YA Book Review: Stolen Time by Danielle Rollins

Stolen Time
Author: Danielle Rollins
Series: Stolen Time
Publication: HarperTeen (February 5, 2019)

Description: Seattle, 1913

Dorothy spent her life learning the art of the con. But after meeting a stranger and stowing away on his peculiar aircraft, she wakes up in a chilling version of the world she left behind—and for the first time in her life, realizes she’s in way over her head.

If there was ever a girl who was trouble, it was one who snuck on board Ash’s time machine wearing a wedding gown—and the last thing he needs is trouble if he wants to prevent his terrifying visions of the future from coming true.

My Thoughts: This is a time travel story. It begins in 1913 when Dorothy, running away from a wedding engineered by her mother, stows away on a time machine piloted by Ash who is looking for the time machine's inventor. Soon, Dorothy finds herself in 2077 in a Seattle that has been decimated by earthquakes and tsunamis.

Seattle is a drowned city and a lawless one. A gang called the Black Cirkus is terrorizing everyone and definitely wants the professor's time machine. They want to go back to the past and prevent the disasters that happened.

Before he disappeared, the professor created a team of teenagers including his daughter Zora, Ash who is a WWII fighter pilot, Chandra who is a doctor who was taken BCE and brought up to speed on current medicine and English and who really loves 1980s television, and Willis who was a circus strongman in the 1900s. A teenaged genius named Roman was also part of the crew until he disagreed with the professor's plans and joined the Black Cirkus.

The story skips around in time as both the Black Cirkus and heroes are searching for the professor. Ash has seen some prememories that show that he'll be falling in love with a white haired girl who will kill him. He's hoping the professor can find a way to change that future. Dorothy has been raised as a con woman who doesn't trust anyone but who would really like to have friends and to have someone she can count on. Ash and Dorothy tell the story in alternate chapters. There are also interludes from the professor's journal which lets the reader know what he was thinking.

This was an entertaining story with twists and turns, intriguing characters, and an interesting setting.

Favorite Quote:

Ash wouldn't have left her behind. The two of them would've walked down the stairs shoulder to shoulder, ready to take on the waiting army together. It made Dorothy feel strangely jealous. She wanted that, the chance to be someone's ally and not just their prize.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.