Changes

  During World War Two, Max's father decides to move the whole family to a seaside retreat he knows of - a wooden house far away from the city he's grown his family up in. Nobody seems too keen on the idea, neither of Max's sisters, his mother, nor he - and Max is gifted a pocket watch by his loving, talented mechanic cum engineer cum watchmaker of a father, enscribed inscribed as "''Max's Time Machine"''. But the house they move to, and its surroundings, are full of more successful time machines - a stash of early home videos, a public clock that runs backwards, a sunken shipwreck, a yard full of statues of a stone circus... And let's not forget the mysterious, spider-eating cat that joins in with proceedings.

This is a first-time published author in complete control of his story. I didn't read this book - instead , I swept over the incredibly visual film it mentally played in my head for three absorbing hours. It's a breathless rush of spookiness, with a firm punch to pack, as it evokes a dangerous, ethereal world, and does so almost perfectly.

Wartime time travel can be found for a much younger audience in [[Time Train to the Blitz by Sophie McKenzie]]. There are further spooky happenings to be enjoyed with [[Tomorrow's Guardian by Richard Denning]]. We also enjoyed a shorter read: [[Creepover: Truth or Dare by P J Night]].