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Synopsis
“Four players. It’s in the rules.”
“Is this like, some sort of academic decathlon or something?”
“Something like that.”
Walkman-toting, guitar-playing Finn Mallory blames himself for his parents’ deaths and would do anything to turn back time and set things right. So, when he’s recruited into a secret club at his new school that specializes in competitive time travel games, Finn sees a world of opportunity open before him.
The games, however, are far from benign.
Competition is cutthroat.
Scenarios are rigged.
And the mysterious timekeepers who organize it all have no qualms about using-or disposing of-players to suit their own sinister plans.
Now Finn must decide who he can trust while making peace with his past if he’s to have any hope of leading his team to victory and surviving his junior year.
Publisher: Tiny Fox Press
Length: 358 Pages
Genre: Science Fiction
Age Category: Young Adult
Date Published: 21 September 2021
Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Time-Trials-Jon-McConnell-ebook/dp/B08TT83FQ4 (Canada)
https://www.amazon.com/Time-Trials-Jon-McConnell-ebook/dp/B08TT83FQ4 (USA)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Time-Trials-Jon-McConnell-ebook/dp/B08TT83FQ4 (UK)
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56731480-the-time-trials
My Thoughts
The Time Trials completely took me by surprise in such a positive way and I absolutely loved it! It’s such a fun YA novel and I devoured it. It combined a lot of tropes that I love and had vibes of lots of my favourite YA books – but with a huge sense of uniqueness.
Finn is an Unfortunate – a scholar from an underprivileged background who is attending Wharton on a scholarship program. Immediately feeling as though he doesn’t fit in, Finn struggles to find his place. Until he is invited to a mysterious History club which reaches beyond his wildest imagination.
I loved the diversity of the club members. Finn is an orphan who is struggling to fit in but is actually very intelligent and witty. His love of 90s music really gave me nostalgia vibes but has some dep rooted feelings of inadequacy. He’s one of those complex characters that become a surprise during the book. Everly is the typical rich girl on the outside but on the inside she is equally as lost as Finn. Keeping up an external image as somebody else is exhausting and she’s really not as she appears. I loved Edison! Neurodiverse and so knowledgeable – he’s such an honest character. Valerie completes the quartette as a natural leader and a fierce protectiveness. I love the way the four different characters work together and complement each other.
The competition really puts the four through their paces. Some very emotional, harrowing and challenging activities ensue and I felt every one of their emotions as they participated. I was on the edge of my seat and loved the intensity of each challenge.
The Time Trials is such a unique and refreshing YA novel that I couldn’t put down.
Highly recommend !
Author Bio – Jon and Dayna McConnell
Dayna is a fourth grade teacher and California history nerd. When she isn’t writing, she’s reading historical fiction, obsessing over music or stewarding her family’s Little Free Library. Her favorite parts of writing are developing character arcs and relationships and playing with permeating themes and symbols.
Jon is the “pantser” of the duo. He is a fan of science-fiction, horror, and post-apocalyptic epics. He is also an avid Tampa Bay Buccaneer fan, a Magic the Gathering enthusiast, and lover of anything zombie.
IG: @mcconnellsquared
Herding Cats 