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The Travelers
From Edgar nominee and author of critically acclaimed The Whispers comes a tale of friendship, found family, and the knowledge that even in death, those we love never really leave us.
When twelve-year-old Ben Turner’s mom unexpectedly passes away, he's forced into the care of the only living relative he has left—a grandmother he’s never met who lives in a place he’s never been. Rutledge, South Carolina is worlds from bustling Nashville.
Upon arriving at his grandmother's house, Ben is dumbfounded by the large, stone and brick building that greets him. Clifton House appears far more haunted mansion than house and Ben can’t get over the fact that this is where his mom grew up. Inside, Ben is surprised to see clocks—clocks of all shapes and sizes on the walls, mantels and tables. What’s even more surprising, is that none of the clocks tell the correct time and some even seem to be moving backwards.
Before Ben can ask too many questions, his stern grandmother tells him there are two rules that must be followed at Clifton never touch the clocks and never go up to the third floor. But on his very first night, Ben hears footsteps and hushed whispers—all seeming to come from the third floor.
Soon Ben begins to suspect there’s something more to Clifton House than broken clocks and dusty old furniture. Is it poltergeists? Hidden passageways? Or something to do with the very fabric of time itself? With the help of two new friends, Ollie and Ash, Ben embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of Clifton House and quickly finds himself in a race against time to save his family and possibly even himself.
Edgar-nominated Greg Howard returns with a heartening, twisty mystery that is also a profound journey of loss and healing.
When twelve-year-old Ben Turner’s mom unexpectedly passes away, he's forced into the care of the only living relative he has left—a grandmother he’s never met who lives in a place he’s never been. Rutledge, South Carolina is worlds from bustling Nashville.
Upon arriving at his grandmother's house, Ben is dumbfounded by the large, stone and brick building that greets him. Clifton House appears far more haunted mansion than house and Ben can’t get over the fact that this is where his mom grew up. Inside, Ben is surprised to see clocks—clocks of all shapes and sizes on the walls, mantels and tables. What’s even more surprising, is that none of the clocks tell the correct time and some even seem to be moving backwards.
Before Ben can ask too many questions, his stern grandmother tells him there are two rules that must be followed at Clifton never touch the clocks and never go up to the third floor. But on his very first night, Ben hears footsteps and hushed whispers—all seeming to come from the third floor.
Soon Ben begins to suspect there’s something more to Clifton House than broken clocks and dusty old furniture. Is it poltergeists? Hidden passageways? Or something to do with the very fabric of time itself? With the help of two new friends, Ollie and Ash, Ben embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of Clifton House and quickly finds himself in a race against time to save his family and possibly even himself.
Edgar-nominated Greg Howard returns with a heartening, twisty mystery that is also a profound journey of loss and healing.
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 25, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 2, 2026
This fabulous new Greg Howard novel features an adventurous plot about time travel. The characters are so real that you will find yourself laughing with them, tearing up with them, and cheering for them. Family. Love. Superpowers. Grief. Belonging. Identity. All common subjects of Howard’s precious works and all of these themes are wisely featured in this heartfelt story. If I’m being honest, I would recommend this novel to all ages. It’s a great read. You will not want it to end.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Ben has to move from Tennessee to Rutledge, South Carolina, after the death of his mother. Since his father had passed away when he was a baby, he has to live with his grandmother, Martha Turner, whom he has never met. She’s a brusque, quiet woman inhabiting the Clifton House mansion, built in 1825, which has a creepy vibe to it. The grandmother tells Ben that he should never touch the clocks or go to the third floor, but then leaves him to his own devices, telling him to play outside. Ben meets Ollie, who is trying to catch a skittish stray dog, and she takes Ben to the public library to meet Ash. The three decide to investigate the mysteries of Clifton House, and start with asking the library director, Raleigh, for help. Armed with a little information, they proceed to go directly to the third floor, and get magically swept back in time to 2004 where they meet Ben’s mother, Hope, her twin sister Grace, and Martha when she was younger. The grandmother, in her current 61 year old incarnation, is also there, posing as the housekeeper, Mrs. Dowers. Family secrets are revealed, and Ben and his grandmother try to change the past. Will they be able to change the trajectory of the family?
