Customer Reviews

Nick of Time (Nick McIver Time Adventures)

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Twelve-year-old Nick McIver loves his idyllic life on Greybeard Island, the smallest of England's Channel Islands. He spends his days on his little sloop, the Stormy Petrel, exploring the coastline and mapping reefs with his little sister Katie. Their father is the lighthouse keeper at Greybeard Light, and their happy family lives there. Nick's father Angus has a secret hobby, though. He's a "birdwatcher," scouting the Channel for German U-boats and airplanes, and reporting to Winston Churchill, in direct violation of orders from the government.

One day while out exploring in the Stormy Petrel, Nick and Katie come upon a sea chest in the sand, bearing the name Nicholas McIver, which was also the name of an ancestor of theirs. A mean red parrot sitting on the chest bites Katie and flies off, and Nick hides the chest in a cave for exploring later because the weather is getting ugly. On the way home, the storm drives Nick and Katie to stop in a nearby pub where the owner, Gunner, will give them hot tea. The red parrot is there, sitting with a menacing pair, Billy Blood and Snake, a thug with red snakes tattooed on his face. After frightening Gunner and the children, they disappear. When Nick's dog Jip is kidnapped by Billy Blood the same day his parents are called to London, they ask Gunner to watch the children, and Nick convinces him to go with him to the cave to collect the sea chest, Blood's ransom for his dog. Once they retrieve the chest and begin sailing for the rendezvous with Blood, an encounter with a German U-boat leads them to mysterious Hawke Castle, where they defy security measures and gain an audience with Lord Hawke, the castle's reclusive owner, whose own children have also been kidnapped by Billy Blood. They open the sea chest with the help of Hawke's close friend Hobbes, a high-ranking British admiral, to find a time machine and a note from Nick's ancestor, Captain Nicholas McIver, who needs help in a sea battle against Billy Blood 130 years earlier.

While Nick, Gunner, and Lord Hawke travel back in time to battle Billy Blood, Hobbes and Katie sail for London to deliver the information Nick collected on the German U-boat to Winston Churchill, and they soon find themselves captured by the Germans. Both Hobbes and little Katie have to use their wits to not only survive, but outsmart the Germans, while Nick, Lord Hawke, and Gunner combine their abilities to assist Captain McIver in his battle against Billy Blood, as well as rescuing Jip, Hawke's children, and a whole brig full of kidnapped children and pets.

Though enjoyable for all readers, this book would be an excellent choice for a preteen. The violence and language are mild, and its protagonist is 12 years old. The story is told mostly from a kid's perspective, too. I liked the dual adventures against fearsome adversaries in both 1939 and the distant past. Though not as globe-hoppingly exciting as his Alex Hawke adventures, this was a pretty good page turner a kid could especially love.

I am a 13 year old with a love of adventure and an interest in history. This book was excellent at meeting both of those needs. The great plot and vivid imagery kept me up many a long night. Highly recommended for all ages.

From its striking dust cover art to its beautiful binding and print, this middle-grade adventure story has it all: boats and the sea, pirates, castles, Nazis, and time travel. It has everything a young reader could want. The writing is crisp, clear, and practically flawless. Description and scene setting put the reader in the middle of things where he or she is immediately drawn into the adventure with the leading characters, Nick and Kate. As the story progresses, more and more actors are sprinkled in until a full host are moving the story faster and faster forward toward a roaring climax. Action never stops in the great novel which rivals Robert Lewis Stevenson's Treasure Island in size and scope. The author covers this book's sometimes rapid point of view changes with seamless transition and skill seldom seen in a beginning writer.

This is the most exciting adventure story I have ever read.
Both adults and children will be entertained and enthralled by it. There is something in it for everyone. The writer's visual descriptions are so vivid, I felt like I was seeing a film. I hope Hollywood will make it into a movie. It would be great fun to see it on the big screen.

Although Nick McIver, as the title indicates, is the hero of this book, I am happy to report that his sister Kate is able to hold her own in this wonderful adventure. Through these two engaging children we are able to experience the romance of life in a lighthouse, the excitement of sailing skillfully through rocky waters, every child's secret fantasy of traveling through time, and a beguiling introduction to a critical period in history. Nick of Time is just what we need. . . an adventure written for the young, but one that can be appreciated by all ages. It is, truly, timeless and certain to be a classic.

This book is an absolute gem! A great read for young or old or both and should be on every child's bookshelf. Very much in the style of Robert Louis Stevenson but written with a modern reader in mind. The hero, young Nick McIver is 12 when he discovers his father is spying on the Nazis for Churchill. The year is 1939 and war looms. Through a series of exiciting events, Nick and his sister Kate join forces to discover the secrets of an experimental German U-boat and, in a delightful twist, Nick comes to the aid of his ancestor who sails under Lord Nelson. Splendid rip-roaring tale and too bad they don't write them like this anymore!

If you liked Ted Bell's "Hawk" series, you'll LOVE "Nick of Time". I was hesitant when I first ordered this book, since I'm usually disappointed with the early works of authors when they are released after a successful series. This certainly wasn't the case here. Not only was "Nick of Time" a lively tale that kept me drawn in from page one, it also provided an interesting background for the "Hawk" series. If you've enjoyed his work thus far, then "Nick of Time" belongs on your shelf!

I started reading this to my boys at bed time. The first night, I stopped after 2 chapters and said good night. I came back in their room a little later to find my 9yr old had picked up where I left off! This book will give your pre-teens a hero that they can relate to.

I am a 28 year old female who grew up reading everything I could get my hands on. I heard about this book on a radio talk show as they were interviewing the author. I am about to start my own family, and one more good book is always a welcome addition to my future youngster's library.

I purchased the book and read it in as few settings as I had time for. It's surprisingly long for a kid's book but it's hard to put down once you start! I loved the way it pulls you in from the first page to the last, and it really has something for everyone who likes adventure. Even my mother who really isn't that fond of adventure stories could hardly put it down!

One problem parents with Christian standards will have, there are a few places where they use some mildly foul language (mainly "D" and I believe there was an "H" or two, just not necessary, especially for children). I just kept a black pen next to me and took care of it no problem. I think the book is worth a little parental editing because the lessons taught and imagination procured in this book are well worth the effort.

Set in 1939, NICK OF TIME is about young Nick McIver and his adventuresome spirit.

Nick loves to sail and be out on the water with his trusty dog, Jip. He loves it so much that he often loses track of time and comes home late for dinner, which irritates his tough yet loving mother. One night, Nick also discovers that his father is no ordinary lighthouse keeper. He's also a spy for England. What would become World War II was brewing, and Nick joins his dad in his efforts of spying for Nazis.

This story has a lot going for it. The writing is excellent, the story includes sailboats, Nazis, submarines, secret castles, mysterious villains, pirates, squawking parrots, dogs, cats, spies and, as the title implies, travel through time. The one downside is that it takes more than one hundred pages to get to the time travel promised by the title.

Nevertheless, it's a fun story, full of adventure and suspense, with a dose of history thrown in.

Reviewed by: Marie Robinson