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Nick Of Time (Nick McIver Adventures Through Time #1)

by Ted Bell (Goodreads Author)

3.79 · rating details · 679 ratings · 218 reviews

Nick of Time is the first young reader's book written by bestselling author Ted Bell.

In the grand tradition of epic novels like Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island comes a wondrous tale of time travel, adventure, and riches, in which twelve-year-old Nick McIver sets out to become “the hero of his own life.”

The setting is England, 1939, on the eve of war. Nick and

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Hardcover, 434 pages

Published May 13th 2008 by St. Martin's Griffin (first published January 28th 2001)

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Lists with This Book

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The Witch Of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

burried treasures: classics of children's liturature

63rd out of 103 books — 13 voters

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Pirates!

115th out of 168 books — 195 voters

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Community Reviews

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Jun 03, 2008

Angie Bollard rated it

I read this book because my husband bought it so I could read it to our son. Yet another book that I started with him and ended by myself. I heard an interview with the author and he said that he wrote this book for boys because all the books that his son read had no strong boy characters in them. Well, It certainly has that. Our story opens in 1939 on tiny Greybeard Island, England. Our hero is young Nicholas McIver, the son of a lighthouse keeper and "birdwatbcher". A term meaning a ...more

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Dec 14, 2009

Steph Su rated it

Shelves: own, school

This book is a good example of what NOT to do when writing a historical fantasy for young readers. It’s been quite a while since I’ve read something that contained so much amateuristic and unnecessary blither and blather that perhaps that only way to describe why this book should NOT be lauded as a noteworthy piece of juvenile historical fantasy is in a list:

1. It feels like a mediocre adult thriller writer’s attempt to write for children, i.e. it fails. Excessive description, lack o...more

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Oct 10, 2010

Janeen-san rated it

Recommends it for: People who lives time travel books and FANTASY!!!

Recommended to Janeen-san by: No one I found it by myself at a silent auction... lol!!!

Shelves: books-i-own

Recently I finished the book "Nick of Time", in which a boy---Nick--and his little sister, Katie, find an old sea chest half-buried in the sand on one of the many beaches that surrounds the lighthouse in which they all live. Nick and his sister go visit their friend, Gunner, who used to be in the army, to see if they can find out more about the mysterious chest.
Suddenly they are all wrapped up in an adventure much more dangerous than they bargained for when two bloodthirsty pirat...more

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Dec 16, 2008

Dawn rated it

Shelves: 2008-ya-lit

This book deserves all the praise it is getting. Think Robert Louis Stevenson combined with Nazis combined with time travel--swashbuckling action adventure at it's finest! It was written recently, but the author captures a real vintage feel. Great descriptions and attention to detail. It starts a little slow, but once it gets going, Wow! Can't put it down! It's advertised as a boy's book, and my son loved it, but I did, too. Only once did the plot strain my credulity (and it wasn't the ti...more

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Oct 02, 2008

Shelley rated it

Shelves: historical, youth

The basic idea of this story is awesome. 1939, small English island near France, family on the look out for Nazis. This quest leads to Nick going back in time to 1805 to help Admiral Nelson, his hero, fight pirates, while his little sister Kate battles Nazis in their present.

It's very much written in the style of old fashioned boy adventure books - tons of action, lots of tension, overly dramatic. Even the illustrations fit that perfectly. I thought it was too overwrought most of th...more

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Aug 09, 2011

Andy Mitchell added it

What do you get when you cross CSI’s Gil Grissom with a healthy dose of The Mentalist’s Patrick Jane?

Dr. Nick Polchak.

This is the sixth installment in the Bug Man series, and by all accounts, it’s also the best.

Here are a few selected quotes that will give you a flavor for Mr. Downs’ style:

“I know you’re an FBI agent, and I’m sure you’re a real tough guy and you’ve probably had to deal with all kinds of desperate characters before–but trust me, mister, you don’t want to mess around with a woman ...more

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Feb 08, 2009

Aaron rated it

This should have been a really great read for me. I love high adventure and do not shy away from books dealing with time travel, but this one was just plan dull and INCREDIBLY slow moving.

Nick McIver, who comes from a long line of those with a tradition on the high seas, lives on Greybeard Island, one of the tiny Channel Islands set between the British and French coasts. His father is a lighthouse keeper for the island who is drawn into the intrigue leading to the Second World War be...moreThis should have been a really great read for me. I love high adventure and do not shy away from books dealing with time travel, but this one was just plan dull and INCREDIBLY slow moving.