Strengths: This had a very clever time travel method, and the link to the great great great grandfather’s study of horology was interesting. Traveling back in time and meeting one’s parents is always fascinating; one of my daughter’s favorite books in middle school was Page’s Rewind. It was great that Ben met two local children right away, and Raleigh was a great character who played a bigger than expected role in the book. Ben tells Ollie early on that he is gay, and I enjoyed that it is just part of who he is and doesn’t become a focus of the story. There are some very modern touches to the family tragedy, but also some room for a sequel, since Ben’s grandfather was lost somehere in time. There’s a lot of very realistic uses of time travel, and some raw emotions that come into play and motivate the characters. There haven’t been too many time travel books published lately, but it’s always an interesting topic.
Weaknesses: There’s a note by the author linking his previous books The Whispers and The Visitors as his “Grief Trilogy”. Adult gatekeepers seem to enjoy the middle grade trope of grieving a lot more than my students and I do. I’m very sorry that Mr. Howard had such a hard time dealing with his own mother’s death, but I still have trouble getting my students to read books on this topic, especially since there are so many of them. Also, as a 61 year old woman, it seemed a bit off for the grandmother to be wearing a black dress and living in a house with Victorian era decor; also, I’m pretty sure that as a 40 year old, I would have recognized my 61 year old self, even if the time traveling was aging.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed DeStefano’s The Girl with the Ghost Machine, Haydu’s Eventown, or Urban’s Almost There and Almost Not.
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Ben has to move from Tennessee to Rutledge, South Carolina, after the death of his mother. Since his father had passed away when he was a baby, he has to live with his grandmother, Martha Turner, whom he has never met. She’s a brusque, quiet woman inhabiting the Clifton House mansion, built in 1825, which has a creepy vibe to it. The grandmother tells Ben that he should never touch the clocks or go to the third floor, but then leaves him to his own devices, telling him to play outside. Ben meets Ollie, who is trying to catch a skittish stray dog, and she takes Ben to the public library to meet Ash. The three decide to investigate the mysteries of Clifton House, and start with asking the library director, Raleigh, for help. Armed with a little information, they proceed to go directly to the third floor, and get magically swept back in time to 2004 where they meet Ben’s mother, Hope, her twin sister Grace, and Martha when she was younger. The grandmother, in her current 61 year old incarnation, is also there, posing as the housekeeper, Mrs. Dowers. Family secrets are revealed, and Ben and his grandmother try to change the past. Will they be able to change the trajectory of the family?
Strengths: This had a very clever time travel method, and the link to the great great great grandfather’s study of horology was interesting. Traveling back in time and meeting one’s parents is always fascinating; one of my daughter’s favorite books in middle school was Page’s Rewind. It was great that Ben met two local children right away, and Raleigh was a great character who played a bigger than expected role in the book. Ben tells Ollie early on that he is gay, and I enjoyed that it is just part of who he is and doesn’t become a focus of the story. There are some very modern touches to the family tragedy, but also some room for a sequel, since Ben’s grandfather was lost somehere in time. There’s a lot of very realistic uses of time travel, and some raw emotions that come into play and motivate the characters. There haven’t been too many time travel books published lately, but it’s always an interesting topic.
Weaknesses: There’s a note by the author linking his previous books The Whispers and The Visitors as his “Grief Trilogy”. Adult gatekeepers seem to enjoy the middle grade trope of grieving a lot more than my students and I do. I’m very sorry that Mr. Howard had such a hard time dealing with his own mother’s death, but I still have trouble getting my students to read books on this topic, especially since there are so many of them. Also, as a 61 year old woman, it seemed a bit off for the grandmother to be wearing a black dress and living in a house with Victorian era decor; also, I’m pretty sure that as a 40 year old, I would have recognized my 61 year old self, even if the time traveling was aging.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed DeStefano’s The Girl with the Ghost Machine, Haydu’s Eventown, or Urban’s Almost There and Almost Not.
