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Timebomb Trilogy #1
TimeBomb
New York City, 2141: Yojana Patel throws herself off a skyscraper, but never hits the ground.
Cornwall, 1640: gentle young Dora Predennick, newly come to Sweetclover Hall to work, discovers a badly-burnt woman at the bottom of a flight of stairs. When she reaches out to comfort the dying woman, she's knocked unconscious, only to wake, centuries later, in empty laboratory room.
On a rainy night in present-day Cornwall, seventeen-year-old Kaz Cecka sneaks into the long-abandoned Sweetclover Hall, determined to secure a dry place to sleep. Instead he finds a frightened housemaid who believes Charles I is king and an angry girl who claims to come from the future.
Thrust into the centre of an adventure that spans millennia, Dora, Kaz and Jana must learn to harness powers they barely understand to escape not only villainous Lord Sweetclover but the forces of a fanatical army... all the while staying one step ahead of a mysterious woman known only as Quil.
Cornwall, 1640: gentle young Dora Predennick, newly come to Sweetclover Hall to work, discovers a badly-burnt woman at the bottom of a flight of stairs. When she reaches out to comfort the dying woman, she's knocked unconscious, only to wake, centuries later, in empty laboratory room.
On a rainy night in present-day Cornwall, seventeen-year-old Kaz Cecka sneaks into the long-abandoned Sweetclover Hall, determined to secure a dry place to sleep. Instead he finds a frightened housemaid who believes Charles I is king and an angry girl who claims to come from the future.
Thrust into the centre of an adventure that spans millennia, Dora, Kaz and Jana must learn to harness powers they barely understand to escape not only villainous Lord Sweetclover but the forces of a fanatical army... all the while staying one step ahead of a mysterious woman known only as Quil.
336 pages, Paperback
First published October 9, 2014
7 people are currently reading
850 people want to read
About the author
Scott K. Andrews
21 books56 followersScott K. Andrews has written episode guides, magazine articles, film and book reviews, comics, computer games, audio plays for Big Finish, far too many blogs, some poems you will never read, and a whole bunch of novels. He's online at www.scottkandrews.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
March 24, 2016
Timebomb, the first book which I hope is not the last. A compelling and very gripping read, not only does it incorporate time traveling it has more than three people who can, wait more like a LOT of people. I was so EXICTED to be reading a time traveling novel after a very long time. Thinking back it was Tempest by Julie Cross. After reading Timebomb it is now one of the best time traveling books I have read it was just amazing.
Each character had a huge role to play in finding the curious Quil, each were distinct and different. And that's what I loved the most, that they all where different; Jana being a leader and a risk taker which isn't really 'her' it's programmed in to her, not making any sense? Read it and it'll become way more clear. Kaz, sweet and understanding and knows how to deal with situations, especially after he discovered he could time travel, then everything was exciting and like an adventure but then things got serious. And finally we have Dora the youngest of them all but the most challenging one, and at the end I was very happy with how things worked out for her or will work out. What I liked the most was how Scott had alternated the chapters between each of them and other characters who joined later on, giving us and making us feel and experience what each of them were feeling and trust me for each character there was a HUGE difference.
The plot line was very confusing, yet so intense. Not once did I feel like skipping or putting it down until I could handle how it was going. With the first couple of chapters we find out more about each of them and who Sweetclover is, oh and who this doppelgänger is and that is when the action starts with Jana, Kaz and Dora at the heart of it all against a force that will alter their presents having a knock on affect on their future. Will Jana, Kaz and Dora stop bickering long enough to find Quil and what does she want with Jana's chip? What will happen to Kaz and Jana? Will Dora save her family from Sweetclover?
Scott has done a really great job with this amazing time traveling novel especially the idea of Jana, Kaz and Dora being from the future, present and past. I loved how Dora was so demanding with answers with questions about all the technology and how Jana didn't go down without a fight. All supporting characters helped Jana, Kaz and Dora to find the truth and defend those who are worth defending; Thomas, Dora's father and Dora's mother, Sarah. Mountfort who was ultimately the reason for Dora's escape, James who's story you must read to find out. This novel brings you a whirl-winding adventure that will turn into life or death for all those involved, learning to trust, but most of all defeating an enemy that only wishes harm upon Jana, Kaz and Dora.
Each character had a huge role to play in finding the curious Quil, each were distinct and different. And that's what I loved the most, that they all where different; Jana being a leader and a risk taker which isn't really 'her' it's programmed in to her, not making any sense? Read it and it'll become way more clear. Kaz, sweet and understanding and knows how to deal with situations, especially after he discovered he could time travel, then everything was exciting and like an adventure but then things got serious. And finally we have Dora the youngest of them all but the most challenging one, and at the end I was very happy with how things worked out for her or will work out. What I liked the most was how Scott had alternated the chapters between each of them and other characters who joined later on, giving us and making us feel and experience what each of them were feeling and trust me for each character there was a HUGE difference.
The plot line was very confusing, yet so intense. Not once did I feel like skipping or putting it down until I could handle how it was going. With the first couple of chapters we find out more about each of them and who Sweetclover is, oh and who this doppelgänger is and that is when the action starts with Jana, Kaz and Dora at the heart of it all against a force that will alter their presents having a knock on affect on their future. Will Jana, Kaz and Dora stop bickering long enough to find Quil and what does she want with Jana's chip? What will happen to Kaz and Jana? Will Dora save her family from Sweetclover?
Scott has done a really great job with this amazing time traveling novel especially the idea of Jana, Kaz and Dora being from the future, present and past. I loved how Dora was so demanding with answers with questions about all the technology and how Jana didn't go down without a fight. All supporting characters helped Jana, Kaz and Dora to find the truth and defend those who are worth defending; Thomas, Dora's father and Dora's mother, Sarah. Mountfort who was ultimately the reason for Dora's escape, James who's story you must read to find out. This novel brings you a whirl-winding adventure that will turn into life or death for all those involved, learning to trust, but most of all defeating an enemy that only wishes harm upon Jana, Kaz and Dora.
May 31, 2015
TimeBomb is the first book in Scott K. Andrews' new time travel trilogy and it introduces us to three very different protagonists. First you have Jana, a girl from 2141 New York who finds herself pulled to the present day when she leaps off the top of a skyscraper. Then there is Dora, a young servant who has been pulled forward in time from Cornwall in 1640 and finds herself in a world very different to the one she is used to. Finally there is Kaz, the boy who finds them both at Sweetclover Hall, a young illegal immigrant who is on the run from an angry farmer. At first glance the three of them have absolutely nothing in common but they soon find themselves pulled into a web of intrigue and mystery. They have no idea why they have been drawn into this mess but they do know that they'll have to work together if they want to find the answers.
Most of this story is set in Dora's time period, right in the midst of the English Civil War, a very dangerous time for strangers to appear in a small, tight knit, community. Dora may be local but she's been missing for long enough to the locals to be suspicious and it doesn't help that she's arrived with strangers in tow. All events seem to lead the trio back to Sweetclover Hall and it appears that Lord Sweetclover and his mysterious wife Quil are behind everything that has happened to them but just what are they up to and why are Dora, Jana and Kaz so important to them?
As this is the first book in a trilogy we're left with a lot of unanswered questions but Scott K. Andrews has written a story that is fast paced and incredibly addictive to read. I picked it up thinking I'd just read a couple of chapters before bed and before I knew it I was halfway through the book. All three main characters are well drawn out and three dimensional, they all have different strengths and must learn to trust each other and work together as a team. It isn't easy for them to decide who else they can trust and they all make some surprising discoveries about their own timelines which I think will have an impact on them as the series continues. I'm very much looking forward to seeing where this story goes next, the great thing about time travel stories is that pretty much anything is impossible, I'd quite like to get the chance to explore Jana's futuristic world but I'm also very intrigued by the hints we've seen that the story actually begins way back before even Dora was born. I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for the sequel and I'd recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a fast paced read with plenty of mystery, lots of action and more than a little journeying through time.
Most of this story is set in Dora's time period, right in the midst of the English Civil War, a very dangerous time for strangers to appear in a small, tight knit, community. Dora may be local but she's been missing for long enough to the locals to be suspicious and it doesn't help that she's arrived with strangers in tow. All events seem to lead the trio back to Sweetclover Hall and it appears that Lord Sweetclover and his mysterious wife Quil are behind everything that has happened to them but just what are they up to and why are Dora, Jana and Kaz so important to them?
