75. Time Travelling with a Hamster. Ross Welford. 2015. 400 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, mg fiction, mg speculative fiction, time trave, mg science fiction]
First sentence: My dad died twice. Once when he was thirty-nine, and again four years later when he was twelve. (He's going to die a third time as well, which seems a bit rough on him, but I can't help that.) The first time had nothing to do with me. The second time definitely did, but I would never even have been there if it hadn't been for his "time machine."
Premise/plot: Al Chaudhury is given a unique opportunity on his twelfth birthday when he receives a letter from his dead father. Al receives detailed instructions on how to use his father's time machine. He'll have to break all the rules and then some, but, there's a chance he may just be able to travel back in time and prevent his father's death. His grandfather is subtly-not-so-subtly warning Al NOT to use the time machine and to let things be, to accept what is. Yet Al (and his hamster) seem destined to time travel. His destination? 1984 his father's childhood to prevent an accident.
My thoughts: I found Time Travelling with a Hamster to be a compelling, intriguing read. I am always open to reading time travel books. I thought the premise was interesting AND it wasn't all premise-focused. I thought the characterization--particularly of Al and his grandfather--was strong.
© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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