Fall Reading 2013 The Time Fetch

Amy Herrick's story of a Fetch in which Foragers gather lost moments that no one will miss is clever and exciting. The book begins with the Fetch closing up and waiting quietly for the Keeper to come claim it. Before that can happen, Edward scoops it up and takes it in as part of a science assignment to bring in a rock. Feenix carries it off and that leads her into an encounter with some rather nasty witches. Danton and Brigit also get caught up in the events. The four teenagers seem an unlikely team to save the world- and unlikely friends. Edward tries hard to avoid exertion of any kind and is trying to perfect "his cloak of invisibility," meaning he blends into the background and chooses to be ignored as much as possible. Danton is full of energy and moves effortlessly from one social group to another, athletic and outgoing in style. Feenix dresses more like a typical "alt" girl (if there is such a thing), with her boots, long coat, and multiple earrings. She thrives on leading teachers off on tangents, disrupting class, or calling attention to people like Edward who would rather go unnoticed. Brigit never speaks, not even to her family, and blushes bright red (like her hair) if anyone looks at her. Together they must follow the advice of Edward's Aunt Kit and prevent the Unraveler from getting the Fetch. I appreciate the way each character grows and changes because of the events. The friends help each other to smooth out some of their rough edges as they work to keep the Fetch safe.

This story reminds me of The Dark Is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper. It isn't the style of writing, but the inclusion of things like the solstice, the boundaries of time wearing thin, and the mention of the Old Ones that give it a similar feel. With its talk of entropy and space-time, it is also a bit like Madeline L'Engle's Time Quintet. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy adventures.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley. The book was published on August 27, 2013. Click here to visit the author's website or check out the trailer.