Written by Jennifer Claesssen
An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.
Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week an Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.
Without further ado, and as my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, always says, "Time stands nor sits for no man, so the wise plan and fill their days with work, rest and play."
This week's review maybe turns that adage a little on its head, as our lead character goes travelling in time. So without further ado, lets drift on over to baking hot Crete, then and now . . .
AUTHOR: Jennifer Claessen (Clickable link)
Illustrations by: Heidi Cannon (Clickable link; also on X as @HeidiOliviaArt)
Published by: UCLan Publishing (Clickable link)
Publication date Paperback: 25 June 2025
Paperback 13 digit ISBN: 978 191 6747 593
UK Cover price for Paperback: £7.99
Amazon KINDLE price: £3.99
Pages: 240
Age range: 9 - 12
SPOILER ALERT
Some as to plot direction and characters.
Thank you to...
We are exceedingly grateful to Graeme Williams Publicity and UCLan Publishers for offering us a chance to Read & Review this story.
As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, received as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.
First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy.
The plot
Netta Becker is eleven, a brilliant swimmer and, much to her annoyance, on holiday with her younger, book-mad brother, Remy. It was his turn to pick where the family went for their holidays, and as he loves Cretan history, he chose Crete and a cheap villa holiday near King Minos's palace. Not the cool sort of place Netta wants to go to, not cool in any sense of the word. She is missing a big swimming gala back home and can't even go for a swim at the villa as the pool has green algae and cracked tiles.
But soon after arriving at their somewhat rickety resort, she starts seeing people. Not just the other families staying there, but people from a past age, adults and children.
Very soon her visions take more serious form by way of her zoning out and having dreams far realer than they ought to be. In fact, she is being dragged back four thousand years to the palace of King Minos. Here she, on each visit, sees and hears different people and events. One time she is seen by Princess Ariadne, Ari for short. Ari thinks she is a spirit, a 'tricksy muse,' come at her behest.
As events move on, Netta, much to her brothers upset, gets to see more than just the ancient ruins of modern Crete. She is seeing the buildings and people in their prime. It is soon clear that she has arrived just before the unveiling of King Minos's fabled labyrinth. There are festivities, offerings, and a white bull is to be sacrificed to the labyrinth to appease what lies within. Ari and Netta, who are about the same age, bond and talk about how history records what happens to Ari. Netta gets to see around the palace and learns of the children to also be sacrificed to the labyrinth.
This galvanises her into action, and with Ari she plans to free the children and help them escape Crete. Minos has decreed none may leave the island, so things will be difficult, possibly fatal if Netta and the children are caught in the attempt. Maybe this is why Netta is being drawn back in time? Certainly, whatever is pulling her back is getting stronger, and each time she is drawn back she ends up spending long and longer in Crete and less in the villa. Back in the here and now, Remy acts to not only try to advise Netta of historical facts and outcomes, but to fend off enquiries as to why Netta is absent. But even he is getting worried by what the increasingly prolonged absences are doing to Netta’s body.
When Netta starts to gain a corporeal form in ancient Crete, the race is on to save the children and to hopefully put a stop to what is drawing her there. There is also the pressing matter of getting her back into her own body and time before she is stuck in the past.
So, what did we think?
Growing up I was enthralled by the movies that featured characters from Greek mythology. But I was less enthralled when it came to reading dry textbooks on the matter.
This story deftly brings together old Cretan and Greek mythology with the modern world by allowing our protagonist to pass back and forwards in time. More accurately we find that she is being drawn back and forth in time by compelling forces: something in ancient Crete and her brother and family life in the present. So unlike the TV series Quantum Leap, we find ourselves with two stories that are set to converge rather dramatically.
The action is compelling and doesn't rely on high tech gadgetry. The peril is tangible and grows as the pace escalates and had us turning the pages as quickly as Netta jumps to and fro.
The ending, which I shall not spoil, was awesome. I did not see it coming.
So, Crunch time.
Very impressive creative story telling with a delightful twist that breathes new life and enjoyment into the core and gaps in mythology, by combining past and present. I found this engaging, thrilling and very hard to put down, and much like Netta, we were sucked in and happily, avidly insisted on stayed till the very last page.
And now for my Sunday Selfie . . . .
Here is little me just giving last minute instructions for my tea to Mrs H. With the air con on over this particular bed in the guest room, it has been the perfect place to be during our heatwave.
We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. CLICK THIS LINK to visit their site and to get the code to add to your own blog . . .
I hope you enjoyed that adventure.
Till laters!
ERin
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