As this is the first book in a trilogy we're left with a lot of unanswered questions but Scott K. Andrews has written a story that is fast paced and incredibly addictive to read. I picked it up thinking I'd just read a couple of chapters before bed and before I knew it I was halfway through the book. All three main characters are well drawn out and three dimensional, they all have different strengths and must learn to trust each other and work together as a team. It isn't easy for them to decide who else they can trust and they all make some surprising discoveries about their own timelines which I think will have an impact on them as the series continues. I'm very much looking forward to seeing where this story goes next, the great thing about time travel stories is that pretty much anything is impossible, I'd quite like to get the chance to explore Jana's futuristic world but I'm also very intrigued by the hints we've seen that the story actually begins way back before even Dora was born. I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for the sequel and I'd recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a fast paced read with plenty of mystery, lots of action and more than a little journeying through time.
June 17, 2015
HA excellent time twisty start to what is shaping up to be a corker of a series from Scott K Andrews - A rip roaring roller coaster ride of a read that keeps you on your toes and is a WHOLE lot of fun. Really great construction here, terrific characters and one of those books you really can read for the sheer unadulterated joy of it.
Oh dear, how can I review it without spoilers? Seriously,lots of action, three very different main protagonists are thrown together under insane circumstances and somehow have to become a team. The author manages to walk the fine line between strangely believable and totally nuts really really well - beautifully imagined with a good depth of plot and seriously addictive.
I loved it and really I just want more - of course being the start of a trilogy there are some open ended issues but as a part one it was pretty darn perfect. You'll be avidly waiting for part two, I can tell you that now.
Really really good. REALLY. Whatever time you live in.
Happy Reading Folks!
Oh dear, how can I review it without spoilers? Seriously,lots of action, three very different main protagonists are thrown together under insane circumstances and somehow have to become a team. The author manages to walk the fine line between strangely believable and totally nuts really really well - beautifully imagined with a good depth of plot and seriously addictive.
I loved it and really I just want more - of course being the start of a trilogy there are some open ended issues but as a part one it was pretty darn perfect. You'll be avidly waiting for part two, I can tell you that now.
Really really good. REALLY. Whatever time you live in.
Happy Reading Folks!
January 3, 2018
What a corker of a novel! Perfect time travel adventure for readers of all ages. I just want more!
June 1, 2017
Timebomb is a great science fiction read. I love a bit of time travel but this book took three people, Dora, Kaz and Jana out of their own times and into a battle for the future.
Dora, being from the 17th century, struggled the most on understanding what has happened to her.
I actually liked Kaz the most out of the three, Dora was frightened and confused, Jana could be a little bitchy, but Kaz was surprisingly level headed considering he's not a native or that he understands. It was good to see a non - English character other than an American in a story. Kaz is Polish.
It's a great book, even the villains of the story- Lord Sweetclover and Quil, we're well padded out. They weren't just coherently evil and it worked well.
I mean, they had to earn the three time travellers trust, right?
I've been in a bit of a slump this month so it was nice to finish May with an action packed sci-fi novel. :D
For a more detailed review, please go to my blog: https:// sherlockianbooklover.wordpress.com
Dora, being from the 17th century, struggled the most on understanding what has happened to her.
I actually liked Kaz the most out of the three, Dora was frightened and confused, Jana could be a little bitchy, but Kaz was surprisingly level headed considering he's not a native or that he understands. It was good to see a non - English character other than an American in a story. Kaz is Polish.
It's a great book, even the villains of the story- Lord Sweetclover and Quil, we're well padded out. They weren't just coherently evil and it worked well.
I mean, they had to earn the three time travellers trust, right?
I've been in a bit of a slump this month so it was nice to finish May with an action packed sci-fi novel. :D
For a more detailed review, please go to my blog: https:// sherlockianbooklover.wordpress.com
August 29, 2014
When I first learned of TimeBomb, I thought it sounded really interesting, which meant I was stoked to have won an ARC via Twitter. Described as a YA trilogy featuring time travel and Roundheads and Cavaliers, it sounded like it should be a tremendous amount of fun and that is exactly what it was. TimeBomb was a page turner of a story, with a cool premise and fabulous characters.
The books kicks off with our protagonists all in their own times and being pulled to our present. I loved how Andrews set this up, letting us meet the characters and discover a bit about them and almost immediately throwing them into turmoil by jumping them through time and giving at least Dora and Jana flashes of themselves through space and time. What made the set up even more interesting was the fact that this initial event and consequently much of the action in the story is tied to Sweetclover Hall. There is a significance to the house that is only slowly revealed. While Kaz and Dora’s link to the place were clear, Jana’s connection to the manor is not as evident. This led me to wondering whether this will be revealed in a later book or whether it’s not relevant and their being chosen or having this power is not connected to the Hall at all.
The narrative is structured around three main characters, though we get several additional viewpoints, though none of these take up many pages. Andrews succeeds in making each of the three characters – Kaz, Jana, and Dora – interesting and sympathetic. They each are such distinct characters and have such different stories. Dora is the one whose background is developed most expansively, largely because much of the narrative is set in her ‘home’ timeline and so we learn not just her history, but also get to know her family. While we do get some history for Kaz, most notably the reasons for why he ran away from home, Jana remains mostly mystery The reader learns about her early childhood and the reason for her cavalier attitude to death, but we don’t learn much about her later family life.
The main antagonist of the book, Quil, was the most excellent sort of villain. The kind that doesn’t actually seem villainous at first glance. In Quil’s case that is because she comes across as eminently reasonable and because so much of what she’ll do, is still in the future and since our trio aren't supposed to learn about what is going to happen so as not to ultimately change things, the reader never learns what it is exactly that she does, except that it will be bad. The fact that they have to accept that this is the truth because someone tells them it will be, is the one thing that truly bugged me about the story; it felt a bit Terminator-ish to me. We only see what she does in this book, which granted is bad enough, but not on the scale of evil she’s portrayed as. It only gets really bad once she is defied.
In this first instalment in the series there is a bit of handwavium as to technical and time travelling details, which hopefully we’ll learn more about in the other two books. However, I didn't mind the handwaving at all, because the story was just that exciting. Despite a large swathe of the story taking place in the seventeenth century – with the accompanying muskets, swords, and horses – the narrative feels high-octane with a lot of action. At first the trio is only able to react and it is interesting to see how they struggle to get their feet under them and be able to act. They are aided or opposed in this, not just by the aforementioned Quil, but also by a fantastic set of secondary characters in the form of Lord Sweetclover, the mysterious Steve, Dora’s father Thomas, and the royalist soldier Richard. They each felt real and rounded, even if in some cases they didn’t have that much page time.
TimeBomb was tremendous fun and made for surprisingly addictive reading: I finished the book in one sitting. I can't wait for book two and to discover the meaning of the flashes they had during their first jump be realised. Thus far there was only the one, but they promise a lot of exciting action to come and most importantly I want to learn who Quil actually is. With TimeBomb Andrews has delivered a riveting series opener. If you enjoy fast-paced, action-driven time travel stories, this book is for you, whatever your age.
The books kicks off with our protagonists all in their own times and being pulled to our present. I loved how Andrews set this up, letting us meet the characters and discover a bit about them and almost immediately throwing them into turmoil by jumping them through time and giving at least Dora and Jana flashes of themselves through space and time. What made the set up even more interesting was the fact that this initial event and consequently much of the action in the story is tied to Sweetclover Hall. There is a significance to the house that is only slowly revealed. While Kaz and Dora’s link to the place were clear, Jana’s connection to the manor is not as evident. This led me to wondering whether this will be revealed in a later book or whether it’s not relevant and their being chosen or having this power is not connected to the Hall at all.
The narrative is structured around three main characters, though we get several additional viewpoints, though none of these take up many pages. Andrews succeeds in making each of the three characters – Kaz, Jana, and Dora – interesting and sympathetic. They each are such distinct characters and have such different stories. Dora is the one whose background is developed most expansively, largely because much of the narrative is set in her ‘home’ timeline and so we learn not just her history, but also get to know her family. While we do get some history for Kaz, most notably the reasons for why he ran away from home, Jana remains mostly mystery The reader learns about her early childhood and the reason for her cavalier attitude to death, but we don’t learn much about her later family life.
