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Time Stoppers #1
Time Stoppers
Annie Nobody thought she was, well, nobody, living in a nowhere town where nothing goes her way. Day 1 at her newest foster home proves to be dreadful, too... and things get even worse when she's chased by something big and scary that definitely wants to eat her.
Luckily for Annie, not everything is what it seems, and she gets swept up-literally-by a sassy dwarf on a hovercraft snowmobile and taken to Aurora, a hidden, magical town on the coast of Maine. There, she finds a new best friend in Jamie Hephastion Alexander--who thought he was a normal kid (but just might be a troll)-and Annie discovers that she's not exactly who she thought she was, either. She's a Time Stopper, meant to protect the enchanted.
Together, Annie and Jamie discover a whole new world of magic, power, and an incredible cast of creatures and characters. But where there's great power, there are also those who want to misuse it, and Aurora is under siege. It's up to the kids to protect their new home, even if it means diving headfirst into magical danger.
Luckily for Annie, not everything is what it seems, and she gets swept up-literally-by a sassy dwarf on a hovercraft snowmobile and taken to Aurora, a hidden, magical town on the coast of Maine. There, she finds a new best friend in Jamie Hephastion Alexander--who thought he was a normal kid (but just might be a troll)-and Annie discovers that she's not exactly who she thought she was, either. She's a Time Stopper, meant to protect the enchanted.
Together, Annie and Jamie discover a whole new world of magic, power, and an incredible cast of creatures and characters. But where there's great power, there are also those who want to misuse it, and Aurora is under siege. It's up to the kids to protect their new home, even if it means diving headfirst into magical danger.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published May 3, 2016
26 people are currently reading
1329 people want to read
About the author
Carrie Jones
84 books4,096 followers***SO MANY APOLOGIES***
I had been unable to get into my Goodreads account for years. If you have friended me, I have just friended you back (July 2021). If you have messaged me, I'm going to be working through those in the upcoming weeks.
Thank you all for reaching out and I'm so sorry.
Now onto the regularly scheduled bio:
Carrie Jones likes Skinny Cow fudgsicles and potatoes. She does not know how to spell fudgsicles. This has not prevented her from writing books. She lives with her cute family in Maine, but she grew up in Bedford, NH where she once had a séance with cool uber-comedian Sarah Silverman.
The Meyers brothers are from Bedford, too, so you’d think it would make Carrie funnier, coming from Bedford N.H. Obviously, something didn’t work.
Carrie has always liked cowboy hats but has never owned one. This is a very wrong thing. She graduated from Vermont College’s MFA program for writing. She has edited newspapers and poetry journals and has recently won awards from the Maine Press Association and also been awarded the Martin Dibner Fellowship as well as a Maine Literary Award.
Here’s the lowdown about Carrie…
1. Carrie can not drink coffee. It makes her insane. Do not give her caffeine.
2. Carrie is very responsive to loving strokes on the hair, kind of like a puppy. However, do not do this without asking first unless you are a ridiculously handsome man or an editor who is about to offer her a trillion dollars for the first draft of her novel.
3. Carrie is secretly really, really shy even though she’s pathetically outgoing in person. She has a very hard time calling people. So, if you want to talk to her, make the first move. And, if you’re her in-Maine female best friend, Jennifer, do NOT get mad at her because she is so bad at returning emails.
4. Carrie sometimes wears mismatched socks, if you do not think this is cool, do not tell her. You will hurt her feelings.
5. Carrie really, really wants you to like her books. Please like her books. PLEEEAASSSEEEE. She’ll be your best friend forever. That is, if you want a friend who is shy about calling and emailing and who wears mismatched socks and can’t drink caffeine and likes being pet on the head. Hhmmm….
6. Carrie is not above begging.
7. Carrie, like Belle in TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (ex) BOYFRIEND drinks Postum. It’s for the same reason, too.
8. Carrie loves Great Pyrenees dogs. They are huge and white, and furry and it looks like they have white eyeliner and mascara on, which is way too cute. Do you have one? Send a picture!
9. Carrie lives in Maine. She has a hard time with this in the winter. It is bleak in Maine in the winter. Imagine everything shades of gray and brown and no green anywhere except for in people’s noses. This is Maine in Winter. Maine in summer is the best place in the world, so it’s a trade-off. Feel free to invite Carrie to your house in the winter, but not if it’s in Greenland, Canada, or anywhere north of Florida.
10. Forget that. She’d still probably come.
I had been unable to get into my Goodreads account for years. If you have friended me, I have just friended you back (July 2021). If you have messaged me, I'm going to be working through those in the upcoming weeks.
Thank you all for reaching out and I'm so sorry.
Now onto the regularly scheduled bio:
Carrie Jones likes Skinny Cow fudgsicles and potatoes. She does not know how to spell fudgsicles. This has not prevented her from writing books. She lives with her cute family in Maine, but she grew up in Bedford, NH where she once had a séance with cool uber-comedian Sarah Silverman.
