For All Time

Time Travelers #4

by Caroline B. Cooney

Annie Lockwood is testing Time. She’s traveled through it before, but always at Time’s bidding. Now she is asking Time to take her to the year 1899, when Strat is in Cairo. But Time doesn’t like to be tested. In what feels like a cruel joke, Annie is transported to ancient Egypt, thousands of years before Strat was born — to a world far removed from the one she knows. Meanwhile, in 1899, Strat is photographing the same pyramids that Annie walks among. But while Strat eagerly awaits Annie’s arrival, another visitor his father, Hiram Stratton, Sr., has come to Egypt to collect his son.
Powerless, Annie and Strat both look to Time. Can its force, which brought them together once, help them find each other again?

Genres: Time Travel, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction

263 pages, Hardcover

First published October 9, 2001

About the author

Caroline Cooney knew in sixth grade that she wanted to be a writer when "the best teacher I ever had in my life" made writing her main focus. "He used to rip off covers from The New Yorker and pass them around and make us write a short story on whichever cover we got. I started writing then and never stopped!"
When her children were young, Caroline started writing books for young people -- with remarkable results. She began to sell stories to Seventeen magazine and soon after began writing books. Suspense novels are her favorites to read and write. "In a suspense novel, you can count on action."
To keep her stories realistic, Caroline visits many schools outside of her area, learning more about teenagers all the time. She often organizes what she calls a "plotting game," in which students work together to create plots for stories. Caroline lives in Westbrook, Connecticut and when she's not writing she volunteers at a hospital, plays piano for the school musicals and daydreams!
- Scholastic.com

Reviews

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annie Lockwood is a time traveler and she's yearning for her beloved, Strat. The only problem: Strat's in Egypt 100 years in the past (1899). She pleads with Time to send her back to Egypt so they can be together. Life is never that easy, as Annie soon learns, and Time transports her to Ancient Egypt. Will she and Strat ever be together?

In a brilliant conclusion to Caroline B. Cooney's time-travel series, For All Time is a gem. While this is book four in the series, it can be read as a stand alone novel. It's fast-paced plot will appeal to any reader, young and old, and there are many intriguing characters. The descriptive narration (especially in Ancient Egypt) was so vivid I got sand in my hair. *smiles*

Whether you enjoy young adult and/or historical novels, you'll love this book! I have to go back and read the rest of the series.

My Rating: 5+ stars

This review first appeared here: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/

[Jordan R · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. I've got two major complaints though. One, the two main characters were separated the entire time except for at the very end. And in the end, they didn't end up together. She ends up with some guy who has the same last name and looks just like him that she meets randomly in a museum. Sure. That makes sense. Anyway, it was pretty good though, still.

[Victorianromantic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the satisfying ending I imagined for this series, but good writing all the same.

[Kayla Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Until running across one completely by accident a few weeks ago, I had completely forgotten these books existed. This is surprising since I was completely obsessed with them in middle school. I have always been a history buff so any tale where the heroine gets to travel back in time is right up my alley. I am no longer as smitten as I was back then (though middle school me is glaring over my shoulder demanding a 5 star review) but I still enjoyed this series.

This time around, I found myself a little disgusted with Annie and her passive, whiny nature. It feels as though she always needs someone else (or Time) to push her into action or make her decisions for her. She even openly admits wanting someone else to call the shots on several occasions. The other characters, however, completely make up for her wishy-washy nature. They step up to the plate and take control of their own destinies in a time when they should simply keep their mouths shut and do as they're told. I love it. And, by the end of the series, I was beginning to warm back up to Annie too.

All in all, I still enjoy these books!

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this up because I couldn't just read 3 out of 4 books in a series and stop. Well I should have. It wasn't nearly as charming as the other three and the plot seemed to be all over the place. Still good for some nostalgic middle schoolish reading though.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good conclusion to the series! I enjoyed the character development and the ending. Dared but worth reading. 3.5 stars

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a good final installment. Took a weird direction by suddenly careening into ancient Egypt and referencing Verdi operas, but I think it works, though it's very different from the rest of the series.

I can't decide if I like the ending, though. It's very perplexing. Is Lockwood Stratton somehow the same as Strat? Are they somehow the same person transplanted through time? They seem to share their lived experiences, though being 100 years apart, but what? Because they're also great-grandnephew and great-uncle to each other? I feel like I just need to nod my head and go along because this is too nebulous to untangle.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore the Time Travel Quartet by Caroline B. Cooney. I've been looking for this last book for about a year and a half now and finally discovered it at a library book sale for fifty cents. What a steal for a day's worth of borderline-trashy teen entertainment! The very end of the book was a bit of a disappointment, but I think I'll live. Totally worth my effort.

