The Time Tider

by Sinéad O'Hart

Mara and her dad have lived in their van for as long as she can remember. Whatever her father does to scrape a living has kept them constantly moving and Mara has never questioned it. That is until she uncovers a collection of notes addressed to 'the Tider', an individual responsible for harvesting lost time from people whose lives were cut short.

But before Mara can question her father he is taken by a dangerous group who want to use his power for evil. With the very fabric of time and space at stake, it's down to Mara and her new friend Jan to find him before it's too late...

A fast-paced, time bending adventure perfect for fans of A WRINKLE IN TIME, THE SECRET KEEPERS and SKY SONG.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Magic, Childrens, Fiction, Audiobook, Time Travel

372 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2023

About the author

Sinéad O'Hart was born on a long-ago Monday in one of the many corners of Ireland. She grew up - not very far up, to be honest - with one brother and two parents, in a small house full of books. She always wanted to be an author, but somehow managed to wander through a variety of careers (including butcher, bookseller, and university lecturer, among others) before finally getting around to what she should have been doing all along, which was writing.

Her first book, THE EYE OF THE NORTH, was published by Knopf BFYR (US/Canada) in 2017, and by Stripes Publishing (UK/Ireland) in 2018. Her second book, THE STAR-SPUN WEB, came out in 2019 (Stripes, UK/Ireland; Knopf BFYR, US/Canada). In 2021 she published THE RAVENS' CALL with Harper Collins Children's Books and a third novel with Stripes/Little Tiger Press, SKYBORN, a prequel to her first book, The Eye of the North. Her fourth and fifth novels, THE TIME TIDER and THE SILVER ROAD, came out in 2023, the former with Stripes/Little Tiger Press and the latter with Piccadilly Press. In 2024 she began publishing her series of younger readers with Nosy Crow, beginning with LOLA AND LARCH FIX A FAIRY FOREST. Three titles in this series published in 2024, along with her sixth novel, SWORD OF THE SUN (Piccadilly Press).

She lives with one husband and one energetic youngster in the midlands of Ireland, in a small house full of books.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a breathlessly exciting and tense MG thriller full of twists and turns, shocking revelations and fast-paced action. I really liked the fact that it starred kids who aren't middle class - the heroine and her father live off the grid, and all the unpleasant, unsafe, and unfair aspects of that (as well as the unusual skills that life has taught her) are shown with nuance. So is the relationship between Mara and her dad, which is both deeply unfair in many ways (her dad is NOT a responsible parent, and it's not okay!) and yet also grounded in true, deep love.

When she finds herself alone just after figuring out her father's true time-wielding powers, Mara has to navigate both his mysterious network of contacts AND the mysteries of the kind of contemporary world that most kid readers will take for granted.

Perfect for reading far too late into the night as the action never stops! MG readers who love spec-fic thrills will eat it up.

[Diane Magras · Rating 5 out of 5]

This marvelous new story from Sinéad O'Hart is a fast-paced middle grade thriller set in a contemporary world where time—especially the time from the life a person is supposed to have—is fluid and even transferable. That leads to big moral issues for Mara and her father, Gabriel, who is the Time Tider: a person who can collect unlived time—and redistribute it.

All this is a secret from Mara until Gabriel is captured by people who want to cash in on what time can do. She finds a young ally and adults who might be trustworthy, but while she's hunting for answers about her father's work and fate, she's being hunted herself for the crucial pieces of his equipment that he left behind with her. Mara has grown up pretty much in poverty, never with a real house or bed, schooled entirely by her father in isolation. Yet she's a thoughtful person, curious and emotionally stable. And strong in her own quiet way. All of that helps her think quickly while in tight spaces.

The characters are wonderful, and the pacing is spectacular in this book. Like the best thrillers for adults, scenes catch you up, squeeze you a bit, and make this story impossible to put down. Highly recommended for any reader looking for a morally complex story of a girl searching for truth in a dangerous world.

[Sophie Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this - a likeable heroine who is really easy to root for, a clever reworking of time and a thrilling, pacy plot. Thanks to Little Tiger for the advance copy.

[Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Time Tider is a story of Mara, a girl who has lived with her father on the outskirts of society and she's always had a feeling that he was keeping secrets from her.