Nick McIver, who comes from a long line of those with a tradition on the high seas, lives on Greybeard Island, one of the tiny Channel Islands set between the British and French coasts. His father is a lighthouse keeper for the island who is drawn into the intrigue leading to the Second World War because few believe the Germans pose a threat. As a result, he and others on the island keep an eye on the seas for signs of German u-boats and report back everything they know to a Churchill who has yet to rise to power. It takes 50 pages just to present this and introduce Nick and his family.

When Nick is walking with this little sister Katie and dog Jip along the shore, they run across a mysterious sea chest. As you can probably guest, it is the contents of the chest that lead them on their trip through time. Inside, they find the Tempus Machina, a time traveling invention by Leonardo da Vinci.

Da Vinci actually made two of the machines, and the other has worked its way into the ownership of one Captain William Blood. As you can guess from his name, he is a ruthless pirate, but rather than the riches and wealth of treasure, he has spent centuries abducting kids and using them to gain ransom moneys from their parents.

Now Blood is arriving on Greybeard Island with his sights set on the Tempus Machina that Nick and Katie have just discussed. Nick turns to the help of a mysterious and reclusive noble who lives in nearby Castle Hawke for help. Fortunately, the noble is willing to take on Captain Blood because he has his own issues with the pirate.

With all of this going on, one would think this would be a high adventure. I guess, it actually is, but the writing is so dry and overly rich with detail that it is difficult to really not find yourself zoning out as the words and pages pass by. Ironically, I think this would make a pretty good movie. It has a strong cinematic vision. The basic plot is strong and the characters are will designed, if not totally predictable and stereotypical.

I am also not sure that American audience, particularly the kids who are the primary audience of the book, will have an easy time connecting with the history involved. Access to British naval history is fairly limited in the early grades. (less)

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Jul 18, 2010

Nicola rated it

Shelves: library

Reason for Reading: I have the second book, but thought I had better read the first book, well ... first. I read this aloud to my son, as he loves seafaring adventures.

Set in 1939, just before war is declared, on the smallest of the Channel Islands. Nick's father is lighthouse keeper and a secret spy for politician Winston Churchill reporting back any German U-Boat activity in the Channel waters. A strange man called Billy Blood kidnaps Nick's dog Jipper and thus starts a seafaring adv...moreReason for Reading: I have the second book, but thought I had better read the first book, well ... first. I read this aloud to my son, as he loves seafaring adventures.

Set in 1939, just before war is declared, on the smallest of the Channel Islands. Nick's father is lighthouse keeper and a secret spy for politician Winston Churchill reporting back any German U-Boat activity in the Channel waters. A strange man called Billy Blood kidnaps Nick's dog Jipper and thus starts a seafaring adventure that will cross time. Billy Blood is a pirate of Admiral Lord Nelson's time and not only has he taken Nick's dog, he has also kidnapped Lord Hawke's two children. Lord Hawke, Nick and his friend Gunner go back in time with a time machine device of Hawke's which Blood just happens to have the only other existing one. While there they must help Nelson's fleet out of a dangerous situation that only Nick can guide them through. Meanwhile, back at home, Nick's younger sister, Kate, has been left with Commander Hobbes to take some vital information about a special U-Boat to England unbeknownst that said U-Boat is hot on their trail.

Rip-roaring adventure from beginning to end in the fashion of "Treasure Island" and in the same vein the illustrations are a handful of full-page drawings as one would find illustrative plates in an old copy of "Treasure Island". A gripping story with Nick certainly in the lead as main character. He is an independent twelve-year-old, though respectful to his parents, who was born with the sea in his blood. He spends as much time as possible out in his boat sailing the waters in good and bad weather, even mapping a route through a dangerous coral reef into a cove. His hero is Admiral Lord Nelson and he thinks of him every time he starts to feel discouraged in life. His sister, Kate, is only seven and maintains her position well, despite being cute and funny she is smart as a tack and manages to save the situation at the last minute many times.