The Meyers brothers are from Bedford, too, so you’d think it would make Carrie funnier, coming from Bedford N.H. Obviously, something didn’t work.
Carrie has always liked cowboy hats but has never owned one. This is a very wrong thing. She graduated from Vermont College’s MFA program for writing. She has edited newspapers and poetry journals and has recently won awards from the Maine Press Association and also been awarded the Martin Dibner Fellowship as well as a Maine Literary Award.
Here’s the lowdown about Carrie…
1. Carrie can not drink coffee. It makes her insane. Do not give her caffeine.
2. Carrie is very responsive to loving strokes on the hair, kind of like a puppy. However, do not do this without asking first unless you are a ridiculously handsome man or an editor who is about to offer her a trillion dollars for the first draft of her novel.
3. Carrie is secretly really, really shy even though she’s pathetically outgoing in person. She has a very hard time calling people. So, if you want to talk to her, make the first move. And, if you’re her in-Maine female best friend, Jennifer, do NOT get mad at her because she is so bad at returning emails.
4. Carrie sometimes wears mismatched socks, if you do not think this is cool, do not tell her. You will hurt her feelings.
5. Carrie really, really wants you to like her books. Please like her books. PLEEEAASSSEEEE. She’ll be your best friend forever. That is, if you want a friend who is shy about calling and emailing and who wears mismatched socks and can’t drink caffeine and likes being pet on the head. Hhmmm….
6. Carrie is not above begging.
7. Carrie, like Belle in TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (ex) BOYFRIEND drinks Postum. It’s for the same reason, too.
8. Carrie loves Great Pyrenees dogs. They are huge and white, and furry and it looks like they have white eyeliner and mascara on, which is way too cute. Do you have one? Send a picture!
9. Carrie lives in Maine. She has a hard time with this in the winter. It is bleak in Maine in the winter. Imagine everything shades of gray and brown and no green anywhere except for in people’s noses. This is Maine in Winter. Maine in summer is the best place in the world, so it’s a trade-off. Feel free to invite Carrie to your house in the winter, but not if it’s in Greenland, Canada, or anywhere north of Florida.
10. Forget that. She’d still probably come.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
February 6, 2017
Probably great for middle readers. I'm not used to the style, and thought it felt a little clunky. Fun and slightly silly fantasy adventure story about friendship and acceptance. Issues of identity and confidence were handled nicely. I'd recommend it to kids 8-12 ish.
March 15, 2018
Since I have already the second installment in this series, I have read this first installment. It is a good story about three children, (a TimeStopper-in-waiting, an orphan elf, and a possibly trollish boy) who find a haven in Aurora where the forces of evil are massing on the borders. They are aided by a dog who understands Human, some wolf-dogs, a stone giant, a TimeStopper, a brounie, a wizard, and just about anything fantastic you can imagine. It’s a fun read.
December 10, 2017
Couldn't have finished it. Sounded dull and didn't continue.
February 5, 2017
This is a fun middle grade fantasy book. Twelve year old Annie Nobody, who has been bounced from foster home to foster home and Jamie, whose father and grandmother treat him cruelly and threaten to eat him, are brought together in an adventure to save a magical town where they both may finally fit in and have a welcoming place to live. After all, Annie is supposed to have magical powers and Jamie might or might not turn into a troll. They just have to be brave and resourceful. Luckily, they have the help of Eva, an heroic dwarf, Bloom, an elf and a magical dog. Together, they must make some magic and defeat evil. This is the first book in a new series and I think kids will enjoy it. I received this book free to review from Netgalley.
December 18, 2024
This was literally an AMAZING book (but it took me a long time to read because I was reading 2 other books also😔) THE CHARACTERS ARE AMAZING but I do have an love and hate relationship with Eva but she was so real for standing up for Annie because I would NEVER let a girl named “Megan” bully my friend 💀. The ending was crazy but I kinda expected it. Favorite character is definitely Jamie (pls don’t let him be a troll 😔)
February 13, 2021
Very senseless book. It's not just obnoxious immaturity of ridiculously many supposedly good people, but also the utterly meaningless nonsense that they engage in.
June 4, 2016
ARC kindly provided by Bloomsbury Publishing Australia in exchange for an honest review.
Review
Rating Plan
1 star : Strongly did not like the book, writing and plot was bad. Idea of the book was against my liking.
2 star : Didn't like it, didn't find it interesting or gripping. Seemed to drag on to me.
3 star : An average book. Wasn't bad or good. Everything else was well done. Original idea.
4 star : Like a 3 star but has potential to it as a series or the book grew on me as it progressed and certain scenes captured me. I Enjoyed it and read it in one sitting.
5 star : I LOVED IT! I stayed up late until 3 am. Author is a genius, characters, plot, idea, development, EVERYTHING was EXCELLENT. Nothing else can possibly be said except that its 5 STAR!
