Infinite Time

Infinite Time #1

by H.J. Lawson, Jane Lawson

Save the girl.
Save the day.
Save yourself.

The mission sounds easy enough, but it is anything but easy for Parker Jenkins. Yesterday, ordinary, poverty-stricken Parker was an ordinary high school kid, getting bullied relentlessly and trying to get by. Today, he's a time traveler with gifted powers expected to carry out the extraordinary. Teaming up with another time traveler, Scarlet, they must save an innocent girl on the run before the villains kill them all. If they don't, their present-day selves will die. But can the ordinary perform the extraordinary?

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Fantasy, Suspense

219 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2016

Reviews

[Boyko Ovcharov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Infinite Adventure!

Good sci-fi story with a human touch. Well developed characters and destinies, sufficiently believable and relatable.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parker Jenkins is just your ordinary high school boy who is picked on every day by the school jock, Travis. Parker is in love with Travis’s girlfriend Clara and is always lusting after her and Travis is always sending him to the school nurse for looking at her.

Parker has a rough home life too. He has an abusive stepdad and his mother has never been the same since they lost Parker’s dad a few years back. With her having to work all the time just to make ends meet and to keep food on the table for all of them it has all made her a very bitter person.

Parker has two great friends from school, Douglas and Kimi. They are always taking up for Parker but it doesn’t do any good. Douglas and Kimi are picked on as well and are part of the school’s outcast.

One night after taking one of Travis’s “beatings”; Parker goes to bed and falls “asleep” and wakes up in Tokyo. Parker has no idea what is going but he comes to the conclusion that the only thing that it could be is that is dreaming. Yeah that is it. But the girl, Scarlet that he has met keeps insisting that it is not a dream and that it is all real. She keeps trying to convince him that he has time traveled just like her. Parker being the inquisitive nerd that he is has a lot of questions for Scarlet but she keeps telling him they don’t have time for that.

Scarlet explains to him that when they time travel they have a mission to complete and they only have a certain amount of time to complete said mission. This time they are sent to save a little girl, Tora from some very bad men. Parker wants to know who Tora is. Who are these bad men? And what do they want with Tora? Along with numerous other questions of course which gets on Scarlet’s nerves but that is just Parker always wanting to know what is going on and what everything is.

But once Parker gets to know Tora he still has all these questions and then some but he has now become quite taken with little Tora and has step up a notch or two from the picked on kid at school to one that stands up to the bad men to protect a defenseless little girl.
Infinite Time was a very interesting read unlike any that I have read before. The characters were quite loveable each in their own way. Well except for the bad men that is. But bad men are what make for a very good read. You know good versus evil kind of thing that balances everything out. If you have not read Infinite Time then I would like to recommend that you do. If you like time travel then this is the book for you. So pick up your now!

[Ryan H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always love a good time travel book. This one was very well written and thoroughly researched I am joyed all the neat little pop culture references as well. The high school setting and the characters were very well-developed and likable, there was also some unlikeable characters in there and they were very well written as well. At some point in the story I did find myself a little confused and for the last third of the book a lot of confusion set information. I like the book enough that I will read the second in the series. I listen to the audiobook in the narration was very good it was a well-chosen narrator and he did the voices very well. He kept my interest. I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an unbiassed review

[Bobbie Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The synopsis of this book was awesome. It caught my attention immediately and had me practically salivating for this book. Unfortunately, the book itself didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Honestly, after I read the first few pages, I almost put it down because I found the lead character not only difficult to relate to, but almost annoying. I’ve read a lot of excellent books that had a rough start, though, so I kept reading. Unfortunately, despite the fact that he became easier to understand as the story unfolded, I never was able to connect with Parker. I also wasn’t able to connect with the other main characters in the story. I love it when an underdog becomes a hero, and a lot of the other reviews I’ve read on this book indicated that that was the case with Parker. That’s not really how I saw it, though. He did have a few lucky moments when he managed to pull off a really cool move that got them out of a pinch. For the most part, though, he was a bystander waiting to be saved by someone. You know how some people detest the Twilight series because they think Bella does nothing but whine and wait for someone to take care of her? That’s how I felt about Parker.

As usual, I’m going to try to express my opinion here without giving you spoilers. So let me just say that the ending threw a wrench I wasn’t expecting, but it wasn’t what I would consider a good surprise. I do like to be surprised by a plot twist, but this particular twist had me feeling rather uncomfortable. That’s really all I can say about it without spoiling things for you.