We both loved this book. The story is engaging and the shared time between the two time periods is very exciting. The chapters alternate with one set of characters in 1805 then back to the present with the Nazis in 1939. All of the main characters are likable and each has a sense of humour which adds a light tone in between the action scenes. The story is realistic and the battles scenes in 1805 are not for the very young or sensitive as battle wounds are described in full, and blood and violence are shown in their proper place in war, though never unnecessarily or gratuitously. The pirates, and well most adults, do use a small amount of language using the British curse words bloody/bleeding frequently and taking the Lord's name in vain quite often. Since I was reading aloud, I was able to say the words about half the time as they applied, something really was bloody in the battle and I spoke the Lord's name in a way that the character was now calling upon Him rather than swearing, the other half of the time I edited it out. But these are two small complaints in a book aimed at this age group.

I just love finding books that are definitely aimed at boys, there are of course many girls who enjoy this type of action and they have the character of Kate to identify with, but I appreciate when the male/female characters are brother/sister thus eliminating the awkward love angle or the even more annoying battle of the sexes angle. Kate and Nick are especially a nice team as they are loving family members, far enough apart in age that Nick is Kate's parent-in-absentia figure and Kate adores her big brother.

A wonderful book with family values, adventure, really bad guys (pirates and Nazis) and an edge of your seat action set in exciting historical times. Looking forward to Book 2 in the series. (less)

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Mar 01, 2010

Harold Ogle rated it

This book was a decent read, involving some interesting plotting involving time travel between 1939 and 1805 on the Channel Islands. That said, there was a very heavy focus on the minutiae of sailing which I had a very difficult time reading through to "get to the good stuff". If I had borrowed or purchased the book, I probably would have stopped reading it and returned it, for that reason. Ted Bell is clearly much more interested in nautical details than I ever will be. But, working p...moreThis book was a decent read, involving some interesting plotting involving time travel between 1939 and 1805 on the Channel Islands. That said, there was a very heavy focus on the minutiae of sailing which I had a very difficult time reading through to "get to the good stuff". If I had borrowed or purchased the book, I probably would have stopped reading it and returned it, for that reason. Ted Bell is clearly much more interested in nautical details than I ever will be. But, working past that, the plotting of the book was pretty good, with a nice parallelism between the adventurers in 1939 and the ones in 1805. Characters were wooden, to me, in a way that on the surface resembled adventure books from the 30s and 40s but which rubbed me the wrong way. Somehow it felt false in the words of this 21st century author in a way that reading, say, Willard Price does not.

I think that the difference between this book and the adventure stories of 60-70 years ago is that the older stories would spend some time explaining things, whereas Ted Bell offers little details in this story with no follow-up or elaboration. For instance, the time machine - which isn't introduced until nearly halfway through the book - is described as a creation of Leonardo Da Vinci, but nothing is made of that fact and no reason is presented for how that characters knew it was created by Leonardo. It was a throw-away detail that leaves a lot of open questions for the reader: are the characters going to encounter Leonardo traveling through time? Does Leonardo figure in the storyline somehow? Similarly, the use of the device leaves a lot to be desired, as it has a way to specify year and longitude/latitude position...but the characters use it in the tower of a castle, in the hold of a ship, and on a small sailboat in the Atlantic, all of which are at wildly varying elevations. The device has no way to specify which floor of a building to target, for instance, or to prevent appearing 10,000 feet above sea level in a cloud, much less in a sinkhole 50 feet below ground.

Little things like that - which would have been pretty easy to address - coupled with the belaboring of details on how to sail a sloop made for some frustrating reading. But still it was more entertaining than not, albeit slightly. It's a plot-based boys' adventure novel, after all, so expectations aren't and shouldn't be very high.(less)

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Feb 23, 2010

Teri Anderson rated it

Shelves: childrens-lit

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 02, 2009

K. rated it

Recommends it for: adventure lovers

Shelves: blood-and-morality-tales, boy-s-bookshelf

Another great library find. This author obviously grew up reading the books from the "blood and morality" tales shelf--from his names (many, if not all, taken from other books) to the swashbuckling, hair-raising adventurous spirit of it.

Very good message and morals.

