Stealing Time

by Tilia Klebenov Jacobs, Norman Birnbach

Good news for everyone who loved Back to the Future, The Time Traveler's Wife, and Time and Again: the newest page-turner is Stealing Time, a smart, funny caper that will steal your heart.

When there’s no time left, you have to steal it!

New York, 2020. Tori’s world is falling apart. Between the pandemic and her parents’ divorce, what else could go wrong?

Plenty! Like discovering that a jewelry heist forty years ago sent her grandfather to jail and destroyed her family.

New York, 1980. Bobby’s life is pretty great—until a strange girl shows up in his apartment claiming to be a visitor from the future. Specifically, his future, which apparently stinks. Oh, and did she mention she’s his daughter?

Soon Bobby and Tori have joined forces to save the mystical gemstone at the heart of all their troubles. But a gang of thugs wants it too, and they’re not about to let a couple of teenagers get in their way.

This time-travel jewelry heist will keep you guessing till the end!

"Jacobs and Birnbach’s time-traveling adventure combines SF and elements of classic caper and heist stories. Fans of will find much to love here. Though the concept of going back into the past to meet younger versions of family members has been done, Jacobs and Birnbach’s characters are distinctive enough to keep this work feeling fresh. [This] solid, lighter SF yarn [is] a delight. A classic, well rendered." - Kirkus Reviews

Genres: Time Travel, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery, Science Fiction Fantasy

311 pages, Paperback

First published November 19, 2024

About the author

Tilia Klebenov Jacobs holds a BA from Oberlin College, where she double-majored in Religion and English with a concentration in Creative Writing. Following an interregnum as an outdoor educator with the Fairfax County Park Authority in Virginia, she earned a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and a Secondary School Teaching Certification from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Despite lacking the ability to breathe fire except in the strictly metaphorical sense, Tilia has taught middle school, high school, and college. She has also won numerous awards for her fiction and nonfiction writing. She is a judge in the Soul-Making Keats Literary Competition, and she teaches writing in two prisons in Massachusetts. Tilia lives near Boston with her husband, two children, and two standard poodles.

Reviews

[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

TITLE: STEALING TIME
AUTHOR: Tilia Jacobs & Norman Birnbach
PUB DATE: 11.19.2024

THOUGHTS:

Time Travel
Jewel Heist
Back to the past with a twist

I really enjoyed this fun caper story with a twist. Tori’s life in 2020 as a teen is not that great between the pandemic and her relationship with her family - which may have something to do with a heist 40 years ago that sent her grandfather to prison. Suddenly she finds herself in Bobby’s apartment in 1980 - her dad as a teen, and together work to change the past. It’s a fun read with characters I just absolutely adore.

[LaceyBanana Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s 2020 in New York and Tori is a teen going through a pandemic and her parents divorce. She doesn’t get along with her dad and doesn’t understand what has happened to her family. Until she finds out a jewelry heist 40 years ago is to blame for the majority of her troubles. Suddenly she finds herself in 1980 except her apartment is not her own anymore. It belongs to a boy named Bobby and his family. Her family. Because Bobby is her dad but he’s her age! Her and her future dad set off to change history and see if they can stop the heist that sent her grandfather to jail and derailed all of their futures.

The 80’s nostalgia paired with the daddy daughter duo was such a fun time! We often wonder what our parents went through and why and how it affects their current lives but we never get to see it firsthand. This was such an interesting view into that mindset and it was so nice getting to watch Tori and Bobby work together. I had a blast reading this!

Thank you so much to Get Red PR and the authors for providing this free ARC. This is my honest review! This published on November 19th.

