boy and a girl—who travel with their parents into the alternate world. I have read a few of these books and the one reviewed here is just the most recent one that I have read.
After writing so many books, one would assume Harry Turtledove has mastered the skills necessary to be an author. But in Curious Notions and his other Crosstime books, Turtledove has a bad habit of talking down to his reader, presumably a young person. The main characters are 17, but Turtledove is so far removed from that age, I believe he has a difficult time talking to them on the same level. The language is stilted and I felt like it was the words of someone who was telling a story to his estranged grandchildren.
The young adult market is hot right now, and several adult authors have tried their hand at writing in that genre, such as James Patterson. But writing in a genre and age bracket you are not familiar with can be challenging. And unless you spend a lot of time with readers of that age you ending up with language that doesn't reach them. I don’t think Turtledove has really mastered that, and I suspect James Patterson hasn’t either.
The series is, as far as I can tell, also Turtledove’s attempt to break into the young adult or possible the teen market. Each story includes at least one teen character—usually two, a boy and a girl—who travel with their parents into the alternate world. I have read a few of these books and the one reviewed here is just the most recent one that I have read.
After writing so many books, one would assume Harry Turtledove has mastered the skills necessary to be an author. But in Curious Notions and his other Crosstime books, Turtledove has a bad habit of talking down to his reader, presumably a young person. The main characters are 17, but Turtledove is so far removed from that age, I believe he has a difficult time talking to them on the same level. The language is stilted and I felt like it was the words of someone who was telling a story to his estranged grandchildren.
The young adult market is hot right now, and several adult authors have tried their hand at writing in that genre, such as James Patterson. But writing in a genre and age bracket you are not familiar with can be challenging. And unless you spend a lot of time with readers of that age you ending up with language that doesn't reach them. I don’t think Turtledove has really mastered that, and I suspect James Patterson hasn’t either.
January 5, 2016
Toward the end of Curious Notions, teen protagonist Paul Gomes acknowledges that his long-term ambition is to make a career at Crosstime Traffic, working in alternates for the rest of his life. It's funny how such a small, simple goal could have exponentially improved this disappointing book.
The problem here is a lack of compelling characters. Lucy Woo, native to an alternate San Francisco ruled by the German Empire (who won WWI and eventually conquered the world), works in a factory to help support her family. She and Paul end up embroiled in a plot that feels like an espionage-tinged film noir. They become victims of that plot, because everything they say and do (and everything every other character says and does) relates to the action that's happening right now.
But who are these kids? Why should we care about their peril, other than the fact that nobody particularly likes Germans waving machine guns at them? In stark contrast to the first Crosstime Traffic book, Turtledove rarely explores the characters' feelings or desires (except as they pertain to the plot). Knowing, early on, that Paul wants a career at Crosstime Traffic puts everything into a different context; he's suddenly protecting the secret for reasons more personal and relatable than simply not wanting the Germans to discover it.
Okay storyline, interesting setting, but I found it dull and uninvolving. A big disappointment.
The problem here is a lack of compelling characters. Lucy Woo, native to an alternate San Francisco ruled by the German Empire (who won WWI and eventually conquered the world), works in a factory to help support her family. She and Paul end up embroiled in a plot that feels like an espionage-tinged film noir. They become victims of that plot, because everything they say and do (and everything every other character says and does) relates to the action that's happening right now.
But who are these kids? Why should we care about their peril, other than the fact that nobody particularly likes Germans waving machine guns at them? In stark contrast to the first Crosstime Traffic book, Turtledove rarely explores the characters' feelings or desires (except as they pertain to the plot). Knowing, early on, that Paul wants a career at Crosstime Traffic puts everything into a different context; he's suddenly protecting the secret for reasons more personal and relatable than simply not wanting the Germans to discover it.
Okay storyline, interesting setting, but I found it dull and uninvolving. A big disappointment.
March 18, 2011
Teenager Paul Gomes and his father travel to the San Francisco of an alternate timeline, one where Germany won World War I and America is dominated by the Kaiser’s Germany. Their mission is to bring home produce for their own resource-depleted timeline. To locals like Lucy Woo, a 16-year old who works full time to support her family, Paul and his father are known as the keepers of an electronics shop called Curious Notions. When both the German police and the Chinese triads get suspicious about the technologically advanced goods at Curious Notions, Lucy and Paul are caught up in an adventure that threatens their families and the secret that Paul and his father are guarding.
Although presumably written for adults, this title would also be a good choice for teens and fans of YA literature, due to its young protagonists. Those who enjoy well-drawn characters, compelling plots, or science fiction, specifically alternate histories, will enjoy the dark world created by Harry Turtledove. The language is accessible and simple, but certainly does not stand out on its own merit; in fact, although I usually enjoy fiction with speculative and adventure elements, I couldn’t get past how poorly written and edited this book was. I would not recommend this book to fans of literary fiction who enjoy reading for the language and style as much as the story.