LOVED that the kids had parents, who they loved, who weren't morons, who were somewhat part of the story. LOVED that the other "good-side" adults were also full of character and could be l...more

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Aug 01, 2009

Tasha rated it

Twelve year old Nick McIver is always up for an adventure. Especially if it has to do with sailing around Greybeard Island, which he calls home, in his self made boat. Nick loves his life on the island. He gets to live in a lighthouse (which has been maintained by the McIver's for generations), there is lots to do, and everyone is so friendly. One night as he is helping his mother find her glasses he comes across a secret drawer in his father's desk. Inside the drawer Nick finds a notebook fille...moreTwelve year old Nick McIver is always up for an adventure. Especially if it has to do with sailing around Greybeard Island, which he calls home, in his self made boat. Nick loves his life on the island. He gets to live in a lighthouse (which has been maintained by the McIver's for generations), there is lots to do, and everyone is so friendly. One night as he is helping his mother find her glasses he comes across a secret drawer in his father's desk. Inside the drawer Nick finds a notebook filled with notes on his father's "birdwatching", which are actually his reports from spying on Nazi activity. When his father finds out that Nick came across the book he is not angry as Nick expects. In fact he welcomes Nick into his "birdwatching" circle and asks him to keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior. Nick takes his mission very seriously and doesn't delay in searching out clues. While off galivanting around the island with his sister Kate, Nick comes across a washed up chest. The chest looks like it's from a very long time ago, yet it looks brand new. Nick wonders how this could be. The chest is very heavy and impossible to open, but Nick and Kate manage to hide it in a cave until they are able to come back for it with help. On the way back home they encounter a terrible storm and run to their old friend Gunner's Inn for shelter. There they meet two mysterious pirates who scare them senseless. When the one pirate, Billy Blood, hears Nick, Kate and Gunner discussing the chest he becomes very interested in it. Could Billy Blood possibly know the contents of the chest? After realizing Blood's suspicious fascination with the chest, Nick is determined to find out what lies in it, and keep it away from Blood. In order to protect the chest Nick decides that he must take it to Hawke castle, which is supposedley deserted, but when he reaches his destination Nick finds that it is far from deserted! There he finds that Lord Hawke and his trusty sidekick Hobbes are still living in the castle and know quite a lot about the contents of the chest. Whent the chest is finally opened, Nick finds Da Vinci's time machine! With the aid of his friends and the time machine Nick goes back in time to help an ancestor and battle Billy Blood, while Kate and Hobbes set out on an adventure that involves a German U-Boat. Will Nick be able to set things right?

While the plot was interesting I can't say I loved the book. For me there wasn't that extra something that completely pulled me into the book. While reading I thought it was excellent, but once I put it down I found it very hard to pick back up again. However there were many good highlights to the book. The story was a combination of spies, pirates, mystery, adventure and war. Some of the scenes in the book reminded me a lot of the Pirates of the Carribean movies, which I really enjoyed. One other thing I enjoyed was the author's ability to make you vividly picture the scene in your mind. Every scence played like a movie in my head making it easy to relate to the characters. I would recommend "Nick of Time" to middle school boys as it deals with topics that they just seem to love!(less)

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Jun 25, 2011

Migdalia rated it

Shelves: ya-ir-fantasy

This was just plain, rollicking, good fun.

The story is real, realistic and completely entertaining. It's 1939, on the cusp of WWII. Churchill is ardently trying to convince his Parliamentary colleagues and the nation that the Nazis are no good. (Well, we all know that story.) Nick is a 12 year-old boy who lives on one the Channel islands, the son of a lighthouse keeper ands former Navy hero. Dreaming of sea adventures and playing at being a naval hero like one of his idols, Admir...moreThis was just plain, rollicking, good fun.

The story is real, realistic and completely entertaining. It's 1939, on the cusp of WWII. Churchill is ardently trying to convince his Parliamentary colleagues and the nation that the Nazis are no good. (Well, we all know that story.) Nick is a 12 year-old boy who lives on one the Channel islands, the son of a lighthouse keeper ands former Navy hero. Dreaming of sea adventures and playing at being a naval hero like one of his idols, Admiral Lord Nelson, Nick spends his time sailing with his labrador, Jip, and avoiding throttling his little sister, Kate. Although his 6-almost-7 year-old sister can drive him crazy at times, they actually have a sweet sibling relationship, and he does admit (to us) that he'll wallop anyone who dares harm her.

While Nick dreams of adventure, adventure finds him: First, on one of his adventures with his sister in tow, they come across a treasure chest of some sort which they hide, and they decide that they'll return to their hideaway the following day to figure out what to do. Next, they meet a mysterious stranger who's dressed as a pirate and has an equally mysterious and head-to-toe tattooed friend who creep them out. Moreover, Nick learns that his father has secretly been assisting Winston Churchill in spying and watching the ocean for German planes and U-boats. As a result of his activities, though, Nick's dad loses his job as lighthouse keeper when Churchill's opponents find out and alert the government. Now, Nick's parents are off to London, and Nick and Kate are going to stay with a friend and WWI vet, Gunner.