The main antagonist of the book, Quil, was the most excellent sort of villain. The kind that doesn’t actually seem villainous at first glance. In Quil’s case that is because she comes across as eminently reasonable and because so much of what she’ll do, is still in the future and since our trio aren't supposed to learn about what is going to happen so as not to ultimately change things, the reader never learns what it is exactly that she does, except that it will be bad. The fact that they have to accept that this is the truth because someone tells them it will be, is the one thing that truly bugged me about the story; it felt a bit Terminator-ish to me. We only see what she does in this book, which granted is bad enough, but not on the scale of evil she’s portrayed as. It only gets really bad once she is defied.
In this first instalment in the series there is a bit of handwavium as to technical and time travelling details, which hopefully we’ll learn more about in the other two books. However, I didn't mind the handwaving at all, because the story was just that exciting. Despite a large swathe of the story taking place in the seventeenth century – with the accompanying muskets, swords, and horses – the narrative feels high-octane with a lot of action. At first the trio is only able to react and it is interesting to see how they struggle to get their feet under them and be able to act. They are aided or opposed in this, not just by the aforementioned Quil, but also by a fantastic set of secondary characters in the form of Lord Sweetclover, the mysterious Steve, Dora’s father Thomas, and the royalist soldier Richard. They each felt real and rounded, even if in some cases they didn’t have that much page time.
TimeBomb was tremendous fun and made for surprisingly addictive reading: I finished the book in one sitting. I can't wait for book two and to discover the meaning of the flashes they had during their first jump be realised. Thus far there was only the one, but they promise a lot of exciting action to come and most importantly I want to learn who Quil actually is. With TimeBomb Andrews has delivered a riveting series opener. If you enjoy fast-paced, action-driven time travel stories, this book is for you, whatever your age.
June 18, 2015
A real page turner.
The distinct characters are well rounded, interesting and likeable.
The plot is well thought out, fun and fast paced.
A great introduction to a new and exciting series.
I look forward to reading more.
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
The distinct characters are well rounded, interesting and likeable.
The plot is well thought out, fun and fast paced.
A great introduction to a new and exciting series.
I look forward to reading more.
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
January 8, 2015
I requested this because of the cover.
I must admit that the main reason I ended up requesting Timebomb was the cover. I couldn't help myself, despite my issues with it, I really like the cover. With the skyscraper skyline at the top and the country village at the bottom, I could tell a lot about the book by just looking at the cover. I'd never heard of the author before and I hadn't heard anything about the book, but I was excited nonetheless to receive my copy and read it.
Time travel books can be hit and miss because it's so hard to get them right. You have the problem of paradoxes and parts of the story not adding up or making sense. It can jump back and forth so much that you start to be confused about where and when you are. I quite enjoyed Timebomb but I felt the time travel aspect did cause a lot of those issues.
The story jumps straight into the action, we immediately find ourselves on a rooftop with Jana as she flings herself from the building. She's been chased by a group of men who are set on killing her and she has no idea why. Jana has died before and it wasn't so bad, she knows that even when she dies here her mother will find a way to bring her back. But Jana never hits the floor, instead she finds herself thrown back in time from 2141 to 2014. There she's joined by Kaz, a boy from 2014 and Dora, a scullery maid who found herself transported forward in time from 1640.
That all happens very quickly, within the first few pages and the action never lets up after that. We learn very early on that a woman named Quil is after them, determined to stop them now to prevent an event from happening in the future. The pace really never slows down, it feels like a lot to take in because you never get a minute to think over everything. I struggled with that aspect of it, too much happens too quickly and I was left feeling quite confused. It got hard to keep up with what the characters had actually done and in what time frame. I lost track of who'd travelled where and what each character remembered about everything. I was lost.This is definitely more of a plot driven book than a character driven one. I never felt like I got to know Kaz, Jana or Dora and I really struggled to connect to them. I have a feeling Jana has the potential to become a character that I would really love in the next book. She did show at times that she has a great sense of humour, something I would have liked to see more of. Kaz was okay but had the habit of making really stupid decisions, like smashing up their only weapon when they could really use it. Dora was hard for me to get used to, she's from 1640 and spends most of the book just questioning everything around her. It's necessary because she jumps to 2014 and has no idea about anything she encounters. It's realistic but it gets a little old.
Quil is certifiably insane and I LOVE IT!
My favourite character turned out to be Quil, who's absolutely mental. She's mentally unstable and requires a large amount of help, but I came to love her. She was the most interesting character and the insane things she did actually made me laugh. They were totally sadistic but she just did not see it and I loved that. Sometimes it's quite refreshing to feel myself rooting for the bad guy at times. I don't want to win but I don't want them to destroy her because I want more of her character.
I did enjoy this book overall but I had my issues with it. It was hard for me to get lost in the story, the pace was very fast and it was all action. Sometimes all action is a good thing. here it felt like a bit too much and I ended up lost. If I am completely honest, half the time I didn't have a clue what was going on. Characters went back and forth in time so much that I started to lose track of what had happened and when.
3/5 Butterflies
Time travel books are so hard to get right and, although I had some issues with it, I think Scott K. Andrews did a good job with Timebomb. There is quite a lot going on in this book but you can tell that there is so much more to come. Trips to the future and interractions with the people they meet there and in the past hint at big events that are still to come. We still have no idea what event has made Quil so determined to track the three of them down in their respective presents and kill them. I have to admit that my fascination with the character of Quil, and the fact I see Jana becoming a character I really love in the next book, makes me want to continue this series and see where it goes. If you're a fan of action-packed books where the action never stops then this is the book for you.
*I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review and received no monetary compensation for this review.
July 20, 2018
What I really like about this time travel story is the attention to detail regarding some of the annoying aspects of time travel. I've finished the trilogy and it's a great read for hard-sci-fi lovers and whatever the other kind of sci-fi lover is. The characters are fun, deep, and really complex. Andrews goes into depth on many issues of culture in different time periods and is great with new tech ideas. With all of that, it's just really fun, and the action sequences are fantastic.
December 3, 2015
The first time I heard about TimeBomb was when Hodder revealed the cover. I thought it looked amazing and the synopsis sounded really good. It took me another year to actually get my hands on it though, but when I finally had it, I couldn’t wait and started it right away.
The book definitely doesn’t miss its start. The first few pages are fast-paced, not wasting any time on fluff but throwing the reader right in the middle of all the action.
The protagonists in this book are three very distinct characters that are just as clueless about what is going on as the reader is. Not only do they all have very different personalities, they are also from different time periods. Kaz is from the present (2014), Dora from the past (1640) and Jana is from the future (2141). They have to overcome all their differences and figure out how to work together to survive. Even though they don’t really know what is happening to them, or what they are supposed to do. I really enjoyed reading about all three of them, they all brought something different to the story. Dora, the sweet girl who has a tough side that comes to the forefront more and more as the story progresses. Kaz, the oldest, but also the most gentle. And then there’s Jana, smart and bossy, equipped with advanced technology, but loyal and deep down also quite lonely. They form an amazing dynamic trio that made this book an absolute joy to read.
The ‘villains’ in the book, Sweetclover and Quil, pop up in different time periods in the book trying to capture the three teenagers. Their motives aren’t always that clear, but they sure make an interesting pair and a force to be reckoned with.
Of all three, the shock is the biggest for Dora who seems the most confused about the whole situation. Being born in the 17th Century doesn’t give her a lot to work with where technology and time travel are concerned.
Every other page there’s always some unexpected twist that turns the whole story upside down again. As a reader you go through a rollercoaster of emotions as horrible violence seem to follow the characters everywhere they go. It’s very hard to make out why all of this was set in motion in the first place, something that remains a bit of mystery at the end.
Because of the many jumps in time by different characters, things that have happened for one of them might not have happened for anyone else. You’re thrown back and forth wondering what the hell is going on and if everyone will make it or not. I definitely experienced this as a good thing, it kept me on the edge of my seat, eagerly flipping pages to find out more. Because of the time travel and the many paradoxes, the story might get complicated, but it wasn’t confusing. Everything is explained in such a way that the whole situation somehow still makes sense. This not by overloading the reader with dry information, but woven through the story to not slow the pace.
TimeBomb was a real treat for me. It’s a fluent read with lots of action from the very beginning. The pace doesn’t slow down even once and drags you along in a whirlwind of time travel, paradoxes and different time periods. Everything is very vague in the beginning which really had me glued to the pages: I wanted to know what was happening just as much as the characters did. I’d definitely recommend this book, it’s different, it’s fun, it’s fast-paced and it has all the action to keep you flipping the pages all the way to the end.
