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Timecatcher
The old Dublin Button Factory hides a secret. There, Jessie meets a boy who walks through walls but can't remember his own name, and discovers the Timecatcher, a swirling, powerful Magic, which every seven years reveals the past, both good and bad, in a jumble of days. The Timecatcher is about to open now, and there are those who will go to any lengths to control it. Jessie and her friends - both ghosts and human - must stop them, before it's too late. A fast-paced ghostly adventure, sparkling with humour and heart.
- GenresFantasy
255 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 16, 2009
1 person is currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
37 books43 followersI am an illustrator and a writer. I create picturebooks for kids and write novels – middle grade and YA. I love to travel but, so far, my books have travelled more than me - they've been translated into many languages, including Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Persian and Finish.
I'm Irish, a Dubliner, born, bred and buttered. I run on coffee and chocolate. My most recent novel, On Midnight Beach, is a YA reimagining of the legend of Cúchulainn, and it has been shortlisted for several awards, including the 2021 Carnegie Medal.
I'm Irish, a Dubliner, born, bred and buttered. I run on coffee and chocolate. My most recent novel, On Midnight Beach, is a YA reimagining of the legend of Cúchulainn, and it has been shortlisted for several awards, including the 2021 Carnegie Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 20, 2017
A ghost story
September 21, 2019
Good story for kids with a penchant for ghosts and adventure.
July 21, 2022
I loved this book, I only got it because of the cover but didn't expect it to be an amazing read. A book that I'll definitely reread, happy ending, and I love ghost stories!
October 2, 2011
Disclaimer—Marie-Louise is a dear friend and one of the loveliest people I know. She's been a picture book artist and writer for many years, and this is her first junior novel. I'm not even going to pretend to be unbiased—I loved this book and read it in one sitting on a rainy Sunday afternoon with my cats playing tag-team on my lap and a couple of small squares of home-made chocolate fudge to hand. Perfect reading conditions, in other words.
But friendship and personal admiration aside, I really did love this book. It's a classic adventure novel, with ghosts and a type of time travel, but also with a slightly darker contemporary edge. Set in the old mill building where Marie-Louise had her artist's studio for many years, it's the story of 12 year old Jessie, recently moved to Dublin after the death of her father, who stumbles across a bead factory with her dress-designer/maker mother. The bead factory turns out to be a front for a couple of private detectives, who are actually investigating paranormal activity in the building in the shape of a mysterious portal at the top of four steps that lead to a brick wall—and a couple of ghosts.
One of these ghosts is the enormous Greenwood, who was hanged on the site of the building in 1201 and has been trying ever since to solve the riddle of the Timecatcher (a kind of vortex behind the portal where time past continues on), which he accidentally opened before his death.
The other ghost is that of G, a boy about Jessie's age, who died in an accident in the abandoned mill building some forgotten years earlier. G can't remember who he was, which he puts down to the head injury sustained in the accident. G quite likes being a ghost, but is frustrated by his inability to leave the confines of the mill, and remains angry with the friends who left him to die.
Add to the mix the evil spirit of a man hanged alongside Greenwood who is determined to re-enter the Timecatcher and steal the source of its power, chuck in a bit of Viking mythology, a great big whack of Irish history, all in the hands of a writer with great control over her narrative (voice and rather complicated plot) and you end up with a terrifically fast-paced but also intellectually challenging plot for smart kid readers (and others). Enjoy. And think of my friend M-L!
But friendship and personal admiration aside, I really did love this book. It's a classic adventure novel, with ghosts and a type of time travel, but also with a slightly darker contemporary edge. Set in the old mill building where Marie-Louise had her artist's studio for many years, it's the story of 12 year old Jessie, recently moved to Dublin after the death of her father, who stumbles across a bead factory with her dress-designer/maker mother. The bead factory turns out to be a front for a couple of private detectives, who are actually investigating paranormal activity in the building in the shape of a mysterious portal at the top of four steps that lead to a brick wall—and a couple of ghosts.
One of these ghosts is the enormous Greenwood, who was hanged on the site of the building in 1201 and has been trying ever since to solve the riddle of the Timecatcher (a kind of vortex behind the portal where time past continues on), which he accidentally opened before his death.
The other ghost is that of G, a boy about Jessie's age, who died in an accident in the abandoned mill building some forgotten years earlier. G can't remember who he was, which he puts down to the head injury sustained in the accident. G quite likes being a ghost, but is frustrated by his inability to leave the confines of the mill, and remains angry with the friends who left him to die.
Add to the mix the evil spirit of a man hanged alongside Greenwood who is determined to re-enter the Timecatcher and steal the source of its power, chuck in a bit of Viking mythology, a great big whack of Irish history, all in the hands of a writer with great control over her narrative (voice and rather complicated plot) and you end up with a terrifically fast-paced but also intellectually challenging plot for smart kid readers (and others). Enjoy. And think of my friend M-L!
February 24, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. it wasn't the best i've read, but all in all an excellent story.
Set in Ireland, we follow a young girl who discovers the secret of the Dublin Button factory. inside is the timecatcher, a strange vortex which only opens once every seven years, which shows you any day in time. It is guarded by the ghost of the man who accidentally opened the vortex several hundred years ago, but another ghost is determined to harness the powers of the timecatcher and use it for his own gain.
There is a lot to keep you reading in this book, lots of twists and turns. the characters aren't the best i've read, but still entertaining enough. there are several mysteries to this book that are really enticing, so it's worth a read!
Set in Ireland, we follow a young girl who discovers the secret of the Dublin Button factory. inside is the timecatcher, a strange vortex which only opens once every seven years, which shows you any day in time. It is guarded by the ghost of the man who accidentally opened the vortex several hundred years ago, but another ghost is determined to harness the powers of the timecatcher and use it for his own gain.
There is a lot to keep you reading in this book, lots of twists and turns. the characters aren't the best i've read, but still entertaining enough. there are several mysteries to this book that are really enticing, so it's worth a read!
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April 20, 2013I loved reading this book and couldn't put it down. I was a bit sad when I had it finished
August 17, 2014
The Timecatchers was a nice, and easy read. It's a great middle-grade book and I would definitely recommend it.
October 19, 2015
Really good! And the cover is soooo perty!
The only thing I didn't like about the story was how the villain talked. If I read the word "ratty-boy" one more time, I just might go insane.
The only thing I didn't like about the story was how the villain talked. If I read the word "ratty-boy" one more time, I just might go insane.
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October 13, 2015BEST BOOK EVER!!!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews