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Time Shift Trilogy #1
The Year of Lightning
When 15-year-old twins Malcolm and Valentine Gilbert moved to a new town, they never imagined that the old house across the street could bring them so much trouble. A secret machine has reawakened inside, with the power to pierce time itself.
Meanwhile, lightning storms are breaking out all over town. They’re getting worse every week, and seem to enjoy striking kids who just want to pass science class and mind their own business. When Malcolm and Valentine discover a connection between the house and the storms, their situation goes from mysterious to crazy stupid dangerous. Someone is controlling the great machine, and their purpose is nearly complete.
In a race against time, the twins must uncover the chilling plan, the mastermind behind it, and the force that’s driving the deadly storms. They’ll hunt a powerful enemy that threatens their town’s existence, and the only clues are written in the sky.
Meanwhile, lightning storms are breaking out all over town. They’re getting worse every week, and seem to enjoy striking kids who just want to pass science class and mind their own business. When Malcolm and Valentine discover a connection between the house and the storms, their situation goes from mysterious to crazy stupid dangerous. Someone is controlling the great machine, and their purpose is nearly complete.
In a race against time, the twins must uncover the chilling plan, the mastermind behind it, and the force that’s driving the deadly storms. They’ll hunt a powerful enemy that threatens their town’s existence, and the only clues are written in the sky.
350 pages, Paperback
First published January 12, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 10, 2018
I expect this review is going to show you why it is imperative to write your review, or at the very least some notes about how the book makes you feel, within a day of finishing the book. That way you’re not stuck trying to find the words to tell anyone who will listen what an incredible book it was that you finished reading almost seven weeks ago! So here goes …
I found The Year of Lightning sort of by accident. I was so interested in the blurb for Ryan Dalton’s The Genesis Flame that I couldn’t request a copy through NetGalley quickly enough. It was only once I was approved (YIPPEE!) that I realised I’d just been given a review copy of the third book in the series (OOPS!). Once I’d read the blurbs for the first two books I decided that I’d be missing out greatly if I didn’t read these in order, so I bought The Year of Lightning. I mean, we’re talking about a time travelling super villain here! What’s not to love?!
I had this brilliant idea that I’d read the first book and then contact the publisher to beg/plead/grovel for a review copy of the second book. Begging/pleading/grovelling are not beneath me and as I hadn’t had an income for over three months at that time I could make a pretty pathetic poor me case. Why do I tell you that? Because I was so enthralled by this book that before I’d even made it a quarter of the way through it I bought the sequel, ignoring the fact that I didn’t know how many more months I’d have to wait to see another dollar. That’s how much I loved this book!
Even this long after I finished reading, the story and characters have stayed with me. I loved the mystery of the house across the street that has no doors and may have some strange connection to the over abundance of lightning nearby.
I loved the relationship between fifteen year old twins, history geek Malcolm and science geek Valentine, and the gentle exploration of their grief, particularly how it’s affecting them personally and in their relationships. I love that when describing herself and her twin Valentine comes up with “Loner, bookworm, geek”. These are my people!
I loved their new friends - conspiracy aficionado Winter, supposedly superficial Fred (the party’s at his house!), bubbly Brynne, holder of the gossip Carly and John, man of mystery. I love that we don’t have to suffer in the presence of the cool kids in this book. In this book we hang out with the newspaper team!
I loved that the kids go to Emmett Brown High School! The Back to the Future obsessive in me adores that cute time travel Easter egg. Maybe I was looking for BTTF references that weren’t intended after learning the name of the school but I also came across references including a clocktower and Copernicus, plus the obvious one - countless bolts of lightning with their glorious 1.21 gigawatts striking all around the town.
My favourite characters were the oldies. Oma Grace is practically your dream grandmother; supportive, adorable and beyond cool. I loved their crotchety neighbour, Walter Crane. Walter became (and remains) my absolute favourite character.
I enjoyed the adventure and mystery, I felt part of the friendships, I laughed and I ugly cried. Glancing through my highlighted passages I’ve gotten hyped up about these characters and their adventure again. I can’t believe I haven’t started the second book yet. I have to know what happens next because … holy cliffhanger, Batman!