The book definitely doesn’t miss its start. The first few pages are fast-paced, not wasting any time on fluff but throwing the reader right in the middle of all the action.
The protagonists in this book are three very distinct characters that are just as clueless about what is going on as the reader is. Not only do they all have very different personalities, they are also from different time periods. Kaz is from the present (2014), Dora from the past (1640) and Jana is from the future (2141). They have to overcome all their differences and figure out how to work together to survive. Even though they don’t really know what is happening to them, or what they are supposed to do. I really enjoyed reading about all three of them, they all brought something different to the story. Dora, the sweet girl who has a tough side that comes to the forefront more and more as the story progresses. Kaz, the oldest, but also the most gentle. And then there’s Jana, smart and bossy, equipped with advanced technology, but loyal and deep down also quite lonely. They form an amazing dynamic trio that made this book an absolute joy to read.
The ‘villains’ in the book, Sweetclover and Quil, pop up in different time periods in the book trying to capture the three teenagers. Their motives aren’t always that clear, but they sure make an interesting pair and a force to be reckoned with.
Of all three, the shock is the biggest for Dora who seems the most confused about the whole situation. Being born in the 17th Century doesn’t give her a lot to work with where technology and time travel are concerned.
Every other page there’s always some unexpected twist that turns the whole story upside down again. As a reader you go through a rollercoaster of emotions as horrible violence seem to follow the characters everywhere they go. It’s very hard to make out why all of this was set in motion in the first place, something that remains a bit of mystery at the end.
Because of the many jumps in time by different characters, things that have happened for one of them might not have happened for anyone else. You’re thrown back and forth wondering what the hell is going on and if everyone will make it or not. I definitely experienced this as a good thing, it kept me on the edge of my seat, eagerly flipping pages to find out more. Because of the time travel and the many paradoxes, the story might get complicated, but it wasn’t confusing. Everything is explained in such a way that the whole situation somehow still makes sense. This not by overloading the reader with dry information, but woven through the story to not slow the pace.
TimeBomb was a real treat for me. It’s a fluent read with lots of action from the very beginning. The pace doesn’t slow down even once and drags you along in a whirlwind of time travel, paradoxes and different time periods. Everything is very vague in the beginning which really had me glued to the pages: I wanted to know what was happening just as much as the characters did. I’d definitely recommend this book, it’s different, it’s fun, it’s fast-paced and it has all the action to keep you flipping the pages all the way to the end.
February 18, 2017
Reviews can also be found on my blog Escapades of a Bookworm
All I can say is that I should have read this book sooner. I should have read this book when it frist came out because it was good! I was sucked into this book from the beginning and found it extremely hard to put down. I got so frustrated when I had to do trivial things like go to work…
This is quite a fast paced book and we are quickly thrown into the story, which would normally mean that I’d merge characters together and get a little confused. This did not happen, each character had their own distinct voice. Jana was extremely confident and a know-it-all, Kaz seemed to be the gentler of the three, and Dora has a lot to learn, but being the youngest she is forgiven.
There is so much happening in this book, with them meeting future selves, finding out more about time travel and being in the middle of the English Civil War, I’m really uncertain about what will be happening next and am really intrigued because this could go in so many different directions!
The biggest flaw for me was the time travel explanation, I didn’t feel that it was overly satisfactory and the fact that time travel meant that this book could have been huge and gone anywhere, literally anywhere in the world, yet remains narrowly small. Hopefully in the next book there is a lot more variety in locations…
This was a fun fast read and I’m really looking forward to diving into the next one. If you’ve not yet start this series then I highly recommend it!
All I can say is that I should have read this book sooner. I should have read this book when it frist came out because it was good! I was sucked into this book from the beginning and found it extremely hard to put down. I got so frustrated when I had to do trivial things like go to work…
This is quite a fast paced book and we are quickly thrown into the story, which would normally mean that I’d merge characters together and get a little confused. This did not happen, each character had their own distinct voice. Jana was extremely confident and a know-it-all, Kaz seemed to be the gentler of the three, and Dora has a lot to learn, but being the youngest she is forgiven.
There is so much happening in this book, with them meeting future selves, finding out more about time travel and being in the middle of the English Civil War, I’m really uncertain about what will be happening next and am really intrigued because this could go in so many different directions!
The biggest flaw for me was the time travel explanation, I didn’t feel that it was overly satisfactory and the fact that time travel meant that this book could have been huge and gone anywhere, literally anywhere in the world, yet remains narrowly small. Hopefully in the next book there is a lot more variety in locations…
This was a fun fast read and I’m really looking forward to diving into the next one. If you’ve not yet start this series then I highly recommend it!
October 13, 2014
When I found that I had one a free copy of this book, I was quite excited albeit rather sceptical. I'm not a huge sci-fi fan you see, I prefer fantasy, teen, horror style books, but I wasn't sure I would find a novel about time travel all that interesting. However, upon reading a few reviews and the blurb and whatnot I discovered it was not all it appeared, and seemed much more up my alley.
It follows the story of 3 characters, each with a destiny of sorts, a path they must follow and one that they already have, in others timelines. Gosh this sounds complicated. I really like the three characters and the development of their personalities throughout the books, despite the book spanning what is really very little time, a few days at most. Each has their vulnerabilities and strengths, and probably react to the circumstances much as you expect a few teenagers would. I really see some potential for Kaz, Dora and Jana, and I'd love to see how their characters interact in the future. By this I mean I need more of these books! The story doesn't end at the end of the books, it simply is paused and I can't wait to press play again.
My only complaint is that sometimes the story doesn't go into detail as much as it could and I would wish, but what do you expect from a fast paced, time travel novel about teens? It was a bit out of my comfort zone because I usually prefer thick novels that span possibly a few days and details everything inside it, but I enjoyed that different writing style of this book nonetheless. I think it's good to leave your comfort zone now and then, wouldn't want to miss out on any good books like these!
READ READ READ this book! It's so creative and amazing and I applaud the writer for retaining his sanity while writing this story.
It follows the story of 3 characters, each with a destiny of sorts, a path they must follow and one that they already have, in others timelines. Gosh this sounds complicated. I really like the three characters and the development of their personalities throughout the books, despite the book spanning what is really very little time, a few days at most. Each has their vulnerabilities and strengths, and probably react to the circumstances much as you expect a few teenagers would. I really see some potential for Kaz, Dora and Jana, and I'd love to see how their characters interact in the future. By this I mean I need more of these books! The story doesn't end at the end of the books, it simply is paused and I can't wait to press play again.
My only complaint is that sometimes the story doesn't go into detail as much as it could and I would wish, but what do you expect from a fast paced, time travel novel about teens? It was a bit out of my comfort zone because I usually prefer thick novels that span possibly a few days and details everything inside it, but I enjoyed that different writing style of this book nonetheless. I think it's good to leave your comfort zone now and then, wouldn't want to miss out on any good books like these!
READ READ READ this book! It's so creative and amazing and I applaud the writer for retaining his sanity while writing this story.
June 8, 2015
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Bookbridgr*
The lives of three teens are changed when they are thrust together in an adventure that will question everything they know.
Yojana (Jana) Patel is from New York and lives in 2141. She is being chased by three unknown men and jumps off a skyscraper. She doesn't hit the ground.
Dora Predennick lives in Cornwall, 1640, and has just started a job at Sweetclover Hall at her parents' insistence. When she hears someone crying out in pain, she discovers a woman who is burnt badly. Dora touches the woman, wanting to help, but instead finds herself in a laboratory in the future.
Kaz Cecka, a Polish boy, lives in the present. After leaving his job, he's looking for shelter when he comes across Sweetclover Hall and meets Jana and Dora.
They must try and survive as they are thrown through time and evade a woman named Quil who is hunting them.
Going into TimeBomb I was intrigued - three teens from different times are thrown together and chaos ensues - sounds good right?
From the start there was action and it was pretty non-stop. The plot should have been interesting but I couldn't get on with the writing style and lost interest several times. Towards the end I found myself skim-reading.
Jana, Dora and Kaz were okay characters but I didn't really connect with any of them.
Overall this was an okay read.
The lives of three teens are changed when they are thrust together in an adventure that will question everything they know.
Yojana (Jana) Patel is from New York and lives in 2141. She is being chased by three unknown men and jumps off a skyscraper. She doesn't hit the ground.
Dora Predennick lives in Cornwall, 1640, and has just started a job at Sweetclover Hall at her parents' insistence. When she hears someone crying out in pain, she discovers a woman who is burnt badly. Dora touches the woman, wanting to help, but instead finds herself in a laboratory in the future.