Review
‘Time Stoppers’ was a novel I wasn't sure what to expect of. I knew it was going to be a lot more “childish” in a sense because its target audience is children between nine and twelve. I didn't expect too much of the novel; yet I knew that the writing was going to be good. This was going to be one of those novels that just CLICKED for me or one that didn't.
Jamie and Annie were quite the pair. First, I loved their names together, so kind and good. These two were really the definition of the sweetest characters after having survived a rough childhood. Further into the novel, I realised why I felt so disconnected: As I am older, the values I had as a child had changed so the way I thought was different. I believe this was the cause of the riff. I strongly recommend this for nine to twelve year olds; they will certainly love it!
I enjoyed the introductory part of the novel, which took up about a third or fourth of the entire story, but it just didn't hook me as much as I would have liked it to. It was too slow for me and a bit more action would have been in favour, yet for a senior-primary school novel, this was done superbly well. I definitely see myself loving this novel if I were younger as it embodied everything that I loved back then: action and a cute, puppy-love romance with a moral or lesson at the very end. I guess, as a lover of the young-adult genre I expected a lot more violence and romance; but, I knew that in order to get a good reading experience, I had to alter my expectations to suit the genre I was reading.
‘Time Stoppers’ that felt light-hearted and with an easy atmosphere and mood. It was a good novel; a kind one that teaches the young reader yet appeals to their good nature. Yet, I couldn't for one instant find myself extremely touched by the emotions coursing through the pages. To be frank, I felt a little bit detached and unable to connect with the main characters but I appreciated the theme of hope and love that ran throughout the whole story.
The writing style was easy and sweet. If you're looking for a novel that was written well and grammatically correct, than this one lights up in all those areas. It is extremely important for a novel to be written well, especially for an audience of children, and it just made me glad to read. There were so many good qualities to the writing! I loved it!
The plot was done well. Everything fit and there weren't any plot holes or things that I would have changed. I felt like this story would have been given more credit if read by somebody younger than me. There just wasn't enough...drama...in it for me. I felt bored at times and had to skim read to get to the parts that best appealed to me.
I felt like the ending could have been a lot better. Everything just got wrapped up to well and it didn't leave much for a cliff-hanger, though the author definitely attempted one. The open end made room for a potential series and the author’s choice to write a happy ending was poor. A cliff-hanger would have encouraged her readers to continue reading. If there WERE to be more novels in the series I would be interested to see where the author would lead it, but as of now, I am not expecting too much.
I also felt like the basic idea of the story was overused and unoriginal. The fairies, and trolls and goblins weren’t anything different from the million others out there and didn’t stand out in any way. This was definitely something that lowered by opinion of the novel.
Congratulations to Carrie Jones on publishing the very first story she had ever written!
Rating Plan
1 star : Strongly did not like the book, writing and plot was bad. Idea of the book was against my liking.
2 star : Didn't like it, didn't find it interesting or gripping. Seemed to drag on to me.
3 star : An average book. Wasn't bad or good. Everything else was well done. Original idea.
4 star : Like a 3 star but has potential to it as a series or the book grew on me as it progressed and certain scenes captured me. I Enjoyed it and read it in one sitting.
5 star : I LOVED IT! I stayed up late until 3 am. Author is a genius, characters, plot, idea, development, EVERYTHING was EXCELLENT. Nothing else can possibly be said except that its 5 STAR!
August 16, 2016
I honestly couldn't read this book. The evil characters are just so unrealistically evil that I couldn't continue.
School Library Journal:
-When Annie Nobody arrives at her new foster home in the town of Mount Desert, ME, she is dismayed to find that it is even worse than the previous 11 that she's had. The Wiegles, a mother and son who have agreed to take her, are clearly interested only in the money they get from the state. Meanwhile, in another house in the same town, a boy named Jamie sees his grandmother turn into a monster. He flees to the local library, where the librarian tells him that his grandmother and father are trolls and that his life is in grave danger. Soon, Annie and Jamie are both fleeing from rampaging trolls and are rescued by a hovercraft snowmobile driven by a girl named Eva, who tells them she is a dwarf. She explains that she lives in Aurora, a community of magical creatures protected by a woman named Miss Cornelia. Eva takes Jamie and Annie there, and Annie is astounded to discover that all of Aurora's magical inhabitants know her name and expect her to save them from a mysterious enemy called the Raiff. Just as Jamie and Annie are beginning to feel safe in Aurora, the town is attacked by a gigantic bird creature, who freezes Miss Cornelia and most of the town. With the help of Eva, an elf named Canin, and some unpredictable flying skis, Annie and Jamie set out on a dangerous journey to retrieve a gnome statue that was stolen by Jamie's grandmother and save Aurora and the magical creatures who live there. The first in what is clearly intended to be a new middle grade series, Jones's novel offers an imaginative blend of fantasy, whimsy, and suspense, with a charming cast of underdog characters. The book ends on a major cliff-hanger and leaves many questions unanswered. Like the "Harry Potter" and "Percy Jackson" books, this title operates on the premise that there are secret magical communities that exist alongside and within the real world, although the characters and tone of this novel may appeal more to slightly younger middle grade readers.