I found The Year of Lightning sort of by accident. I was so interested in the blurb for Ryan Dalton’s The Genesis Flame that I couldn’t request a copy through NetGalley quickly enough. It was only once I was approved (YIPPEE!) that I realised I’d just been given a review copy of the third book in the series (OOPS!). Once I’d read the blurbs for the first two books I decided that I’d be missing out greatly if I didn’t read these in order, so I bought The Year of Lightning. I mean, we’re talking about a time travelling super villain here! What’s not to love?!
I had this brilliant idea that I’d read the first book and then contact the publisher to beg/plead/grovel for a review copy of the second book. Begging/pleading/grovelling are not beneath me and as I hadn’t had an income for over three months at that time I could make a pretty pathetic poor me case. Why do I tell you that? Because I was so enthralled by this book that before I’d even made it a quarter of the way through it I bought the sequel, ignoring the fact that I didn’t know how many more months I’d have to wait to see another dollar. That’s how much I loved this book!
Even this long after I finished reading, the story and characters have stayed with me. I loved the mystery of the house across the street that has no doors and may have some strange connection to the over abundance of lightning nearby.
Outside, a dark figure drifted down the street, cloaked in shadow. Approaching the house with no doors, it touched the rain-soaked wall and melted through in a flash of light.How can you read that quote and not want to read the entire book?!
I loved the relationship between fifteen year old twins, history geek Malcolm and science geek Valentine, and the gentle exploration of their grief, particularly how it’s affecting them personally and in their relationships. I love that when describing herself and her twin Valentine comes up with “Loner, bookworm, geek”. These are my people!
I loved their new friends - conspiracy aficionado Winter, supposedly superficial Fred (the party’s at his house!), bubbly Brynne, holder of the gossip Carly and John, man of mystery. I love that we don’t have to suffer in the presence of the cool kids in this book. In this book we hang out with the newspaper team!
I loved that the kids go to Emmett Brown High School! The Back to the Future obsessive in me adores that cute time travel Easter egg. Maybe I was looking for BTTF references that weren’t intended after learning the name of the school but I also came across references including a clocktower and Copernicus, plus the obvious one - countless bolts of lightning with their glorious 1.21 gigawatts striking all around the town.
My favourite characters were the oldies. Oma Grace is practically your dream grandmother; supportive, adorable and beyond cool. I loved their crotchety neighbour, Walter Crane. Walter became (and remains) my absolute favourite character.
I enjoyed the adventure and mystery, I felt part of the friendships, I laughed and I ugly cried. Glancing through my highlighted passages I’ve gotten hyped up about these characters and their adventure again. I can’t believe I haven’t started the second book yet. I have to know what happens next because … holy cliffhanger, Batman!
February 22, 2018
This YA novel reads like a smart Scooby Doo crew versus evil time traveling villains. Twins Malcom and Valentine have just moved to a new town--one that is being plagued by regular, vicious lightening storms. Their lives have been fractured by the recent death of their mother. With their father still deep in grief, they now live with their grandmother as they attempt to move on. They soon fall in with a wonderfully geeky group at school--with Valentine quickly finding a crush. But Malcom is having a harder time adjusting, and he fixates on the bizarre old house across the street...
The teen voices sound realistic, and I loved the the camaraderie that developed between them all. There are many Easter eggs hidden in the book that play tribute to previous sci-fi works. The romance doesn't go beyond kissing, and while there is violence and sacrifice, it is nothing particularly graphic. This is a very intense read, though. I zoomed through most of it in a single sitting.
The teen voices sound realistic, and I loved the the camaraderie that developed between them all. There are many Easter eggs hidden in the book that play tribute to previous sci-fi works. The romance doesn't go beyond kissing, and while there is violence and sacrifice, it is nothing particularly graphic. This is a very intense read, though. I zoomed through most of it in a single sitting.
December 16, 2015
Reading The Year of Lighting was like angering Zeus. (For some reason, I can't find an angry Zeus gif. Only Poseidon or Hades. Boo.)
BUT YES. Imagine, lightning everywhere. I mean, a normal lightning on a stormy day is already scary enough. Imagine tons of lightning surrounding you. My God. I would legit cry. I mean, like WOAH. This book was just mindblowingly mindblowing. LIKE, BAM. BOOM. People actually DIE in this book. I'm sorry, but I honestly had the impression that this was a Hardy Boys kind of book, but BOY, WAS I WRONG. There are FIGHTS. Kickass fist fights. And destruction EVERYWHERE. Man, I wouldn't live in that town.