[Megan Heimbigner · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you to NetGalley and Linden Tree Press for the opportunity to read and review this book before its release. Below is my honest review.*

When teenaged Tori is transported from her bedroom in 2020 to that same bedroom in 1980, she quickly discovers that her teenaged father, Bobby, was its owner at that time. Unsure how she got there or how to return, what ensues turns into such a fun and lighthearted YA romp through time! I really enjoyed that the time travel aspect allowed us to revisit things of not-so-long-ago pandemic times like the toilet paper shortage and then flipped back to 1980s complete with phone booths, record players, and encyclopedia sets. It was a neat dichotomy as Bobby and Tori interacted and made for some fun scenes where either Bobby had no idea what Tori was talking about, or vice versa. I especially loved their discussion of slang and what the word ‘geek’ meant to each of them.

The book was well paced but still managed to be a rather quick read and I read it in just a few hours. As the protagonist, Tori was a likable character and I found myself rooting for her and really hoping she would somehow find a way out of her predicament. My favorite part was when she discovers how she truly got her name. Above all, this book made me wonder what it would’ve been like to meet my dad as a teenager when I was a teenager myself and I love any book that makes me try to imagine myself in the main character’s shoes.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time travel meets Six of Crows style jewel heist? SIGN ME UP. 😍👏
This was delightful. A teen girl gets transported back in time to the 80s and ends up meeting her dad as a teen and teaming up with him to stop a jewel theft. It’s clever, funny, and a sweet reminder that parents weren’t always the way we know them to be.

I received an advance copy from the publisher, all opinions are my own, and a review was not required.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun time caper. In March 2020, as the world is shutting down, Tori’s parents have decided to separate, and Tori is packing up to move to Boston with her mom, while her father will stay in New York City. In the midst of this a news reporter calls to speak to her father about an event from 40 years ago. While looking up what he was talking about, she somehow ends up going back in time to 1980. I really enjoyed this fresh take on time travel.

[Kearstin Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A time travel story that starts at the height of a pandemic.
Such an interesting and exciting read. Many unexpected twists and amazing characters!

Tori is the main character that travels back in time. Does she find out everything she wished to know? You definitely need to read this to find out!

[Nate Findlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

page turner ASF!!

[Mira · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of the movie Back To The Future, 80’s culture and books about heists, you will enjoy this book.

It’s March 2020 in New York and Tori is miserable. Her parents are divorcing, they are in the midst of the pandemic and life at home has been completely sucky.

But after overhearing her father on the phone with a Times reporter about a heist and the Desert Sun diamond, Tori does a deep dive on the internet and learns how this heist destroyed her family.

In the midst of packing her stuff and trying to learn more about this heist, Tori suddenly wakes up finding herself still in her room, but also not her room.
She has travelled to March 1980 and is currently in her father’s bedroom. Trying to explain that she is his daughter and from the future leads to all sorts of confusion as they try to figure out what comes next. Perhaps preventing the theft that destroyed her family will get her back to her own time?

But with her cell phone not working in the 1980’s and the internet not in existence yet, Tori is unprepared for how different New York is in the 80’s.

With short chapters, this was a total fun and quick read.

Thanks to NetGalley and AuthorBuzz for this advanced copy for review

[Karl Colon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great page turner — time travel, fast moving action, and a hero of today discovering a New York I still remember. Great book for anyone 10 and up! I am a Librarian and will be giving to my YA and Adult readers!

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book that kept me interested. The plot has a few holes, but it was enjoyable.

[Blair Nelson-Peterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked it a lot! It was a good book to read at night before I went to bed.

[Nika Skwirba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tilia Klebenov Jacobs’ Stealing Time is a masterpiece that hooks you from the very first page and refuses to let go. The story is expertly crafted, blending suspense, emotion, and just the right amount of humor to create a truly unforgettable read.

The characters are vivid and relatable, each with their own depth and complexity. Jacobs has a gift for storytelling, weaving a plot full of twists and turns that keeps you guessing until the very end. The pacing is spot-on, making it impossible to put the book down.

What stands out most is how Jacobs balances the tension of the story with moments of humanity and heart. It's not just a story about "stealing time"; it’s about redemption, resilience, and the choices that define us.