School Library Journal:
-When Annie Nobody arrives at her new foster home in the town of Mount Desert, ME, she is dismayed to find that it is even worse than the previous 11 that she's had. The Wiegles, a mother and son who have agreed to take her, are clearly interested only in the money they get from the state. Meanwhile, in another house in the same town, a boy named Jamie sees his grandmother turn into a monster. He flees to the local library, where the librarian tells him that his grandmother and father are trolls and that his life is in grave danger. Soon, Annie and Jamie are both fleeing from rampaging trolls and are rescued by a hovercraft snowmobile driven by a girl named Eva, who tells them she is a dwarf. She explains that she lives in Aurora, a community of magical creatures protected by a woman named Miss Cornelia. Eva takes Jamie and Annie there, and Annie is astounded to discover that all of Aurora's magical inhabitants know her name and expect her to save them from a mysterious enemy called the Raiff. Just as Jamie and Annie are beginning to feel safe in Aurora, the town is attacked by a gigantic bird creature, who freezes Miss Cornelia and most of the town. With the help of Eva, an elf named Canin, and some unpredictable flying skis, Annie and Jamie set out on a dangerous journey to retrieve a gnome statue that was stolen by Jamie's grandmother and save Aurora and the magical creatures who live there. The first in what is clearly intended to be a new middle grade series, Jones's novel offers an imaginative blend of fantasy, whimsy, and suspense, with a charming cast of underdog characters. The book ends on a major cliff-hanger and leaves many questions unanswered. Like the "Harry Potter" and "Percy Jackson" books, this title operates on the premise that there are secret magical communities that exist alongside and within the real world, although the characters and tone of this novel may appeal more to slightly younger middle grade readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2016
Annie Nobody is a foster kid who has been passed around a lot in her twelve years. She longs for a family, but doubts she'll ever get one as she moves from one horrible foster family to another. Jamie Alexander knows what it is like to be unloved too. His grandmother and father are horrible to him and seem to just be waiting until he is old enough to eat. Turns out they are trolls and get to eat Jamie when he turns twelve. In swoops Eva Beryl-Axe to save the day. Eva is a heroic dwarf who saves Annie and Jamie and brings them back to Aurora, a magical haven. Turns out Annie is a time stopper and the hope of the town. Jamie might only be human (or he might turn into a troll), but gets to take refuge in the town. Only the town is not the refuge it once was. The magical gnome that hid the town from everyone has been stolen and an evil is trying to invade. Annie, Jamie, Eva and their friend Bloom, an elf, have to find the gnome and stop the evil before it is too late.
This was a fun, fun read. I loved the mythology of the story and the mix of reality and fairy tales. I thought Annie and Jamie and Eva and Bloom were hilarious at times and heroic at times and pretty human at times. It was a wonderful mix that made them come alive. I did think they were a bit thick though, especially in regards to the gnome since the reader knew where it was from the very beginning. The book could have been edited down a bit as it was a bit slow and repetitive in the middle, but overall it is a fun beginning to a new series.
I received this book from both Netgalley and Baker and Taylor.
This was a fun, fun read. I loved the mythology of the story and the mix of reality and fairy tales. I thought Annie and Jamie and Eva and Bloom were hilarious at times and heroic at times and pretty human at times. It was a wonderful mix that made them come alive. I did think they were a bit thick though, especially in regards to the gnome since the reader knew where it was from the very beginning. The book could have been edited down a bit as it was a bit slow and repetitive in the middle, but overall it is a fun beginning to a new series.
I received this book from both Netgalley and Baker and Taylor.
November 30, 2016
I loved the book! I cant wait to find out what happens next! Great author! :)
April 3, 2022
ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ⌛Tɨʍɛ ֆȶօքքɛʀֆ🕛ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ
Strange unexplainable things always happen to Annie, leading to her going from one foster home to the next. This time, Annie is chased by a monster; and her life is forever changed when a girl riding a snowmobile saves her. Jamie suspects his grandma and father are trolls. They used to make jokes about eating him, and he never took it seriously. But now that he's turning 13 things have been getting stranger, so he runs away. Then he meets Annie, and together they both find out that they belong in Aurora. Aurora; a place where magic resides, elves, giants, dwarfs, and fairys. Annie finds out that she is a Time Stopper; destined to defeat the enemy. Together Annie, Bloom, the Elf, Eva the Dwarf, and Jamie, who has yet to figure out what magic he has, they must help Annie unlock her power.
𝐀 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫. 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨.
For a land that was in danger, it didn't really seem like it. For a destiny that awaits a hero, Annie doesn't even use her powers until page 242. Basically nothing interesting or important happens in the first half of the book. It was predictable.
"Um," my friend over there is Jamie. . . Um. . . Ah . . . Yeah . . . I'm nothing special , and I really don't know why-."