To me, the book started out quite slow, in its introductory stage. But about 20%, it actually picked up its pace, especially as we were introduced to more side characters. John, Winter and Fred. The side characters are what made the book more livelier. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the two main characters - Valentine and Malcolm. But I wanted to see them socializing. Acting more like normal teenagers, instead of teens who knew that they're about to fight people.
And then things got EVEEEN more interesting when we finally realized what was behind all the lightnings. Everything started to make sense, but gets even more scarier at the same time. I feared for literally all the characters because by then, I had already become attached to each one of them.
Certain scenes made me cry, I admit. The emotional feelings in this book were so raw, and real. AND AND guys, I think there's a continuation HEHEHEHEHE.
BUT YES. Imagine, lightning everywhere. I mean, a normal lightning on a stormy day is already scary enough. Imagine tons of lightning surrounding you. My God. I would legit cry. I mean, like WOAH. This book was just mindblowingly mindblowing. LIKE, BAM. BOOM. People actually DIE in this book. I'm sorry, but I honestly had the impression that this was a Hardy Boys kind of book, but BOY, WAS I WRONG. There are FIGHTS. Kickass fist fights. And destruction EVERYWHERE. Man, I wouldn't live in that town.
To me, the book started out quite slow, in its introductory stage. But about 20%, it actually picked up its pace, especially as we were introduced to more side characters. John, Winter and Fred. The side characters are what made the book more livelier. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the two main characters - Valentine and Malcolm. But I wanted to see them socializing. Acting more like normal teenagers, instead of teens who knew that they're about to fight people.
And then things got EVEEEN more interesting when we finally realized what was behind all the lightnings. Everything started to make sense, but gets even more scarier at the same time. I feared for literally all the characters because by then, I had already become attached to each one of them.
Certain scenes made me cry, I admit. The emotional feelings in this book were so raw, and real. AND AND guys, I think there's a continuation HEHEHEHEHE.
January 12, 2016
I was privileged to read an ARC as Ryan Dalton is one of my JFP buddies. :)
So, this is an interesting read for me as I'm a) not familiar with the genre, b) really not familiar with the genre, c) well, you get the point.
That said, it was a fun read, although in some parts it was confusing for me, which possibly is contributed to my unfamiliarity with the genre.
The theme of lightning was interesting, and the visuals accompanying it were reminiscent of Stephen King. I found myself almost disappointed when Dalton would continue to write about other things to, you know, make a story, because those visuals were really boss.
The language is extremely clean. I personally think the age group might be more appropriate for MG, especially those on the cusp of MG and YA since there are so few books for that age range. The length would provide a challenging read but not the drastic shift to some other, older YAs.
That said, there are a lot of YAs that have extremely foul language (mine included), and I suspect a lot of parents AND teens AND kids would appreciate a clean read.
Although a minor character, Fred was my favorite character because of his "dated" terminology, which was written very well... then made me sad... as I realize I still speak that way and maybe that's why my students humor me with "WTF, PROFESSOR?" smiles. He was absolutely charming in the way that Saul got his Breaking Bad spinoff (would read the crap out of a Fred-spinoff, btw).
Anyway, enjoyable read although I'm not familiar with the genre, and congrats on having a great debut!
So, this is an interesting read for me as I'm a) not familiar with the genre, b) really not familiar with the genre, c) well, you get the point.
That said, it was a fun read, although in some parts it was confusing for me, which possibly is contributed to my unfamiliarity with the genre.
The theme of lightning was interesting, and the visuals accompanying it were reminiscent of Stephen King. I found myself almost disappointed when Dalton would continue to write about other things to, you know, make a story, because those visuals were really boss.
The language is extremely clean. I personally think the age group might be more appropriate for MG, especially those on the cusp of MG and YA since there are so few books for that age range. The length would provide a challenging read but not the drastic shift to some other, older YAs.
That said, there are a lot of YAs that have extremely foul language (mine included), and I suspect a lot of parents AND teens AND kids would appreciate a clean read.