Kaz Cecka, a Polish boy, lives in the present. After leaving his job, he's looking for shelter when he comes across Sweetclover Hall and meets Jana and Dora.
They must try and survive as they are thrown through time and evade a woman named Quil who is hunting them.
Going into TimeBomb I was intrigued - three teens from different times are thrown together and chaos ensues - sounds good right?
From the start there was action and it was pretty non-stop. The plot should have been interesting but I couldn't get on with the writing style and lost interest several times. Towards the end I found myself skim-reading.
Jana, Dora and Kaz were okay characters but I didn't really connect with any of them.
Overall this was an okay read.
May 14, 2016
Scott K. Andrews’ Timebomb is a fun, fast-paced time-travelling adventure. I must admit it was with some trepidation that I began reading part one of the Timebomb trilogy: I expected the whole ‘time travelling’ thing to be a bit daft, but soon learned to suspend my disbelief and just roll with it.
The story focuses on 3 likeable, yet different, teenage protagonists: there’s Kaz the impulsive Polish immigrant from 2013; Jana the reckless, rich American from 2141; and Dora, the innocent bumpkin from seventeenth century Cornwall. All 3 characters are likeable and intriguing, although the fast-paced plot doesn’t really give a lot of opportunities to explore them in depth.
The fact that the characters jump around in time provides ample opportunity for plot twists and confusion, much of which is still waiting to be revealed in the sequels. The historical settings abound with anachronisms both disjointing and bizarre (in a good way), and provide for some wonderfully disorientating ‘wtf?!’ moments; for instance, the moment when the cook worries about the flour delivery for the bread, only to remind herself that there is some in the freezer and that the toaster has a ‘defrost’ setting – in 1645. You’re like, ‘wait, what?’
Andrews has taken a well-worn trope and adapted it to create the first book in a new and exciting series. I, for one, look forward to reading more.
The story focuses on 3 likeable, yet different, teenage protagonists: there’s Kaz the impulsive Polish immigrant from 2013; Jana the reckless, rich American from 2141; and Dora, the innocent bumpkin from seventeenth century Cornwall. All 3 characters are likeable and intriguing, although the fast-paced plot doesn’t really give a lot of opportunities to explore them in depth.
The fact that the characters jump around in time provides ample opportunity for plot twists and confusion, much of which is still waiting to be revealed in the sequels. The historical settings abound with anachronisms both disjointing and bizarre (in a good way), and provide for some wonderfully disorientating ‘wtf?!’ moments; for instance, the moment when the cook worries about the flour delivery for the bread, only to remind herself that there is some in the freezer and that the toaster has a ‘defrost’ setting – in 1645. You’re like, ‘wait, what?’
Andrews has taken a well-worn trope and adapted it to create the first book in a new and exciting series. I, for one, look forward to reading more.
April 8, 2015
Yay, time travel! Yay, two female leads *and* a female villain! Well done, Scott K Andrews, for flipping the bird to stereotypes. *applauds*
I really wanted to like the book, because see above, and also because my best friend, whose name is Jana, gave it to me for Christmas. Alas, this just wasn't for me. The tone jumped too wildly, from super brutal warfare to overly cutesy descriptions of poor Dora's introduction to the 20th century ("because she doesn't know what chocolate is, see? SEE? SEE WHAT I DID THERE? HEEEEE! *wink* *nudge*"); I didn't buy the incredible speed at which these kids grasped what was happening and accepted their mission - which was what, exactly? I finished the book yesterday and I've forgotten - and most importantly, the time travel is such a mess, I gave up trying to follow what was happening when altogether.
Not for me, this one. :(
I really wanted to like the book, because see above, and also because my best friend, whose name is Jana, gave it to me for Christmas. Alas, this just wasn't for me. The tone jumped too wildly, from super brutal warfare to overly cutesy descriptions of poor Dora's introduction to the 20th century ("because she doesn't know what chocolate is, see? SEE? SEE WHAT I DID THERE? HEEEEE! *wink* *nudge*"); I didn't buy the incredible speed at which these kids grasped what was happening and accepted their mission - which was what, exactly? I finished the book yesterday and I've forgotten - and most importantly, the time travel is such a mess, I gave up trying to follow what was happening when altogether.
Not for me, this one. :(
March 13, 2016
3.5 stars.
I was really interested in the whole time-travel premise of this book, and it was one of the main things that made me enjoy this book. My favourite thing, I think, about this book was the well-fleshed out protagonists. I did prefer reading in Jana's perspective over Kaz and Dora, but I liked all of them. I appreciated their diversity and differing personalities. At times I was confused, but overall it was a decent book. I might even pick up the sequel.
I was really interested in the whole time-travel premise of this book, and it was one of the main things that made me enjoy this book. My favourite thing, I think, about this book was the well-fleshed out protagonists. I did prefer reading in Jana's perspective over Kaz and Dora, but I liked all of them. I appreciated their diversity and differing personalities. At times I was confused, but overall it was a decent book. I might even pick up the sequel.
February 7, 2016
I received this book via a Goodreads Giveaway. I decided to read it about a month ago... What the??? It is so hard to read and I lost the storyline about three chapters in! From what I could understand it was a good read but it was very confusing! I personally wouldn't recommend this book to any of my friends.
March 18, 2015
I love the idea here - 3 strangers brought together in time from different times, travelling and trying to stay alive through adversity. The first half of the book I thought was a bit slow but as this is the first in a trilogy there was a lot to set up. The 2nd half was then the beginning of a great adventure and I found it hard to put down. Hope the 2nd book is not too long in coming out!
Read
May 12, 2016Brilliant book. Great time travelling storyline with brilliant characters. Each chapter opens up more information for you to unravel the mystery of what is going on, right up until the explosive ending. Can't wait for more instalments in the time travelling world
June 23, 2015
Man what a great read. Non stop action start to finish, and some of the best time travel fiction I've read. I lost several hours of sleep thanks to this book. A title I cannot wait to sell
January 7, 2016
It was a bit confusing, but I feel like all good time travel books are like that that in the beginning. I definitely want to know what will happen next.
November 14, 2016
Thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced time travelling tale. Easy to read, hard to put down, I really want the next installment!
May 30, 2020
Confusing, with more time travel questions than resolutions. Just a snapshot of time, not a complete loop. I feel like I missed something.
November 14, 2014
New York, 2141, Jana is on top of a skyscraper surrounded by dodgy blokes after her head, she does the only thing she can think off.....she jumps. But she never hits the ground.
Cornwall, 1640, young Dora is working at Sweetclover Hall, she's new to the Hall, but she knows enough to know what goes on there. However, when she hears a strange noise, she follows it to find a badly burned woman at the bottom of the stairs. A woman who knows who she is. Wanting to help her, Dora reaches out to touch her, she's knocked out and blasted through space. When she wakes? She's in a laboratory in the future, with Lord Sweetclover.
Present day, Kaz is wandering the Cornwall lanes after fleeing from his last workplace when he stumbles upon the long abandoned Sweetclover Hall. He's only after a dry place to sleep, but he gets so much more. When he enters the building, he finds Dora and Jana, both with no idea what the hell is going on.
The three are thrust in to an adventure that spans millennia, when they flee the laboratory they end up back in Dora's time...sort of. See they end up about 5 years out from the year Dora mysteriously vanished, and they couldn't have come back at a worse time really, you see the English Civil War is in full bloom and they're just in time to be harassed by Parliament soldiers....soldiers who are then facing....Celts? There's something strange going on, and it's not long before they face a mysterious woman named Quil, and her army of men pulled from different eras, or Sweetclover, the villainous douche. It would appear, however, that while they don't know Quil....she knows them.
Timebomb is certainly unique, I've not encountered anything like it before, you're caught up with the characters, blasting through time and in the same boat as them information wise. Timebomb doesn't mess about, it's all action straight from the start, and the pace doesn't slow down at all, despite the hasty pace, you can still get a strong feel for the characters.
Each was very different, and each had a strong personality in their own way. Dora, at first seemed a bit timid but rather sweet, then you get to know her a bit more and you realize she's incredibly stubborn, and i'm intrigued about the elder her you got a glimpse of. I did chuckle a bit at her questioning of modern things, but she was very witty and intelligent. Jana is probably my favourite because her snark is on point. She's blunt, she doesn't sugar coat and she's very confident and not afraid of anything really. Kaz was quite a lovely person, I wasn't sure on him at first, but he was so lovely and patient with Dora, you really watch his confidence grow throughout the book, and he's kind of a hero!
