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Overview
Charlie's the kind of boy that no one notices. Hell, his own mother can't remember his name. So when a mysterious clockwork man tries to kill him in modern day Philadelphia, and they tumble through a hole into 1725 London, Charlie realizes even the laws of time don't take him seriously. Still, this isn't all bad. Who needs school when you can learn about history first hand, like from Ben Franklin himself. And there's this girl... Yvaine... another time traveler. All good. Except for the rules: boys only travel into the past and girls only into the future. And the baggage: Yvaine's got a baby boy and more than her share of ex-boyfriends. Still, even if they screw up history - like accidentally let the founding father be killed - they can just time travel and fix it, right? But the future they return to is nothing like Charlie remembers. To set things right, he and his scrappy new girlfriend will have to race across the centuries, battling murderous machines from the future, jealous lovers, reluctant parents, and time itself.Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Gavin (The Darkening Dream), perhaps best known for his work in the video game industry as the creator of Crash Bandicoot, kicks off an exciting series with an intriguing take on time travel. Fifteen-year-old Charlie, so forgettable that his own mother can't remember his name, is inadvertently thrown back in time when he enters a portal created by a strange clockwork man Stranded in 1725 London, Charlie joins a gang of urchins, meets lively fellow time traveler Yvaine, and accidentally gets Benjamin Franklin killed, totally wrecking the course of history. Charlie and Yvaine must brave the hazards of unfamiliar eras (and the sinister mechanical Tick-Tocks) to restore the proper course of events. Gavin doesn't sugarcoat the perils of times past, instead exposing his heroes to all sorts of experiences, and Phillips's dramatically lit spot illustrations amplify the mystery and menace of the setting. The sense of adventure, chemistry between Charlie and Yvaine, and roller coaster plot are sure to appeal to a wide range of readers, who may cry foul at the cliffhanger ending before demanding more. Agent: Eddie Schneider, JABberwocky Literary. Ages 12–up.Publishers Weekly
Gavin doesn't sugarcoat the perils of times past, instead exposing his heroes to all sorts of experiences, and Phillips's dramatically lit spot illustrations amplify the mystery and menace of the setting. The sense of adventure, chemistry between Charlie and Yvaine, and roller coaster plot are sure to appeal to a wide range of readers, who may cry foul at the cliffhanger ending before demanding more.Kirkus Reviews
A masterful storyteller, Gavin builds a solid plot with believable characters. Charlie is likably ordinary, but his years of social awkwardness and reading biographies make him a smart traveler with knowledge of historical details. Yvaine is not the typical leading lady. She’s gritty and offensive. Alone in time since she was 7, she uses thievery and sex to survive. [Untimed] turns history on its ear, leaving the reader counting the days until Charlie is back for another trip.The Indie Mine
Untimed is a quick read with action consistently moving the story forward, and the separation of scenes within each chapter keeps the story from ever getting bogged down. Author Gavin doesn’t ignore that sci-fi history… there’s definitely enough of a unique spin to keep this story feeling new. Untimed is a fun read for all of the young science fiction fans out there, and may even appeal to older readers.Kirkus Reviews
Time-traveling teens unwind history to fix what went wrong in a battle between clockwork mechanics and electricity in this first installment of a planned series by Gavin. Nobody remembers Charlie Horologe's name. Even his mother has to post notes around the house to remember what to call him. Charlie finds out why when he falls through a time portal created by machines made in an alternate history. Charlie emerges in 1725 London, where he meets another time traveler, Yvaine, who must travel with him. They need each other; girls can only go uptime and boys go downtime. By sticking together, they can go anywhere. Their nemeses--Tick Tocks--are creepy gears and clockwork cogs that try to kill time travelers to preserve their preferred timeline. That future does not include Ben Franklin, portrayed as a young man 20 years before he discovered electricity. A masterful storyteller, Gavin (The Darkening Dream, 2011) builds a solid plot with believable characters. Charlie is likably ordinary, but his years of social awkwardness and reading biographies make him a smart traveler with knowledge of historical details. Yvaine is not the typical leading lady. She's gritty and offensive. Alone in time since she was 7, she uses thievery and sex to survive. Theirs is less a love story than one of lust, adventure and need. Charlie's father, Fink, offers loving guidance, in spite of spending too much time away from his son. The story behind time traveling unpeels in layers. As Charlie learns more about himself and other travelers, whom he distinguishes easily because they are more in focus, he better understands how he can manipulate time to save the country he loves, the history he believes is right and himself. Turns history on its ear, leaving the reader counting the days until Charlie is back for another trip.Book Details
Published
January 1, 2013
Publisher
Mascherato, LLC
Pages
342
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9781937945039