Although a minor character, Fred was my favorite character because of his "dated" terminology, which was written very well... then made me sad... as I realize I still speak that way and maybe that's why my students humor me with "WTF, PROFESSOR?" smiles. He was absolutely charming in the way that Saul got his Breaking Bad spinoff (would read the crap out of a Fred-spinoff, btw).
Anyway, enjoyable read although I'm not familiar with the genre, and congrats on having a great debut!
August 25, 2015
There are no spoilers here.
I'm not typically a YA reader because they are usually so focused on magic or romance. I took a chance on this one because the core elements of mixed science fiction and suspense suggested that I wouldn't have to deal with any Harry Potter/Vampire madness.
That proved to be true. (Sigh of relief)
I enjoyed the novel. Mr. Dalton gave his characters problems, flaws, and human stories, without miring the book down in them.
After an introduction to the emotionally scarred and believable main characters, the suspense came on quickly. Any slower would have been sleepy, and any faster would have been painful in an introductory tale like this one.
The plot progression and build up to the main clash of opponents was gripping and satisfying.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
I'm not typically a YA reader because they are usually so focused on magic or romance. I took a chance on this one because the core elements of mixed science fiction and suspense suggested that I wouldn't have to deal with any Harry Potter/Vampire madness.
That proved to be true. (Sigh of relief)
I enjoyed the novel. Mr. Dalton gave his characters problems, flaws, and human stories, without miring the book down in them.
After an introduction to the emotionally scarred and believable main characters, the suspense came on quickly. Any slower would have been sleepy, and any faster would have been painful in an introductory tale like this one.
The plot progression and build up to the main clash of opponents was gripping and satisfying.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
January 28, 2016
This was a great sci-fi adventure for young readers and adults alike. This book features fun characters, time travel, evil villains, mystery, a ninja grandma and sci-fi references for the slick reader. In fact, this book reminded of Ernest Cline's Ready Player One. Totally worth the read and then some.
April 20, 2017
Year of Lightning straddles the line between fantasy and science fiction, in that the Gilbert twins discover that the strange meteorological occurrences happening in their new town are connected to this weird doorless house in their lane that no one notices. Now, I don't know why this blurb says they are 13 year olds or why it has been shelved as middle grade, for the twins are 15 year old high schoolers in this book, which definitely puts it in young-adult category. Anyway, moving on - both of them are new to the town, escaping the grief from the loss of their mother to her sickness, and a dad who is lost in his own grief. Malcolm is the one who notices the weirdness first, and is a boy of action, but after one encounter with the mysterious owner of the house, he decides to back down. Valentine, however, is much more angry and worried about the town and convinces her brother to help her investigate. Meanwhile, the weather keeps getting weirder and weirder, and soon they have to bring in their friends, who were also affected along with them in a freak accident.
Now, a lot of the plot hinges on the 'magical' nature of the tech brought in from the future, so I would classify it more as paranormal than science fiction. There are also many other elements like the twin's resistance to mind control and the 'time shield' that makes this a little out there, so if you can suspend disbelief and treat it more as a paranormal novel, it goes down much easier. Malcolm and Valentine have this easy-going relationship with each other, but it is also not like the are attached at the hip. They have polarizing tastes in subjects, and personalities, but they both share a fierce love for their family, as well as a stable moral compass. The secondary characters give the book much more vivacity in my opinion, though, with the leader-like Winter, jock-like Fred and the hipster-ish John (who is MIA most the novel) making for a nice group of friends. Then there is also the older group - Grandma Gilbert, Miss Marcus, Clive and Walter, who sort of mirror the current group and lend much of the assistance to them in the second half.
The book starts off slow, but by one-fifths it picks up speed and then we go charging into an action-filled venture with fancy tech, epic one-on-one battles, and the high stakes of an entire town's existence. The canon for the future time was explained but I was not wholly convinced - mostly because I can't believe they gathered that much information on their own and from a few spying ventures. Also, the fact that tech in the present was used to build future tech - a little out there, even for a brilliant scientist. However, in its entirety this book is a solid block of entertainment, so I recommend it for all sci-fi buffs.