It was a fairly fun read, at the points when I did get quite in to it, but I did have parts of the book where I was a bit meh. At points I felt like it was bit too rushed. There was a lot crammed in to the book, and genre wise with all the different genres thrown it, it was fun and it worked, but with other things it was a bit like "really...AND that?". While I did like seeing the future selves, it was also a bit confusing at times with all the people running about.
I felt like some of the explanations where really lazy. You don't find out why they can time travel until the end, and I kind of felt like it was a bit half assed, there was a vague explanation and then nothing really added up and I wasn't convinced by it. The world didn't feel as extensive as it could have been, it was quite condensed, and I didn't really get much of a mental image or feel for the time, there was a lack of explanations, and I don't know why exactly, I can't put my finger on it, but I felt like the travel was overused I suppose? There was almost too much going on at points, like they went back to Dora's time and they just so happened to land smack in the middle of the civil war and Jana just so happened to know aaaallll about it thanks to her chip. Really didn't buy it.
I'm undecided as to whether I'll pick up the second book or not, because while I am intrigued, I just had a bit of a love hate thing with this book, parts where too rushed, I couldn't get in to it at the beginning or at other points, I got frustrated with all the coincidences and strokes of luck, and the explanation was so blah.
Cornwall, 1640, young Dora is working at Sweetclover Hall, she's new to the Hall, but she knows enough to know what goes on there. However, when she hears a strange noise, she follows it to find a badly burned woman at the bottom of the stairs. A woman who knows who she is. Wanting to help her, Dora reaches out to touch her, she's knocked out and blasted through space. When she wakes? She's in a laboratory in the future, with Lord Sweetclover.
Present day, Kaz is wandering the Cornwall lanes after fleeing from his last workplace when he stumbles upon the long abandoned Sweetclover Hall. He's only after a dry place to sleep, but he gets so much more. When he enters the building, he finds Dora and Jana, both with no idea what the hell is going on.
The three are thrust in to an adventure that spans millennia, when they flee the laboratory they end up back in Dora's time...sort of. See they end up about 5 years out from the year Dora mysteriously vanished, and they couldn't have come back at a worse time really, you see the English Civil War is in full bloom and they're just in time to be harassed by Parliament soldiers....soldiers who are then facing....Celts? There's something strange going on, and it's not long before they face a mysterious woman named Quil, and her army of men pulled from different eras, or Sweetclover, the villainous douche. It would appear, however, that while they don't know Quil....she knows them.
Timebomb is certainly unique, I've not encountered anything like it before, you're caught up with the characters, blasting through time and in the same boat as them information wise. Timebomb doesn't mess about, it's all action straight from the start, and the pace doesn't slow down at all, despite the hasty pace, you can still get a strong feel for the characters.
Each was very different, and each had a strong personality in their own way. Dora, at first seemed a bit timid but rather sweet, then you get to know her a bit more and you realize she's incredibly stubborn, and i'm intrigued about the elder her you got a glimpse of. I did chuckle a bit at her questioning of modern things, but she was very witty and intelligent. Jana is probably my favourite because her snark is on point. She's blunt, she doesn't sugar coat and she's very confident and not afraid of anything really. Kaz was quite a lovely person, I wasn't sure on him at first, but he was so lovely and patient with Dora, you really watch his confidence grow throughout the book, and he's kind of a hero!
It was a fairly fun read, at the points when I did get quite in to it, but I did have parts of the book where I was a bit meh. At points I felt like it was bit too rushed. There was a lot crammed in to the book, and genre wise with all the different genres thrown it, it was fun and it worked, but with other things it was a bit like "really...AND that?". While I did like seeing the future selves, it was also a bit confusing at times with all the people running about.
I felt like some of the explanations where really lazy. You don't find out why they can time travel until the end, and I kind of felt like it was a bit half assed, there was a vague explanation and then nothing really added up and I wasn't convinced by it. The world didn't feel as extensive as it could have been, it was quite condensed, and I didn't really get much of a mental image or feel for the time, there was a lack of explanations, and I don't know why exactly, I can't put my finger on it, but I felt like the travel was overused I suppose? There was almost too much going on at points, like they went back to Dora's time and they just so happened to land smack in the middle of the civil war and Jana just so happened to know aaaallll about it thanks to her chip. Really didn't buy it.
I'm undecided as to whether I'll pick up the second book or not, because while I am intrigued, I just had a bit of a love hate thing with this book, parts where too rushed, I couldn't get in to it at the beginning or at other points, I got frustrated with all the coincidences and strokes of luck, and the explanation was so blah.
June 13, 2015
Review originally posted on my blog.
I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher, but before it tumbled through my front door, I hadn't heard of it. As soon as I read the synopsis, however, I knew I had to read it, and soon. So I picked it up and started to read nearly as soon as I had it in my hands. And wow ... I'm so glad I did.
I have posted on Twitter about this book so many times in the week and a bit I have been reading it (writing takes up a lot of my time nowadays ... otherwise I would definitely have finished it sooner) – I just haven't been able to not talk about it. And the very first thing I said? Reading this book feels a lot like running. So much happens in the first 30 pages that I felt almost as though I'd run a marathon. But unlike if I had actually run a marathon, it felt incredibly exhilarating.
The word 'bomb' has a definite right to be in the title of this book. Every chapter, every scene, feels as though a bomb has exploded. I don't think I have ever read something that moves so quickly, feels so dangerous, and has a plot quite as twisty as this. For every question I had answered, about two more replaced it in an instant. But rather than this irritating me, I simply wanted to know more. The ending of the book amplifies this ... so many questions! It has left me addicted and craving the next instalment more than I imagined I would.
So let's talk paradoxes. I am not going to pretend for a second that I have a good enough understanding of science to talk about this in any kind of depth. I can only talk about it on a surface level, and from what I see in the story. But even from my small understanding of the subject, time-travellers should not be able to cross their own timelines. Things would clearly get very messy if they did. And things are messy in this book, and yet somehow they seem to work themselves out ... in a very tangled sort of way.
(I'm hoping you're still with me ...)
Scott either has a very organised brain, or he made some seriously complicated diagrams to work out the plot ... if I had tried to write this, I genuinely think I would have tied my brain into all kinds of knots. But instead of totally confusing the reader, it's written in a way that only mildly confuses – and this is in a good way. Like I said, it left me craving more. I want my questions answered, and I can only hope that some of them will be answered in the next book.
One thing that is bothering me slightly, now that I have finished the book, is that I don't quite know how old all of the characters are. They get separated, of course, and because of the bouncing around in time, they appear as older versions of themselves. By the end of the book, the characters as we currently see them are quite different to how they were at the beginning. I want to know how old they are and what happened to them. Yet another reason to read the next book in this trilogy (it's my understanding that this will be a trilogy, anyway).
The characters are complex and not always what they seem, and the three main characters have proven to me over and over that they are capable of surprising me at any time. Especially, it has to be said, Dora, the feisty, headstrong girl from the past. How she took on all the changes, I will never quite comprehend.
My favourite character of all, though, has proven to be the antagonist, Quil. She is set up to be the typical comic-book bad guy, but when we finally get to meet her, she is anything but, and proves to be just as complicated, if not more, as our three protagonists. I can't wait to see what she'll do next (or what she did before ... honestly this jumping around in time is enough to confuse anyone!).
I absolutely can't recommend this novel enough. It's fast-paced, intelligent, fantastical, compelling ... like I said, running ... actually, no ... sprinting a marathon. So much happens, but it feels like it happens in the blink of an eye! I seriously can't wait for the next instalment, and I hope you'll take my advice and pick up a copy as soon as you physically can. Incredible.
I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher, but before it tumbled through my front door, I hadn't heard of it. As soon as I read the synopsis, however, I knew I had to read it, and soon. So I picked it up and started to read nearly as soon as I had it in my hands. And wow ... I'm so glad I did.
I have posted on Twitter about this book so many times in the week and a bit I have been reading it (writing takes up a lot of my time nowadays ... otherwise I would definitely have finished it sooner) – I just haven't been able to not talk about it. And the very first thing I said? Reading this book feels a lot like running. So much happens in the first 30 pages that I felt almost as though I'd run a marathon. But unlike if I had actually run a marathon, it felt incredibly exhilarating.
