Jennifer W. (GeniusJen) reviewed The New Policeman (New Policeman, Bk 1) on + 5322 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Reviewed by Candace Cunard for TeensReadToo.com
There is never enough time in the small Irish town of Kinvara. People go about their daily business at top speed: children rush to catch school buses that are inevitably late, parents never make it to work on time, and even the elderly complain that there's just not enough time in the day. Everyone agrees that it wasn't always this way, but no one can pinpoint exactly when time started seeping out of their lives. Although everyone can feel the time leak, no one can prove its existence, and so although everyone complains about it, no one does anything to stop it.
No one, that is, until J.J. Liddy's mother insists that the only thing she truly wants for her birthday is more time. J.J. understands his mother's desire, and wishes that he could find a way to help her get the gift she really wants this year, but like everyone else he feels that it's hopeless to wish for something that will never come.
However, Ireland is rich with history and mythology, and the two often become confused with each other. For J.J., a revelation about his own family history leads to a series of interconnected discoveries, eventually causing him to stumble into the mythical Tor na n'og, the Land of Eternal Youth. There, time is supposed to stand still, but J.J.'s visit there shows him that time is passing there, albeit very slowly. Somehow, time is leaking from the real world into Tor na n'og, and as the only person who knows the truth of the leak, J.J. is the only person who can stop it. Along the way, he begins to unravel the secrets of his history, both recent and distant, as the legends of Ireland come to life around him.
I thoroughly enjoyed this tale, steeped as it was in the richness of Irish legends and tradition. All of the chapters were named after Irish dance tunes, the first few measures of which are presented in musical notation along with the chapter heading. My personal knowledge of Irish mythology allowed me a greater understanding of what was going on throughout the story, but for readers unfamiliar with the setting, Thompson includes a concise but helpful glossary of definitions and pronunciations. The story itself started a bit slowly, but once it picked up, it became practically impossible to put down.
There is never enough time in the small Irish town of Kinvara. People go about their daily business at top speed: children rush to catch school buses that are inevitably late, parents never make it to work on time, and even the elderly complain that there's just not enough time in the day. Everyone agrees that it wasn't always this way, but no one can pinpoint exactly when time started seeping out of their lives. Although everyone can feel the time leak, no one can prove its existence, and so although everyone complains about it, no one does anything to stop it.
No one, that is, until J.J. Liddy's mother insists that the only thing she truly wants for her birthday is more time. J.J. understands his mother's desire, and wishes that he could find a way to help her get the gift she really wants this year, but like everyone else he feels that it's hopeless to wish for something that will never come.
However, Ireland is rich with history and mythology, and the two often become confused with each other. For J.J., a revelation about his own family history leads to a series of interconnected discoveries, eventually causing him to stumble into the mythical Tor na n'og, the Land of Eternal Youth. There, time is supposed to stand still, but J.J.'s visit there shows him that time is passing there, albeit very slowly. Somehow, time is leaking from the real world into Tor na n'og, and as the only person who knows the truth of the leak, J.J. is the only person who can stop it. Along the way, he begins to unravel the secrets of his history, both recent and distant, as the legends of Ireland come to life around him.
I thoroughly enjoyed this tale, steeped as it was in the richness of Irish legends and tradition. All of the chapters were named after Irish dance tunes, the first few measures of which are presented in musical notation along with the chapter heading. My personal knowledge of Irish mythology allowed me a greater understanding of what was going on throughout the story, but for readers unfamiliar with the setting, Thompson includes a concise but helpful glossary of definitions and pronunciations. The story itself started a bit slowly, but once it picked up, it became practically impossible to put down.
This is the first book in The New Policeman trilogy. I enjoyed this book; it was a unique middle grade novel that was a blend of fantasy, time travel, faerie, and music elements. It was a quick and easy read that I found really interesting and engaging. This book is a very complete story all on its own.
The people of Kinvara can't figure out why they are always so pressed for time. Time seems to be literally slipping away from them. When J.J's mother asks for more time for her birthday J.J. is determined to oblige her. What starts as a quick jaunt to bring a neighbor some cheese quickly turns into an adventure in a different world where time is supposed to stand still.
This story takes awhile to get going. The first hundred pages or so are dedicated to learning about J.J.'s ancestors and their strange musical past. Each chapter has a short piece of music after it (which I did not go and play) about something that was discussed in the preceding chapter.
I enjoyed the writing style. This was a very engaging story, the characters were likable, and I enjoyed J.J.'s close relationship with his family. Once the story got moving I was sucked into the mystery behind the time leak and curious about the other world.
Overall this was a great story. I ended up really enjoying the plot, the characters, and the magic. I would recommend to middle grade and older readers who are interested in faerie and time travel. I am unsure whether or not I will read the next two books in the series; this book wraps up the story nicely and I don't really need anything more to read right now.
The people of Kinvara can't figure out why they are always so pressed for time. Time seems to be literally slipping away from them. When J.J's mother asks for more time for her birthday J.J. is determined to oblige her. What starts as a quick jaunt to bring a neighbor some cheese quickly turns into an adventure in a different world where time is supposed to stand still.
This story takes awhile to get going. The first hundred pages or so are dedicated to learning about J.J.'s ancestors and their strange musical past. Each chapter has a short piece of music after it (which I did not go and play) about something that was discussed in the preceding chapter.
I enjoyed the writing style. This was a very engaging story, the characters were likable, and I enjoyed J.J.'s close relationship with his family. Once the story got moving I was sucked into the mystery behind the time leak and curious about the other world.
Overall this was a great story. I ended up really enjoying the plot, the characters, and the magic. I would recommend to middle grade and older readers who are interested in faerie and time travel. I am unsure whether or not I will read the next two books in the series; this book wraps up the story nicely and I don't really need anything more to read right now.
