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TIMEKEEPER

Name: TIMEKEEPER
Author: Tara Sim
ISBN: 978-1-5107-0618-7

From the Timekeeper series , Vol. 1

by Tara Sim ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 2016

The numerous mysteries left unsolved point to potential sequels; here’s hoping that their craftsmanship lives up to the...

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“Two o’clock was missing.”

A lost hour can be catastrophic in an alternate Victorian England where the ancient clock towers actually regulate the temporal flow. At 17, Danny Hart is the youngest clock mechanic on record, with the innate ability to sense the realm of time. Depressed and guilty after his father was trapped in a time-Stopped city and also plagued with panic attacks and nightmares from a near-fatal accident on the job, Danny is desperate to excel at this current assignment—but his work is complicated by a passionate, mutual, and absolutely forbidden attraction to the clock’s handsome tutelary spirit. Meanwhile, the campaign of protests and sabotage against the clock towers is turning deadly….This LGBTQ steampunk romance sports a killer premise and admirably thorough worldbuilding, helpfully annotated in the author’s afterword. The characters—even the bad guys—are sympathetically drawn and commendably diverse in sexuality and gender (the one non–Anglo-Saxon character, a blonde woman with a half-Indian father, demonstrates the slipperiness of ethnic and racial identity). Unfortunately, the execution of the narrative is awkward at best. The prose alternates between stilted lyricism and flat-footed exposition and is marred by clumsy word choices and jarring shifts in perspective. The plot meanders at a frustrating pace, relying on implausible coincidences, only to start hurtling madly near the end to a quite literal deus ex machina climax.

The numerous mysteries left unsolved point to potential sequels; here’s hoping that their craftsmanship lives up to the concept. (Steampunk. 14-18)

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-5107-0618-7

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Sky Pony Press

Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY

- BOOK REVIEW
RAVAGE THE DARK
by Tara Sim

- BOOK REVIEW
SCAVENGE THE STARS
by Tara Sim

- BOOK REVIEW
FIRESTARTER
by Tara Sim

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EARTHLINGS INSIDE AND OUT

by Valerie Wyatt ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1999

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Wyatt (The Science Book for Girls, 1997, etc.) adopts an alien’s-eye-view of earthlings, comparing the human body with that of a friendly lifeform from outer space. A cartoon anatomical outline charts the alien Danoid’s first encounter with Pete. Danoid labels hands as primary manipulatives, feet as planet connectors, and knees, multidirectional movement facilitators. Earthling skin, hair, brains, bones, muscles, and organs are measured by these compare-and-contrast standards, delivering information along the way. Sifting through a flurry of text, readers will stumble upon headings marked “Science Fair Ideas,” consisting of simple, at-home experiments such as tracking one’s pulse with a dab of modeling clay or smelling foods that have strong odors. While the concept is attention-getting, and often humorous, the actual information is often overwhelmed by distracting asides, experiments, and reports filed to Danoid’s commander; this compendium may be more worthwhile for browsers than researchers. (diagrams, index) (Nonfiction. 8-11)