Tom From the Future

by Rachel Robb

Tom’s parents have split up, and he finds himself on holiday in North Wales with his dad. Tom blames Dad for his parents’ split and can’t help feeling angry with him. Consequently, he vows not to enjoy the holiday, despite the endeavours of the relentlessly cheerful Bill and Irene, who are staying at the same hotel. But Tom isn’t the only one with problems, and when Tom encounters the children who used to live in the hotel in Victorian times, he embarks on a dangerous mission to change the course of history. Will Tom’s adventure with his new friends bring about any changes in his own life? Will things ever go back to the way they were?

106 pages, ebook

First published October 2, 2013

Reviews

[Sara Gauldin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This British themed novella is primed for the young teen reader! I enjoyed the relatable main character, Tom. Tom is an adolescent who is faced with a problem; he believes that his father may be having an affair with another woman. After a period of indecision, he decides to recount his father’s strange and incriminating behavior to his mother. This decision precipitates his parent’s separation. Tom’s relationship with his father becomes increasingly strained following the breakup. Tom blames his father for everything. In an effort to appease Tom, his father arranges a vacation for the two of them. They stay at an old hotel that has the bed and breakfast feel of a converted Victorian home. During his stay, there a series of strange events lead to Tom being continuously awakened in the middle of the night by peculiar sounds. When he attempts to investigate he finds the hotel transformed to the home that it was in the 1800’s. Tom meets the children who lived at the home and helps them to solve a problem that forces him to put his parent’s separation into perspective. The story is touching, captivating and appropriate for young readers!