I wholeheartedly recommend Stealing Time to anyone looking for a smart, engaging, and emotionally satisfying read. Tilia Klebenov Jacobs has truly outdone herself with this one—5 stars all the way!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A teenaged girl named Tori Gold is about to leave her home in New York City at the beginning of the Pandemic in 2020 when she finds herself back in the same place in 1980. She is in the same apartment where she spent her entire life but her room now belongs to a teenaged boy named Bobby Gold. Bobby lives with his parents, Louise and Victor. Tori is shocked to realize that Bobby is her own father and Louise and Victor are her grandparents. The happy family living comfortably in 1980 is very different from the one she left behind forty years later. In Tori's life, Victor, the successful gemologist, died after being disgraced and imprisoned for his part in the theft of the Desert Sun, a legendary diamond on display at the Museum of Natural History. Louise is an invalid, still mourning the loss of her husband. Worst of all, Tori's father, Bob, has had an unhappy life of frustration and bitterrness and he is divorcing her mother. Tori and Bobby figure out that the only hope of returning Tori to her own time is to prevent the theft. This will be difficult because Tori's knowledge of the crime consists of part of an old newspaper article she read before leaving her own time.
Stealing Time is a delightful young adult novel that was thoroughly enjoyed by this old adult. The authors obviously had a wonderful time mining the comic possibilities of the situation without spoiling the poignance of the family relationships.
Tori and Bobby are both science fiction fans who understand the potential problems of time travel. They must be careful to avoid changing the future too much while using Tori's limited knowledge to fix the present. I had a lot of fun reading about the differences in technology as experienced by two kids from different eras. Tori feels lost without her cell phone in a world where telephones are connected to the wall by wires and there is no Internet. Bobby finds himself caring deeply about the fate of the girl who will become his daughter. While it did seem as if his parents were unusually accepting of the sudden arrival of his "friend from Camp Ramah" who has lost her luggage and needs a place to stay for the weekend, their kindness just made them very sympathetic and I was willing to suspend my disbelief. The alternate chapters dealt with the plans of the actual jewel thieves, one of whom turned out to be a surprise. While the book dealt with some serious issues and sketchy characters, it was clean and, I thought, appropriate, for any age.
Stealing Time reminded me a bit of another enjoyable YA time travel story, Lauren Thoman's I'll Stop the World, but this one was much better.
Stealing Time is (dare I say it?) a gem!
I would like to thank NetGalley and Linden Tree Press for the opportunity to read a free preview copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Michael Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fun Time

I think you will enjoy this book about Time. This doesn't have all the Scientific hopla that nobody cares about. This is a story about going back to save a family and that's all I'm saying about that. What I will say is that its a fun story with good characters. You will enjoy this book! Would I lie to you.

[Kelly - Words We Love By · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't wait to read this book from the bery start it had me anticipating what exact was going to happen in the debut of this time traveling thriller by Tilia Jacobs and Norman Bimbach. Stealing Time, alternates between two timelines in New York in 2020 and 1980, and shows the drastic difference between the two characters and the different times they live in. Tori, lives in New York, in 2020, during the pandemic with divorcing parents and the mystery of her grandfather's past adds an urgency to her mission of understanding her family's history and trying to restore their legacy. On the other hand you have Bobby who is a carefree child of the 80's as he has a hard time believing the dilemmas that Tori is facing, However, they come together on the one mission that binds them together, to protect the mystical gemstone. This gemstone holds the key to their futures and keeping their families safe. This fast paced book with all the twist and turns will keep you on your toes. The stakes are high and the danger of the situation keeps the story moving as you immerse yourself into this mysterious world of time travel. Check out the debut novel of Tilia Jacobs and Norman Bimbach and get whisked away to a new time and place.