[Lindsay Crandall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally posted on Tsundokuholic.

Pre-Reread Thoughts

Back again for another Caroline B. Cooney romp, and the FINAL novel of the Time Traveler’s Quartet. Remember how the last time we saw Strat he was heading to Egypt with his two friends from the mental hospital? Well, Annie is set on finding him but somehow manages to fall back to ancient Egypt. Strat, working on excavations in Egypt…well, I forget, but I think he’s pulled back by time too? Maybe he hears her calling through the ages? We can assume it’s something like that. The book ended on a somewhat open-ended note, which bothered me to no end as a kid, but I have since found out that Cooney intended to continue the series but her publisher refused, or something. Probably cuz Annie and Strat suck.

Will Annie still be a completely awful human being? Will Strat still be an idiot? Will his hare-lipped friend and mentally disabled friend from the previous novel be written out cuz they aren’t pretty? Let’s find out!

Childhood Rating: 5 out of 5 anachronistic details

Post-Reread Thoughts

It’s 1999 and Annie Lockwood’s idiot mother just remarried Annie’s dumbass father. Remember how Dad cheated on Mom with his coworker, but Dad wanted to be with both the co-worker and Mom? Well sometime in there I guess the parents divorced and now Annie’s mom is taking dad back cuz of course you take back a person who’s only with you cuz his mistress wasn’t satisfied with having to share him. Andddd this book is off to a fabulous start! With her parents away on a four-day honeymoon, Annie decides to take advantage of the lack of parental supervision to go to an Egyptian exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see a photo of an 1899 excavation, hoping Strat will be in the picture. Annie cements her place in my mind as being The Worst when she thinks about how much she usually hates museum trips because they’re boring, and I wanna punch her cuz The Met is one of my favorite places. God Annie, sorry that not everything in life has to do with hot sexy boys being in love with you, deal with it. So, she puts on a hideous bridesmaid dress (why does she have all these period semi-appropriate dresses laying around?) and heads to NYC. At the museum, she rushes to the exhibit, pushes by a boy who is also looking at the photo and finds that Strat is not in the picture. Feeling foolish, she’s all “Oh Strat!”, and the boy she pushed is like “Yeah?” DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN…

In 1899, Strat is in Egypt, haunted by recurring nightmares of being buried alive in a tomb. He’s been photographing excavations with archaeologist Dr. Lightner. He sends money to Katie, the girl from the asylum, but knows she wants love more than money. Unfortunately for everyone, there’s a description of how Strat’s heart is dead and desiccated like a mummy and I want to poke my eyes out. For some reason, Strat’s come to the conclusion that since a new century is about to begin he only has until midnight on December 31, 1899 to travel through time and find Annie. It’s silly.

Camilla Mateusz, a Polish girl whose hardworking father was murdered, dresses as a man to make a living in 1899. After Hiram Stratton, Sr., burned down one of his mills while her father was still inside, her mother and six siblings struggle to get by. She finds a job with a private detective agency looking for a man to masquerade as a woman to get information on unfaithful wives. She’s a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman. It’s silly. When her boss assigns her to find Strat on Hiram Stratton, Sr.’s command, Camilla jumps at the chance to thwart a happy reunion for the man who killed her father. She travels to Spain where Katie is working at a hospital for lepers and refuses to believe the kind and generous picture Katie paints of Strat. Camilla is sure the son must be as dastardly as the father, and plans to head to Egypt. Once there she introduces herself to Dr. Lightner, claiming to be interested in writing an article on his work.

In ancient Egypt, 14-year-old Renifer, Princess Meresankh’s handmaiden, is excited about her upcoming marriage to the handsome Pankh, a royal wharf supervisor. Her father Pen-Meru, like Thomas Boleyn, has loftier aspirations for his daughter now that she’s earned the favor of the princess. He intends to end Renifer’s engagement to Pankh in the hopes that the Pharaoh Khufu will become smitten with her. Pankh overhears this exchange and threatens Renifer’s father with a statue of the lion goddess Sekhmet. Renifer’s father backs down, but the confrontation shakes Renifer, who feels there is more going on than her father and fiancé have told her.

