A thrilling science-fiction book that young teens will find incredibly relatable.
“Your destiny has been set since the moment of your conception.” For Alyx Eris, the foreordained calling as a keeper of the watch is one she heartily embraces. Alyx lets nothing get in the way of protecting time, and she takes the assignment to guard her watch and eliminate the hunters quite seriously. Chase Walker takes a less strict approach. Although Chase is becoming more comfortable in his role as watch keeper, he still has many unanswered questions about his past and about traveling to parallel worlds. Willing to take more risks in order to help versions of his friends in each dimension, Chase doesn’t hesitate to intervene when he learns that a merciless bully is wreaking havoc in Dimension 9. But still, the mission remains unchanged: find the final remaining keeper of the watch and protect them and the three watches at all costs. Not strangers to perilous situations, Alyx and Chase feel ready to take on anything this world throws at them. But high school drama, bittersweet family reunions, peer pressure, and lingering regrets may be more than these well-trained and super-stamina’d teens bargained for.
Even with the fantastical time-traveling elements, And Time Stopped is a thrilling science-fiction book that young teens will find incredibly relatable. Jackson is able to articulate the tormented relationship between a bully and their victims succinctly, highlighting a problem faced by far too many young people today. In this case, an entire high school has been charmed by a vicious menace, one whose scars are left on more than just flesh. I love how Alyx allows herself to deviate from her primary mission in order to offer help and hope to girls who have been abused by the school bully. There is a youthful romance underpinning the primary plotlines, keeping eager readers invested in the story through thick and thin. And despite elements of danger, suspense and unrelenting torment, the overall feel of the book is optimistic and light, a true look-on-the-bright-side take on modern urban fantasy. Rejoice that this book is part of a series because you’ll fall in love with Chase and Alyx in Kristen L. Jackson’s stunning novel, And Time Stopped.
