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Screwing Up Time #1
Screwing Up Time
Mark Montgomery's life is perfect...until she time travels into it.Mark is a slacker content with his life. He’s a senior at New Haven Prep, has a great friend, and after graduation he’ll get a brand new sports car from his parents, assuming he stays out of trouble. Then, she comes into his life—Miranda with her I-just-escaped-from-a-Renaissance-Fair clothing. Only, she hasn’t. She has come from Bodiam Castle in the Middle Ages and demands a secret ingredient and a book of recipes for traveling through the treacherous colors of time. Although Mark has never even heard of either before, he must find them, or Miranda will die. To save her, Mark must break into a psych hospital to visit his grandfather who once tried to kill him, pass through the colors of time, take on a medieval alchemist, prevent Miranda’s marriage to a two-timing baron, and keep it all hidden from his parents. The sports car is definitely in trouble.SCREWING UP TIME, told from Mark's point of view, is an 85k-word/360 page novel for young adults. An author interview is included with the book.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 12, 2011
18 people are currently reading
243 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 29, 2012
I started reading this at the gym, which was a big mistake because I was howling with laughter on the stationery bike (very bad gym manners!). Really engaging narrative voice, and obviously great humor.
I love fantasy that doesn't take itself too seriously, and enjoyed this immensely. What's especially engaging about the story is the characters' relationships, which felt very real, especially Mark's relationships with and his sister and his best friend.
The method for time travel was unusual and cool, and with enough technical obstacles built in that I could buy in to the fiction. If in Dune they can "fold space" using drugs, why not time travel with alchemy? I really enjoyed the historic details, which were worked in deftly, giving a real sense of time and place without going overboard or harming the pace of the plot. Miranda felt very much like an historical character, not a contemporary teen in costume.
Finally, this is, hands down, the BEST EDITED indie book I've ever read, including some by that had been agent represented but were riddled with homophone errors. Kudos to the author for that.
I love fantasy that doesn't take itself too seriously, and enjoyed this immensely. What's especially engaging about the story is the characters' relationships, which felt very real, especially Mark's relationships with and his sister and his best friend.
The method for time travel was unusual and cool, and with enough technical obstacles built in that I could buy in to the fiction. If in Dune they can "fold space" using drugs, why not time travel with alchemy? I really enjoyed the historic details, which were worked in deftly, giving a real sense of time and place without going overboard or harming the pace of the plot. Miranda felt very much like an historical character, not a contemporary teen in costume.
Finally, this is, hands down, the BEST EDITED indie book I've ever read, including some by that had been agent represented but were riddled with homophone errors. Kudos to the author for that.
January 18, 2016
Screwing up Time has a great YA feel. The time traveling is superbly described, in my opinion. I felt as though I understood exactly how a traveler might feel (although the best description is towards the end of the book). The characters are all well-developed but their stories aren’t thrown in the face of the reader. Instead aspects of their characters are slowly revealed and I think the author did a great job in the timing of the glimpses we get. The mysteries had me on edge trying to figure them out before finding out through reading further. I was slightly frustrated that the first third of the book seemed to be a little slow but it really picked up. It was such a great experience, I kept thinking of the movie Timeline but for kids. I definitely would recommend this for middle school and up.
I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.
***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***
I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.
***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***
July 29, 2015
Keller's writing style is immediately immersive. I could easily have mistaken this for the diary of a real high school kid, if not for the whole time travel thing. Each character is complete with his or her own personality, idiosyncrasies, and relationships. It particularly struck me when at one point Mark mentions how the medieval-era castle is much filthier and more unpleasant that movies like Lord of the Rings would have us believe. Keller captures the essence of the era, and it's clear that she's done her research and is very passionate about the history here.
The story is nothing groundbreaking, but it's a page-turner nonetheless. I fell in love with Mark and Miranda right away, and didn't want to put the book down until I saw them reunited. Go ahead and read the first chapter -- you'll see what I mean.
The story is nothing groundbreaking, but it's a page-turner nonetheless. I fell in love with Mark and Miranda right away, and didn't want to put the book down until I saw them reunited. Go ahead and read the first chapter -- you'll see what I mean.