For the most part, I felt like this book was a solid tale of what it would be like to be dropped in the middle of a video game. If that’s your vibe, go for it and enjoy it. Personally, I’ve never been so drawn into video games that I would consider this a pleasant experience. Besides that, I also found it incredibly disconcerting that we finished the book with no fewer answers regarding the whole time travel concept than we started with. Every opportunity that the author could have used to explain things like that to us seemed to be brushed away by an impatient character. There were several loose ends that I felt like could have been dealt with, but I can’t really point those out without spoilers, so I’ll just leave that statement to stand for itself. It also really, really bothered me that Parker’s father is referred to by two different names, sometimes even on the same page. Not really sure what happened there, but it definitely confused me.

I think the story has good bones and with some editing to fix a few errors in continuity and to tie up loose ends, it could be a pretty decent novel. Not something I’m likely to pick up again, though.

[H. Duby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part "Matrix", part "Inception", part "Looper", and part typical high school drama, Infinite Time is the story of ordinary Parker Jenkins, a gamer geek who is frequently tormented and bullied by his classmates. Reeling in the face of the death of his father and the subsequent drastic changes in the personality of his mother and her re-marriage, Parker finds himself forced to face almost daily bullying because of his attraction to one of his classmates. With his friends Douglas and Kimi, Parker manages to keep himself together until, one night, in his quest to wean himself off of the sleeping pills he's been forced to take since his father died, Parker comes to find out that he is almost the polar opposite of "ordinary".

Because YA fiction tends to, as its norm, be a blend of various genres, novels can muddied and confusing. This novel approached that because I felt like it had a LOT going on. Parker's "specialness" seemed to come almost out of nowhere for me because there was minimal foreshadowing to indicate that there might be something going on beyond the typical teenager who is dealing with bullying and the death of a parent (except for the fact that it's mentioned in the synopsis of the book). The narration spends an extraordinary amount of time dealing with Parker's attraction to Clara when it has actually not a lot to do with the plot of the book except it makes Parker an easy target for her boyfriend, Travis. If his crush has more to do with the plot, the threads are not as tightly woven in as I would have liked.

The story is still quite interesting and I am willing to give further installments in the series a go. I'd like to see more about Douglas, because he seemed like a very interesting character that we didn't get to learn too much about. As I said, this is a young adult novel, and while there are some scenes of peril, it should still be appropriate for the age group.

Reviewed by HR Duby for Romance Authors that R

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The characters are well-developed and engaging. The premise is interesting enough. And the high school setting had a touch of realism that I feel is lacking in many stories these days.

I enjoy any and all time travel books and this was no exception. I found it curious how the author dealt with paradoxes and the time travel mechanism but it worked.

My only criticism would be the last third of the book--it was too much in the main character's head. There was action but Parker had too much of a commentary on it which pulled away from the story. It is a struggle with first person POV to not be too much in the MC's head, and for the most part, this story was fine. The last third, I believe, tipped the scale to too much.

Overall, a fun story. Enjoyable. I usually make a rule of not ever reading the second book in a YA series because they are never as good as the first. But I may make an exception in this case!

I received a copy from the publisher via Net Galley for my honest opinion.

[CrazyCat (Alex) · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you know that the book you're reading is good? You don't want to put it down. THAT's how it was for me with "Infinite Time"! I started reading and couldn't stop. I just had to know what happens next, who's the bad guy and what's the story of Tora?
I wanted to shake some sense into Parker for wasting his time with Clara and not seeing what was right infront of him - Kimi. My heart stopped a beat efter "the incident" with Kimi and I really hope that everything is working out with her even if she is not the ONE for Parker.
Now I have to wait for the next bok in this series which is not going to be easy. Because of all the open and unanswered questions….. Hurry HJ Lawson don't let me wait too long!

[C Richmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. It's a story you won't want to put down. Characters are interesting as is the plot. Looking forward to reading more of Parker's adventures and finding out if Scarlet can be trusted! Really enjoyed it.

[Kimberly]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Once again, Ms. Lawson takes us on a ride filled with great characters that develop and grow as the story progresses and I definitely am excited to read the next in the series, because it is not over.

[Diane Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put this down. I finished it in 1.5 hours frantic reading. Love the characters and how the author has created a world where I want to read more to learn about everyone I was introduced to. Can't wait to share this with h my middle and high school students.