As it turns out, the chest holds a fantastic orb that helps people travel through time, and that creepy pirate wants it. He kidnaps Jip and holds him for ransom in exchange for the chest (and orb). So, Nick and friends have to seek help from Lord Hawke who is a well-known detective (a la Sherlock Holmes) who lives in a castle on the island. On their way there, they encounter a German U-boat, which also figures in the adventure, for Lord Hawke is one of the people who's part of the spy gang. He's also familiar with the pirate, and Hawke and his best friend Hobbes determine that they have to help Nick AND get news to London.

AND THEN THE REAL FUN BEGINS.

Ted Bell really knows how to tell a story, but this is NOT a story. It's an old-fashioned yarn. The characters are fun and funny. They learn from their mistakes, and their emotions and thoughts are genuine. I was reminded of my first reading of the Lord of the Rings. You didn't want the story to end because you're having such a good time, but you can't help but devour it.(less)

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Mar 05, 2009

Becca rated it

Recommends it for: anyone especially young men

Recommended to Becca by: Glenn Beck

Wow... What can I say about this book. I want my son to read this book when he is old enough to read. Author Ted Bell wrote this as his first book for young adults. His usual books are action for adults. There is a wonderful theme throughout this book. The young hero of this book is named Nicholas McIver. Nick is twelve and thinks A LOT about what is bravery and fear and courage. His mother gives him some advice on this subject as his adventure starts and it sticks with him throughout the novel....moreWow... What can I say about this book. I want my son to read this book when he is old enough to read. Author Ted Bell wrote this as his first book for young adults. His usual books are action for adults. There is a wonderful theme throughout this book. The young hero of this book is named Nicholas McIver. Nick is twelve and thinks A LOT about what is bravery and fear and courage. His mother gives him some advice on this subject as his adventure starts and it sticks with him throughout the novel. It is so interesting to read his way of looking and learning about these subjects of fear, bravery, courage, take on more understanding and depth and become honor as well. I can't describe it. It was just too cool. In the world I am raising my boy in now I just hope he finds these same attributes that Nick finds.
This all takes place through different times and war is the common theme for each timeframe. (Time travel is involved in this story too)From the Nazi's to Pirates and Napolean this book found a perfect spot in our time with Iraq, though never mentioned. It just fit. It has some older type of swearing like, hell, bloody, damn etc nothing like what we say now. Still I want my son to read this book. There is some tense moments and one villian named Snake Eyes does something beyond gross that may make some parents not want their kids to read this. But I do. I had a hard time understanding everything cause there is A LOT of nautical terms that I didn't know and some german phrases I didn't know and even a french phrase which I figured out cause I know a smidgeon. Despite the difficulties there, I still loved this book. It really touched me. It really echoed how I feel about honor, bravery, courage and what is a hero. I feel I live in a different world today and I find it amusing that a story set in 1939 England could perfectly echo sentiment so desperatly needed for our youth TODAY! I only hope my own son feels as strongly about these timeless virtues- HONOR- COURAGE- BRAVERY and some good determination to see your task through no matter how rough the storm. My kids are going to have different struggles than I did and before the wonderful foundation this country was built on is completely trashed I hope they will find this kind of strength and integrity of the character in this book. That kind of a generation could bring back what we once had. Anyway I loved the undercurrent of feeling in this book and though intended for a slightly older audience I want my son to read it as soon as he can read some of the bigger words in this book. Our world is educating our youth too early on bad things. I am going to educate them too early on good things :) is there a too early?(less)

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May 04, 2010

Mark rated it

Shelves: favorites

The book starts a bit slow... but it builds into a really enjoyable adventure yarn - mixing freely ideas & images from a variety of sources. (In order to keep from spoiling the book, I won't reference those directly, but I will say that there's a rich history of these kind of books & film to draw from and Ted Bell does exactly that.)