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
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October 23, 2026
I mainly review books for teachers, librarians, and parents of readers; therefore, I customarily include much of the plot, including, sometimes, spoilers. But the mystery in this book is too good to reveal, and so I will just say that THE TRAVELERS will engage all readers. It is well-written (passages can be used as mentor texts for writing lessons), well-paced, features appealing characters—especially the sympathetic main character/narrator. I couldn’t put it down, really craving to know what would happen next and very sorry when it ended.
When twelve-year-old Benjamin Turner’s mother dies, he is devastated. He and his mother were very close—his father supposedly dying when he was too young to remember. They lived in Nashville where his mom had dreams of becoming a songwriter, dreams that never materialized as they moved from placed to place after countless evictions. After his death, Ben goes to live with his grandmother, whom he has never met, in Rutledge, South Carolina, in Clifton House, where his mother was raised and where no one is invited in. The house is very odd with a number of antique clocks all set to wrong times and one even running backwards.
Martha Turner is very unwelcoming and has two non-negotiable rules: Never touch the clocks and never go up to the third floor.
Ben goes out on his second day and meets two locals his age—Olivia (Ollie) and Asher (Ash) who are as interested in Clifton House, its history, and the weird things that Ben has noticed happening. Is the house haunted and if so, by whom? Together they attempt to find out what is going on. But there may be even more to the story than they can imagine.
“For the first time since I arrived at Clifton House, I’m starting to believe there’s more to my grandmother than I first thought. She isn’t just some crotchety old lady with a bad attitude who lives in a big, creepy house surrounded by a bunch of noisy antique clocks. Okay, well, she’s a little bit of all that. But my grandmother also has secrets. Big ones. And the most frightening thing I learn by searching her gray eyes is that she’s as scared as I am.” (183)
A blend of mystery and science fiction, most of all, this is a story of family and grief, relatable to many of our readers.
When twelve-year-old Benjamin Turner’s mother dies, he is devastated. He and his mother were very close—his father supposedly dying when he was too young to remember. They lived in Nashville where his mom had dreams of becoming a songwriter, dreams that never materialized as they moved from placed to place after countless evictions. After his death, Ben goes to live with his grandmother, whom he has never met, in Rutledge, South Carolina, in Clifton House, where his mother was raised and where no one is invited in. The house is very odd with a number of antique clocks all set to wrong times and one even running backwards.
Martha Turner is very unwelcoming and has two non-negotiable rules: Never touch the clocks and never go up to the third floor.
Ben goes out on his second day and meets two locals his age—Olivia (Ollie) and Asher (Ash) who are as interested in Clifton House, its history, and the weird things that Ben has noticed happening. Is the house haunted and if so, by whom? Together they attempt to find out what is going on. But there may be even more to the story than they can imagine.
“For the first time since I arrived at Clifton House, I’m starting to believe there’s more to my grandmother than I first thought. She isn’t just some crotchety old lady with a bad attitude who lives in a big, creepy house surrounded by a bunch of noisy antique clocks. Okay, well, she’s a little bit of all that. But my grandmother also has secrets. Big ones. And the most frightening thing I learn by searching her gray eyes is that she’s as scared as I am.” (183)
A blend of mystery and science fiction, most of all, this is a story of family and grief, relatable to many of our readers.
September 16, 2026
⭐⭐⭐
Favorite things:
💜 Our main character is a little bit awkward. I loved that sometimes he talked too much or said the wrong things, but the people around him didn’t reject him for it.
💜 Ben has a crush on a boy. Everyone accepts this part about him, and it stays very crush level in that it’s the light questions from other people and some stomach butterflies. I loved it when books I read had characters with crushes on people because I was ALWAYS having them as a kid.
💜 The side characters are a lot of fun. I love the friendship Ben develops with Ollie and Ash, and I love his changed perspective on his grandmother as the book goes on.
Less favorite things:
☔ Although the two endings is an interesting concept, I didn’t love it. I was extremely confused for a while because some of the exact sentences were used again. I thought I’d gotten some sort of deja vu. One also sets up for a sequel and the other doesn’t, so I found that was a little confusing too. I don’t know if that was the case with the ARC or with the finished copy.