Now, a lot of the plot hinges on the 'magical' nature of the tech brought in from the future, so I would classify it more as paranormal than science fiction. There are also many other elements like the twin's resistance to mind control and the 'time shield' that makes this a little out there, so if you can suspend disbelief and treat it more as a paranormal novel, it goes down much easier. Malcolm and Valentine have this easy-going relationship with each other, but it is also not like the are attached at the hip. They have polarizing tastes in subjects, and personalities, but they both share a fierce love for their family, as well as a stable moral compass. The secondary characters give the book much more vivacity in my opinion, though, with the leader-like Winter, jock-like Fred and the hipster-ish John (who is MIA most the novel) making for a nice group of friends. Then there is also the older group - Grandma Gilbert, Miss Marcus, Clive and Walter, who sort of mirror the current group and lend much of the assistance to them in the second half.
The book starts off slow, but by one-fifths it picks up speed and then we go charging into an action-filled venture with fancy tech, epic one-on-one battles, and the high stakes of an entire town's existence. The canon for the future time was explained but I was not wholly convinced - mostly because I can't believe they gathered that much information on their own and from a few spying ventures. Also, the fact that tech in the present was used to build future tech - a little out there, even for a brilliant scientist. However, in its entirety this book is a solid block of entertainment, so I recommend it for all sci-fi buffs.
October 31, 2016
This book is si-fi this book would be great for people that like action&adventure. I thought the book was good at first then in the middle it was really really boring and at the end it started to get better. Two twin siblings face off against an ancient evil in order to save the world When 13-year-old twins Malcolm and Valentine Gilbert moved to a new town, they never imagined that the old house across the street could bring them so much trouble. Meanwhile, lightning storms are breaking out all over town.
They’re getting worse every week, and seem to enjoy striking kids who just want to pass science class and mind their own business. When Malcolm and Valentine discover a connection between the house and the storms, their situation goes from mysterious to crazy stupid dangerous. Someone is controlling the great machine, and their purpose is nearly complete.
I gave this book a 4 star because it had what expected but again in the middle it got really boring and made me not want to read it but at the end it got better so i gave it its props but really though it was a good book I would recommend it to people that like action and si-fi books.
They’re getting worse every week, and seem to enjoy striking kids who just want to pass science class and mind their own business. When Malcolm and Valentine discover a connection between the house and the storms, their situation goes from mysterious to crazy stupid dangerous. Someone is controlling the great machine, and their purpose is nearly complete.
I gave this book a 4 star because it had what expected but again in the middle it got really boring and made me not want to read it but at the end it got better so i gave it its props but really though it was a good book I would recommend it to people that like action and si-fi books.
December 18, 2015
I had a chance to read an advance copy of Ryan Dalton's The Year of Lightning. I haven't read many Young Adult books, but I've seen the movies made from some of them. Most of them don't have a good plot or characters that you actually care about. I kept thinking that THIS book should be a movie.
Mr. Dalton's writing is gripping and exciting. I love that time is spent at the beginning letting you get to know the characters before the adventure begins, especially since this is the first of three books. And what an adventure! I'm not usually surprised by twists in plots, you can see most of them coming a mile away. But, I was literally stunned at some of the twists. Unexpected this was!
I agree with another reviewer about the way friendships, grief and loss were dealt with. There are very few authors who have the ability to make you not only SEE it, but FEEL it as well. You care about these people, and by the end, you can't wait for Book Two!
Mr. Dalton's writing is gripping and exciting. I love that time is spent at the beginning letting you get to know the characters before the adventure begins, especially since this is the first of three books. And what an adventure! I'm not usually surprised by twists in plots, you can see most of them coming a mile away. But, I was literally stunned at some of the twists. Unexpected this was!
I agree with another reviewer about the way friendships, grief and loss were dealt with. There are very few authors who have the ability to make you not only SEE it, but FEEL it as well. You care about these people, and by the end, you can't wait for Book Two!
June 24, 2017
The Year of Lightning did a good job at being unpredictable. I was surprised at many of the major events that happened. This book had a lot of mystery elements to it. This is one of very few mystery books that I have read that I could not guess what is going to happen. I was on the edge of my seat. There is so much action and adventure. As you progress to the end, there are more fights, drama and surprise. The plot speed was perfect. It started slow and then gradually got faster until the climax. The plot was also chaotic with a lot of things happening at once. In general The Year of Lightning moved pretty fast, but in this case it was the appropriate speed given the time travel. Read more of my review at http://pagesforthoughts.blogspot.com/...