July 1, 2013
This isn't the first book that's been written about time travel, but Keller's vivid descriptions certainly give the concept a colorful new spin. Her characters are flesh-and-blood believable, and their adventures, exciting. What's more, their travels through time enable this sneaky writer to (gasp!) educate by lifting historical tidbits from the dusty pages of school textbooks, and making them come alive. I highly recommend this book for young readers. Heck, I recommend it for anyone. It's been a while since anyone accused me of being young, but I loved it. Great characters, great story... hey, what are you waiting for? Stop reading this review, and order the book already!
February 20, 2015
*Easy read*
*Great characters (and character back stories)*
*Interesting mystery*
*Well written*
*Highly recommend*
I didn't read the full description before I read it so I was pleasantly surprised at every turn. The story pulled me in immediately and easily. The style is very simply but the story has many layers of history and mystery to it. I really enjoyed reading this. There are no lags in the story-line. I couldn't put it down. All I did was eat, sleep, and read. I needed to uncover the mystery.
*Great characters (and character back stories)*
*Interesting mystery*
*Well written*
*Highly recommend*
I didn't read the full description before I read it so I was pleasantly surprised at every turn. The story pulled me in immediately and easily. The style is very simply but the story has many layers of history and mystery to it. I really enjoyed reading this. There are no lags in the story-line. I couldn't put it down. All I did was eat, sleep, and read. I needed to uncover the mystery.
December 14, 2012
Really enjoyed this book. It caputure my attention right from the start and kept it til the end.
The characters are real - sibling fighting. Hidden love. Crazy grandfather. What family doesn't sound like this?
A little predictable in some parts, but it didn't matter because the book just keeps on moving.
Even though there is a 2nd book this one could be a stand alone which is refreshing in it's self.
The characters are real - sibling fighting. Hidden love. Crazy grandfather. What family doesn't sound like this?
A little predictable in some parts, but it didn't matter because the book just keeps on moving.
Even though there is a 2nd book this one could be a stand alone which is refreshing in it's self.
December 21, 2012
I would go 3.5 out of 4.
Mark is a high school senior whose super smart but doesn't really try. When a young woman appears in his room claiming to be from the middle ages and a castle in England, he questions his sanity then is convinced it's all real. The problems are in getting people, especially his family, to believe him and finding a way to go back in time to save his damsel in distress from an evil alchemist. As he investigates, he uncovers some serious family issues.
Good YA entry.
Mark is a high school senior whose super smart but doesn't really try. When a young woman appears in his room claiming to be from the middle ages and a castle in England, he questions his sanity then is convinced it's all real. The problems are in getting people, especially his family, to believe him and finding a way to go back in time to save his damsel in distress from an evil alchemist. As he investigates, he uncovers some serious family issues.
Good YA entry.
October 17, 2014
What an incredible read. I couldn't put it down!! I immediately downloaded book 2!! I even loved the characters!!! What a great change if pace. I don't know why I waited so long to read it. Highly recommend!!!
October 2, 2013
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It's a fun read that has me interested in picking up the sequel.
March 11, 2014
Such an amazing fun adventure of time travel in male POV. One of my favs this year! Can't wait to read the 2nd book in the series.
January 11, 2015
I enjoyed this book. Time travel is not something I would normally read. But the characters kept me wanting to read more.
June 23, 2020
Embarrassingly bad. I was surprised by the the high ratings for dialog that was below the age of teenagers in the story. The hero, Henry, was as dimwitted as could be to the point he lacked logic and intelligence. This enabled one blunder after another to cause story setbacks, which allowed the story to continue for no good reason. I just wanted it to end but I saw it through just to give my opinion as i thought the story inane. But, you know, it’s just my opinion and others liked this book. Yes, it’s fantasy, but it’s bad fantasy.
November 8, 2016
Interesting YA time travel adventure narrated by and centered around a teenage boy.
March 27, 2012
This novel is very well written and engaging. As with all self published titles, I approach them with trepidation, but unlike so many others, this novel kept me involved throughout.
It takes a while to get used to Miranda’s speech patterns, but I was pleased that she sounded realistically medieval in that regard. The dialog as a whole was very realistic, and even the awkward interplay of modern day high school boy with little Lady from the dark ages worked on that inexplicable teen level.
The Plot, Characterization and Setting were well dispersed, so I was never left feeling as though I’d just read a useless paragraph of character or setting description and likewise never felt swept along by a raging torrent of the plot.
As for the downside, I was expecting for there to be more of the novel – which is entirely from Mark’s perspective – to be in the past. So my expectations led to a teensy bit of “are we there yet” syndrome.