Overall thoughts:
This book is just a little bit creepy without going over the edge, making me want to keep reading to figure out if it really was poltergeists like Ash kept insisting (which, by the way… I was dying to learn more about Ash’s poltergeist!) or something else. I don’t do well with creepy things for the most part. In this case, though, it was just enough to be spooky and mysterious without being too much.
Time travel can be difficult to pull off for any audience, but I thought it worked well in this one. The timelines worked out pretty smoothly. Although we don’t get a complete explanation of how it works, we get exactly as much as we need to for it to feel believable.
This book is likely best for a certain kind of reader. The book discusses grief, housing insecurity, child death, parental death, and a death from overdose. It is all handed respectfully and well, but some readers will be better suited to it than others.
You can find me with more book content on Threads and Instagram at @sailsandscales
Favorite things:
💜 Our main character is a little bit awkward. I loved that sometimes he talked too much or said the wrong things, but the people around him didn’t reject him for it.
💜 Ben has a crush on a boy. Everyone accepts this part about him, and it stays very crush level in that it’s the light questions from other people and some stomach butterflies. I loved it when books I read had characters with crushes on people because I was ALWAYS having them as a kid.
💜 The side characters are a lot of fun. I love the friendship Ben develops with Ollie and Ash, and I love his changed perspective on his grandmother as the book goes on.
Less favorite things:
☔ Although the two endings is an interesting concept, I didn’t love it. I was extremely confused for a while because some of the exact sentences were used again. I thought I’d gotten some sort of deja vu. One also sets up for a sequel and the other doesn’t, so I found that was a little confusing too. I don’t know if that was the case with the ARC or with the finished copy.
Overall thoughts:
This book is just a little bit creepy without going over the edge, making me want to keep reading to figure out if it really was poltergeists like Ash kept insisting (which, by the way… I was dying to learn more about Ash’s poltergeist!) or something else. I don’t do well with creepy things for the most part. In this case, though, it was just enough to be spooky and mysterious without being too much.
Time travel can be difficult to pull off for any audience, but I thought it worked well in this one. The timelines worked out pretty smoothly. Although we don’t get a complete explanation of how it works, we get exactly as much as we need to for it to feel believable.
This book is likely best for a certain kind of reader. The book discusses grief, housing insecurity, child death, parental death, and a death from overdose. It is all handed respectfully and well, but some readers will be better suited to it than others.
You can find me with more book content on Threads and Instagram at @sailsandscales
October 14, 2026
A House Full of Clocks, Secrets, and Hope: Greg Howard's Best Exploration of Grief Yet
Greg Howard has become one of my favorite authors for both his snarky, romantic, and hilarious dual-POV YA debut, Social Intercourse, and for three unrelated, award-quality middle-grade novels exploring grief and alienation. Together they form what I think of as his "grief trilogy," and The Travelers is the finest of the three, high praise indeed. Like all of Howard's work, the main character is young, gay, facing many challenges, and growing up in the Deep South, primarily South Carolina.
It begins with a classic-sounding premise: twelve-year-old Ben Turner loses his mother unexpectedly and is sent to live with the grandmother he's never met in the mysterious Clifton House, where every wall is covered with clocks that don't tell the correct time, some even running backwards. Naturally, Ben and his wonderfully quirky new friends, Olly and Asher, ignore the rules about staying out of certain rooms and asking too many questions, uncovering family secrets, grief, and one of the most original takes on time travel I've read in years.
What I loved most is that the speculative element is never there just to be clever. Every twist grows naturally out of the characters and their relationships. Ben is an engaging narrator: funny, candid, and remarkably self-aware, while still misunderstanding some things simply because he's twelve. Howard also has a gift for creating unforgettable supporting characters. Olly and Asher have terrific chemistry with Ben, and even Ben's seemingly cold grandmother becomes far more nuanced than first impressions suggest. I never knew exactly where the story was headed, but I enjoyed every step of the journey.
Like Howard's earlier The Whispers and The Visitors, this novel explores grief with warmth, empathy, and hope. Knowing that Howard himself lost his mother as a young child gives these books an added emotional authenticity, but they never become sentimental. Instead, The Travelers is funny, mysterious, imaginative, and deeply humane. I stayed up far too late finishing it, and I was glad I did.