The word 'bomb' has a definite right to be in the title of this book. Every chapter, every scene, feels as though a bomb has exploded. I don't think I have ever read something that moves so quickly, feels so dangerous, and has a plot quite as twisty as this. For every question I had answered, about two more replaced it in an instant. But rather than this irritating me, I simply wanted to know more. The ending of the book amplifies this ... so many questions! It has left me addicted and craving the next instalment more than I imagined I would.
So let's talk paradoxes. I am not going to pretend for a second that I have a good enough understanding of science to talk about this in any kind of depth. I can only talk about it on a surface level, and from what I see in the story. But even from my small understanding of the subject, time-travellers should not be able to cross their own timelines. Things would clearly get very messy if they did. And things are messy in this book, and yet somehow they seem to work themselves out ... in a very tangled sort of way.
(I'm hoping you're still with me ...)
Scott either has a very organised brain, or he made some seriously complicated diagrams to work out the plot ... if I had tried to write this, I genuinely think I would have tied my brain into all kinds of knots. But instead of totally confusing the reader, it's written in a way that only mildly confuses – and this is in a good way. Like I said, it left me craving more. I want my questions answered, and I can only hope that some of them will be answered in the next book.
One thing that is bothering me slightly, now that I have finished the book, is that I don't quite know how old all of the characters are. They get separated, of course, and because of the bouncing around in time, they appear as older versions of themselves. By the end of the book, the characters as we currently see them are quite different to how they were at the beginning. I want to know how old they are and what happened to them. Yet another reason to read the next book in this trilogy (it's my understanding that this will be a trilogy, anyway).
The characters are complex and not always what they seem, and the three main characters have proven to me over and over that they are capable of surprising me at any time. Especially, it has to be said, Dora, the feisty, headstrong girl from the past. How she took on all the changes, I will never quite comprehend.
My favourite character of all, though, has proven to be the antagonist, Quil. She is set up to be the typical comic-book bad guy, but when we finally get to meet her, she is anything but, and proves to be just as complicated, if not more, as our three protagonists. I can't wait to see what she'll do next (or what she did before ... honestly this jumping around in time is enough to confuse anyone!).
I absolutely can't recommend this novel enough. It's fast-paced, intelligent, fantastical, compelling ... like I said, running ... actually, no ... sprinting a marathon. So much happens, but it feels like it happens in the blink of an eye! I seriously can't wait for the next instalment, and I hope you'll take my advice and pick up a copy as soon as you physically can. Incredible.
March 23, 2015
Scott K Andrews avoids the pitfalls of complex time travel exposition in this, the first book in a young adult trilogy, which some reviewers have objected to. It is one of the risks inherent in this notorious mind-bender of a genre; however, ‘TimeBomb’ makes the best of it with a suitably twist-filled narrative as three teens, one from the past, one from our present and one from the future, find themselves snatched from their lives by mysterious figures engaged in a conspiracy presumably caused by the chronological explosive of the title.
‘TimeBomb’’s kids are suitably no-nonsense. One is an impatient, confused and rather manipulative girl from the future, another is a young male Polish runaway and the last the fourteen-year old daughter of a baker from the time of the English Civil War. Scott described how he was determined to avoid the ‘girl and two boys’ relational structure of much young adult fiction and has cleverly mixed things up further by making the older girl, Jaya, rather androgynous, the boy, Kaz, the heart of the piece and finally puts a laser-pistol in the hands of a traumatised Dora with dramatic and genuinely upsetting results.
Time travel has universal appeal but perhaps has a particular attraction for young people, stuck as they are between childhood and the adult world and at the mercy of seemingly arbitrary rules and restrictions. However, the results of travelling in time are inevitably ambiguous and the ability of the protagonists to visit events in the past has a profound developmental effect on them, particularly in their relationships with the adult characters. As in reality, the authority figures and antagonists often change places, sometimes literally. An early mentor has the face of one of the villains (the deceptively named Lord Sweetclover) while the main antagonist, Quil, doesn’t have a face at all and wears a blank white mask. Even Lord Sweetclover is out of his depth; in the thrall of a wife from the future who brings fridge freezers into the family manor from one chronological direction and an army of facially-tattooed Celts from another.
As is often the case it is the antagonists who define the tale and in Quil the usual clichés of female villainy are avoided. We first meet her in an interrogation room in the future; she is thrown back in time, burned at the stake, escapes that, encounters Dora and in touching her begins the girl’s own journey through the ages. Weirdly sexy, charming and clearly sociopathic, Quil is almost too much for the young heroes and it is only their time travel gift, or perhaps curse, that enables them to gain any kind of advantage. Quil’s true identity is not revealed but it will be worth reading the other two books in the series just to find out.
‘TimeBomb’’s kids are suitably no-nonsense. One is an impatient, confused and rather manipulative girl from the future, another is a young male Polish runaway and the last the fourteen-year old daughter of a baker from the time of the English Civil War. Scott described how he was determined to avoid the ‘girl and two boys’ relational structure of much young adult fiction and has cleverly mixed things up further by making the older girl, Jaya, rather androgynous, the boy, Kaz, the heart of the piece and finally puts a laser-pistol in the hands of a traumatised Dora with dramatic and genuinely upsetting results.
Time travel has universal appeal but perhaps has a particular attraction for young people, stuck as they are between childhood and the adult world and at the mercy of seemingly arbitrary rules and restrictions. However, the results of travelling in time are inevitably ambiguous and the ability of the protagonists to visit events in the past has a profound developmental effect on them, particularly in their relationships with the adult characters. As in reality, the authority figures and antagonists often change places, sometimes literally. An early mentor has the face of one of the villains (the deceptively named Lord Sweetclover) while the main antagonist, Quil, doesn’t have a face at all and wears a blank white mask. Even Lord Sweetclover is out of his depth; in the thrall of a wife from the future who brings fridge freezers into the family manor from one chronological direction and an army of facially-tattooed Celts from another.
As is often the case it is the antagonists who define the tale and in Quil the usual clichés of female villainy are avoided. We first meet her in an interrogation room in the future; she is thrown back in time, burned at the stake, escapes that, encounters Dora and in touching her begins the girl’s own journey through the ages. Weirdly sexy, charming and clearly sociopathic, Quil is almost too much for the young heroes and it is only their time travel gift, or perhaps curse, that enables them to gain any kind of advantage. Quil’s true identity is not revealed but it will be worth reading the other two books in the series just to find out.
August 10, 2015
I won this book in a Goodreads’ competition, and as promised here is my review!
I’ll be honest and say I was initially a little sceptical when I received the book in the post, and wasn’t sure it would be my cup-of-tea after reading the back blurb… however, I was pleasantly surprised! I managed to read this cover to cover within 24 hours, while simultaneously running a kids camp! Needless to say sleep was not a major player in those 24 hours!
Time travel is a very tricky subject to navigate well. So often writers struggle to untangle the complexities of what can be a messy and difficult theme, and end up creating a novel that is disjointed, chaotic and filled with discrepancies. However, Andrews has done a superb job of traversing the realms of time travel seamlessly, allowing the reader to submerge themselves in the plot without getting distracted by messy science.
It was also nice to read a young-adult book that did not revolve around a love story. Andrews develops great relationships between his main characters, without going down the path of romance, which is refreshing considering the recent surge of dystopian, love-triangle action-romance novels (not saying I don’t like a good dystopian romance mind you!). Each character has great strength and personality, diverging from typical stereotyped hero/heroine roles and the depths of their personalities and relationship dynamics makes for a great read.
Timebomb is confusing, but in all the right ways! The reader is left just as puzzled as the main characters throughout most of the book and this lends itself to a very refreshing, absorbing read. I am normally pretty good at guessing where a plot is heading, but I found it very difficult to gauge where the book was leading me, who to trust, who to like and what to expect. The characters are likeable, with just the right amount of complexity, and enough of their pasts are left in shadow to cater to what is bound to be an exceptional sequel.
My only, slight, criticism would be the naming of the characters, which initially left me expecting this to be a rubbish read. The slightly kitsch naming of Lord Sweetclover of Sweetclover Hall suggests a novel aimed at a far younger age range than it actually is, as do a few of the other names, but luckily the plot made up for my initial scepticism.
Overall this was an incredibly engrossing book. It has been a while since I found a book I could literally not bare to put down, and I found myself sneaking back to my tent at every available opportunity to read a few more pages. I’m very glad I won this and can’t wait to read the sequels. Andrews is incredibly talented and has a very promising career ahead of him, especially if his future books are half as captivating as this beauty.
