Common Sense Media Review
By Joe Applegate
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Daring and confusing story about love and time.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Artistic, 15-year-old Thea is thrown into confusion when Cam, her math-genius boyfriend, disappears. From that moment, the story, narrated by Thea, alternates forward and backward in time. Cam's theory, that time is a code that can be hacked, appears to be coming true, as past events are shown to change and disjoin from the present. Thea's love for Cam grounds her sufficiently to hope for his return.
Is It Any Good?
With chapters alternating between past and present, some readers might like the reality-bending aspect of GHOST TIME; others may find it confusing. The plot turns on whether artistic Thea will be reunited with her nerdy boyfriend, who disappears for reasons unknown.
The first in a trilogy, this installment leaves many mysteries unresolved and might lose some readers before the sequels appear. The story grows stronger as it reaches deeper into Thea's past, fraught with self-cutting, and the healing she achieves through the love of her first boyfriend.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the notion that time is not a fixed entity. If you could reach into your own past and change one thing, what would it be?
Cutting is sometimes explored in teen novels. Does Ghost Time give you insight into how someone could be moved to harm herself?
Do you find the structure of going back and forth in time effective or confusing?
Book Details
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