December 18, 2015
The Year of Lightning is, in my opinion, a mix of sci-fi and real life struggles. The characters in this book, although put on an amazing adventure, are just normal teenagers. They have everyday concerns, whether how they look or relationship issues, as teenagers would.
The sci-fi aspect surprisingly is believable to anyone with a knowledge of real-world science. This book would be enjoyable for any age group, not just Young Adult.
The sci-fi aspect surprisingly is believable to anyone with a knowledge of real-world science. This book would be enjoyable for any age group, not just Young Adult.
December 21, 2015
The Year of Lightning by Ryan Dalton is awesome! I've read many science fiction books, but this is BY FAR the most imaginative, entertaining and "I can't put it down" story that I've read.
If you're tired of reading books with no imagination, and that feel like the author just ran out of ideas, this book is a MUST READ!
If you're tired of reading books with no imagination, and that feel like the author just ran out of ideas, this book is a MUST READ!
April 27, 2016
The Year of Lightning had lots of hidden surprises--exciting world building, emotional depth, romance, humor, die-hard friendships, science and even some kick butt fighting. It was a very fun read and I absolutely can't wait to see what Dalton does next.
May 16, 2016
The Year of Lighting is the perfect way to start out the 2016 year!
September 12, 2018
This was a fun YA book. The protagonists, 15 year old twins Mal and Val, are coping with the normal troubles of teens in a new town and a new school as well as some specific family circumstances that are not revealed right away. On top of it all, there is something fishy about the creepy house next door and the weather of their town, so the twins and their small group of friends set out to investigate.
Check it out!
Check it out!
May 1, 2019
Loved it. Longer review pending on www.duncansbooksandmore.com
December 6, 2015
Rating: 3.5 Stars
This book started out slowly for me. The premise sounded like something I would be interested in, so of course I jumped at the chance to read it. Once I settled down to read it, though, I had some issues getting to the real meat of the story. The first 25% of the story was fine, but there was something about the pacing that made me feel like it was taking forever to get to the plot. I wanted to keep reading, but I wasn't enormously excited anymore.
Once Malcolm began actively looking into the house across the street, the mysterious domicile with no doors, things began picking up and I wasn't sure what sort of book I was reading anymore.
The family dynamic was interesting. It wasn't that unusual to have a family where one parent is gone and the other is lost to depression or some such thing, but I did like that the twins got along. I'd usually expect to see them pitted against each other, vastly differing interests, that sort of thing. However, Valentine and Malcolm turned out to be something else and that was good, particularly considering the situation they find themselves facing.
The pacing was still a little bit slow for my taste, but the imagery and the plot really started picking up. The first moment was when Malcolm discovered the watch and began to examine it more closely. The description of it and what it did had me feeling Malcolm's wonder. That is when things started accelerating for me.
It felt like the plot went crazy. There's time travel, a bad guy, insane things that no teenager should be able to go through, but Mal, Valentine, and their friends managed it. I like books where, as unbelievable as it can be, teenagers face insurmountable odds and come out on top. Every once in awhile it's good to pick up a novel like The Year of Lightning and suspend your belief in the possible for 300+ pages.
This book started out slowly for me. The premise sounded like something I would be interested in, so of course I jumped at the chance to read it. Once I settled down to read it, though, I had some issues getting to the real meat of the story. The first 25% of the story was fine, but there was something about the pacing that made me feel like it was taking forever to get to the plot. I wanted to keep reading, but I wasn't enormously excited anymore.
Once Malcolm began actively looking into the house across the street, the mysterious domicile with no doors, things began picking up and I wasn't sure what sort of book I was reading anymore.
The family dynamic was interesting. It wasn't that unusual to have a family where one parent is gone and the other is lost to depression or some such thing, but I did like that the twins got along. I'd usually expect to see them pitted against each other, vastly differing interests, that sort of thing. However, Valentine and Malcolm turned out to be something else and that was good, particularly considering the situation they find themselves facing.
The pacing was still a little bit slow for my taste, but the imagery and the plot really started picking up. The first moment was when Malcolm discovered the watch and began to examine it more closely. The description of it and what it did had me feeling Malcolm's wonder. That is when things started accelerating for me.