I really don't like it when our protagonist likes to down-play herself or think that they are nobody and always questions why they were chosen. This is something I find that is used way too often. Annie stutters and mumbles so much. First of all, Annie calls herself "Annie Nobody we understand that she doesn't know what her last name is but why would she call it nobody? The synopsis literally says "Annie Nobody thinks she is, well, nobody, living in a nowhere town where nothing every goes her way. She has an extreme lack of confidence that in the end is slowly being built up because others appreciate her. Now, in truth, confidence does sometimes come from having others there to support you. But it's sad that Annie seems to draw confidence and self-love from others admiration, and without it she thinks she's nobody. Especially when the protagonist starts to think they are worth something when a love interest loves them.
*In context: "Jamie is afraid he will turn into troll"*
Annie:"Because I won't let you." she insisted.
Right... like that makes sense. She can't exactly stop him from changing.
Annie:"I want to stay here," she said to Jamie as she twisted the doorknob. "I want us to both stay here and live happily ever after."
Hmm. Really... wait a few chapters and lifes not going to be great for you Annie.
"Annie opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was a elf butt just inches from her nose."
... how do you know its a elf butt?
The plot seemed to be contrived. First of all, Annie's life resembled Harry Potters a lot. She's an orphan; her foster family is awful. Then she finds out she's magic! And she's the Chosen-One! Except *gasp* she doesn't unlock her powers at all until page 242! Jamie and Annie's perspectives were so similar, their characters didn't seem to have any distinct differences. They sounded too similar. The characters relationships felt stilted. Nothing about this book interested me at all. The plot didn't feel new or refreshing. Certain aspects like the books talking, and the vibe of Annie's new room were imaginative. The antagonist felt a lot like a cardboard cut-out. He didn't even actually show up in this book, and was just evil because he was. Eva was very passionate. She was sometimes too much. She screamed, was constantly angry, and was always screaming about her axe. I found her really annoying; she's just angry and there is no particular reason why she is. Sadly, I didn't like this series. I will give book two a try, but I really hope that others who read this will love it! Thank you Carrie, for the hard work you put into making this book.
Strange unexplainable things always happen to Annie, leading to her going from one foster home to the next. This time, Annie is chased by a monster; and her life is forever changed when a girl riding a snowmobile saves her. Jamie suspects his grandma and father are trolls. They used to make jokes about eating him, and he never took it seriously. But now that he's turning 13 things have been getting stranger, so he runs away. Then he meets Annie, and together they both find out that they belong in Aurora. Aurora; a place where magic resides, elves, giants, dwarfs, and fairys. Annie finds out that she is a Time Stopper; destined to defeat the enemy. Together Annie, Bloom, the Elf, Eva the Dwarf, and Jamie, who has yet to figure out what magic he has, they must help Annie unlock her power.
𝐀 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫. 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨.
For a land that was in danger, it didn't really seem like it. For a destiny that awaits a hero, Annie doesn't even use her powers until page 242. Basically nothing interesting or important happens in the first half of the book. It was predictable.
"Um," my friend over there is Jamie. . . Um. . . Ah . . . Yeah . . . I'm nothing special , and I really don't know why-."
I really don't like it when our protagonist likes to down-play herself or think that they are nobody and always questions why they were chosen. This is something I find that is used way too often. Annie stutters and mumbles so much. First of all, Annie calls herself "Annie Nobody we understand that she doesn't know what her last name is but why would she call it nobody? The synopsis literally says "Annie Nobody thinks she is, well, nobody, living in a nowhere town where nothing every goes her way. She has an extreme lack of confidence that in the end is slowly being built up because others appreciate her. Now, in truth, confidence does sometimes come from having others there to support you. But it's sad that Annie seems to draw confidence and self-love from others admiration, and without it she thinks she's nobody. Especially when the protagonist starts to think they are worth something when a love interest loves them.
*In context: "Jamie is afraid he will turn into troll"*
Annie:"Because I won't let you." she insisted.
Right... like that makes sense. She can't exactly stop him from changing.
Annie:"I want to stay here," she said to Jamie as she twisted the doorknob. "I want us to both stay here and live happily ever after."
Hmm. Really... wait a few chapters and lifes not going to be great for you Annie.
"Annie opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was a elf butt just inches from her nose."
... how do you know its a elf butt?
The plot seemed to be contrived. First of all, Annie's life resembled Harry Potters a lot. She's an orphan; her foster family is awful. Then she finds out she's magic! And she's the Chosen-One! Except *gasp* she doesn't unlock her powers at all until page 242! Jamie and Annie's perspectives were so similar, their characters didn't seem to have any distinct differences. They sounded too similar. The characters relationships felt stilted. Nothing about this book interested me at all. The plot didn't feel new or refreshing. Certain aspects like the books talking, and the vibe of Annie's new room were imaginative. The antagonist felt a lot like a cardboard cut-out. He didn't even actually show up in this book, and was just evil because he was. Eva was very passionate. She was sometimes too much. She screamed, was constantly angry, and was always screaming about her axe. I found her really annoying; she's just angry and there is no particular reason why she is. Sadly, I didn't like this series. I will give book two a try, but I really hope that others who read this will love it! Thank you Carrie, for the hard work you put into making this book.