The secret is he collects the lifetime from people who die prematurely and this was such an intriguing idea. There will be millions of people over time (excuse the pun) who have passed before they should because theoretically we should all have a long life. The author brings about a concept of what happens if not only that time could be collected by one person, but if it's left it causes problems in history and warps it.

The book takes us on quite the adventure, and despite it being a middle grade book; does cover some mature seems in a sensible manner. For example the death of a parent when it comes to Mara who doesn't remember her but feels her absence greatly. I also took a moment for the scene where a child dies during a time period that isnt made clear - Mara's father highlights how if it had been an illness from now, circumstances would be different. The reminder of the fragility of time, and how this we see as minor problems health wise now, were once horrific problems for people to face.

Story wise, we don't really have world- building because we're on the go so much but you're aware of the fact Mara goes on quite the journey to gain answers for everything she doesn't know and to save all she holds dear. I liked how the reader learns of the world of Time Tiders alongside Mara, so when she's surprised, we are too. It helps continue the suspense and have us wondering what next with Mara running from an antagonist who we know little about but has left Mara without her father as he's disappeared.

This is a great book for readers who love adventure and a little but of make believe or what-if about the world we live in. Mara is a strong and determined protagonist and I loved how she never wavers from her path even when she's hurting. There's some good background characters, who add information and depth to the storyline as well as her new companion, Jan who becomes dependable and stands by Mara even when he's afraid. Which again is a great lesson, you can be scared and brave at the same time.

I think many young readers will love this adventure and like the idea of chasing after time nad going through it at the blink of an eye.

[Kim Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Sinead O’Hart book and won’t be the last.
My favourite genre is time-travel, and I thought perhaps I’d be getting a little of it in this book. Even though I didn’t get my ‘fix’ here, I thoroughly enjoyed the unique take on time that Sinead has offered up. My older brain got a little befuddled, especially in the beginning, but I think that’s only because I was trying to wrangle the author’s ideas into something logical. Children will not have this problem I’m sure, as they’re quicker to suspend belief and logic and they’ll be rewarded by being taken on a fabulous, imaginative journey exploring a different way of looking at something as ordinary (but precious) as time.

Mara is such a great character! Her solitary, nomadic life in a van with just her distant father, pulls at your heartstrings instantly. And when disaster strikes, well I felt like crying.

I thoroughly recommend this contemporary fantasy for children 8-12.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an arc for an honest review.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a highly anticipated book for me, as Sinéad O’Hart's number one fan. And honestly, a bit of nervousness too, because it sounded so different to Sinéad's other books, which I absolutely adore. The Time Tider is a contemporary fantasy, without the merest hint of the Victoriana I've enjoyed so much in The Eye of the North, The Star-Spun Web and Skyborn.

So a read with a bit of trepidation. But how did it match up?

I loved it!

It did feel very different to her other books, and I will admit that I kind of missed that sense of comfortable familiarity you usually get when settling down with the latest book by a much-loved author. I think when I read Skyborn, the prequel to The Eye of the North, I had a good idea what to expect and the whole thing felt very cosy and comfortable. The Time Tider is a little more challenging. I get the sense that with this book, Sinéad is challenging herself, pushing her writing outside the comfort zone of her first three novels and experimenting with new things, new feels, new ideas. And I was more than happy to come along on that ride. She does, after all, definitely know her way around contemporary fiction. (Just track her down and ask her about Elidor! Or listen to her talk about it on her podcast, Storyshaped.) I think it's this familiarity with the genre that comes across quite strongly. There's a clever blending of themes, the mix of the real life and all of its problems and worries, with the fantastical.

There are some big ideas and concepts at play here. Tackling anything to do with time is always a tricky proposition, but Sinéad has created a fascinating world where spare time caused by untimely deaths can pool and warp and cause all sorts of problems. The solution is the Time Tider, a man (and always a man) who goes around bottling it up and storing it somewhere safely, in the temporal version of nuclear waste dumps or left luggage departments. It gets fairly complex at times, but is always presented and explained in a way that feels reasonably plausible. Like all time travelling stuff though, ultimately the answer is don't try to think too hard about it and just go with the (time)flow.