It felt like the plot went crazy. There's time travel, a bad guy, insane things that no teenager should be able to go through, but Mal, Valentine, and their friends managed it. I like books where, as unbelievable as it can be, teenagers face insurmountable odds and come out on top. Every once in awhile it's good to pick up a novel like The Year of Lightning and suspend your belief in the possible for 300+ pages.
December 7, 2015
3.5/5 Stars
The Year of Lightning by Ryan Dalton, the first book in the Time Shift Trilogy, finds siblings Malcolm and Valentine starting over in a new town, at a new school, trying to keep to themselves as much as possible. They discover a close group of friends in Fred, Winter, and John but life as they know it unravels as dangerous storms threaten to destroy their home.
I really enjoyed the interaction between the young and old in this book. The connections forged by Malcolm and his next door neighbor Walter over the shared passion of history. The support system that Oma Grace provides for the twins as they struggle through the difficulties life has thrown at them. Its not a common theme and I liked that it was carried through the whole narrative.
Another highlight was the handling of loss and grief in the story. Dalton depicts so well the way each individual deals with the death of a loved one. Some cannot bare to be around people, to talk about the situation. Others focus so deeply on anything else; hiding in their work and hobbies. I appreciated that the author did not skim over it.
My issues with this book for the most part stem from the odd pacing and attempts at romance within the story. There was quite a lot of action in this book which is fine by me, but the way the scenes were interspersed just seemed off. The romance though just appeared so typical and forced. There was nothing special about it and the narrative didn't need it. I was much more interested in the friendships.
Full review here: http://wp.me/p6xfg7-i3
The Year of Lightning by Ryan Dalton, the first book in the Time Shift Trilogy, finds siblings Malcolm and Valentine starting over in a new town, at a new school, trying to keep to themselves as much as possible. They discover a close group of friends in Fred, Winter, and John but life as they know it unravels as dangerous storms threaten to destroy their home.
I really enjoyed the interaction between the young and old in this book. The connections forged by Malcolm and his next door neighbor Walter over the shared passion of history. The support system that Oma Grace provides for the twins as they struggle through the difficulties life has thrown at them. Its not a common theme and I liked that it was carried through the whole narrative.
Another highlight was the handling of loss and grief in the story. Dalton depicts so well the way each individual deals with the death of a loved one. Some cannot bare to be around people, to talk about the situation. Others focus so deeply on anything else; hiding in their work and hobbies. I appreciated that the author did not skim over it.
My issues with this book for the most part stem from the odd pacing and attempts at romance within the story. There was quite a lot of action in this book which is fine by me, but the way the scenes were interspersed just seemed off. The romance though just appeared so typical and forced. There was nothing special about it and the narrative didn't need it. I was much more interested in the friendships.
Full review here: http://wp.me/p6xfg7-i3
June 11, 2016
With complex characters who each have unique strengths and flaws and an exciting mystery that grabs you and pulls you along for the ride, this is a fabulous sci-fi adventure for young readers and adults alike. The little sci-fi/pop culture references sprinkled throughout add another layer of fun. I can't wait for the next book in the trilogy!
May 6, 2017
Looking forward to reading the next novel in this series
April 13, 2018
Time traveler references
Meddling kids and ineffective adults
Unsatisfying answers
I wanted to like this book. The first 1/3rd is interesting. However when the mysteries start to resolve themselves, the big flaws appear. To me, its interesting what the breaking point is when the story turns to being unbelievable. I like fantasy, so I know that I'll accept outrageous things like time travel going in. But whatever fantastic things are happening in the plot, the characters have to make sense. I had the problem with the following:
Meddling kids and ineffective adults
Unsatisfying answers
I wanted to like this book. The first 1/3rd is interesting. However when the mysteries start to resolve themselves, the big flaws appear. To me, its interesting what the breaking point is when the story turns to being unbelievable. I like fantasy, so I know that I'll accept outrageous things like time travel going in. But whatever fantastic things are happening in the plot, the characters have to make sense. I had the problem with the following:
June 12, 2018
The story starts out with a set of twins entering 9th grade as new kids to a new town. I read a few chapters and thought about not continuing. I believed the book to be more young adult orientated but the writing felt it was more for middle schoolers; despite the age of the characters. The author first introduces the characters and define Valentine as a "science" geek and Malcolm as a "history geek". Spoiler alert: besides him reading books about history (that I don't read myself as a history teacher) it isn't important. Throughout the book, Malcom actually showed the most interest and knowledge of "sciencey" things. Maybe as they toy with time travel Malcolm will be able to see certain buildings and his knowledge will help them figure out the time period. But other than that, it wasn't used in the first book.