[Amy]

DNF at 20%
The blurb is great and so I gave it a chance. I knew it was the wrong chance to give with it in present tense, but I decided to give it another chance, just in case.
It goes around in circles about being in love iwht a girl that's out of his league, even knowing he's not being pervy, it became a little creepy. On top of formatting errors, missing spaces, and wrong punctuation around dialog or action tags, when nurse helen became nurse beth, I gave up.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an ok book. I enjoyed it but I just didn't connect with the characters. Everything moves at such a fast pace that you don't get to know the characters. I don't know if I will read book 2 or not. There are a lot of other books that I want to read first. Maybe someday I will read book 2 but probably not for a while.

[Patricia Grey · Rating 3 out of 5]

HJLawson,
I finally figured what I did wrong when I tried to post review forgot the 1 at the end."Infinite Time" is a definite 5 star review,I recommend this book for all ages,kept me intriqued and I will be 65 in December.Thank you
Patricia Grey

[JoAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked it!

[Brooke Banks · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Good
+Liked the worldbuilding around time travel..
+Lots of action
+Liked Kimi
+Didn't see Kimi's twist coming


The Bad & The Other
-But it broke its own rules leaving plot holes
-No atmosphere and Tokyo felt like a generic big city
-Didn't like Parker at all
-Everything else was typical and predictable


After several false starts, I was finally able to finish Infinite Time. I didn’t stop before because it was awful, just typical. It’s the classic start to a chosen one superhero and I couldn’t care about it. It wasn’t interesting or new and I didn’t know the kid yet.

I found out soon enough Parker is the quintessential pale, skinny geek that’s bullied, can’t “get a girl” and has a shitty home life. It pushes hard how pathetic and awful his life is.

After finally passing the blah beginning, it picked up with the "dream". However, something else held it back this time. The story is set mostly in Japan but I didn't feel it.

There was no atmosphere or sense of culture besides Parker being unable to understand the language. I get why he kept referencing New York but I need something to work with. Little Tokyo in the East Village of New York is more authentic and it's not even an official Japanese Town.

From there it's a lot of action like a kung-fu gangster movie. Scarlet does drop some knowledge but it's always "we don't have time for this" so the training montage will come in the sequel.

I do like how their missions are time limited. It's an interesting take I haven't heard of before. But it wasn't followed through. It shows the clock throughout and I did the math, which didn't add up. Not enough time passed in the jumped-to time and too much in the current time. Beyond that there's a couple minor plot holes, like how'd they know certain things and catch up so quick but...


The biggest thing that held Infinite Time back was Parker himself. He seemed too young for 16, reminding me of the kids on Xbox live. In the conclusion when they mentioned his age again, I did a double-take. I'd completely forgotten he's in high school.


There was some instances that was either hard to believe or felt unnatural. Seemingly minor when quoted but it was hard to connect to him. The narrative felt as stunted as the protagonist which kept kicking me out of the narrative.

There is one thing though that pissed me off. It came at the very end.

"A thrill washes through me that is like nothing I've ever felt before. And to think, someday I'll have the right to as many of these kisses as I want!'

~pg. 131

NO! That's not how relationships and consent work. **SIGH**

Infinite Time and it's origin is cute and have no ill will towards it but meh. I won't continue the series and I can't recommend it as is.

[Mark Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I see a time travel book on NetGalley, I’ll request it. An issue I ran into was that the copy provided by NetGalley had a different cover, and I was left scratching my noggin looking for Infinite Time when I started reading it.

The Good: Time travel. It’s always fun to see a modern-day character thrust into past times. I imagine the befuddled wide-eyed amazement that a character would experience to be humorous.

The Bad: Probably due to the cover, but I had initially assumed that Parker was female, and it wasn’t until halfway through the book that I realized it. There were also a few plot holes that are often found in time-travel stories. There was even a moment that the book seemed to contradict the rules established by the narrative. I suppose that’s commonplace in a lot of stories out there. (Why did Harry Potter survive his encounter with he who should not be named?)

The Ugly: I found it very difficult to suspend my disbelief. There were just too many coincidences in the story to really grok it. Scarlet’s character was too well prepared for every situation that they encountered. The villains were, unfortunately, clichéd, but that’s to be expected in a temporal cold war-style story. I didn’t find any of the characters likable and had no investment in them. Although the immediate story seemed to conclude with the ending of the book, for a reason I can’t quite place, I found it unsatisfying.

The Final Word: I didn’t feel as if my time were wasted reading Infinite Time. My quibbles aside, it was still a fun read. This 3.5-star read will have to be lowered to three stars on sites that don’t allow fractional star ratings. I would still read a sequel to this story, but I would be more interested in the “current time” ramifications of Parker and his ability.

