Time Snatchers

by Richard Ungar

When I first heard about TIME SNATCHERS I wasn't sure what to expect. but the blurb talks about time traveling thieves. That has a lot of leeway and I imagined people going through time and the problem they need to solve is something they created by screwing up the time line. I was also expecting cool technology. I am a sucker for cool technology.

This story does have cool technology including fingernail clocks, ocular implants for night vision, and of course time machines. The story is actually about a bunch of kids whose job is to steal important artifacts from time and replace them with replicas. Though I really enjoyed the idea of stealing things from history, I read the book because of the characters. The main character is a boy named Caleb. He is 13 and one of the best time snatchers working for a man named Uncle. Uncle has a crew of five orphans who run through time stealing whatever is asked. Some of the items include flags, the first Frisbee, and even an important umbrella. No task too small or too large. Those who try to get out are subject to mind wipes and/or banishment to The Barrens. Most end up dead. Caleb is put to the test when he learns of what Frank, his competition, is stealing for Uncle.

This book is intended for middle grade, the characters are 13-years-old. I was expecting a happy, fluffy book which this is not. I'm not saying that this book isn't appropriate it just has some parts that were a little more intense than I was expecting. But it was all done in such a tasteful manner. This book is a good introduction to science fiction and I highly recommend it to anyone of any age.