June 7, 2024
This is a good book series.
It's not the greatest in the world, but overall, I LOVE this series.
It's a basic unlikely hero-type story, but the writing is great, and the main characters aren't too complex but still have some depth. But a lot of stuff won't make sense until you read the third book, like in the second book when the Snatcher smells Jamie and says he isn't normal was confusing, until I read the third book, and I kid you not, the moment I found out you know who was a you know what my jaw dropped. Also, they gave Eva a better personality than in the first book, where she just seemed angry all the time, but she sorta had a reason for it, cause her mom left her and her dad,(I almost cried).
One of the cons I found with this series is that the pacing for the events is really slow, the first time I read this book, I found myself skipping parts of the story because it was getting dull, later, I found a lot of readers were saying the same thing about the pacing of the story, if you want to ever finish this series without being confused about the plot twists and reveals, GET THE THIRD BOOK! It explains a lot and answers most of the questions I had about the first and second books.
I also had some problems with Annie's personality, sure, she had been raised to think she wasn't special, but she almost had no sense of any self-love whatsoever and relied on others to give her a sense of self-worth, she hated herself so much it seemed unnatural, and it was very depressing and sad.
I could say the same thing about Jamie, but he's a complicated story, for starters, he grew up in an abusive home, and maybe Annie had been in some bad situations, but she had food, warmth, and "proper" clothing. Her foster parents were just horrible, on the other hand, Jamie had barely anything to keep him warm during the winter when was going outside, had been starved, and his "parents" had been putting hands on this dude like he was a wrestling dummy! His radiators were DUCK-TAPED so his room was so cold he see his breath. So naturally he wouldn't be that self-confident, But they made Annie act like she's been through the worst of the worst, making her seem like a wimp to make Bloom seem cool, and making her do stuff no sane person would do to make her seem brave,
like making her and everyone split up just for them to get caught in the third book.
But despite the cons of this book and the books that are after it, this series holds a special place in my heart, and it will always be one of my favorites.
It's not the greatest in the world, but overall, I LOVE this series.
It's a basic unlikely hero-type story, but the writing is great, and the main characters aren't too complex but still have some depth. But a lot of stuff won't make sense until you read the third book, like in the second book when the Snatcher smells Jamie and says he isn't normal was confusing, until I read the third book, and I kid you not, the moment I found out you know who was a you know what my jaw dropped. Also, they gave Eva a better personality than in the first book, where she just seemed angry all the time, but she sorta had a reason for it, cause her mom left her and her dad,(I almost cried).
One of the cons I found with this series is that the pacing for the events is really slow, the first time I read this book, I found myself skipping parts of the story because it was getting dull, later, I found a lot of readers were saying the same thing about the pacing of the story, if you want to ever finish this series without being confused about the plot twists and reveals, GET THE THIRD BOOK! It explains a lot and answers most of the questions I had about the first and second books.
I also had some problems with Annie's personality, sure, she had been raised to think she wasn't special, but she almost had no sense of any self-love whatsoever and relied on others to give her a sense of self-worth, she hated herself so much it seemed unnatural, and it was very depressing and sad.
I could say the same thing about Jamie, but he's a complicated story, for starters, he grew up in an abusive home, and maybe Annie had been in some bad situations, but she had food, warmth, and "proper" clothing. Her foster parents were just horrible, on the other hand, Jamie had barely anything to keep him warm during the winter when was going outside, had been starved, and his "parents" had been putting hands on this dude like he was a wrestling dummy! His radiators were DUCK-TAPED so his room was so cold he see his breath. So naturally he wouldn't be that self-confident, But they made Annie act like she's been through the worst of the worst, making her seem like a wimp to make Bloom seem cool, and making her do stuff no sane person would do to make her seem brave,
like making her and everyone split up just for them to get caught in the third book.
But despite the cons of this book and the books that are after it, this series holds a special place in my heart, and it will always be one of my favorites.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2016
I received a print copy of this title from Bloomsbury Australia for review.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Annie is facing an uncertain future if her final foster placement doesn't work out. Jamie's grandmother and father are impossible to live with. When noises in the night and whispers of wild beasts on the rampage start to surface, Annie and Jamie find themselves plunged into a whole new world of magic...and danger.
Time Stoppers is an adventurous middle grade offering with some highly original elements and a few problems with pacing. To highlight the positives first, the book features two protagonists – Annie and Jamie -who are likeable, down-to-earth, and will appeal to most readers of the target age group. The story is told in chapters that alternate between Annie and Jamie’s situations and this definitely boosts the engagement factor. Annie is a foster child who is on her last placement…which turns out to be a horrid, trailer-based version of the Cinderella story. Jamie lives with his father and grandmother, neither of whom show him any affection and demonstrate their opinion of him through hostility and bullying. However, both of the children seem to be natural optimists, and try to find hope in what look like hopeless situations. When strange happenings start to kick off, both Annie and Jamie take it in their stride and try to make the best of a bizarre situation.