Annie quickly realizes that 1999 Strat doesn’t recognize her, informing her that 1899 Strat took the photo and wanting to know how Annie knows about 1899 Strat. He says his name is Lockwood Stratton, and he is Devonny’s great-grandson…which…why is his last name Stratton, then? Anyway, he says he’s there researching his great-uncle, but Annie is still convinced this boy is her Strat. As they lunch together in the museum, Annie feels the tugging of Time threatening to pull her back into its depths. She materializes not in 1899 Egypt, but ancient Egypt, appearing right in front of Renifer and Pankh while they’re on a hot date on the Nile. The couple immediately think Annie’s a lost spirit and Pankh utters the name of the late queen. When they see Annie’s light skin, they realize she’s not a queen, but possibly a slave. Pankh wants to leave Annie in the river, but Renifer insists on pulling Annie into the boat and giving her food and drink. Annie gobbles down whatever Renifer hands her and then takes a nap. Falling through time never made her ravenously hungry or sleepy before so it’s odd to me that, having turned up God knows where, she immediately chomps down food handed to her by strangers and passes out in their boat. Like, girl, if you wake up missing a limb it’s your own damn fault. Renifer bribes Annie with her newest jewelry (which father tells her not to wear often to hide his success) and dresses her in Egyptian garb. She has a wonderful dinner with Renifer’s family, notices Renifer’s dad making dagger-eyes at Pankh, and can’t wait to tell Strat all she’s seen.

Strat, still firmly in 1899, unwittingly discovers the tomb of Hetepheres, the queen whom Pankh called to when Annie appeared. Excitement over the tomb’s discovery dampens when they find it seems to have been looted. All that remains is the sarcophagus, heavy furniture, and a solitary decorative sandal. Camilla notices someone must have worn it because the sole is scraped, and she and Dr. Lightner flirt a bit and it’s boring. Later, in the hubbub surrounding the discovery, Camilla steals the golden slipper and plants it in Strat’s belongings. In all this time, after speaking with him, reading his selfless notes to Katie, seeing his lack of material objects, the dolt still can’t put together that Strat is nothing like his father. She’s still bent on revenge against Hiram Stratton, Sr. She knows Strat will be left to die in an Egyptian prison and will never reunite with his father once the sandal is discovered. Camilla’s misguided view of Strat is brought crumbling down when Hiram Stratton, Sr. arrives at the party Dr. Lightner invited her to, proclaiming his intention to take Strat back to America to be incarcerated. Camilla finally sees how her bias clouded her judgment of Strat

Renifer tells Pankh to take her and Annie to the pyramids, as Annie’s been gesturing to them and probably wants to see them. Annie is astonished at the gorgeous architecture, not at all like the ruins of the pyramids in 1999. Renifer sees a temple priest acting strangely, running away and covering his face. Soon after they see blood and two temple police, badly wounded, appear and say the name of Renifer’s father. Pankh takes out his dagger and Renifer is proud that her fiancé is brave enough to go after the attackers, until he straight up murders the police. In the tomb is her father, who thanks Pankh, and Renifer realizes they are tomb robbers. Pankh and Pen-Meru conspire to tell Pharaoh that they caught the tomb robbers and are moving his mother’s body and belongings to the tomb. They plan to have a grand ceremony of reburial and give Annie to the Pharaoh as a gift, all to distract him from analyzing the situation too closely and discovering their guilt.

Annie dresses in fine clothes and GOLD SANDALS, carried on a sedan with Renifer. Renifer gestures to Annie to be silent, and Annie smiles and nods, and Renifer also shows her not to smile. Renifer sings and performs rites while Pharaoh admires Annie and her pale skin. Pharaoh then decides to place Annie in his mother’s tomb to serve her for eternity and commands Renifer to be Annie’s escort. Everyone has seen how Annie’s enamored with everything gold so they bedeck her in beautiful jewelry to keep her ignorant of what awaits. Since Annie is a materialistic beauty-obsessed airhead, she falls for it. Like the moron she is, Annie’s disappointed when she’s lowered into the tomb and sees no gold. When she looks back, she sees rocks lowered into the shaft to the tomb, sealing her and Renifer inside for all eternity.

Will Camilla be able to help Strat escape his father’s clutches? Will Annie and Renifer escape the tomb? Will Annie and Strat ever interact in this book about their love? A love built up over the course of like, three days spread across centuries. What if they wind up together and, spending more than a handful of scattered hours together, realize they’re actually not that into each other? Okay, maybe I’m getting a little too deep.