Although presumably written for adults, this title would also be a good choice for teens and fans of YA literature, due to its young protagonists. Those who enjoy well-drawn characters, compelling plots, or science fiction, specifically alternate histories, will enjoy the dark world created by Harry Turtledove. The language is accessible and simple, but certainly does not stand out on its own merit; in fact, although I usually enjoy fiction with speculative and adventure elements, I couldn’t get past how poorly written and edited this book was. I would not recommend this book to fans of literary fiction who enjoy reading for the language and style as much as the story.
April 25, 2015
This book was much more consistently written with much more believable main characters than the first in the Crosstime Traffic series. The story held more of my interest throughout the book, instead of taking half the book to get me interested.
The writing still feels like an attempt to over-explain and dumb everything down for the audience, and this definitely kept me from giving it a higher rating than the first. Since the timeline featured in this book was intended to be closer to 20th century America (if Germany won WWI), he spent a little less time on the historic details and comparing them to the future "home timeline" of Crosstime Traffic. In many ways, and in part because of his tendency to dumb everything down in this series, not getting bogged down in the history helped this book focus on the story. He also managed to occasionally work some of the comparisons into the story instead of just breaking out of the story with an explanation every couple of pages.
If any of the remaining books in the series can improve over this one as much as this one did over the first, there could be a good book somewhere along the way.
The writing still feels like an attempt to over-explain and dumb everything down for the audience, and this definitely kept me from giving it a higher rating than the first. Since the timeline featured in this book was intended to be closer to 20th century America (if Germany won WWI), he spent a little less time on the historic details and comparing them to the future "home timeline" of Crosstime Traffic. In many ways, and in part because of his tendency to dumb everything down in this series, not getting bogged down in the history helped this book focus on the story. He also managed to occasionally work some of the comparisons into the story instead of just breaking out of the story with an explanation every couple of pages.
If any of the remaining books in the series can improve over this one as much as this one did over the first, there could be a good book somewhere along the way.
August 31, 2013
Another great alternate timeline story from Turtledove. Not technically an alternate history, since the series is about travelling to alternate worlds where history was different from ours, but still has the same detailed feeling that Turtledove's alternate history stories do. In this case, the alternate world is one where the Germans won WWI, and slowly took over most of the rest of the world, and now in the late 21st century, the USA is a poor, conquered nation. There, Paul Gomez and his father sell technological gadgets that are beyond what the world produces, in order to buy food and produce to ship back to help feed the home timeline. Unfortunately, the Kaiser's secret police start investigating where this tech is coming from (since no one should have better tech than they do), forcing the Gomez's to avoid being investigated. Unfortunately, their solution gets them involved with the Chinese Triads. They not only have to stay alive, but preserve their secret...
January 16, 2012
This is definitely a young adult series and better than a lot that I've read. This particular book seemed to be set for the younger of that crowd with a plot that was a bit more loose than some of the others in the series and yet the background was well thought out and might get someone in that age group to ask a question or two about history or even, gasp, look up some history!
Over all a nice light read. Some supporting characters aren't really fleshed out (dad) but that's true of most books for this age bracket. In the end, it was entertaining and kept my interest.
If you can't abide YA books, go for some of his alternate history for adults.
Over all a nice light read. Some supporting characters aren't really fleshed out (dad) but that's true of most books for this age bracket. In the end, it was entertaining and kept my interest.
If you can't abide YA books, go for some of his alternate history for adults.
November 12, 2013
This one's an okay book about a father and son who set up shop in an alternate reality where the Germans won the first World War. The authorities start to suspect them and things go from bad to worse. I got the book because I was curious how the Kaiser's America would compare to other alternate reality tales. It wasn't all that different from a What-If-the-Germans-Won-World-War-2 scenario. No Nazi trappings, of course, but otherwise very familiar.
August 17, 2008
Turtledove still has a problem writing convincing characters (the dad is particularly one-note here) but this time he takes the Crosstime Traffic idea and creates a very interesting plot. Nicely done.
October 13, 2011
Consistent with the series, has a couple of gaping holes in the plot logic, and unlike the rest of the series is weak on using the alternate as a history lesson (there is a lot more depth on the other historical cultures in the rest of the series).
June 5, 2016
Turtledove has written a series of books in his Crosstime Traffic stories. I enjoyed the ones I have read. He remains the master of alternate history and in these stories you get to peer into several what if scenarios.
May 16, 2013
Turtledove creeps into Heinlein juvenalia territory here, with a well-written series about time- and alternate-earth- travelers who go wherever they're headed to, get into scrapes while they're there, and then return.
December 7, 2013
An interesting concept continues. Crosstime agents go back in alternate timelines to see how history played out. These series are a lot of fun the depth of Turtledove's imagination is incredible. I really enjoy these books.
April 22, 2016
Better than the first volume in the Crosstime Traffic series, but that's a backhanded compliment.
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June 20, 2011I have struggled with and others of his books, I just find his style does not work for me.
November 2, 2011
Overall, started with a bang, ended with a whimper. I'm a fan but not his best work.
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