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Infinite Time - Infinite Time Book 1
Author: H J Lawson
Published: 6-1-2016
Publisher: Self-Published: H J Lawson
Pages: 219
Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy
Sub Genre: Teens & Young Adult; Time Travel
ISBN: 9781532839986
ASIN: B01DQ6UBUS
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For: NetGalley
Rating: 4 1/2 Stars

.
Someone apparently is messing with the events of the past which if not fixed can drastically effect the present. So when the tell you to save the girl to save the day to save yourself they are not joking. Parker started the day as a poor, ordinary teenager, then his world changed and he became a time traveler with tomorrow's future in his hands. Can we trust him to keep us safe from those who would destroy us?





This is the first in a series. It is a wonderful story that moves at a fast pace and is for older teenage and young adults. There are scenes I would not like for my 15 and 16 year olds reading. Yes we teach abstinence in this household. But the reason I hold this book back is the scene gets a bit more intense than I feel is appropriate for that age. The characters are talked about as early high school age, but they act a bit older. The story is well written and clear. It does end on a cliff hanger and you will need to read book 2 in the series to find out what happens next. My rating is 4 1/2 out of 5 Stars.


Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DQ6UBUS/...


Barnes and Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/infin...


Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...


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[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept. Entertaining

Good story, not great but good. It's a good start to a series. I'm interested to see where the author takes the series. This is a shorter story, so while there is a lot that happens it also fills like something is missing.

It takes a bit for anything to really happen. The story begins with Parker's backstory. His now crappy home life, his tortured life at school, friends or lack there of.
Parker finds he can time travel naturally, which is not the case for everyone. He also finds that people close to him also have this ability. Now he has a mission to complete.

There are some limitations to this time travel that just don’t "fit" for me as far as the story goes.

The story does in a cliff hanger.

Starts off with over dramatic narration, but he does settle into a normal tone of narration eventually. The narration does not always flow smoothly. Again it flows better as the narrator settles into the story. Not much of a difference in male and female character voices. Overall he has a pleasant voice and I would listen to him narrate other books. His voice also sounds young enough to fit the characters.

This Audiobook was provided by the author, narrator or publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review courtesy of AudiobookBoom.com

[Jessica Bronder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parker is the typical outcast in high school. He finds himself the target of the jock Travis and pining for Travis’ girlfriend doesn’t help matters. He also has a hard home life. His mother has become bitter after the loss of Parker’s father and his step father is abusive. But one night when he goes to sleep he wakes up in Tokyo. He thinks he is dreaming although Scarlet insists that he is a time traveler and he has a job to do. It is up to Parker and Scarlet to save a little girl.

You can’t help but feel bad for Parker. He just seems to stand out enough in life to be everyone’s punching bag. But he is a good kid that suddenly finds himself in Tokyo being told he is a time traveler and is supposed to save a little girl. I don’t blame him for asking 101 questions, I would be doing the same thing. But he does get going and with the help of Scarlet saves Tora.

This is a great story with lots of actions and fantastic characters. I really liked how the paradox of trying to save his father comes into play. I easily got sucked into this story and couldn’t wait to see how it ended. Of course, cliff hanger which means I can’t wait for the second book.

I received Infinite Time for free from Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life was good for Parker up until the day his dad died. Now in high school, he's not the most popular kid in class. He is poor and often made fun of. His home life is not great as his mom works all the time to support him and his low-life step-father. As Parker starts to resign to what life is like after his father, he wakes up in a different time in a different place. He finds out he has to complete his mission before time runs out for him and the girl he is trying to save.

In an Oyster Shell - This was a small taste of a really big story that seems to just be getting started.

The Pearls - The concept was good, though not thoroughly original an underdog main character who get's called to something bigger. What I thought was original about this concept is the way the author had the characters time travel and incorporated an idea of an overall timeline. It was like the idea of Time Cop but with a young high school kid.

Full Review: Writing PearlsThis review was originally posted on Writing Pearls

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given an electronic copy of Infinite Time by NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

Parker was powerless to stop his father from being shot by a would be robber at the local market. Now in high school, Parker is bullied relentlessly and is pining for a girl he cannot have. His best friends Douglas and Kimi try to help, but things just keep getting worse. During the evening after a particularly brutal attack in gym class, Parker's life is completely turned upside down when he wakes to find himself in unfamiliar territory. Will Parker be able to move past his doubts and insecurities, in order to help when he is needed?

The biggest issue that I have with Infinite Time is in regards to the plot. It is almost as if the author was challenged to a mash up and started to write a YA coming of age story and ended up with science fiction. The transitions between what Parker perceives as the real world and the dream one is abrupt, leaving the reader with a sense that the two parts of the story are disconnected. The book was a miss for me, although I did find the concept interesting.