There was only one point that didn’t truly work for me and that was that these two boys, both very well educated, didn’t seem to think about the fact that one of their plans (later in the book) to take a white powdery substance on a plane might end up with both of them in custody. It pulled me out of the book, but wasn’t so jarring that it was detrimental to the book.
Finally, a few times I felt myself slipping into memories of watching Wax Works II: Lost in time. But mostly that was just because I’d find myself thinking of Alexander Godunov whenever Peter was in the scene. The story itself was only similar in that time travel was involved and the movie went to a medieval time period. (Obviously this won’t bother you if you’re not one of the 12 people who have actually seen Waxwork II.)
What it boils down to is an amusing YA novel that was well written and enjoyable to read.
It takes a while to get used to Miranda’s speech patterns, but I was pleased that she sounded realistically medieval in that regard. The dialog as a whole was very realistic, and even the awkward interplay of modern day high school boy with little Lady from the dark ages worked on that inexplicable teen level.
The Plot, Characterization and Setting were well dispersed, so I was never left feeling as though I’d just read a useless paragraph of character or setting description and likewise never felt swept along by a raging torrent of the plot.
As for the downside, I was expecting for there to be more of the novel – which is entirely from Mark’s perspective – to be in the past. So my expectations led to a teensy bit of “are we there yet” syndrome.
There was only one point that didn’t truly work for me and that was that these two boys, both very well educated, didn’t seem to think about the fact that one of their plans (later in the book) to take a white powdery substance on a plane might end up with both of them in custody. It pulled me out of the book, but wasn’t so jarring that it was detrimental to the book.
Finally, a few times I felt myself slipping into memories of watching Wax Works II: Lost in time. But mostly that was just because I’d find myself thinking of Alexander Godunov whenever Peter was in the scene. The story itself was only similar in that time travel was involved and the movie went to a medieval time period. (Obviously this won’t bother you if you’re not one of the 12 people who have actually seen Waxwork II.)
What it boils down to is an amusing YA novel that was well written and enjoyable to read.
July 14, 2018
Screwing Up Time was a quick read. It’s been languishing in my Kindle account since July 9, 2014. (Yay, #ShelfLove!)
This YA novel has all the typical time travel tropes—the kid (Mark) who doesn’t know he can time travel, a little bit of romance (Miranda isn’t a name you see every day) and some evil dude (never trust Peter) trying to seize power.
The mystery behind time travel and its connection to the Montgomerys in Screwing Up Time did catch my attention. The family is keeping a memory from the main character, Mark, and it involves a grandfather locked up in an mental hospital. Oh, family secrets that include a medical mystery and attempted murder! It’s like a soap opera!
I quite enjoyed the pop culture references. I’m almost certain that if I traveled in time, I would be referencing the catalog of books and movies I’ve read and watched if I were thrown back in time. I’m pretty sure that Braveheart is an accurate depiction of how to live in Scotland and Robin Hood: Princes of Thieves is a good reference point for surviving in England, right?
Definitely give Screwing Up Time a shot. Fans of time travel novels will enjoy the familiarity of the tropes and hopefully be intrigued by the big family secret and the ultimate reveal. In the meantime, I’m off to read more time travel novels and watch more historical movies just in case, you know, I get transported back in time.
This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews
This YA novel has all the typical time travel tropes—the kid (Mark) who doesn’t know he can time travel, a little bit of romance (Miranda isn’t a name you see every day) and some evil dude (never trust Peter) trying to seize power.
The mystery behind time travel and its connection to the Montgomerys in Screwing Up Time did catch my attention. The family is keeping a memory from the main character, Mark, and it involves a grandfather locked up in an mental hospital. Oh, family secrets that include a medical mystery and attempted murder! It’s like a soap opera!
I quite enjoyed the pop culture references. I’m almost certain that if I traveled in time, I would be referencing the catalog of books and movies I’ve read and watched if I were thrown back in time. I’m pretty sure that Braveheart is an accurate depiction of how to live in Scotland and Robin Hood: Princes of Thieves is a good reference point for surviving in England, right?
Definitely give Screwing Up Time a shot. Fans of time travel novels will enjoy the familiarity of the tropes and hopefully be intrigued by the big family secret and the ultimate reveal. In the meantime, I’m off to read more time travel novels and watch more historical movies just in case, you know, I get transported back in time.
