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

by Ted Bell (Goodreads Author)

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 1,005 ratings · 263 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 his...more

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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Community Reviews

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Jun 03, 2008 Angie Bollard rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 secret soc...more

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Dec 14, 2009 Steph Su rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, school, stick-to-writing-adult-books

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 of character...more

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Oct 10, 2010 Janeen-san rated it 3 of 5 stars 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 pirates are after th...more

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Dec 16, 2008 Dawn rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 time trav...more

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Oct 02, 2008 Shelley rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 the time, but...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 3 of 5 stars

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 because few be...more 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 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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Feb 26, 2013 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have mixed feelings about this book, and so I gave it 3 stars, for a medium rating. Pro: The background for the tale is awesome. Con: It took me 6 days to read a book with 433 pages so what does that tell you? There was too much detail about sailing and war but then I'm not into either of those subjects.

The book goes along peacefully and normally until bam! All of a sudden it's a sci fi story. It's set on Greybeard Island, a small English island off the coast of France in the English Channel w...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Michelle Isenhoff rated it 4 of 5 stars

Do you like fast-paced adventure? I’ve read few middle grade novels more exciting than Nick of Time.

It’s 1939 and Nick McIver is twelve years old. The Nazis threaten England and the rest of Europe like a black cloud, and U-boats traverse the English Channel on which Nick has spent his whole life as the son of a lighthouse keeper. Authentic historical details such as these give this book a solid foundation within history, one fraught with peril, but then a whole world of fantasy opens up as well...more Do you like fast-paced adventure? I’ve read few middle grade novels more exciting than Nick of Time.

It’s 1939 and Nick McIver is twelve years old. The Nazis threaten England and the rest of Europe like a black cloud, and U-boats traverse the English Channel on which Nick has spent his whole life as the son of a lighthouse keeper. Authentic historical details such as these give this book a solid foundation within history, one fraught with peril, but then a whole world of fantasy opens up as well. For on one of his many local sailing exploits, Nick finds a time machine, and suddenly his sailing exploits aren’t so local. Suddenly, 1939 is only home base.

Enter Billy Blood, a nineteenth century pirate who holds a second time machine and visits many points in history, kidnapping children for ransom. Enter also the nineteenth century naval hero, Lord Nelson; a twentieth century British millionaire; a British advanced weapons expert and an aging warship gunner and you have a recipe for adrenaline.

The violence in this book does get a little intense. It’s not terribly graphic, but it includes an up-close-and-personal naval battle and a Nazi officer who doesn’t hesitate to shoot his underlings or blow them out a submarine’s torpedo tube. Yet it wasn’t so excessive that I would withhold it from my ten-year-old. In fact, I’d be comfortable placing a 9+ age rating on it. It’s a great boy read with plenty of scrapes and fast action and, well, there are some casualties. It does have a smattering of mild profanities and more than a smattering of typos. But I kind of liked these typos because they originate from a mainstream publishing house. That means the door has been left wide open for Indies like myself to surpass the industry, mwa-ha-ha. (Okay, I borrowed the evil laugh from Erik, who also lent me the book. Thanks Erik!)

What about sweetness? I’m always a sucker for sugar, whether it’s in a cookie or in a book, and the character of Kate, Nick’s little sister, fills this role nicely. She’s adorable, and the bond between the siblings rings true. They squabble like alley cats, but when danger looms, Nick does everything he can to protect her. Kate, however, plays her own brave part. She is unrealistically advanced for a six-year-old, but her innocence and charm make a nice contrast to the more brutal scenes.

Overall, I enjoyed this one very much. It reminded me of the classic boy adventures like Swiss Family Robinson and Treasure Island, and some fantastic illustrations add to that old-fashioned illusion. But I can’t think of a single modern boy I know who wouldn’t get caught up in Nick’s tale and wish he could trade places with him just for a while.(less)

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Jul 18, 2010 Nicola rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 adventure tha...more 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 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 3 of 5 stars

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 past that,...more 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 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 5 of 5 stars

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 4 of 5 stars 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 looked up to.

Made the point that evil is ugl...more

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Aug 01, 2009 Tasha rated it 3 of 5 stars

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...more 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 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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Apr 25, 2012 Angela rated it 2 of 5 stars

I confess, I actually skimmed the latter half of the book. As a history teacher who specializes in the era from Napoleon to WWII, I was so pumped to find this book it wasn't even funny. I was all over this one, and looked forward to the time-travel twist, which I never mind if managed well.

What can I say? Bell has done his historical homework, and has a gifted flair for description, but after a few chapters of "Golly gee whiz" small talk and the POV character (Nick) showing small but irritating...more

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Jun 25, 2011 Migdalia rated it 4 of 5 stars

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, Admiral Lord Nelson,...more 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, 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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Jul 28, 2012 Lora rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, childrens-lit, fantasy, ya