The most interesting thing about it all isn't actually the collection and bottling of spare time, but in the moral implications surrounding it. Time Tider is a role with an awful lot of power and responsibility, and it's so clever how this is shown to corrupt even the best of individuals, and how dangerous it is in the hands of the already greedy and corrupt. The rules, the checks and balances and the support networks all add a beautifully human dimension to the otherwise rather fantastical ideas.

There's a lot of moral complexity here. It's difficult to determine, at times, who are the good guys and who are the baddies, and the paranoid who-to-trust nature of the story builds tension and suspense towards a thrilling climax. It's helped along by little snippets at the start of each chapter from the Time Tider's Handbook, fuelling that sense of suspicion and paranoia beautifully.

Then we have Mara. I love Mara so much, possibly even on an Emmeline Widget level. There's a line early on that really captures her life. "I'm used to stuff not being safe. I've never been safe. Not ever." It's really so heartbreaking, but she's a girl who's grown up without anything in her life except her dad, who is unreliable and mysterious and honestly? Not that good a dad. But she's brave and bright and brilliant and I absolutely loved watching her journey through the book. She's also flawed, because all the best heroes are, right? She messes up and takes responsibility for it. She looks out for herself, cares for others but with this brittle protective shell she's had to put up around herself.

The Time Tider is a complex book dealing with some pretty big ideas, but presented in a beautiful, clear way full of heart and feeling. I think Sinéad O’Hart has purposefully challenged herself (and maybe her readers) with this one, and she's succeeded brilliantly.

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time and Tide May Wait for None; But They Will Wait for You.

Twelve year old Mara and her father live their life on the road. Mara doesn’t know what her father’s job is, only that it keeps him perpetually busy. When she sees her father disappear before her very eyes, Mara’s casual curiosity about what her father’s work entails becomes more urgent.

“People don’t just vanish, do they?”

What she discovers will cause her to reevaluate everything she thought she knew about her father and the way they live. She’ll also gain a greater understanding of the soft places she’s been able to find for as long as she can remember.

When her father is kidnapped, Mara will need to learn his secrets in order to find him. Time and the fate of the world depend on it.

Because Mara has grown up isolated with a father whose paranoia may or may not be warranted, she doesn’t know who she can trust. This makes the introduction of new characters unsettling as Mara’s distrust is contagious.

I loved Mara. She’s feisty, intelligent and brave. She also broke my heart.

“I’m used to stuff not being safe. I’ve never been safe. Not ever.”

This book explores how fear can isolate you and grief can be all encompassing, causing you to spend so much time focusing on what you’ve lost that you don’t pay attention to what you still have. There are a lot of moral questions raised, primarily about power and its ability to corrupt, and the lengths you’d go to for someone you love.

I’m not the hugest fan of characters being able to use their abilities flawlessly the first time they try. I much prefer to anticipate the payoff that comes when heroes persevere despite their initial struggles. Because I liked Mara so much, I was able to cheer her on even as I bristled at her ability to do what seemed impossible straight away. I doubt the target audience will have any problems with her innate talent.

I loved the excerpts from The Time Tider’s Handbook at the beginning of each chapter. They gave information about how Warps work and the role of the Time Tider, and oftentimes they gave clues as to where the chapters were heading.

A Time Tider’s work is secretive, unsung and solitary, but know this to be true: they are all that stand between humanity and its destruction.

Content warnings include gun violence.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Little Tiger, an imprint of Little Tiger Group, for the opportunity to read this book.

Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

THE TIME TIDER is the second book by Sinéad O'Hart and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The story is action packed and full of fun with this engaging take on time magic. I liked that there were real consequences to not sorting out the duties of a time tider, but that solving that potential end of the world situation wasn't what this book was about. Instead, it's a far more personal story about a girl trying to discover her father's secrets - and find him when he goes missing. There are larger stakes at play, but they are far from the focus.

This is a contemporary fantasy standalone about shadowy organisations and the harvesting of time for good and ill. I liked how the book explored all the possibilities of the magic, from the good (not letting everything be sucked into a void when time goes wrong) to the bad (selling to others), and also the role that organisations could have in that setting. What sort of oversight should there be? Can oversight of (magically) powerful individuals work without their cooperation (so what do you do if the powerful people don't want to cooperate?)