I like this book way more than the previous Annie/Strat adventures for a few reasons. First, instead of only getting third person narratives about Annie and Strat, we have chapters focusing on Camilla and Renifer. This means less time listening to how much Annie and Strat love each other and fantasize about each other. Less of hearing Annie pitying all the ugly girls and admiring her own beauty. Less of Strat’s self-loathing. Even his self-loathing was less off-putting this time because instead of hating himself for loving Annie over Harriet, he hated himself for abandoning Katie to pursue his own pleasures. In fact, instead of thinking of Annie, he thinks of Katie most of the time! Not because he’s in love with her, but rather because he appreciates what a kind person she is and he wants to do right by her. Secondly, including ancient Egypt as another setting in this novel reinvigorated the series. There’s something more sinister about a Pharaoh who can seal you in a tomb forever than a bloated captain of industry who wants to put you in prison. Third, the Annie/Strat interaction is minimal, so there’s less of them mooning over each other and being gross as hell. Maybe Cooney had complaints about all these things, learned from it, and avoided those points in this novel. One can hope. The ending left me wanting more, but then I remembered the first two books in the series and was like, “Nope, this if a fine ending”.

Adulthood Rating: 3 out 5 golden sandals

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

The weirdest of the books, but with the best writing. I didn’t like that Annie didn’t go back to Strat’s time. The boy in the museum was a weird twist, but in middle school I thought it was the COOLEST MOST ROMANTIC THING EVER!

Overall, this one is a solid read with a unique plot.

[Donnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where the first book of this series felt, at times, that a story was being stretched to fill space, this book felt jammed packed with adventure. Talk about your sweeping canvas--a tale with three settings, in three different time periods, yet all linked to two people and Ancient Egypt.

We are there in Ancient Egypt and get a real sense of the dangerous, scary, sunbaked place it was. Also, nice twist to have travelers--from different times--meet in a third time. Still, though, there would be the attitudes formed by what ever time we came from. There would also be the chance, however, that you and your fellow traveler might carve out a space where you would both belong equally or be equal as outsiders.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last four books that I've finished have been Cooney books, so sorry Cooney, but this review will be brief. Basically, I liked that this book is about Annie and Strat again. I like the locations of Ancient Egypt, 1899 Egypt, and 1999 at the Egypt exhibit in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Very clever. I like the ending and the way it ties together the loose ends of the series. Well done, Cooney.
All in all, I recommend this book and this series, but I would skip the third book. It doesn't seem to matter as much to the continuous plot, and the events in the third book don't bear any relevance to the fourth book. It was my least favorite of the four.

[Chelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everything was good in the beginning, with great build up, and I liked the new characters and happy happy but the end WAS TERRIBLE...it was so completely pointless and I was indescribably UNhappy. It was almost like I wanted to undo reading the first one because, like I said, POINTLESS

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

a surprising ending for the serie but very good indeed.

[Gracie Reynolds · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not really that interesting. It was kind of boring in some parts. Also it kept going to place to place and kept loosing me.

[Colleen Flaherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book itself was actually fine, way better than the last one. Unfortunately, it was a really terrible conclusion to the series. Frankly, it just seems like there were going to be more books but the author got sick of it.

Just to give you a taste, the male lead is still being pursued by his evil father, has just joined up with an English garrison to fight in the Boer War, lost the last connection he had to the woman he loved right before she disappeared after he asked to marry her and still needs talks about seeking redemption for a completely different reason. So many loose threads.

[Feather · Rating 4 out of 5]

After all these years, this is still my favorite of the series.

Time is unpredictable, it won’t always give us what we want, but what we need instead.

Annie and Strat are once again separated by time, a couple thousand years. Annie in the past and Strat in his own time.

Stratton Sr is once more on a mission to get Strat back in his clutches by any means necessary.

The ending is both sad and happy.

[Sierra · Rating 1 out of 5]

I understand Cooney wanted to make this series five novels and not four, but knowing what the publishers wanted, I wish she had ended it in a better way! I know Lockwood was Strat, but it's a bummer that she didn't write it to give us more insight on what happened to him.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. There were too many points of view that were focused on. I understand why it was done, but I didn’t really enjoy that. I was sad to read that he didn’t recognize her, but happy that they still found each other.

