Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Brown delivers a complex plot centered on Theo Ferris, a young man who plans to enlist to fight Hitler's march across Europe. However, after a carnival ride turns into a time travel nightmare, Theo's faced with rebuilding his life in a completely new, unknown world —while trying to discover what's happened to the people loves the most.
Prose: The prose is full-bodied but often perplexing—especially when Brown delves into physics during the more intellectual portions of the novel.
Originality: The combination of historical fiction and time travel elements provide this novel with freshness and distinction.
Character/Execution: Theo—and his girlfriend, Claudia—are well-developed characters, and their romance blossoms naturally. Theo's time travel understandably alters him, but his character retains his core personality, giving him continuity throughout the novel—a difficult feat to accomplish when portraying the significant differences of his world before and after his fateful carnival ride.
Date Submitted: July 19, 2023
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Brown is highly creative and a master of details. Occasionally this can bog down the novel, with readers finding themselves skipping past long dialogues or specificities regarding minutiae. The general plot of the novel proves very interesting, with its perspectives based around Canada's perception of the rise of Hitler and World War II, and then Theo's experiences after being thrust eighty years into the future. The romance between Claudia and Theo feels a bit dry. That being said, the setting and plot of the book do not disappoint and will keep the reader entranced.
Prose: Brown vividly describes Canadian environments. His depictions of spring, winter, high school dances, drive-in movie theaters, tobacco fields, and dinners with parents are all impactful.
Originality: The trope of high school romance set during the backdrop of World War II is fairly familiar. However, Brown keeps it interesting with some funky time travel elements, as well as his highly accurate attention to historical details that make this book not only a fun read, but also educational.
Character Development/Execution: The characters in the novel are generally all very appealing, and Brown is skilled at describing them physically. However, some may seem a bit too simplistic, particularly considering the depth that Brown achieves in other aspects of the storytelling.
Date Submitted: May 25, 2022