Some of the magical elements are quite original for a middle grade fantasy tale – magical creatures who get around on hovering snowmobiles, for instance, and the important role of the garden gnome (I’ve always said there should be more books featuring garden gnomes!) – and there is plenty of humour in the banter between our heroes and their new friends from Aurora. Eva Beryl-Axe, the battle-ready dwarf girl, is the main source of this humour and most of the wacky situations in which the children find themselves are related, in part, to Eva’s impulsive ideas. The city of Aurora is peopled with a wide variety of magical beings, some dangerous, most benign.
The two major problems I had with the story were pacing and the way in which the magic is presented. After an action-packed and magnetic set of opening chapters, which include a chase by trolls, a house fire and the appearance of a dwarf on a hovering snowmobile, the children are introduced to the city of Aurora and the pace slows to a crawl. Obviously, some world-building is necessary to introduce the town, its purpose and its inhabitants, but I found that the time the children spend in Aurora – and it is a significant portion of the book – really damaged my engagement with the characters and their struggles. Although there are some indications that the town is not safe for the children, for a considerable amount of time the kids sit and ponder the meaning of their new existence in this magical space, and things just get a bit tedious. It was in this section that the dual-perspective narrative really didn’t help the story, as we had to experience the town from the point of view of Annie, then Jamie, in turn, when both had similar feelings about the place. The pace does pick up again in the final third of the book with the introduction of the villain, but by then the slow-paced middle section had done its work and I was not as invested as I could have been in the outcome of the action.
My second problem with the story was the scatty way in which the magic, its rules and limitations were introduced. There is a lot of magical stuff going on within the story, but I didn’t feel like it was explained well enough to make it believable. For example, Annie is a Time Stopper – but the concept of this and why it is important and even how it works, isn’t explained until toward the end of the book and even then it is glossed over as the action takes precedence. Similarly, there seem to be many different types of magic going on within the town, through its inhabitants and even its buildings and books, but there is a bit of a sense that anything goes; that any type of magic one might think of could happen just because one would like it to be so.
For example, in one scene, a note and pen appear out of thin air and disappear when their function has been served, a series of words and arrows appear to guide a character along within a house, and dishes wash themselves. Who is making this happen? Is the house itself magical? If not, is it the inhabitants casting a spell? If so, how does that work? I really felt that more needed to be done in developing the hows and whys of the magical world, in order to make it more believable. Admittedly, this may not particularly bother readers in the target age group, but I prefer a narrative in which the limitations and workings of the fantasy elements are clear, so that I can better engage with the characters and their struggles.
Overall, as a series opener, I think this book was more focused on introducing the characters, the setting of Aurora and the beginnings of Annie and Jamie’s powers than providing a particularly terrifying or worrying villain to vanquish. The ending opens the way for the villain to be developed in the second book, so perhaps I will find more of what I hoped for in the next offering. As it stands, Time Stoppers is an ambitious and original example of the genre and should be well received by readers in the target age range.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Annie is facing an uncertain future if her final foster placement doesn't work out. Jamie's grandmother and father are impossible to live with. When noises in the night and whispers of wild beasts on the rampage start to surface, Annie and Jamie find themselves plunged into a whole new world of magic...and danger.
Time Stoppers is an adventurous middle grade offering with some highly original elements and a few problems with pacing. To highlight the positives first, the book features two protagonists – Annie and Jamie -who are likeable, down-to-earth, and will appeal to most readers of the target age group. The story is told in chapters that alternate between Annie and Jamie’s situations and this definitely boosts the engagement factor. Annie is a foster child who is on her last placement…which turns out to be a horrid, trailer-based version of the Cinderella story. Jamie lives with his father and grandmother, neither of whom show him any affection and demonstrate their opinion of him through hostility and bullying. However, both of the children seem to be natural optimists, and try to find hope in what look like hopeless situations. When strange happenings start to kick off, both Annie and Jamie take it in their stride and try to make the best of a bizarre situation.
Some of the magical elements are quite original for a middle grade fantasy tale – magical creatures who get around on hovering snowmobiles, for instance, and the important role of the garden gnome (I’ve always said there should be more books featuring garden gnomes!) – and there is plenty of humour in the banter between our heroes and their new friends from Aurora. Eva Beryl-Axe, the battle-ready dwarf girl, is the main source of this humour and most of the wacky situations in which the children find themselves are related, in part, to Eva’s impulsive ideas. The city of Aurora is peopled with a wide variety of magical beings, some dangerous, most benign.