"Nick of Time" is a direct descendant of the wriitings of Robert Louis Stevenson - particuarly "Treasure Island." The young hero, lea...more

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Nov 29, 2008

Luann rated it

Shelves: 2008, historical-fiction, science-fiction, time-travel, young-adult, war

Ted Bell's first YA novel is chockablock* with adventurous ideas. So chockablock, in fact, that I'm afraid he put every idea he's ever had into this one story and didn't save anything for his next book. In Nick of Time, we have lighthouses, castles, underground caves, pirates, treasure chests, bilingual talking parrots, Nazis, spies, reclusive millionaires, several types of boats, experimental submarines, aeroplanes, dognapping, and a time travel device invented by Leonardo da Vinci. And that...moreTed Bell's first YA novel is chockablock* with adventurous ideas. So chockablock, in fact, that I'm afraid he put every idea he's ever had into this one story and didn't save anything for his next book. In Nick of Time, we have lighthouses, castles, underground caves, pirates, treasure chests, bilingual talking parrots, Nazis, spies, reclusive millionaires, several types of boats, experimental submarines, aeroplanes, dognapping, and a time travel device invented by Leonardo da Vinci. And that's only in the first 100 pages! All of these elements combine to make a story that is historical fiction, science fiction, mystery, spy thriller, and adventure.

I would have enjoyed this book a lot more with a more focused story. What's wrong with a simple spy thriller set in the time before the start of World War II? Or a time travel adventure to help a great-great-grandfather defeat an evil pirate? Either one would have been nice. Combining all of the ideas in one story made this feel, at times, like a parody of the various genre.

This wasn't a terrible book. I did like some of the characters enough to read to the end to find out what happened to them. But this also won't be on the top of my purchase list for my library. I wanted it to be a fantastically exhilarating read, but it just didn't quite get there for me.

On a side note, I'm really afraid that a sequel will somehow involve a Peter Pan story. I hope he doesn't go that way. There have been too many of those lately.

*Chockablock was used twice within ten pages towards the beginning of the book. The first time, I thought it was fun to see the word in use. The second time, I almost stopped reading. Luckily, he didn't use the word again. Chockablock is a word like "plethora" that needs to be used sparingly - if at all. Too frequent use of a word like that (twice within ten pages is really pushing it) and it just becomes pretentious. Of course, I’ve managed to use it four times in this review. :)
(less)

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May 01, 2010

Jessica at Book Sake rated it

Jessica’s Review
This young adult book is a fast paced, continually moving adventure. It is clear to see that Ted Bell is a lover of history because he puts our hero, Nick, right smack into the middle of some very real events of the world’s past. Mixing all of this up with a time machine, that everyone wishes they had, throwing in a pirate, nazi's, spies, how could you go wrong?

I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a history buff, and having just finished an American History ...more

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Apr 09, 2010

Kipi rated it

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, read-in-2010, young-adult, time-travel

3.5 stars

I'm a sucker for time travel stories, and Nick of Time is a fun one. Nick McIver is a twelve-year-old boy who lives on Greybeard Island in the English Channel, just before the beginning of World War II. His family has tended the Greybeard Lighthouse for generations, something of which Nick is very proud, but his life is very predictable and he longs for adventure. Discovering that his father is working for Winston Churchill as a spy keeping tabs on German U-boat activity ...more

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Nov 15, 2009

Andrea rated it

I loved this book. It was fun and exciting, but more because I am looking forward to reading this with my boys when they're older--some parts were still a little intense for a 5 year old. The story is centered around a young boy with great strength and moral character-a great example to the youth reading it.

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Mar 15, 2011

Cynthia rated it

I rated this book as a three ONLY because I think its intended audience of 12 year old boys will like it, and I appreciate what the author was trying to do (emphasis on trying). The book needed the help of a really solid editor with some backbone. It was repetitive and wordy. The concept was good, if cluttered; but it was the slowest moving adventure story I have ever read. I liked the theme of courage he wove through it, but found it too blatant, and the characters flat ("Am I courageo...more

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Mar 02, 2010

Jessica rated it

Okay, let me explain my review of this book. I feel like I am always giving 4 and 5 stars to everything, so I've decided to try to be more objective in my ratings. But I needed 3 3/4 stars for this one. 3 stars means I liked it, and I thoroughly did--it was fun! So thank you, Jera, for lending this to me--and by the way, you have excellent taste in books, so I meant no offence. :)

This book was a lot of fun because it had a sort of taste of Treasure Island to it--there were a lot ...more

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Jan 15, 2009

Missy rated it

I think I really liked this book. But it was SCARY! There were some truly evil characters -- several associated with Hitler and then a couple of horrible pirates. There were a couple of incidents, used to set up the characters' demeanor, that were very disturbing. But it was a gripping read. Time travel. Spying. Adventure. Too much violence for me. Several twists in the plot. The main character is a 12 year old boy, Nick, and much of the story also includes his 6 year old sister. I kep...more