Other aspects of the book where the author wanted to make a point that seemed like foreshadowing... actually fell through. Like Winter being the conspiracy theorist but she in fact never showed any interest in those things in the books and was the main skeptic towards the spooky house.
The rest of the characters were meh to me. Fred was annoying, some people took him as black and offensive. I took him as the "mentally disabled" white rapper on It's always sunny in Philadelphia.
Back to the plot. I thought it was fast paced, I had crazy theories based on my experience with time travel. Such as Oma Grace is Valentine Walter is Malcolm... I was kinda right with John. I thought maybe Emily was the other sister that may have died. So I cannot say I wasn't interested. The pace was good until about the last hundred pages. 80 pages of fight scenes. 80. eighty. These kids somehow became ninjas overnight and doing all these intricate moves. I couldn't read anymore "swing kicks to the chest" "a punch to the cheek" anymore! And every time you think it's a sweet release some senior citizen comes back into the scene "you think I'd leave you behind?" Oh please could you?!
Other aspects of the book where the author wanted to make a point that seemed like foreshadowing... actually fell through. Like Winter being the conspiracy theorist but she in fact never showed any interest in those things in the books and was the main skeptic towards the spooky house.
The rest of the characters were meh to me. Fred was annoying, some people took him as black and offensive. I took him as the "mentally disabled" white rapper on It's always sunny in Philadelphia.
Back to the plot. I thought it was fast paced, I had crazy theories based on my experience with time travel. Such as Oma Grace is Valentine Walter is Malcolm... I was kinda right with John. I thought maybe Emily was the other sister that may have died. So I cannot say I wasn't interested. The pace was good until about the last hundred pages. 80 pages of fight scenes. 80. eighty. These kids somehow became ninjas overnight and doing all these intricate moves. I couldn't read anymore "swing kicks to the chest" "a punch to the cheek" anymore! And every time you think it's a sweet release some senior citizen comes back into the scene "you think I'd leave you behind?" Oh please could you?!
November 28, 2020
I understand this is YA, but even bearing that in mind this book was lacking and simplistic. The writing style is melodramatic and the points-of-view of the male and female protagonists do not differ or lend a sense of voice. The sci-fi technology of the story behaves like magic and conveniently always does exactly as the plot needs it to do. This was free to read on Kindle and I feel I overpaid in time spent reading. If this was written by a fifteen year old, as I suspect, I would not be surprised.
September 30, 2017
A great read for 80% of the book with a build up of suspense and sufficient detail to make science fiction elements, time travel and impending doom convincing. However, the climax deteriorates into an aggressive free for all that lacks credibility and, even with the 'rings' to provide extra power, resulted in a disappointing resolution.
November 24, 2018
4.5 stars, What a fun read! I love time travel books, and this series takes an interesting angle on it.
It’s hard to remember that the kids are only 15. They do act older. I was surprised at the number of fight scenes, and the detail. It didn’t bother me; I just thought it was odd.
After the halfway point, it got better and better until I couldn’t put it down! Good ending.
It’s hard to remember that the kids are only 15. They do act older. I was surprised at the number of fight scenes, and the detail. It didn’t bother me; I just thought it was odd.
After the halfway point, it got better and better until I couldn’t put it down! Good ending.
May 3, 2019
This was a really fun and well written sci fi! I loved the characters and the excitement! Time travel is of one my favorite topics so I loved how it was incorporated into this story! Can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
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August 14, 2017I only read the first two chapters. There is a serious problem which kept me from going on: The author doesn't have a sense for perspective. He uses a lot of barbarian italicizations because he falsely assumes he'd change the voice. And he has a lot of explanatory dialog, thus 'brushing one's red hair', which come from the same misunderstanding of literary perspective. This can't be cured.
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