Review: Great Read with Awesome Characters
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 31, 2013
I was instantly pulled into this book, because of the descriptive characters and intriguing plot. I've read several other YA series that deal with time travel, but this series was unique. The other series are always focused around the" good guys vs. the bad guys" while this book takes a different path.  We're introduced to A.J, Lex, Ipod, and Constantine. A.J lost her mother several years ago, and her dad is basically checked out. A.J. feels responsible for both of these things, because she disappears as she's pulled back into time. Her mom thought she was going crazy as A.J. kept disappearing as a baby and young child and she was the only one who saw it happen, this resulted in her committing suicide and A.J.'s dad slips into a depression last for years. So, Lex A.J. and Ipod all live together in an amazing tree house in A.J.'s backyard because they all have bad family lives. The three of them have formed their own family. I loved how Walker fully developed these characters and pulled me into their world. We learn the background of Lex and Ipod and how they came to be friends A.J. and how they accept A. J.'s gift/curse.Constantine comes into the picture early on as a new student at their school. He has some of the same abilities as A.J. but he is part of the Guild, an organization that tracks time-travelers known as Editors. When he first came into the picture I was really hesitant about his motives. He certainly has his own agenda, but it was his attitude that really made me question his trustworthiness. As the story continues he continues to grow as does A.J.What really separated this book from others in its genre is that the main characters are all trying to deal with their own issues and aren't immediately thrust into a shadowy conspiracy. The ability to  time travel  is explained (which was interesting and actually used scientific data to make it more realistic).  Since there isn't a huge conspiracy with "bad guys" everywhere we really get to know the characters. I loved the main characters, and enjoyed watching Con teach A.J. about some of her powers. She's such a great heroine. She is strong, smart, yet vulnerable because of her past. I loved how Walker allowed her character to evolve through the book & the same goes for Con.I think that Walker's biggest strength as an author is creating such amazing characters. They felt completely real and pulled me into the book immediately. The plot is simple in a good way. Sometimes in these books the plots are all over the place. This book was definitely character driven, but with a solid plotline. I liked how Walker left little crumbs for the reader to pick up on and I was excited that my hunch regarding AJ's family was right. There are just enough mysteries left unsolved that will keep the readers interested for the next book in the series. I also think with the fundamentals laid out in this book the next one will have a faster plotline and will then begin delving into the "good guys vs. bad guys" and other missions that will keep things interesting.I'm definitely going to keep Walker on my list of authors to follow!