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Sep 14, 2009

Libby rated it

I had a really hard time buying into this plot. The author threw so much into the story that I just couldn't believe any of it. And there were definitely some aspects of the time travel that just didn't add up. How could a great-great-great grandfather possibly know ANYTHING about a great great great grandson that hasn't been born? And the explanation the captain gave about not using the time machine because he would be leaving his men just didn't make sense. He could leave, do his buisness...more

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Nov 21, 2008

Heidi rated it

Shelves: fiction, historical, ya-12-19, children-0-12, adventure-survival, juv-6-12, tween-10-13

I enjoyed reading an adventure story, and one that wasn't too deep or hard to follow what was going on. Yet there were some definite flaws to the book. At times it seemed the author was aiming at a very young audience, and other times I think he forgot that the audience would typically be under 18. Some descriptions were a little too gory for my taste. Some action sequences didn't delve into more detail, so I had trouble picturing what was going on. I also had a problem with some descriptions of...more

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May 09, 2011

Sally rated it

Shelves: audiobooks

This was an interesting fantasy story, involving a little time travel combined with historical pre-WWII events. I'm not a big fan of heavily nautical adventures, particularly when sailing ship terminology is a big part, so I didn't especially care for that aspect. As in many adventures with young (teen or pre-teen) heroes, in this book some of the feasibility of physical and mental accomplishments have to be somewhat suspended in order to enjoy the story. There was a bit of "Treasure Isl...more

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Mar 07, 2011

Vicki rated it

Wow! This is a great read! 4-1/2 Stars! History, mystery, swashbuckling, and characters that you can either cheer for (and want to be friends with) or that terrify. The story runs along at a good clip, the suspense is insane--I caught myself gasping at one point!-- and the 2 youngsters (Nick and little sister Kate) are endearing and real. The only thing that kept me from giving this 5 stars is the obvious "stay tuned for the next episode" feeling at the end. I like a book to be a ...more

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May 20, 2010

Yoonmee rated it

Shelves: children-s-books, fantasy-science-fiction, nene-nominees

This is a fun adventure/time travel story about a 12-year old boy and his younger sister who manage to rescue British sailors in 1805 and thwart Nazis in 1939. Other reviewers are correct in that the characters do not grow or change throughout the story, which is definitely a negative, but I think the story isn't necessarily meant to be a bildungsroman novel or anything quite so ambitious. If you just want to read a fun, entertaining adventure/fantasy story, you'll probably enjoy this. I'm gi...more

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Jul 01, 2009

Debbie rated it

A grand sea adventure taking place around an Island in the English Channel in two different times. The 12 year old protagonist must depend on his sailing knowledge and courage as he and others are called upon to protect England from Nazis pre WWII and from an evil kidnapping pirate set on destroying the Royal Navy in 1803. Colorfully written with vocabulary approprite for the time(s)with alot of nautical terms it is suspenseful albeit graphically violent in some scenes. For this reason I feel it...more

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Dec 19, 2010

Alyssa rated it

This was suprisingly good! I picked this up on a whim at the library for a fun winterum break read. It was definately an interesting and exciting mix of characters and subjects: Pirates, Sailors, and Nazis oh my! I thought the plot was very good, though I didn't like that it jumped between "plots" toward the end of the book (It bugs me when authors change people with each chapter :P). Other than that I didn't find any major faults with this book. So if you like pirates, war stories, sp...more

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Nov 01, 2011

Erica rated it

Shelves: 2011, adventure, juvenile-fiction, american

Book Talk: Nick MacIver loves reading tales of adventure in the lighthouse where his family lives. But when a mysterious old chest washes ashore and pirates appear on his island, he finds himself in the middle of his own adventure. The infamous Billy Blood takes his dog hostage to get his hands on the contents of the chest. Now Nick must travel back in time and fight on the high seas if he ever wants to see his dog alive again.

Rocks my socks: The use of time travel allows Nick to fi...more

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About Ted Bell

Ted Bell, now at Cambridge University and Writer-In-Residence at Sydney-Sussex College, is a full-time writer. He is the author of 8 consecutive New York Times Bestsellers. His novels include the Alex Hawke series of spy thrillers published by Harper & Collins. And the Nick McIver
Time Travel Adventures published by St. Martins. His books are international bestsellers, published in 17 countri...more

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Nick Of Time (Nick McIver Adventures Through Time #1)

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