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. That was great!

I enjoy travel time books, but sometimes it's a bit complicated to understand when they change something in the past and then the whole story changes. That's why I was a bit worried about this; however, I gladly admit that this was a very satisfying story.

Although the characters are supposed to be young adults, I wouldn't label this book for young adults because there are some quite detail descriptions about attraction. However, I think it's perfect for new adults.

I don't know if it's because lately I've been watching too much anime, or reading too many mangas, but I was picturing this story as an anime in my head. I loved the fast pace, the unique characters, and I think that this novel would be a perfect as an anime.

The ending of course was a cliffhanger , and I can't wait to know what is going to happen in the next book!

I received a copy from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Laurie Franco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg I LOVED this book!!!! I'm so glad it's going to be a series, and my thought midway through the book that maybe Parker could go back and save his dad was also something the author considered.
Parker is your classic nerd, complete with nerdy friends. He is picked on constantly by all the jocks, even one named Travis who he apparently grew up with and used to be friends with. He lusts after Travis's hot girlfriend Clara and gets tortured for that also. His dad was killed during a robbery and his mom ended up with a total jerk who treats them both horribly, which only makes the bullying at school seem worse. One night a after falling asleep, he lands (literally it seems) in Tokyo and thinks he is dreaming. He soon finds out this is not the case, and that he is in fact a time traveler who is sent back in time to save a little girl.
This is an action packed book, and I flew through it. I hope that this is the first of many stories about Parker and his travels.

[Koolaid · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom dot com."

I wonder what it would be like to have all the time in the world at your finger tips. And especially at such a young age. We are about to find out.

Nerd. Bullied. Loner. Social Outcast. Infatuated with the girl (beautiful one at that). Finds out that he can travel in time and help people out in the past. Learn from the Masters. Start getting a backbone and applying it in modern day time. I'd say, "Hell Ya". That is what you have in this book and soon to be series.

Now, that being said, the author did a wonderful job at intertwining the characters in the book rather well. Some you like, some you deal with and some your are going to take revenge on and hopefully give back to them what they have given to you.

Clearly a great listen or read. Can't wait for the next one.

[Kimberly Westrope · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was very different than I thought it would be. It started out okay, but when the time traveling began, it was so fast-paced and there was so much happening, it was at times hard to follow. With so much action, I found it hard to really get to know the characters.

I liked Kimi and Parker well enough, but didn't really get the Scarlet character or what her purpose was. I guess Parker for some reason needed a time travel companion/guide to help him figure out what was going on. Not surprising really with all the nerve-wracking running around/hiding/and trying to escape.

I liked the idea of the story better than the story itself. The twists are good, the writing is good, just a little too much going on for me. I have to add, though, that the age group for which this book is intended would probably love it.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is filled with action, suspense and starts right off with a murder.

The male lead, Parker, witnesses his father's killer fleeing from the scene and his life changes drastically from that moment.

One night, Parker finds out that he is a Time Traveler and he agrees to save a girl.

Will Parker go back in time to save his father? You will just have to read it for yourself to find out..

The book seems geared towards older teenagers and young adults.

The story is well written, however, It does end on a cliff hanger.

RJ Walker did ok with the narration, his pacing was a bit odd.

Note:
"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the cover and that was a big reason I bought the book, but this book was not like I wished it was. I read until 58% but it was not getting any better so I gave up. The wold building and the story behind the time travel made no sense to me. The main character is a wimp and the big coincidence that Kimi is also a time traveler did not fly with me. I was looking for an adventure with great characters but the book did not deliver.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good book. I don't normally read time travel books, they just don't usually interest me.
But since I like H J Lawson, I read it. I was pleasantly surprised. It's a YA book, but most adults will enjoy it. I did, and remember, I don't normally read them. (Time traveling books)
This was so interesting that it kept my attention. And it will keep your attention, especially any YA you might have.

[Hager Moharram · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK I am officially hooked on this book .. I really thank the amazing coincidence that made this book reach me.. it was a nice adventure and I didn't want to do stop reading it .. yes it is amazing but there was instances where I sensed that I have seen that before.. the language and style suck you in the book

[Hager Moharram · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK I am officially hooked on this book .. I really thank the amazing coincidence that made this book reach me.. it was a nice adventure and I didn't want to do stop reading it .. yes it is amazing but there was instances where I sensed that I have seen that before.. the language and style suck you in the book