[Alexis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mean, there's an ambiguous ending and then there's a story that's so confused that the ending doesn't really make sense and the consensus is to call it ambiguous to avoid further headache.

[Kittynelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good ending to a good time traveling series! I usually like things a little more tied up, you do get the general sense of the series ending.

[Liralen · Rating 4 out of 5]

And we've reached book 4, in which Annie tries to fall back a century to find Strat again...but instead finds herself falling far, far father back. Back to ancient Egypt, where she doesn't speak the language or understand the culture and where the locals are not always convinced that she is human. Where tomb robbing is called tomb robbing rather than archeological expeditions...and she finds herself in a tomb at risk of being robbed.

I remember, vaguely, finding this one in the bookstore (Borders, probably?) when I was 13. This was back before it was easy to find information about upcoming books on the Internet, so when a new book from one of your favorite series spontaneously showed up at the bookstore, it felt like an unexpected Christmas. I bought this in hardcover, and I adored it. Cooney is working with a number of storylines here, which overlap in various ways: there's Annie, of course, landing in ancient Egypt; there's Katie, who is living and working at a hospital for people with Hansen's disease (at the time called leprosy); there's Camilla, a young Polish-American woman struggling to support her family after the death of her father; and there's Renifer, an Egyptian girl whose expectations of life are about to be upended by revelations about her father and her fiancé. Plus, of course, smaller story strands about Strat and so on (but we don't care that much about Strat).

Now...per usual, Annie's story is the least interesting of the bunch. She doesn't do much here: she romanticizes life in the late 1800s and early 1900s; she mopes about hoping to run away from her life for the sake of romance; she flails and stumbles and sweats when she lands in Egypt. On the other hand, I kind of love this for her; I love that we see Annie thinking she's managing and then Renifer and her cohort looking at her and going 'uh, nope'. (Annie also somehow forgets certain things: "Tell me everything," said Annie. Tell me about your life, and Devonny, and Harriett and Katie and what happened and where everybody is and all that."* Umm, Annie...? Harriett is dead. And you were there when it happened. Is your little romance really so important that you've forgotten all that?

I still love the book: I like Camilla and would read something longer about her; seeing Renifer grow is also pretty fascinating. But rereading this series as an adult, it's also clearer to me where the books fail readers; as noted about the previous books, the level of fatphobia is...it's high. I won't quote it, but there are multiple detailed descriptions of how grotesque Hiram Stratton is in his fatness. Although it's a relatively small proportion of the book—and it's in line with how fiction was talking about fatness in the 90s/early 2000s—it's troublesome enough that I'd be reluctant to recommend the series to a lot of YA readers now.

*Library ebook does not have useful page numbers, alas

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

actually 3.5 stars
I was intrigued by the synopsis of this story, thinking it would be a lighter and less wordy approach of an Outlander story. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE those books, but I don’t always have the 2 days free to pleasure read 1000 pages, even though I have read each of the released books at least 6 times. I love the idea of time travel, and the added bonus of being able to direct where you go is intriguing and gives a sense of control to the characters. So I was excited to read this story, assuming that information from the earlier books wouldn’t be as important as this was a whole new leg in the adventure.

Fortunately, I was mostly right in that thought: the character’s relationships and backstories were integrated into the current plot through memories and information, without feeling particularly overwhelming. Annie is learning that she isn’t in control of time, and that often the desires that are most deeply held are not the wishes granted. For his part, Strat is trying to navigate the often cutthroat and heartless world of Victorian exploration, while trying to avoid his father and his expectations.

For the most part, I found the story engaging with plenty of unique insets that presented historical information from early Egypt as well as Victorian era Egypt from an Englishman’s perspective. While the story did jump time streams and perspectives often, it was an issue that quickly became part of the story and helped to fuel the tension. For there were tense moments, especially when the author dealt with the underhanded treasure hunters and adventurers, and Strat’s constant desire to avoid his father at all costs. I won’t comment to the ending, for I feel that it was one of those some will love, some will hate situations, even if I did think that it worked well.

This is a story that is well suited to a younger teen reader, and if they start with the earlier books in the series: although the jumping perspectives and time frames may cause some issues with those who aren’t willing to commit to a series read. It did manage to present information to pique interest in history and the other books without feeling teachy or overly complex. A good starter series to encourage interest in historical fiction, with or without the romance.

I received an eBook copy from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: al conclusions are my own responsibility.