It is hard out who to trust in this book. The entire society of those who know about the magic are secretive by nature, and Mara's dad is secretive to the point of paranoia. Plus Mara's dad's paranoia has rubbed off onto her, so she has to unravel those truth and lies to work out what's happening before she can decide who to trust. It makes for a mysterious feel and need to think hard about everything.

While the book wraps up and is (so far as I can tell) a standalone, there definitely is space for another book or so, and I would not object to another!

[Serena Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling and wonderfully imaginative, I fell in love with Mara and her world from the very start of this story. This novel kept me gripped the whole way through as the plucky heroine, Mara tries to discover who she really is and what her destiny may be.
As is usual with O’Hart, the world building is just fabulous, with definite flashes of Madeleine L’Engle and Phillip Pullman but set in modern-day Ireland. As Mara’s already unusual and challenging life begins to unravel (with the disappearance of her father) she must venture into the mysterious and dangerous world of the Time Tider, where nothing is as it seems and she is uncertain who to trust.
With new friend, Jan and the enigmatic Clockwatchers, Mara must navigate her way to the truth about who her father is and grapple with her own past and the tragic loss of her mother. I loved the snippets from the Tider’s handbook that preceded each chapter as they helped pull me further into Mara’s complex and magical world. Mara’s mad-cap driving added a delicate touch of humour and demonstrated both her strength and her vulnerability.
Packed full of adventure and suspense, the ending of the novel is nicely poised for a sequel and I’m already extremely excited to read that!

[Hwee Goh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite a serious sort of tale, without the usual light, optimistic sheen that comes with most middle grade books.

Author Sinead O’Hart puts forth an interesting premise, a thought she’d been tossing about for a few decades, before it became this book.

As humanity progressed from waking with the sun and eating when hungry, to being governed by the clock — what if this discrepancy resulted in a gap or unused time to be harvested? Or if a person dies before his time, could that time be used by someone else?

Mara, just twelve, has lived in a shabby van all her life. She doesn’t know what her father does for a job, until she discovers tools of his trade hidden in the van one day. Before she can find out more, he’s taken, and she gets caught in the chase.

This was a suspenseful, sometimes tense, read brought out so realistically by O’Hart. She raises moral questions about what one does who has power to harvest time. Does such a Time Tider then have a right to profit from trading in this time?

“Time and Tide Will Wait for None; But They Will Wait for Me.” Mara discovers that she too, can see these time warps and a young reader 10+ would enjoy growing along with her as she fights for what is right.

📚: @times.reads

[Tarsila Krüse · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Time Tider is an intriguing and curious book. We follow the journey of Mara, a girl who lives with her father on a van and who are constantly on the move, skeptical and uneasy about other people. Mara’s mother passed away when she was young and although she’s street smart, it is clear that Mara is often neglected and has to figure life for herself. But suddenly strange things begin to happen and her father vanishes after a wild chase. Mara needs to figure out not only where he is but who she is…and things are much more complicated than they seem.

I nearly stopped reading the book because I felt very anguished by Mara’s circumstances. Things just seemed to get worse and worse for her but there’s a shift around halfway in the book when pieces of the puzzle begin to click and the pace quickens. Then it’s very hard to put it down.

A story about family, friendship, ethics, and finding yourself within. Recommended ages 9-12, 12-14

[Victoria Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling, original and bursting with imagination.

Gripping you right from the first page, Sinéad O'Hart’s contemporary middle grade fantasy, The Time Tider, is a wonderfully imaginative story. Readers are pulled straight into Mara’s world, trying to work out the mysteries right alongside her: why does she and her father have to live in a van instead of having a normal family life? What is her father’s strange job with its curious liquids and glass vessels really all about? And who are the sinister Clockwatchers her father has warned her about?

Fast-paced and full of suspense, The Time Tider is a book that readers will find impossible to put down until the very last page. O’Hart has created a fascinating world and a wonderful cast of characters in this thrilling novel that deserves a place on every school library bookshelf.