[Maggie Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I love time travel stories. I've also been on a kick of heist stories lately. Stealing Time was the best of both worlds for me. I was engaged from the first page, and as soon as Tori landed in 1980 and met Bobby, I wanted nothing more than for them to succeed. These protagonists are so likeable that I couldn't help but cheer them on from the very beginning. The science-y bits about how time travel worked was explained in a way that I got it, and it didn't make my head hurt. The heist bits were super fun to read -- I was literally on the edge of my seat in parts, it was that exciting. And I loved the bits where Tori tried to explain 2020 to Bobby, and her not getting the 1980 stuff -- like no speakerphone, no pausing live TV, not knowing how to write in cursive. As someone who became a teenager in the 90s but read this book on a smartphone, I could relate to both!
Five stars for being the most fun book I've read in a while!

[Jonathan Kravetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this blend of time travel adventure and family drama, "Stealing Time" is a lovely story about a teenage girl's mission to heal her family's past. Set between pandemic-era 2020 and a grittier 1980 Manhattan, the novel follows fifteen-year-old Tori who finds herself mysteriously transported four decades into the past—right into her father's teenage life.

The plot centers around the theft of the Desert Sun diamond from the American Museum of Natural History, a crime that would eventually destroy her grandfather's reputation and cast a long shadow over her family's future. When Tori teams up with the teenage version of her father, Bobby, to prevent the heist, the story transforms into a caper.

What sets this novel apart is its thoughtful exploration of how one event can ripple through generations. The authors understand both time periods, particularly the grittier atmosphere of 1980s New York, while weaving in themes of family bonds, redemption, and the far-reaching impact of the criminal justice system.

The book has a nice balance of humor, heart, and adventure.

[Cindy Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

15 year old Tori is experiencing the beginning of the COVID pandemic in 2020 Manhattan. Her parents are separating and her mother's about to take her to live in the Boston area. When she overhears a conversation her father is having, she ends up on the internet researching the theft of a rare diamond from the Museum of Natural History and the conviction and imprisonment of her grandfather for the theft. Then, all of a sudden, she's back in 1980 the same age as the boy who's going to become her father. Can she stop the theft of the diamond and get back to 2020?

This is a sweet YA time travel book with Jewish main characters and a diamond heist plot. While most of the POV is Tori's, there are a number of chapters from the POV of the gang of thieves. These read more like a 1930s gangster movie than a 1980 criminal gang. Other than that issue, the rest of the book was well written, a bit more down on 1980 NYC than necessary, but on the whole a really engaging book.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fun read is a time travel, jewelry heist book and I really enjoyed it. It reads like a movie Set over a long weekend in 1980 and a few hours in 2020 the short chapters kept me reading. Tori’s life in 2020 feels like it is falling apart, the world is shutting down for COVID and her parents are separating when she discovers something about her grandfather that makes no sense, him being in jail for being part of stealing a diamond from the American Museum of Natural History. She wakes up in her room but it is not her room, it is 1980 and it is her dad’s room. Can they work together to stop the heist? How will it change the future? The interactions between Tori and her teenage dad Bobby are well written and interesting. Trying to figure out the details of the crime and how the teenage characters were going to stop it held my attention and made me want to visit a museum. I recommend this book to readers that enjoy mysteries that read like a movie.

Thanks to Get Red PR for providing a copy for my honest review.

[Shakella "The Singing Bibliophile" Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the cover of this book; it's unassuming and perfectly represents the story. I enjoyed that the narrative is set during the pandemic, which adds a contemporary, relatable feel, making it seem like it could happen in real life. Although the time travel trope has been explored before, this story presented a fresh and unique spin.

Can we take a moment to give a hand clap for the relationship development between Tori and her father, Bobby? This book combines time travel, mystery, and action, all while incorporating a heartwarming element of family love.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book—it was an engaging read right from the start. I would be interested in exploring more works from these authors.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tilia Klebenov Jacobs, Norman Birnbach, and AuthorBuzz, for the e-ARC of "Stealing Time." I am providing this honest review voluntarily and without any pressure.

[Patrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun romp from current pandemic days of 2020 to the MTV or X generation of 1980. It is a mystery and time travel story where one event shaped a young man's life with repercussions effecting his present day life and daughter.