Greg Howard has become one of my favorite authors for both his snarky, romantic, and hilarious dual-POV YA debut, Social Intercourse, and for three unrelated, award-quality middle-grade novels exploring grief and alienation. Together they form what I think of as his "grief trilogy," and The Travelers is the finest of the three, high praise indeed. Like all of Howard's work, the main character is young, gay, facing many challenges, and growing up in the Deep South, primarily South Carolina.
It begins with a classic-sounding premise: twelve-year-old Ben Turner loses his mother unexpectedly and is sent to live with the grandmother he's never met in the mysterious Clifton House, where every wall is covered with clocks that don't tell the correct time, some even running backwards. Naturally, Ben and his wonderfully quirky new friends, Olly and Asher, ignore the rules about staying out of certain rooms and asking too many questions, uncovering family secrets, grief, and one of the most original takes on time travel I've read in years.
What I loved most is that the speculative element is never there just to be clever. Every twist grows naturally out of the characters and their relationships. Ben is an engaging narrator: funny, candid, and remarkably self-aware, while still misunderstanding some things simply because he's twelve. Howard also has a gift for creating unforgettable supporting characters. Olly and Asher have terrific chemistry with Ben, and even Ben's seemingly cold grandmother becomes far more nuanced than first impressions suggest. I never knew exactly where the story was headed, but I enjoyed every step of the journey.
Like Howard's earlier The Whispers and The Visitors, this novel explores grief with warmth, empathy, and hope. Knowing that Howard himself lost his mother as a young child gives these books an added emotional authenticity, but they never become sentimental. Instead, The Travelers is funny, mysterious, imaginative, and deeply humane. I stayed up far too late finishing it, and I was glad I did.
September 1, 2026
For most of his life, Ben has not had one single place to refer to as his home; instead, home was wherever he happened to be with his mom. But now his mom has died, and Ben is sent to live with his grandmother Martha Turner at Clifton House in Rutledge, South Carolina. Almost immediately, everything seems bizarre, but luckily Ben quickly makes friends with two other youths in the small town. Together, the three break one of Martha’s cardinal rules, finding themselves inadvertently transported back in time and discovering a family secret that could change everything.
This slightly spooky middle grade story incorporates elements of science fiction and the paranormal alongside relatable interactions among young people. A fast-paced narrative is delivered in brief chapters and through approachable dialogue, inviting young readers to quickly settle in to this unexpected adventure. With conversations about Ben’s mother’s death, the housing and financial insecurity they experienced, and Ben’s admission of being gay, some elements of the plot are best suited to mature middle grade readers. However, several repeating lines of text and a concise, driving plot make the book accessible to younger and even reluctant middle grade readers, too. Though the story feels as if it could be augmented with more details and a clearer plot arc, the overall delivery of the novel is nonetheless complete in many ways. This is a unique addition to library collections for middle grade readers who appreciate exploring human experiences alongside a supernatural premise.
This slightly spooky middle grade story incorporates elements of science fiction and the paranormal alongside relatable interactions among young people. A fast-paced narrative is delivered in brief chapters and through approachable dialogue, inviting young readers to quickly settle in to this unexpected adventure. With conversations about Ben’s mother’s death, the housing and financial insecurity they experienced, and Ben’s admission of being gay, some elements of the plot are best suited to mature middle grade readers. However, several repeating lines of text and a concise, driving plot make the book accessible to younger and even reluctant middle grade readers, too. Though the story feels as if it could be augmented with more details and a clearer plot arc, the overall delivery of the novel is nonetheless complete in many ways. This is a unique addition to library collections for middle grade readers who appreciate exploring human experiences alongside a supernatural premise.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
**Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group/Nancy Paulson Books for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars, rounded to 5 stars. Being a middle schooler is hard. Being a gay middle schooler is harder, I’m sure. Grief, no matter your age, is sooooooo hard. Relocating in the middle of all of that (because your mom died)? I can’t even imagine. This story had the potential to be an incredibly emotionally difficult story, which I shy away from. The real world is hard enough.