[Sreedaatree · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first read by the author and what an absolute pleasure it was!

A truly fantastic work by Sinéad O'Hart with a richly structured plot and a range of characters.

There is always a thread of intrigue and adventure running through the book.

Would love to buy a copy of the work upon publication, and to search up on other works by Ms Sinéad.

Thanks, as always to NetGalley and Little Tiger, London for approving the request to read and review.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Reviewed on NetGalley in India.
NetGalley ISBN: 9781788953306
Publisher: Little Tiger, London
Publication date (as mentioned on NetGalley): 2nd February, 2023

[Eve McDonnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I *watched* this explosive, thought-provoking adventure- it’s in book form (for now), but from page one, I was at the movies and felt every racing heart and buzzing warp and it has altered the concept of TIME for me. It’s complex, deep, massively imaginative and pacy, and perfect for young readers seeking something to fizzle their mind. It also raises enough questions to warrant a sequel ;) Think Dark Materials+Dr Who via the craft of Sinéad O’Hart. Beautifully strange.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me the proof copy.

[erebus K Rushworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for the Audiobook version
9781038645906: published 1 June, 2023 - by Bolinda/Little Tiger Group
Read by Róisín Rankin
(not available on the Goodreads catalogue at time of this review)

CW: violence, guns, underage driving ; )

Mara lives in a van with her Dad.. and she doesn't know why. Her mother is dead and it was in unusual circumstances. Her father is continually moving and trying to stay under people's radar, and one day Mara stumbles upon her father doing a clandestine deal with someone, and something mysterious happens. As a result Mara is a lot more prepared to believe what she finds out when she stumbles upon a notebook full of her father's secrets. He is part of a secret operation that aims to save the world.

When people who have been seeking her father finally catch up with him, Mara's world is flipped upside down and she has to start questioning what she needs to do with her life.

This is a book geared toward middle grade readers. Its main character is a girl who has a very different skillset to most kids her age. For starters she can drive the van that she lives in, and she knows how to feed her family from soup kitchens and avoid child protection services by slipping into time anomalies.. huh? wait, hang on?! It's a little dark in places, but the story is exciting and engaging.

I note that on the end of the book there is an author's note and it answered a few questions that I had picked up on as an adult reader. During conversations with her father he is continually defensively driving and ensuring he checks his mirrors. I thought it a little odd that this normal part of driving was explicitly explained but it seems that the author is not a driver herself, and these bits were probably added in as "appropriate body movements" for the conversation in consultation with a friend who DOES actually drive so as to avoid things like her father staring or smiling at her rather than keeping his eyes on the road. It gave me a good chuckle. Part of the author note included a thanks to the reader and a hope that you "see yourself in books" in the future, which I immediately interpreted as not just meaning having enthusiasm for reading, but that authors might bother including diverse representation in their books. I had noticed characters with names from around the world, a Mum with cornrows, a guy in a turban, and it made me smile as these representations were done seamlessly and (I thought) mindfully in a really casual way.

I hope to get my kids to read this one.

[Sarah Driver · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Time Tider is such a gripping, unusual read and feels like an instant classic. Readers will love how the mystery deepens and unfolds as Mara discovers the truth and her part in it. It’s a highly visual story that felt very filmic. Mara is a wonderfully relatable & courageous protagonist & O’Hart stays close to her motivations and feelings throughout. It was a privilege to read this early, thanks to Little Tiger for the advance copy.

[Graham Connors · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! The Time Tider is unlike any of Sinéad's previous books as it is set in the present day, but I think it really benefits from this. In Mara, we are given another strong, smart, wily character, and Jan is a perfect foil for her, the two working together so well. If anything, I would have liked this book to be longer, to go into more depth on the mythology and structure of being a Time Tider! 100% recommended, for not just the younger readers, too! 😉

[Denise Forrest · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Time Tider is a fast paced adventure story. Mara lives in a van with her dad, moving from place to place, as he goes about his ‘work’. Mara has no idea what that is, until her dad is kidnapped and she has to go on the run.

