Review: Torn - Margaret Peterson Haddix

Synopsis: Jonah and Katherine have barely had a chance to recover from the traumatic events of Roanoke in 1600 when they are hurtled through time again, to 1611, moments before a mutiny on the Discovery, Henry Hudson's ship in the icy waters of James Bay. As they struggle to survive the frozen seas and brutal conditions aboard the ship, Jonah and Katherine begin to realize that something is very wrong. The history they remember is drastically different from what they're experiencing. Will this new version of history replace the real past? Jonah and Katherine struggle to unravel the mysteries of 1611 and the Hudson Passage before the only future they've ever known is lost forever.

Review: Margaret Peterson Haddix cranks up the action in this, the fourth installment in The Missing series, bringing in greater risks and fascinating alternatives to history. Any historian - professional or amateur - will enjoy how she spins her new plotline around the story of Henry Hudson's fatal voyage on the Discovery. This particular installment felt a lot less predictable than the previous three, and while I wish she had kept up the suspense to the very end, I was not disappointed with how things concluded. It offers a breather for the Readers - and no doubt the Author - while we wait for the fifth to be written and then released. Katherine was a bit annoying, but her role in events actually became quite prominent, which finally ended my wondering, Why is she even tagging along? What does she contribute?

All in all, I was impressed with Torn. It reengaged my interest, which had begun to wane a bit by the third book. I had taken this series off of my To Buy list, but I have now re-added it. Fans and semi-fans will not be disappointed with this book, and I hope the next one is every bit as good.

Overall Rating: {{{{

Others in The Missing Series:

1)Found
2)Sent
3)Sabotaged
4)Torn
5)Caught