Time Snatchers

January 30, 2012
In this exciting first novel from picture-book creator Ungar (Even Higher), 13-year-old Caleb has spent most of his life with Uncle, a cruel Fagin-like thief master who has perfected time travel and sends his child thieves into the past to steal historical treasures. Caleb longs for the stability of a normal life, and aided by his partner, Abbie, and Phoebe, an eccentric humanoid computer program, he sets out to escape from Uncle’s control. Making life harder for Caleb is Frank, another time thief who equals Uncle in maliciousness. Ungar keeps his tale moving with frequent jumps into the past, does a good job of portraying a variety of historical time periods, and comes up with some unusual “snatches” for the young thieves (the first photograph, the first Frisbee). The story is built around the adventure of time travel rather than the mechanics of it—traditionalists may take issue with the ease with which the characters maneuver through time and the lack of temporal ramifications to the thieves’ ransacking of the past. Casual readers, though, should find it plenty entertaining. Ages 10–up. Agents: Josh Adams and Quinlan Lee, Adams Literary.

December 15, 2011
A promising premise--mad scientist recruits children to steal treasures from humanity's past--isn't enough to carry a contrivance-ridden plot, poor characterization and a near-total lack of internal logic. Dispatched by a cruel, vicious quantum physicist named "Uncle," Caleb spends his days traveling to past eras to fetch collectibles, from an ancient Chinese vase to the first Frisbee, for sale to nebulous clients in the 2060s. Ungar never bothers to explain such details as why such thefts don't radically change the past or where the copies of artifacts that Caleb and his fellow thieves leave in place of the originals come from. He also casts his protagonist as Uncle's most successful agent but has him either fail completely or require significant help from allies every time. The author also abandons a set time limit on trips to the past and other internal rules when convenient, adds magical elements such as a pill that wipes only memories necessary to the plot and, for romance, forcibly hooks up his rude, sullen, naïve, inarticulate, jealous and often unwashed teen with Abbie, a beautiful, smarter and far more competent young agent. This mess falls flat even if read as a sendup. (Science fiction. 11-13)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

April 1, 2012

Gr 5-8-Caleb has been a time snatcher for almost as long as he can remember. Working for Timeless Treasures, the 13-year-old and his snatch partner, Abbie (his oldest friend and potential girlfriend material), pilfer priceless historical artifacts for the company's rich clients. But with the time snatchers' abusive guardian, "Uncle," growing more volatile by the day, Caleb longs for the normalcy of a loving family. One breathless escape after another keeps the first half of the book interesting, but the plot thins out noticeably once the boy jeopardizes everything to save Zach (a five-year-old with an irritating habit of calling Caleb "Caylid") during a crucial mission. His rationale for helping the younger boy is hazy from the start, and his attitude toward Zach is far too adult to be believed. Additionally, the confusing ending leaves far too many questions unanswered. Fans of the "39 Clues" series (Scholastic) may enjoy the action sequences, but the uneven plotting will turn off reluctant readers.-Sam Bloom, Groesbeck Branch Library, Cincinnati, OH

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 1, 2012
Grades 6-9 *Starred Review* Caleb has only glimmers of memory of the time before he was adopted by Uncle, who trained him and others his age in a Faginesque manner updated by 200 years. It's 2061, and the young teens are sent on missions to various times to grab specific items that Uncle then sells to collectors: the first Frisbee, from 1871; a twentieth-century umbrella once owned by Winston Churchill; an ancient Chinese vase on display in 1967 Montreal. After Caleb witnesses a small boy being snatched, he becomes determined to rescue and return him to his parents. To do so, he must wage a battle of brains as well as skill and fortitude against Uncle and his warrior philosophy; cope with his not-quite-understood feelings for his girl partner, Abbie; and work out deals with Phoebe, the computer that presents itself as a middle-aged (and often cranky) woman. Each place and periodincluding the future, in which New York has been renamed New Beijing to honor the Great Friendship of the world's former superpowersare vividly described, while emotions, too, come to life as Caleb works to understand the meanings behind what he feels. Ungar's debut novel offers a complex and compelling story that trusts imaginative readers to consider the various roles that wits, brawn, and technology can play in a time-travel adventure.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2012
Caleb, top time snatcher, travels through time acquiring objects for the highest bidder. A former orphan who was adopted and trained by the morally ambiguous Uncle, Caleb likes his work. But when Uncle forces the time snatchers to snatch kids as recruits, Caleb questions his future in time travel. Flat secondary characters detract from Ungar's interesting premise.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)