I’ll be honest and say I was initially a little sceptical when I received the book in the post, and wasn’t sure it would be my cup-of-tea after reading the back blurb… however, I was pleasantly surprised! I managed to read this cover to cover within 24 hours, while simultaneously running a kids camp! Needless to say sleep was not a major player in those 24 hours!
Time travel is a very tricky subject to navigate well. So often writers struggle to untangle the complexities of what can be a messy and difficult theme, and end up creating a novel that is disjointed, chaotic and filled with discrepancies. However, Andrews has done a superb job of traversing the realms of time travel seamlessly, allowing the reader to submerge themselves in the plot without getting distracted by messy science.
It was also nice to read a young-adult book that did not revolve around a love story. Andrews develops great relationships between his main characters, without going down the path of romance, which is refreshing considering the recent surge of dystopian, love-triangle action-romance novels (not saying I don’t like a good dystopian romance mind you!). Each character has great strength and personality, diverging from typical stereotyped hero/heroine roles and the depths of their personalities and relationship dynamics makes for a great read.
Timebomb is confusing, but in all the right ways! The reader is left just as puzzled as the main characters throughout most of the book and this lends itself to a very refreshing, absorbing read. I am normally pretty good at guessing where a plot is heading, but I found it very difficult to gauge where the book was leading me, who to trust, who to like and what to expect. The characters are likeable, with just the right amount of complexity, and enough of their pasts are left in shadow to cater to what is bound to be an exceptional sequel.
My only, slight, criticism would be the naming of the characters, which initially left me expecting this to be a rubbish read. The slightly kitsch naming of Lord Sweetclover of Sweetclover Hall suggests a novel aimed at a far younger age range than it actually is, as do a few of the other names, but luckily the plot made up for my initial scepticism.
Overall this was an incredibly engrossing book. It has been a while since I found a book I could literally not bare to put down, and I found myself sneaking back to my tent at every available opportunity to read a few more pages. I’m very glad I won this and can’t wait to read the sequels. Andrews is incredibly talented and has a very promising career ahead of him, especially if his future books are half as captivating as this beauty.
October 15, 2015
*Received from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review*
3.5 STARS
Impeccably unique and mesmerising, Andrews takes an astoundingly interesting take on time travel. I really love the cover, so bright and eye-catching!
When Dora and Yojana fall from the ceiling of a room where Kaz is pulled towards, they are all shocked by their appearance. Coming from different eras, they must stick together to find out what is going on, and to figure out who is chasing them, why, and how to stop them.
The characters in this novel are varied. You have a variety of personalities which is probably because of the different eras they have come from influencing their different mannerisms. Reading the novel from three different perspectives could have been a struggle, however Andrews really created characters that were so well differentiated you were able to simply identify whom was who. The characters were so intriguing. Dora coming from the 1600s was a lovely girl who was pleasant and friendly to all. However she was strong and certainly was not afraid to put her foot down when she felt needed to; historical fiction is one of my favourite genres so therefore witnessing someone from that era be brought into the 2000s was incredibly fascinating. Kaz was a mysterious protagonist whom you could not help but like. He always got on well with Yojana and Dora and was sort of the middle-man, always keeping them calm and on-course. Yojanna was from the future in the 2100s. I felt her story was the most interesting. Her scattered references to her deaths were puzzling and intriguing, not to mention the use of technology in her time. The characters were amazing and, though very different, they worked brilliantly together.
The plot is what knocked down the stars for me. It was amazing, weird and astonishing, unlike anything I had read before. But because of this, you had to always really concentrate whilst reading which therefore meant many a times I would fall asleep as my brain would just sort-of give up. However, I cannot fault the intricate puzzle Andrews created, it really is something quite special. Though it was definitly that ending, I mean, Dora! I just... did not expect it at all!
Therefore I am incredibly excited for the sequel!
3.5 STARS
Impeccably unique and mesmerising, Andrews takes an astoundingly interesting take on time travel. I really love the cover, so bright and eye-catching!
When Dora and Yojana fall from the ceiling of a room where Kaz is pulled towards, they are all shocked by their appearance. Coming from different eras, they must stick together to find out what is going on, and to figure out who is chasing them, why, and how to stop them.
The characters in this novel are varied. You have a variety of personalities which is probably because of the different eras they have come from influencing their different mannerisms. Reading the novel from three different perspectives could have been a struggle, however Andrews really created characters that were so well differentiated you were able to simply identify whom was who. The characters were so intriguing. Dora coming from the 1600s was a lovely girl who was pleasant and friendly to all. However she was strong and certainly was not afraid to put her foot down when she felt needed to; historical fiction is one of my favourite genres so therefore witnessing someone from that era be brought into the 2000s was incredibly fascinating. Kaz was a mysterious protagonist whom you could not help but like. He always got on well with Yojana and Dora and was sort of the middle-man, always keeping them calm and on-course. Yojanna was from the future in the 2100s. I felt her story was the most interesting. Her scattered references to her deaths were puzzling and intriguing, not to mention the use of technology in her time. The characters were amazing and, though very different, they worked brilliantly together.
The plot is what knocked down the stars for me. It was amazing, weird and astonishing, unlike anything I had read before. But because of this, you had to always really concentrate whilst reading which therefore meant many a times I would fall asleep as my brain would just sort-of give up. However, I cannot fault the intricate puzzle Andrews created, it really is something quite special. Though it was definitly that ending, I mean, Dora! I just... did not expect it at all!
Therefore I am incredibly excited for the sequel!
October 8, 2014
Timebomb, by Scott K. Andrews, is the first book in a planned, new, time travel trilogy for young adults. It follows the adventures of three teenagers plucked unexpectedly from lives that seem ordinary in the 17th, 21st and 22nd centuries to face a foe they are told little about. They are flung into an unknown world where they are constantly threatened and do not know who to trust. As may be expected if time travel became a possibility there are those who wish to control the few who can master it and thereby use it for their own nefarious means. In this first book in the series it is unclear who the enemy they must face is or what they want, only that the three teenagers are seen as instrumental in a deadly game that is being played out across many centuries.
Keeping track of the various timelines is confusing as the travellers can meet their future selves who, in various instances, step in to perform rescues from life threatening situations. These glimpses suggest adventures to come with an increase in knowledge and skills. In this book however there is much confusion and each of the protagonists folds under pressure at various times. Despite their unusual abilities they are not presented as superheroes.
I enjoyed the descriptions of present day advances as seen through the eyes of a traveller from the past. What was made less clear were the limitations of technologies that could be carried back in time. Toasters and fridges it seems were transportable but not the helpful computer chip that future person carried in her head and which her enemies wished to acquire. I wondered why all those capable of time travel did not possess the best the future could offer.
The plot lines are complex but move along at a rollicking pace making this book a compelling read. It offers but one adventure and the reader is left with many questions and a desire to have them answered. With two more books planned this bodes well for the author, although I would have liked to have seen a little more coherence here. Throughout the excitement it was hard to find reason for much of what was going on.
Having said that I enjoyed the book and will look out for the next instalment. Many of the characters are intriguing with several who played bit parts in this book perhaps being set up for future roles. This is an unfolding story filled with action and conspiracy that presents time travel as an ability that the world is probably better off without.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Hodder and Stoughton.
Keeping track of the various timelines is confusing as the travellers can meet their future selves who, in various instances, step in to perform rescues from life threatening situations. These glimpses suggest adventures to come with an increase in knowledge and skills. In this book however there is much confusion and each of the protagonists folds under pressure at various times. Despite their unusual abilities they are not presented as superheroes.
I enjoyed the descriptions of present day advances as seen through the eyes of a traveller from the past. What was made less clear were the limitations of technologies that could be carried back in time. Toasters and fridges it seems were transportable but not the helpful computer chip that future person carried in her head and which her enemies wished to acquire. I wondered why all those capable of time travel did not possess the best the future could offer.
The plot lines are complex but move along at a rollicking pace making this book a compelling read. It offers but one adventure and the reader is left with many questions and a desire to have them answered. With two more books planned this bodes well for the author, although I would have liked to have seen a little more coherence here. Throughout the excitement it was hard to find reason for much of what was going on.
Having said that I enjoyed the book and will look out for the next instalment. Many of the characters are intriguing with several who played bit parts in this book perhaps being set up for future roles. This is an unfolding story filled with action and conspiracy that presents time travel as an ability that the world is probably better off without.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Hodder and Stoughton.
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