This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews
January 4, 2012
This book captured me from the first chapter. I warmed to Mark immediately. He was a well rounded character with flaws and a typical laziness that can only be attributed to teenage boys who aren't quite sure where they're headed. I loved it. I found him endearing and incredibly human. I also liked Mark's best friend, Brian. Every person in the world needs a friend like this - someone who refuses to give up on you. In my opinion, Mark's character is made better by Brian's influence and I loved the friendship between them.
Miranda took a while to grow on me, but I loved her tenacity. I look forward to seeing more of her in the coming sequel.
Aside from the magic of time travel, this book was incredibly real. What I mean is... the family situations for Mark and Brian, the tension between different characters, and the unspoken secrets from the past touched on very real human emotion. C. M. Keller captured these emotions with raw beauty.
The story was written with intelligence and style. The mystery carried me through, along with the constant surprises that popped out of the pages. Each chapter ending made you want to keep reading.
This is a well-written story with great pacing, real characters and an enticing mystery. I can highly recommend this book.
Miranda took a while to grow on me, but I loved her tenacity. I look forward to seeing more of her in the coming sequel.
Aside from the magic of time travel, this book was incredibly real. What I mean is... the family situations for Mark and Brian, the tension between different characters, and the unspoken secrets from the past touched on very real human emotion. C. M. Keller captured these emotions with raw beauty.
The story was written with intelligence and style. The mystery carried me through, along with the constant surprises that popped out of the pages. Each chapter ending made you want to keep reading.
This is a well-written story with great pacing, real characters and an enticing mystery. I can highly recommend this book.
May 18, 2012
I adored this book. The author did a great job of setting up the premise, making it believable (and it can't be easy with time travel, psych wards, and alchemy involved), and populating her book with smart, funny characters. The sibling relationship just sang with honesty, and I loved the way she portrayed the castle time period, it was gritty and dank. Not to mention the Grandfather in the Psych Ward-- ooh, he was a delightfully frightening character.
I read a traditionally published book to my son about kids and time travel in the last year, and since we're still being honest here, this book was SO MUCH BETTER. The other book had huge gaps in logic, and was one of those books that strings you along the whole time, gives you no real resolution, and then sets up the next book. I've become really aggravated with these kinds of books lately: the ones that feel like they're forcing you to buy the next book in a series.
Screwing up Time had a complete and very satisfying story arc. Of course not every single loose end was tied up-- I don't believe all books should be stand alone-- but there was the satisfaction of knowing this story was finished, and the journey of these characters at this time was over.
I read a traditionally published book to my son about kids and time travel in the last year, and since we're still being honest here, this book was SO MUCH BETTER. The other book had huge gaps in logic, and was one of those books that strings you along the whole time, gives you no real resolution, and then sets up the next book. I've become really aggravated with these kinds of books lately: the ones that feel like they're forcing you to buy the next book in a series.
Screwing up Time had a complete and very satisfying story arc. Of course not every single loose end was tied up-- I don't believe all books should be stand alone-- but there was the satisfaction of knowing this story was finished, and the journey of these characters at this time was over.
October 25, 2015
Cute YA time travel story, cute but not sappy. Maybe not even cute but I have a bulk-lot of teenagers in my life and when they are not annoying me to distraction they are kind of "cute".
Same feel to the book. Story has elements of romance but more adventure driven by promise of future romance. Told from Mark's point of view and comprised of buddies Mark and Brian on a quest to save damsel in distress who Mark is "in love" with, only she is from the past. Now how can I not call that cute??!
Same feel to the book. Story has elements of romance but more adventure driven by promise of future romance. Told from Mark's point of view and comprised of buddies Mark and Brian on a quest to save damsel in distress who Mark is "in love" with, only she is from the past. Now how can I not call that cute??!
March 10, 2014
I really enjoyed Screwing Up Time! I easily connected with the characters and the family dynamic was interesting and unique. I rooted for Mark and Miranda and so many of the other characters. The historical aspect was a great touch and believable. The story has a little bit of everything, mystery, romance, history, and more. Great read. I'll definitely read the next books in the series!
August 15, 2011
Really great book. Characters are fun and clever, plot-line is intricate but not unwelcoming, and the setting is just really great!
April 16, 2013
As time travel stories goes, this one was certainly different. It was an enjoyable read but I detected 4 errors.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews