A Hole In Time: An Elliot James Adventure

by Jack C. Monroe

Desperate to escape a pack of bullies, Elliot jumps into the river and slips 141 years into the future where he finds himself in the grim aftermath of a second civil war. Scared and on his own, he becomes the target of a new brand of bullies, ones who will stop at nothing to get what they want. Elliot is running again- running for his life. (From Amazon.com)

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 2013

Reviews

[J. Scott Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young adult fantasy is not my favorite genre, but this book is seductive.

Monroe paints his characters with such precision and skill that the narrative drew me right back to the bullies, fears and jim-jams I suffered as a pre-adolescent lad. Only this time I was able to feel the angst from the outside.

Perhaps I'm more sympathetic to this tale because, as in Monroe's story, we had a railway bridge right off our playground. It was strictly off limits but we sometimes crossed it in heart-stopping terror to escape the big meanies who preyed upon us.

I won't go further into the plot except to say that it holds up and delivers its hero back to his own playground with the cold, hard-bitten understanding that one must attack fear rather than flee it.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great new young adult series that I think most adults will like. It has elements of time travel, future dystopian fantasy, survival and family conflicts, and a hint of reference to American history. It's all rolled into an easy to read story centered around very approachable young male protagonist, and the way the author reveals surprises about the hero throughout the book keeps you rooting for him as he happens along.

"...don’t discount intuition. It holds more wisdom than technology can ever afford.”