Reviews

Price's (The Ghost Drum) gripping time-travel adventure, a 1999 Carnegie Medal finalist, cleverly imagines a startling collision of 21st-century technology and 16th-century mores. A British corporation called FUP has built a time machine, planning to mine pre-industrialized land for gold and oil and eventually turn it into a resort. But the Sterkarms, one of the warring families inhabiting the Scottish and English border "16th side," won't cooperate; they keep robbing FUP survey teams. Tensions escalate when FUP's power-hungry boss, Windsor, kidnaps Per, the only son of a Sterkarm lord. Making matters even more complicated, Per and Andrea, an FUP employee sent back in time to live with the Sterkarms, have fallen in love. Both parties question her loyalty, and she faces the impossible task of choosing with whom to side. While Price builds the drama well, her story lags at certain points; adults should know there's some sexual banter. These caveats aside, Price does a masterly job of blending fact and fiction, straddling two time periods and rotating through several characters' points of view. Readers will be engrossed, unable to rest until they know how the author resolves the seemingly insoluble conflicts. Ages 12-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Gr 7 Up-This dazzling story combines time travel, romance, and action, along with thought-provoking ideas and memorable characters. In the near future, a British company called FUP has developed a time tube that leads back to the 16th century when the land was ruled by the primitive Sterkarm clan. FUP, headed by the villainous Mr. Windsor, plans to grab natural resources and artifacts from the past world, then eventually turn it into a profitable tourist spot. Andrea, an FUP employee, goes through the tube and lives among the clan, researching their ways. She gets caught up in their world and begins to question her "21st side" mores. Things get complicated when the Sterkarm leader's wounded son is brought through the tube for modern medical help. When he learns that he is being held hostage, he escapes back to his own time, temporarily disabling the tube, and the conflict between the two worlds escalates into a small war. The narrative shifts effortlessly among characters' viewpoints, as well as from one time period to the other. Sterkarm language and folklore are sprinkled throughout. Though all of the main characters are well developed, Andrea's conflicts are particularly involving. She appreciates many things about 16th side, and even falls in love with a Sterkarm warrior, but is also horrified at the ruthless violence that is such a part of that world. Her efforts to engineer a peaceful solution lead to some terrifically tough choices, few of which fully succeed. Though there are plenty of intense moments and serious implications, the brisk pace and immediacy of the narrative make this an equally excellent choice for adventure lovers.-Steven Engelfried, Deschutes County Library, Bend, OR Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.