This was a great book for somewhat older young readers. It has well described violence of battle scenes, and nightmare scenes which could disturb a younger young reader (lol). The characters were well done, the action shifted between different scenes and didn't lose me, and the entire mix of pirates, Nazis, and time travel, made for a most unusual verbal salad for me to savor the taste of. Actually, it reminded me more of those three horse sleighs the Russians have. That's a whole lotta reins to...more This was a great book for somewhat older young readers. It has well described violence of battle scenes, and nightmare scenes which could disturb a younger young reader (lol). The characters were well done, the action shifted between different scenes and didn't lose me, and the entire mix of pirates, Nazis, and time travel, made for a most unusual verbal salad for me to savor the taste of. Actually, it reminded me more of those three horse sleighs the Russians have. That's a whole lotta reins to be holding! This author did the job well.
The book ended in satisfactory ways. It didn't leave me hanging as a means of requiring me to buy the next book. It left me to decide for myself, and I appreciate that kind of respect for the reader. This author demonstrated respect for the reader in many ways, in fact, and got one star from me just for that.
I did find the language a bit stilted. I can understand that, trying to access the language of another era and so on. It kind of caught my attention on a few jagged phrases even after I'd gotten used to it. It wasn't even the broad patina of nautical terms that threw me, but the rhythm and slang were all, well, off, just a bit. That's hard to do, so I was quick to understand. When an author does so much so well, the slight weaknesses simply endear them to me.
The women characters brought in towards the end were somehow stilted as well. Still considering that tilt of stilt for now. Hard to put in words so far, but it isn't that important anyway. It's just that I found both of them unbelievable in basic ways, and it threatened the course the three horse sleigh was on. But again, with that many reins flying around...
There were a few swear words, mild ones I suppose you can say. It's too bad they've come to be considered mild, and that it's ok to have them in childrens' lit. But then, I have accepted that thinking myself, even though I feel it is a cop-out.
And- loved the cover. Great action picture for a character who is sitting down!
(less)

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Apr 29, 2013 Carrie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Were I to state my feelings on "Nick of Time" in one sentence, that sentence would have to go something like this: "I loved this book."

The plot, lengthy though it was, captured my attention from the moment I read the description on the dust jacket. And once I got into it, reading about the adventures of young Nick McIver, his sister Katie, as well as a handful of other memorable characters (Lord Hawke, Gunner, Billy Blood, just to name three), made for several late nights. But what could possibl...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Jonathan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Nick of Time is a story about courage. Set primarily before the onset of World War II, young Nick McIver is caught up in a multi-faceted struggle against evil. His opponents include a murderous, time-travelling pirate, Nazi submariners, and his own fear.

Although the plot was enjoyable, this book was difficult for me to read. Two major contributors to this difficulty were the dialogue and the oddity of many situations.

Good dialogue is difficult to master, but one should at the very least be able...more Nick of Time is a story about courage. Set primarily before the onset of World War II, young Nick McIver is caught up in a multi-faceted struggle against evil. His opponents include a murderous, time-travelling pirate, Nazi submariners, and his own fear.

Although the plot was enjoyable, this book was difficult for me to read. Two major contributors to this difficulty were the dialogue and the oddity of many situations.

Good dialogue is difficult to master, but one should at the very least be able to distinguish the characters by their form of expressing themselves. In Nick of Time, all the characters drop into "pirate talk" from time to time. Considering that the characters come from various backgrounds, including royalty, and different times, there ought to be more distinction in their manner of talk.

It is possible that I am being too picky, but many scenes became awkward to read, requiring several re-readings of paragraphs and pages in an attempt to reconnect with what Bell was trying to say.

The pinnacle of the weirdness in this book was a scene in which the antagonist loses the battle. He had traveled through time to kidnap the children of royalty and wealthy people for ransom. The kidnapped children lived in cages in his ship's brig for up to 5 years without seeing the sun. When the evil pirate runs off in defeat, the children come pouring out of windows, doors, and "every nook and cranny of the ship" onto the deck. In spite of the blood, guts, and shrapnel, the children exultantly sing nursery rhymes while musical instruments of many kinds spontaneously join in. Who knew pirates brought harmonicas and tambourines to a sea battle? The cherry on top is two kids riding into the celebratory fray riding Shetland ponies. I had to put the book down and said out loud, "What!?"

Criticisms aside (although they were significant enough for me that I have no desire to continue reading the series) this would be a fun book for kids. It introduces the reader to some basics of ships and sea navigation, a touch of English Channel geography, important qualities like loyalty and courage, and a bit of history.

I started reading this book to my children and I think they will enjoy it, so we will finish reading it together, but my recommendation is less than enthusiastic.(less)

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May 04, 2010 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars

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, learning to be a man; the w...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Maddie Rands rated it 4 of 5 stars

I would give this book 4 stars, because I think that it is interesting, descriptive, and adventurous, but it is a bit slow at the beginning. The story begins on a friendly little island in the English Channel called Grebeard Island. The main character, 12-year-old Nick McIver, his little sister, 6-year-old Kate, and his dog, Jipper, are always running around the island exploring, sailing, or playing. When they meet a strange old pirate named William Blood who kidnaps Jipper, they are forced into...more

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Nov 29, 2008 Luann rated it 2 of 5 stars

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's...more

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May 01, 2010 Jessica at Book Sake rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 course for college...more

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Apr 09, 2010 Kipi rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 in the Channel...more

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Nov 15, 2009 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 3 of 5 stars

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 courageous? Oh, y...more

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Mar 02, 2010 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 of fun parallels...more

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Jan 15, 2009 Missy rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 kept thinking...more

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Sep 14, 2009 Libby rated it 2 of 5 stars

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, and...more

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Nov 21, 2008 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars

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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About Ted Bell

Ted Bell, now Visiting Scholar at Cambridge University and Writer-In-Residence at Sydney-Sussex College, is a full-time writer. He is the author of 9 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, publish...more

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

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