TIMELIGHT

Can a young Seattle soccer player save the world from a power-hungry time traveler?

As Charlie Winter nears his 13th birthday, his grandmother is gravely injured in an explosion. Before the ambulance arrives, she gives him the Winter Stone, a family heirloom. Then, vengeful time traveler Malcolm Mordrex starts stalking Charlie. Malcolm claims to know where to find Charlie’s mother, who’s been missing for three years, but he wants the silver wolf amulet, which Charlie doesn’t have. Later, Nana tells Charlie that the Winter Stone allows gifted individuals like them to time travel via an energy force called Timelight. Mr. Tanaka, Nana’s Japanese American bookseller friend, shares information about the silver wolf. Drawing conclusions from what he learns, Charlie plans an illicit trip back in time to May 8, 1945, V-E Day, but when Malcolm pursues him, he ends up accidentally time traveling with three of his friends. A leisurely build-up leads to adventures that come thick and fast once the characters start going back in time. The time-travel mechanism is creative and intriguing but excessively complicated, with an abundance of convenient rules that crop up when needed to get the desired results. Charlie is a sympathetic character, with loyal friends readers will want to know more about. Many questions remain unanswered at the end of this series opener. Charlie presents white; his friends are cued white, Black, and Chinese American.

An imaginative premise let down by overly convoluted worldbuilding and too many coincidences.