The two major problems I had with the story were pacing and the way in which the magic is presented. After an action-packed and magnetic set of opening chapters, which include a chase by trolls, a house fire and the appearance of a dwarf on a hovering snowmobile, the children are introduced to the city of Aurora and the pace slows to a crawl. Obviously, some world-building is necessary to introduce the town, its purpose and its inhabitants, but I found that the time the children spend in Aurora – and it is a significant portion of the book – really damaged my engagement with the characters and their struggles. Although there are some indications that the town is not safe for the children, for a considerable amount of time the kids sit and ponder the meaning of their new existence in this magical space, and things just get a bit tedious. It was in this section that the dual-perspective narrative really didn’t help the story, as we had to experience the town from the point of view of Annie, then Jamie, in turn, when both had similar feelings about the place. The pace does pick up again in the final third of the book with the introduction of the villain, but by then the slow-paced middle section had done its work and I was not as invested as I could have been in the outcome of the action.
My second problem with the story was the scatty way in which the magic, its rules and limitations were introduced. There is a lot of magical stuff going on within the story, but I didn’t feel like it was explained well enough to make it believable. For example, Annie is a Time Stopper – but the concept of this and why it is important and even how it works, isn’t explained until toward the end of the book and even then it is glossed over as the action takes precedence. Similarly, there seem to be many different types of magic going on within the town, through its inhabitants and even its buildings and books, but there is a bit of a sense that anything goes; that any type of magic one might think of could happen just because one would like it to be so.
For example, in one scene, a note and pen appear out of thin air and disappear when their function has been served, a series of words and arrows appear to guide a character along within a house, and dishes wash themselves. Who is making this happen? Is the house itself magical? If not, is it the inhabitants casting a spell? If so, how does that work? I really felt that more needed to be done in developing the hows and whys of the magical world, in order to make it more believable. Admittedly, this may not particularly bother readers in the target age group, but I prefer a narrative in which the limitations and workings of the fantasy elements are clear, so that I can better engage with the characters and their struggles.
Overall, as a series opener, I think this book was more focused on introducing the characters, the setting of Aurora and the beginnings of Annie and Jamie’s powers than providing a particularly terrifying or worrying villain to vanquish. The ending opens the way for the villain to be developed in the second book, so perhaps I will find more of what I hoped for in the next offering. As it stands, Time Stoppers is an ambitious and original example of the genre and should be well received by readers in the target age range.
February 6, 2018
An ambitious book, but I never felt like the timing of events worked out right and couldn’t sink into the descriptions properly. At the end she thanks her daughter for asking for more of the story as they were on long car trips, and I realized that the story was perfect as something an adult would make up and tell in serial form to a beloved child.
April 22, 2019
This book was really good. Ignoring one or two awkward phrases, the book was exiting and well written. It is hard, I assume, to create a whole new world of magic and monsters, but Carrie Jones has done it beautifully. The characters, the plot, the whole thing was entertaining and interesting. Timeless, you could say. (Yeah, that was my bad attempt at a pun/joke thing.)
January 18, 2022
i actually read this a few years ago, when i was much younger, and i enjoyed it! i don't think it's necessarily vvv complex, so it may not be what you're looking for, but it's pretty good as a quick read. the characters, while not extremely memorable, do have distinct and lively personalities. so if you want to read something fun and magical, i would definitely recommend this :-)
May 19, 2017
This book was ok.. I like the plot, but it was unnecessarily long, and very cheesy. It was all the superhero books put into one, and it was so predictable. And then at the end, of course it leaves you on a cliffhanger.
July 25, 2017
A kind of silly but kind of solid YA fantasy that has a ton of classic good-versus-evil tropes and a TON of action to go along with it. Certain kids will love this, adult readers might have a little more struggle in the setup and execution.
February 19, 2019
A fun mix of fantasy and magic brought this story to life for my son and I (he's 11). The monsters and demons weren't overly spooky but not too babyish either. The imagery though the words of the author will keep us reading the rest of the series. Fun, easy read for young readers, and authors!
July 16, 2021
Oh my gosh! I loved this! It has everything I love to read about - elves, mystery, magic, and a hopeless quest that somehow worked out. And the characters? Amazing! All of them, especially Eva made me laugh and cheer them on. Can't wait to read the next one!!!
March 21, 2024
Such a good book! Heavy fantasy that have so many unique creatures in it. Dawrfs, pixies, faires, mermaids, elves, etc. the plot stays active and you can never really get bored. It’s very fun!! Very easy read
September 2, 2017
I've always enjoyed books about the fae. This one was different than most. A little juvenile (as it should be given it's genre) but very entertaining.
November 28, 2017
Nice imaginary story. I like the kids that are such unlikely hero’s against trolls and stuff.
November 19, 2018
*cough* the LOTR references *cough*
April 24, 2018
Amazing book which is a great fantasy book and interesting characters ( trolls,dwarfs,pixies etc ) and with adventure.
June 6, 2018
predictable, too catastrophic, not worth reading any sequels
April 1, 2020
It was just ok- a fun adventure/fantasy story. I will give book 2 a try and see what I think. It has potential - the ending wrapped up way too quickly in my opinion.
May 15, 2020
Great story but the inconsistency of the POV bothered me a little. Seems like an editing issue. But I think kids who like fantasy will like the book.
January 21, 2022
Really good.
September 15, 2022
2.5/5
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