[Amy Schmalbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book appears to be viewed as the weakest of the series, but I've always rather liked it. I love the ancient Egyptian setting that Annie finds herself in - it was very vividly portrayed by Cooney and I enjoyed the adventure. The action in this was well-paced and exciting. I also liked the new characters Renifer and Camilla - it was nice to get some fresh perspectives.

What also made this book enjoyable was the fact that Strat and Annie were separated for a good part of it, so there wasn't so much sappy, doe-eyed romance to slog through. I found the relationship between Camilla and the archaeologist to be a fun substitute and was definitely rooting for them.

I also loved the ending. It has stuck with me vividly since I first read it as a kid, and as as result has become the standard by which I judge the endings of other time-travel romances! It's very clever in that it's both hopeful and vague. Since the beginning of the series it has been pretty clear that Strat and Annie could never truly be together, as they both belong to different Times. Strat's fate is left to the reader to guess at, as he disappears into a sandstorm and Annie returns to her own Time, but there is a tantalizing detail Cooney leaves for the reader to decipher: Devonny's ancestor, the spitting image of Strat, has sand in his watch. Is he a reincarnation of Strat? Is he Strat somehow transported through Time, afflicted with amnesia, and gifted with a new identity? I don't know why exactly, but I found this ambiguity delightful and also very romantic.

I am pleased to find that a series that was in the hall of fame for me as a kid is still an enjoyable read as an adult!

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easily the worst of the four books. It's hard to write a story set in ancient Egypt given the degree of difference and limits of our knowledge and Cooney didn't really get there. None of the ancient Egyptian characters were relatable at all, so the plot moved forward through exposition. Even Annie and Strat have basically no chemistry in this one. Some of the side characters are kind of interesting, or are interesting in part. Camilla's role—a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman—feels a little tryhard but I enjoyed her interactions with Lightner. Lockwood Stratton is an interesting introduction but raises some sticky questions (is Annie ever going to tell him about Strat? Then what?). I guess I'd like to see where that goes. It's one of (by my count) five different plot strands that are all kind of neglected.

I liked these books as a teenager and they're easy to read, but this one particularly is really lacking in plot and emotional impact.

[Sandra Strange · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of a series concerning the time bending duo: contemporary teen, Annie Lockwood, and her true love, Strat. This novel combines time travel with 19th Century Egyptian archaeology with 2000 B.C. Egyptian culture and life with 19th Century robber baron ethics (or lack thereof). The story is an adventure romance. The female protagonist travels back to the 19th Century to find the boy she left behind after an earlier adventure. Meanwhile, the boy works on an archaeological dig in Egypt anonymously, trying to escape his predatory robber-baron-rich father. This book moves quickly and could be a little confusing to reluctant readers because of its skips back and forth in time, but shows educationally fascinating views, though somewhat stereotypical in both action and character, of both 19th Century and ancient Egypt. Positive and harmless.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story! I love historical fiction and the inclusion of the history of ancient Egypt adds a lot to an already fascinating time travel tale. Of the four books I think I like the 1st and 4th ones best. The character Camilla in this story really resonates with me (as we have something big in common: being 6 ft. tall). I know her pain, and I truly rejoiced for her later happiness.

I also love that there are good and honorable people in this book. Some of the others have really made you scorn humanity and its wickedness, but thank goodness not all people are that way and there actually are happy endings. Speaking of endings, I have a bunch of questions rolling around in my mind about the last page of the book. Normally I don't like having too much left up to my imagination, but in this case the ending was satisfying and I'm happy about it :) I totally recommend this story.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably would of liked it better if I had read the first three in the series but because it was on the shelf when I wanted a quick read - I read it before I discovered it was the 4th and last in a series.
That said, it tells the story of 2 people falling in and out of time and how their lives and loves are connected.
I think it is meant to be a YA book, heavy on romance and not really anywhere close to a 'science' fiction book abt time.
All in all - a good read for someone younger or more romantic than I am, but I would suggest starting with the first one.

[Nickie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so you know how at the end of book Strat tells Annie he is going to Egypt, but we the audience know he really takes Katie and goes to Spain? And it creates all the suspense about how Annie will never know what happened to him? Cause he didn't actually go to Egypt, so she is looking for records in the wrong place?? Well it is all for not. Cooney just wrote him into Egypt! Problem solved. Errrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Such bull. And then the end...so disappointing. Exactly why I was so hesitant to reread this series because I remembered from my childhood thinking that was a copout.