TIMESTORM

Here’s hoping fans have had time to rest their brains before leaping into the final installment of the Tempest trilogy, as it will push them nearly to the breaking point.

The mental gymnastics necessary to keep up with Jackson Meyer and his band of time-traveling “misfits” are not for out-of-shape readers. Amid many subplots, Jackson is reunited with the people he loves in the year 3200, where he will finally uncover the truth about the origins of the Tempus gene and Project Eyewall. Armed with this knowledge, Jackson and his crew must wage the ultimate battle to save the past, present and future. As in its predecessors, the best part of the novel lies in the emotional connections among the characters, particularly with respect to Jackson and his ill-fated twin sister, Courtney. The love story between Holly and Jackson, though frustrating at times due to the seemingly endless iterations of Holly, also adds some heat and intrigue. Unfortunately, the introduction of too many new characters and the relentless jumps back and forth in time make it nearly impossible to stay rooted in the story, no matter how endearing the cast might be. 

In a word: exhausting. (Science fiction. 14 & up)