HOWEVER, I found _The Travelers_ to be a beautiful, hopeful story of blood family and found family, a story about being yourself (whatever that means) and finding your people, about the cost of grief and what it can do to you if you don’t take the time to work through it, about being uprooted and finding a way to thrive in your new location.
I feel like, if they were real, Ben, Ollie, Ash, Raleigh, Aaron, Dee Dee (and her gluten free ooey gooey bars—YUM!), and even Martha would be my kind of people. And I, personally, loved the two different endings….One fairly neatly tied in a bow and one that easily lends itself to a sequel (which I would personally love to read).
If you like a good time-travel (shhhh🤫) full of heart and hope with a bit of mystery, I definitely recommend this one!
4.5 stars, rounded to 5 stars. Being a middle schooler is hard. Being a gay middle schooler is harder, I’m sure. Grief, no matter your age, is sooooooo hard. Relocating in the middle of all of that (because your mom died)? I can’t even imagine. This story had the potential to be an incredibly emotionally difficult story, which I shy away from. The real world is hard enough.
HOWEVER, I found _The Travelers_ to be a beautiful, hopeful story of blood family and found family, a story about being yourself (whatever that means) and finding your people, about the cost of grief and what it can do to you if you don’t take the time to work through it, about being uprooted and finding a way to thrive in your new location.
I feel like, if they were real, Ben, Ollie, Ash, Raleigh, Aaron, Dee Dee (and her gluten free ooey gooey bars—YUM!), and even Martha would be my kind of people. And I, personally, loved the two different endings….One fairly neatly tied in a bow and one that easily lends itself to a sequel (which I would personally love to read).
If you like a good time-travel (shhhh🤫) full of heart and hope with a bit of mystery, I definitely recommend this one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Ben has to go live with his grandmother, who he’s never met, after his mom’s death. Grandma’s house is weird with all these clocks all over. The mystery is well laid out and keeps you hooked. Ben makes 2 new friends- Ash and Ollie. These characters help add to the story and I’m glad that Ben is not alone in this adventure. Ben is gay (stated in the book), it’s woven very subtlety into the text. This book is kinda sad as Ben is processing the grief over his mom’s death, but also because of the way he grew up. This book deals with some hard things- grief, family trauma, substance abuse. The author uses very descriptive sentences in his writing. I felt the beginning was a little hard to get into. The author gave 2 endings (not sure of he’s going to leave it like that or if that’s just because this is a proof.) It was fun to read both of them and decide which one I liked best. I appreciated the authors note at the back explaining why he wrote the book and how it helped him deal with his own mother’s death.
Good for fans of books that journey through time or grief fiction. Thank you NetGalley for the preview.
Good for fans of books that journey through time or grief fiction. Thank you NetGalley for the preview.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A wonderful middle grade fantasy. When 12-yeqr-old Ben's mother dies, he must leave Nashville for rural South Carolina and his only living relative, his estranged grandmother. When he arrives at the imposing Clifton House, "Grandmother" is distant and odd. The house is equally odd, full of family portraits and clocks everywhere, and not a one of them with the correct time. He is dumfounded that his mother grew up here. His only instruction is to "never touch the clocks" and "do not go to the 3rd floor." Guess how long he manages that. Ben manages to make 2 new friends in town, and the three of them attempt to discover the secrets of the old house and its mysterious noises and activity.
The story is splendidly creepy at the beginning. The characters are diverse and well-realized. Watching the grandmother develop from a scary cipher to a complex human being is very rewarding, The adventures are smoothly plotted, and the character actions believable, and the story races along to a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended.
The story is splendidly creepy at the beginning. The characters are diverse and well-realized. Watching the grandmother develop from a scary cipher to a complex human being is very rewarding, The adventures are smoothly plotted, and the character actions believable, and the story races along to a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended.
September 25, 2026
The Travelers pulled me in immediately with Clifton House and its creepy collection of clocks that all tell the wrong time—some even running backward. Ben arriving in Rutledge after losing his mom already gives the story an emotional foundation, but then his grandmother’s rules about never touching the clocks or going to the third floor made me just as curious as Ben about what was actually happening. The footsteps and whispers coming from upstairs definitely had me wanting to uncover the mystery along with him.
