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

Review: Sabotaged - Margaret Peterson Haddix

Synopsis: After helping Chip and Alex survive fifteenth-century London with no preparation at all, Jonah and Katherine think that their next job will be a snap. Their mission: to help return Andrea - who is really Virginia Dare - back to the lost colony of Roanoke in the sixteenth century. They'll help her restore the balance of history, and then they can all go home.

Sounds simple, easy, and safe. But right away things start to go wrong. They lose the Elucidator and aren't sure where in time they've landed. As Jonah, Katherine, and Andrea struggle to survive without food, water, supplies, or a way to contact anyone for rescue, they try to piece together the mysterious history of Roanoke. What happened to the missing colonists? Does it have anything to do with their current predicament? And how can they help Andrea restore history if they don't even know what century they're in? The more Jonah and Katherine look for answers, the more questions they have.

Review: Like the other two, Sabotaged is weird, but interesting. I was pleased that Chip wasn't in this one; Katherine did not irritate me nearly as much because of it. And Ms. Haddix manages to make the plotline develop by immediately throwing in a twist, with plenty of others following close at its heels. The end will definitely leave you wanting to read the sequel (due to come out in a few months!).

Despite the plot-twists, I cannot say that Sabotaged was my favorite. When Ms. Haddix starts to touch on the Indians and colonist situation(s), it begins to feel very bogged down with the Author's personal opinions. In short, very preachy. And it gets in the way of the story, like really, really sticky, irritating mud impeding your walking forward. And the new villain, Second, wasn't nearly as intimidating as I was hoping. I can't say that I disliked him - he is a fairly good villain, but there seemed something not quite right with his character. Like something was missing.

Despite those complaints, Sabotaged is a good installment. Fans of JB (like me) will be especially pleased.

Overall Rating: JJJ

Others in The Missing Series:

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

Review: Sent - Margaret Peterson Haddix

Synopsis: Thirteen-year-olds Jonah and Chip are reeling from the news that they're both missing children from history, kidnapped from their proper time period. Before they can fully absorb this revelation, a time purist named JB sends Chip and another boy, Alex, back to the fifteenth century, where they supposedly belong. Jonah and his sister, Katherine, grab Chip's arm just as he's being sent away. The result? Jonah and Katherine also end up in the fifteenth century, where they decidedly do not belong.

Chip's true identity is Edward V, king of England, and Alex is his younger brother, Richard, Duke of York. But Chip is convinced that his uncle, Richard of Gloucester, plans to kill them and seize the throne for himself.

JB promises that if the kids can "fix time," he will allow them to return to the present day. But how can they possibly return home safely when history claims that Chip and Alex were murdered?

Review: As with Found, saying that I liked Sent is not entirely the right way of putting it. It was interesting, exciting, clever, and easy to follow. There was nothing I disliked, but like just isn't the word, which is the case with most time-travel stories.

It helps to have a knowledge of history when reading this simply because it helps the Reader appreciate the way Margaret Peterson Haddix puts the story of Edward V and his brother, Richard, together. Every fan of history's mysteries (such as the odd "disappearance" of the two royal boys) loves to read a new take on what really happened. Haddix's very premise of The Missing series has set up an ideal way for her to introduce interesting theories concerning cases like the Duchess Anastasia and others like her, who seem to have just disappeared from time itself. I absolutely love time-travel books for this very reason: it presents the "what ifs" of history; a tiny glimpse at what could have happened. And every historian - amateur or professional - loves to explore that.

The characters improved in Sent. Alex is a wonderful addition to the group, but Katherine gets increasingly annoying. I still imaged her older than Jonah, even though she is supposed to be about two years younger than him and Chip. But she's a pretty easy fifth wheel to ignore. One thing that does get very irritating is how the kids never let JB explain anything. They always cut him off right when he's about to offer something potentially helpful - and all because they think that he doesn't care whether or not Chip and Alex die. Urgh! It drove me up a wall!! I never felt sorry for Jonah, Chip, Alex, and Katherine when a situation got sticky because they never gave JB enough time to explain what to do. That's a pet peeve of mine.

However, Sent is a worthwhile read. It is better than Found, and I believe that Sabotaged is going to be even better.

Overall Rating: JJJ

Others in The Missing Series:

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