Seventeen-year-old tagger Saira Elian can handle anything... a mother who mysteriously disappears, a stranger who stalks her around London, and even the noble English Grandmother who kicked Saira and her mother out of the family. But when an old graffiti tag in a tube station transports Saira to the 19th Century and she comes face-to-face with Jack the Ripper, she realizes she needs help after all.
Saira meets Archer, a charming student who helps her blend in as much as a tall, modern American teen can in Victorian England. He reveals the existence of the Immortals: Time, Nature, Fate, War and Death, and explains to Saira that it is possible to move between
centuries – if you are a Descendant of Time.
Saira finds unexpected friendships at a boarding school for Immortal Descendants and a complicated love with a young man from the past. But time is running out for her mother, and Saira must embrace her new identity as she hides from Archer a devastating secret about his future that may cost him his life.
Goodreads Summary
April White does an amazing job at capturing and harnessing the whirlwind chaos of time travel in this mystery adventure of a 17 year-old in her quest to find her mother. The main character, Saira, is the perfect combination of intelligent and skilled with some sarcasm on the side. In her journey between 1888 Victorian England and modern day, Saira learns that her self-reliant attitude that got her this far is not going to work out if she wants to survive in a life as a time traveler. Her transition from her over-confident and cocky shell, to a broken girl in need of help was very interesting. I never like seeing the over-confident fall, but I couldn't help but want to see it unfold as I read further.
The aspect of the unknown in the beginning really draws you in and keeps you repeating, "What is going to happen next?" I found that my curiosity was sparked immediately and I truly wanted to get to the bottom of everything. Why are these ominous strangers following and stalking Saira? Is Jack the Ripper going to kill Saira's mother? What kind of magic or supernatural powers are at work here to move the time travelers back and forth between realms? These and many more questions add to the suspense of the story and keep you wanting to read further to get your answers to this time travel thriller.
The supporting cast of characters also add to the charm of Marking Time and keep the story fresh and ever-evolving in a very captivating direction. Whether it is Archer, who assists Saira in realizing that it is actually Victorian England that she is traveling to or the free runner Ringo, there is always another plot-enhancing friend or enemy that draws you in. Throw in a complicated love interest with a youth from the past and a plethora of powerful descendants of the Immortals: Time, Nature, Fate, War and Death and you will not be able to take yourself away from the pages until its over. Lucky for us all, there is a second book in this series coming soon.
5 Stars
*Reviewed by Chris*
This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.
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I absolutely love time travel stories and this one sounds awesome!