I especially liked Ben’s friendships with Ollie and Ash and how their investigation turned into something much bigger than exploring a supposedly haunted house. The ideas of time, loss, family, and the possibility that the people we love can still be with us even after they’re gone gave the mystery a lot more heart. It’s creepy without being too scary, genuinely sweet, and full of twists that kept the story moving. A really memorable middle-grade mystery about friendship, grief, and finding your way forward.
I especially liked Ben’s friendships with Ollie and Ash and how their investigation turned into something much bigger than exploring a supposedly haunted house. The ideas of time, loss, family, and the possibility that the people we love can still be with us even after they’re gone gave the mystery a lot more heart. It’s creepy without being too scary, genuinely sweet, and full of twists that kept the story moving. A really memorable middle-grade mystery about friendship, grief, and finding your way forward.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Travelers centers the different ways we experience grief through the eyes of 12 year old Ben and his grandmother he just met. The author uses a creative method to explore the various emotions that arise in the wake of the loss of a loved one as well as examine how one individual’s reactions can inadvertently be hurtful and/or confusing to another. The story is spooky, mysterious, and heartful. Notably, the author expertly addresses racism and queerness as it naturally arises at certain points in the lives of Ben and his friends without making it feel contrived or awkward. Some middle grade students will find this book to be a mirror for their experiences, and others will discover that people who are different aren’t so different after all.
Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, Nancy Paulsen Books, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this middle school contemporary novel.
Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, Nancy Paulsen Books, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this middle school contemporary novel.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley!
I really enjoyed this book. I requested it because it's set in the South and looked a little spooky - and I'm glad I did. I'm a Southerner and know a lot of queer Southerners who would've loved the casual straightforward queer rep that this middle reader provides. None of the themes in this book, but predominantly racism, are things that the majority kids in the South haven't encountered - even ones like me who grew up Christian and homeschooled. Mr. Howard deals with the themes of grief really nicely and I enjoyed all the time travel aspects. Also I want to know which chapter 35 ends up being the final pick - or will they both stay as formatted in the ARC?? Thank you so much for this advance copy.
I was given the opportunity to read this title by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. I requested it because it's set in the South and looked a little spooky - and I'm glad I did. I'm a Southerner and know a lot of queer Southerners who would've loved the casual straightforward queer rep that this middle reader provides. None of the themes in this book, but predominantly racism, are things that the majority kids in the South haven't encountered - even ones like me who grew up Christian and homeschooled. Mr. Howard deals with the themes of grief really nicely and I enjoyed all the time travel aspects. Also I want to know which chapter 35 ends up being the final pick - or will they both stay as formatted in the ARC?? Thank you so much for this advance copy.
I was given the opportunity to read this title by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First, the good stuff: I loved how this story gives a creative voice to grief from more than one generation - both the young boy who loses his mother, and the grandmother. We all grieve differently, and usually our age and experiences dictate what that looks like. It can lead to both good decisions and bad - both are present in this book. Found family is beautifully explored in multiple ways. LGBTQ is represented and I liked the way it was handled from a middle grade perspective.
Not my favorite stuff: The phrase "if I'm being honest" was used so often, that I wanted to throw it across the room. Its annoying in real life. It's even more annoying in a book.
The ending is confusing and I felt like the run-on ending was unnecessary and kind of ruined the end for me.
Not my favorite stuff: The phrase "if I'm being honest" was used so often, that I wanted to throw it across the room. Its annoying in real life. It's even more annoying in a book.
The ending is confusing and I felt like the run-on ending was unnecessary and kind of ruined the end for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Woke warning. I read this book front to back. I was touched by the author’s note on dealing with his grief of losing his mom when he was young. I empathize this book was cathartic to write. I value the goal to help youth deal with grief or losing a parent through storytelling. This author is a talented writer but I think the use of wokeness in this book was not tasteful or helpful for a middle school child to read. As a parent of a middle school child, I cannot not recommend this book. I would give this book 3-4 stars if it was stripped of unnecessary use of racism, gender identity and sexuality.