This is an unusual twist on the time travel genre, with time itself being what the protagonists are searching for and harvesting.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having seen all the positive reviews for this novel, I really wanted to love The Tide Timers — the premise sounded intriguing and the world had potential, but unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into the story. The pacing was slow, and I struggled to connect with the characters. While the writing was thoughtful and imaginative, it didn’t quite pull me in the way I’d hoped. A solid effort, but not quite the right fit for me.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this exceptional novel about time and loss and love and courage. What this book does with the idea of time is so clever and brilliant and I fell in love with Mara & her Dad & their mysterious life in a van from the opening page. It's got Sinéad's trademark big-hearted characters, fast-paced plot, and I loved the emphasis on life on the edges. A joy to read

[Rachel Campling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book. It really made me think about time and in particular, what happens to all the 'spare' time when someone dies early. Mara is a very sympathetic character, with so many odds stacked against her. She uses her brains, determination and loyalty to her father to find out about being a Tider. I'd recommend this to anyone aged 8+ who likes adventures involving time.

[Kirsten Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think this is my favourite of Sinéad's books that I've read. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and the building up of a world where Time can be captured.

Time. Such a powerful resource - and what happens when the wrong people get access to extra time, or want extra...

It is standalone, but has potential for a second 🤞🏽🤞🏽

[Kieran Fanning · Rating 5 out of 5]

The talented Sinéad O' Hart has done it again! #TheTimeTider is a thrilling supernatural adventure, crackling with pace, danger and mystery, built around a clever and original concept with strong themes of family and friendship bubbling to the surface. I loved it. Out in 2 days!

[ambroise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with this book and, more importantly, with Mara, the main character. Sinéad O’Hart writes beautifully and has a wonderful imagination. This book needs to be known, even if there are really sad stories in it 🥲 my heart is broken 💔

[Tami Wylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I’ve come to expect from Sinead O’Hart! Once again a brilliant story full of mystery, adventure and heroic characters. Her books are the best!

[Aaliyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book it had a great story line loved the twists that happens

[Teri B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the relationship between Mara and her father and the representation of a lifestyle that goes against the norms of what most people live.

[Valinora Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this fast-paced adventure with a fantastic speculative fiction element. When people die before their time (presumably by accident, murder, or warfare), their unused time must be collected by the Time Tider. Otherwise it is in danger of forming time warps. Time warps lead to problems, enough time warps not dealt with could lead to a catastrophic event. So the role of the Time Tider (and I really like that title) is desperately important. Especially as unscrupulous people want the ability to harvest the time for their purposes. Which makes it very difficult for Mara when her father (the current Time Tider) goes missing as he has kept his work from her.
I love the premise for this story. The writing and pacing are excellent but it was the speculative fiction elements that drew me from the start. I am always happy to see magical objects appear in books, so of course I loved the tools of the Time Tider – the stitch, the hourglass and the pocket watch. I also enjoyed the excerpts from the Time Tider’s notebook that prefaced each chapter, drip feeding information about the responsibilities of the Time Tider and also hinting at events to come. The ‘soft place’ that Mara hides in at the start also intrigued me. I would have liked the speculative element developed more (I loved the premise a lot) but ultimately I was left with questions about how it all hung together. But that won’t matter to most readers. The story follows Mara as she tries to discover what is going on, find her Dad, and protect the Time Tider, his tools and the time warps from those who would misuse them. Temptations of those who have power and those corrupted by it are also touched upon. All in all, a satisfying adventure with enough fantastical elements for a gripping and entertaining read.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. It was an interesting adventure and the main character was easy to like

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first came across sinead ohart as an author in lockdown (2020) when I read the star spun web, which is still to this day one of my favourite books, as it had such a unique concept and this book was exactly the same! I loved every minute of it, from the characters to the unique concept and storyline. A definite must read!

Mara and her dad have lived in their van for as long as she can remember. Whatever her father does to scrape a living has kept them constantly moving and Mara has never questioned it. That is until she uncovers a collection of notes addressed to ‘the Tider’, an individual responsible for harvesting lost time from people whose lives were cut short.

But before Mara can question her father he is taken by a dangerous group who want to use his power for evil. With the very fabric of time and space at stake, it’s down to Mara and her new friend Jan to find him before it’s too late...