The Time Tider - Sinead O'Hart

 For as long as Mara can remember, she and her father have lived in their van and have moved from place to place, never staying anywhere for too long.  She doesn't quite know what her father does as his job but, one day, she grows curious and follows him, and this leads to questions. Her father finally decides it's time to explain to Mara; however, before he can do so fully, they are ambushed and a group kidnap her father, leaving Mara scared and alone. Knowing only that she and her father had been heading to see Lenny, Mara heads off to find him, and discovers things that will change her life forever.  But with the group who have her father still chasing Mara in search of her father's things, intent on using those things for evil, can Mara get to the bottom of things before it's too late?

I have loved all of Sinead's books so I was incredibly excited to see that she had an other book due out, and I was even more excited when I was given early access to it through NetGalley.  I have to say that it jumped to the top of the tbr pile, I got stuck in straight away, and it's safe to say that I wasn't disappointed.

The Time Tider is different from Sinead's other books but I really liked that; there's an element of sci-fi that weaves its way through the pages in a way that doesn't really feel sci-fiy (is that a word?).  Mara is a strong and determined character who has immense inner strength and sense of self.  She has lived a very different life to most children and it is this that gives her the qualities that shine out of her.  She is definitely a character I won't forget in a hurry.

The book tackles themes that will really make you think; mainly those to do with time, harvesting spare time from those whose lives are cut short and whether that should be used by others.  It made me think about the moral implications as well as how I would feel personally about this concept.  The thought of being able to buy time could be incredibly tempting in many situations but the book also highlights the way something like this could be abused.  I guarantee the book will make you think and, on several occasions, I found myself pausing and seriously pondering the plot.  This would definitely be a book I would love to read to my class as I can imagine their thoughts would create some incredible discussions. 

Due for release on the 2nd February, The Time Tider is a thought-provoking book that will grip you and make you think in equal measure.  It's another guaranteed hit for Sinead and a book I would highly recommend pre-ordering.