The following review contains spoilers…
I am pretty disappointed about this book. The cover really
makes this book look exciting and enticing. The blurb on the cover says “For
kids who love Harry Potter”. This isn’t true. It should read “For kids who like
stories that do an excellent job of describing the 1800’s but lack character
resolution or development.”
Linda Buckley-Archer does a fine job of creating characters
you care about. I quickly cared for Peter and Kate right off the bat. Gideon
also is a likeable, relatable character. The rest of the cast from 1763 didn’t interest
me, yet they heavily feature in most of the book. In fact when the cast are
captured by bandits I didn’t really care what happened to them and wanted to
get back to the modern era to check on the detective.
See, the detective is also a strong character. He tries
everything he can to get Kate’s father and his scientist associates to admit
they know what happened to the kids. Every time something in the past turns up,
some new evidence that gives the detective another clue, he tries to get the
truth out of Kate’s dad. But he never does. It’s actually a huge disappointment.
Peter has an estranged relationship with his father that is never
resolved or even started on the road to recovery. We see that his father is
sorrowful and Kate’s father has answers about Peter’s whereabouts but those
answers are never given. And when Peter realizes his own father never came to
save him, I’m wishing Kate’s dad would tell Peter of his own father’s passion
for Peter’s life. After all, the man did punch Kate’s dad when he discovered he
knew something. But Kate’s dad doesn’t even mention that Peter’s parents are
worried. No resolution to the original problem set forth in this book, Peter’s
relationship with his dad.
Kate is another issue. When we first meet her we discover
she has a strong personality to match her long red hair. I like that and wanted
to see her shine, even get close to Peter so they could learn from each other.
They come from different backgrounds and have different personalities so
clearly the author has set things up so they can learn from each other. Yet
time and time again she’s left behind in her big dress, a helpless girl. Sure,
she does teach Peter how to blur and travel back to their century, but that’s
all she does. Peter treats her horribly and this is never resolved while she
just serves and yet another damsel in distress whom is mostly absent from the
story.
Buckley-Archer does cast an excellent backdrop. She has done
her research and it shows. We truly are in 1763. You’d think kids from our time
would constantly contrast what’s missing from our time when they are stuck in
the past but these kids don’t. Still, the story works well as a textbook to
teach kids about that era.
All in all I couldn’t really get t this story. I read the
whole thing but I guess it’s just not for me.
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