My reviews are honest. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
My reviews are honest. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
August 25, 2026
Telling anyone, let alone a kid, that they can't do something obviously means they're going to do it anyway! Add in the oddities of Clifton House and Ben's family, time travel, and some creepy/spooky elements, well, it was an all around joy to read (for me).
Despite the fantastical elements, the story still felt believable via character actions. And the plot felt smooth, which I've found isn't always the case in time travel stories, but thankfully was fine here. I'll definitely be recommending this book and rereading in the future.
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for allowing me to read this eARC.
Despite the fantastical elements, the story still felt believable via character actions. And the plot felt smooth, which I've found isn't always the case in time travel stories, but thankfully was fine here. I'll definitely be recommending this book and rereading in the future.
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for allowing me to read this eARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Appealing story about Benjamin, who has come to live with his grandmother after the death of his mother. He makes two new friends, Ollie and Ash, who become his companions in trying to solve the mystery surrounding his grandmother's house. Clocks everywhere, each showing a different time. Mysterious sounds in the night. And his grandmother's odd behaviors. A mystery, some time travel, some good friends, dealing with grief and regrets, there's a lot going on, but it all fits together very well. Highly recommended.
October 4, 2026
For the middle schooler or the middle aged adult, this book captures you and takes you through the feelings that only time heals. The author causes the reader to quickly feel attached to the main character, a young boy, and to examine first impressions of the grandmother. It becomes easy to identify with each of the book's characters, no matter their age, or yours. Highly recommend.
August 30, 2026
This middle grade novel blends mystery and a touch of time travel into a story about grief, friendship and the enduring bonds between generations. I hugged it when I was done reading it and the messages will stay with me for a long time.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Quiet, heartfelt, and a classic in the making. This was an achingly emotional mystery with a pitch-perfect ending. If you've enjoyed Greg Howard's previous works, THE TRAVELERS won't let you down.
September 8, 2026
Not sure if I’ve ever read a book that was this sad and yet so funny at the same time. Time traveling kids that teach you to process life and death?!? All I gotta say is go read it, fantastic work GH
May 27, 2026
After the death of his mother, twelve-year-old Ben Turner has to move in with his only living relative -- a grandmother he's never met. She appears to be a cold woman, and her house is quite mysterious. There are clocks everywhere, but none of them tell the right time. There's also a quiet hum running through the walls, making the house feel alive.
His grandmother lays down two ground rules: don't touch the clocks, and don't go up to the third floor. Seems simple, except on his first night, Ben hears whispers and footsteps that seem to come from the third floor. That's impossible since it's only him and his grandmother at home, so what could be going on upstairs? With the help of his two new friends, Ollie and Ash, Ben sets off on an adventure to solve the mystery of Clifton House and gets swept back in time.
Even though this book is full of adventure, it still covers some heavier topics of loss and healing. Not only is Ben navigating the loss of his mom, but he's also trying to process his feelings for boys, make new friends, and acclimate to an entirely new environment. I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded, and I enjoyed the growth of each character. The ARC included two endings, and I definitely have a preference, so I'm curious to see what ends up being the chosen ending! I think there is room for a sequel as well.
Overall, a great story for middle grade readers and above! Thank you NetGalley and Nancy Paulsen Books for for an eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
His grandmother lays down two ground rules: don't touch the clocks, and don't go up to the third floor. Seems simple, except on his first night, Ben hears whispers and footsteps that seem to come from the third floor. That's impossible since it's only him and his grandmother at home, so what could be going on upstairs? With the help of his two new friends, Ollie and Ash, Ben sets off on an adventure to solve the mystery of Clifton House and gets swept back in time.
Even though this book is full of adventure, it still covers some heavier topics of loss and healing. Not only is Ben navigating the loss of his mom, but he's also trying to process his feelings for boys, make new friends, and acclimate to an entirely new environment. I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded, and I enjoyed the growth of each character. The ARC included two endings, and I definitely have a preference, so I'm curious to see what ends up being the chosen ending! I think there is room for a sequel as well.
Overall, a great story for middle grade readers and above! Thank you NetGalley and Nancy Paulsen Books for for an eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
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