I really enjoyed this story where a teenage girl, Tori, ends up going back in time and meets her teenage father, Bobby. It happens when the USA was first being shut-down in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and drops her into 1980's NYC just before a theft at the American Museum of Natural History is about to happen.

This is a very well written young adult novel that kept this adult turning the pages to see what happens next! Great characters and story.

[Maggie's Nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time traveling is an interesting topic for me and because of that I pick this one to read. I enjoyed it from start to finish. I enjoyed how the story flowed and was written. The multiple POVs made the book more interesting and easy to follow. It also allowed me to get to know every character deeper and better.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Thank you for the digital arc. Everything in this review has been written willing fully.
Since I read a proof copy of the book any grammatical errors did not impact the rating.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Instagram/tiktok/threads @maggies.nook

𝘐𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘵! 𝘔𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.🥰

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not going to lie, when I read the description and saw time travel I was skeptical if I would enjoy Stealing Time. Time travel has always made my head hurt but thankfully Stealing Time has so much more to offer. The time travel speak gave me minimal head spinning and I absolutely loved Tori teaming up with her 80s version of her dad to stop a heist.

As a child of the 90s I was able to appreciate most of the references from traveling back in time and obviously some of the ridiculous things in 2020 (looking at you toilet paper hoarders!).

This was such a great read and I would like to give a huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of Stealing Time to read and review!

[Rubi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, guys.....wow.
I am in LOVE with this book! It was SO so good! 🤩
Like Back to the Future but without the time travel rules and....jewel heist 😁😆
Who doesn't love a good heist story, right?
I absolutely adored the relationship between Tori and Bobby too. Their relationship in 2020 wasn't the greatest but in the 1980s, she got see him in a different light. Both had excellent character development and the ending was .....perfection! 😍
HIGHLY recommend! Now, does anyone who where I can preorder a hardcover edition of this masterpiece? 😂🫶

[Zach Strassburger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t expect to like this book about time travel and attempting to stop a jewel thief as much as I did. Time travel and thriller? Not my shtick. But the characters were well developed and I felt as if I could really picture the places that were described. I liked setting the book just at the beginning of Covid, too—a real sense of doom but realistic! The book was fun and when it ended, I wasn’t ready.
Recommend!

I received an e-copy prior to publication from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

[Marcie Saldivar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This YA book was a lot of fun. There was a dual timeline, but most of the book was set in the past. I’m also partial to any books that have an 80’s timeline. Loved the 80’s! The characters were well developed and the cover of the book is beautiful. Reading about how a teenager deals with not having the technology she is used to after traveling back in time was great. I liked the ending of the story which explained how things the main character did when she traveled back in time affected the present. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader’s copy.

[Kara Hatalsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this book because of the plot, definitely, and the characters and humor. I can’t stress it enough: the robbers were great. I loved reading about them, and it made this into a book that’s more something my friend group would enjoy because darker plotlines are fun. This is an amazing concept and an amazing story. Bobby was my favorite character, followed closely by Louise, but all the characters were amazing and deep and beautiful!

[LeeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time-traveling jewel heist for the win.

Much like Back to the Future did for the 1980s, this book is a powerful look at what it means to come of age - and how important it is to see your parents as people.

But more than that, this is a fun jewel heist story! If that's your thing, this is the story you've been missing!

Need a 2020 story that isn't depressing or hard to read? You need this book.

Can't tell you how much I needed this. Fun!

[Bruce Raterink · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, quick read with engaging characters, a fast moving plot, and, of course, time travel. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, especially the main character Tori and her confusion while trying to understand life in the 1980s while explaining futuristic life in the 2020s. Strongly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Linden Tree Press for an advanced reader copy.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always like a good time travel story and this was a pretty fun one. I liked the relationship between Bobby and Tori. The jewelry heist added a lot to the mystery of why Tori time traveled and how would she get back. I also liked the family aspect of the story. I thought it was a quick read that had me turning the page wanting to find out how it ends. Thanks NetGalley for an advanced copy.