The Time Fetch follows young teens Edward (Dweebo to some), Danton, Feenix (Edith to her mother), and Brigit as they discover a stone that holds time foragers, fight to restore order to their world as the time foragers rapidly eat away at their town, and struggle to grow into themselves and discover the good in those around them.
I would only give The Time Fetch 2 or 3 stars out of 5, but I want to give a caveat right up front: I read this book right after a fantastic one, and I read it over a very busy few days in my personal life. There wasn't any time for me to sit down and really get immersed in the world; I read it in short bites. I feel like that might have colored my "meh" opinion.
The Time Fetch did have a pretty unique and interesting premise. Edward, kind of a loner kid who's just coasting through life has to find a rock to bring into science class last-minute, so he looks out in his aunt's backyard and chooses one at random. Turns out this is a very special rock, one that should never have moved. Now the forces within, little bee-like creatures who feed on time, have been disturbed and released. Suddenly time is starting to literally fly by! The kids are in class only a few minutes before the next bell rings. They get home from school only to find it's already dinner time. They grow taller and stronger overnight. I was definitely intrigued by the concept of fantastical creatures foraging on time, like locusts of the fourth dimension! Unfortunately, I felt like this could have been explained much more if the book was longer or the start to a series. (It's a standalone; I checked.)
The plot premise isn't the only thing left unexplained. There's an entire scene with Feenix that never really ends up going anywhere. After it was all over, I kept expecting it to pop back up later in the story... but it never did. So it was really unnecessary in the scheme of things. And Feenix's name! Her name is actually Edith. Maybe I missed something somewhere, but I don't think the author ever explains the nickname.
Two of the secondary characters really saved this book for me and kept me pushing through: Danton and Brigit. I absolutely loved Danton's energy and enthusiasm and friendliness! If I was a kid again, I'd totally want to be friends with Danton. He also exhibits a thoughtfulness beyond his years that is super sweet. And Brigit is such a sweet thing. She cares so much for her family and friends. Although quiet, she shows a great inner strength.
Another redeeming factor: the Action! Adventure! near the end of the book. The story culminates in some pretty daring do's, where the characters experience a great deal of danger to save their town from the time foragers.
My library classifies The Time Fetch as "Young Adult," but I'd only hand it to the youngest of young adults. Like some middle schoolers. I'd be afraid, though, that even a younger kid would question the plot holes, and wind up slightly dissatisfied.
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