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Ask Madam Pince

Recent Posts

  • Book Review: “All the Hidden Monsters” by Amie Jordan May 9, 2025
  • Book Review: “The Last One” by Rachel Howzell Hall December 5, 2024
  • Author Interview: Randy Ribay, Author of “The Reckoning of Roku” July 23, 2024
  • Book Review: “The Reckoning of Roku” (“Chronicles of the Avatar” #5) by Randy Ribay July 23, 2024
  • Book Review: “We Shall Be Monsters” by Tara Sim June 29, 2024
  • Book Review: “The Cursed Rose” (“The Bone Spindle” #3) by Leslie Vedder February 6, 2024
  • Book Review: “Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth” by Natalie Haynes January 8, 2024
  • Book Review: “The Blood Years” by Elana K. Arnold November 17, 2023
  • Book Review: “Check & Mate” by Ali Hazelwood November 7, 2023
  • Series Review: “Catwings” by Ursula K. Le Guin, Illustrated by S.D. Schindler October 24, 2023
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Book Review: Justin Thyme by Panama Oxridge

[button color=”black” size=”big” link=”http://affiliates.abebooks.com/c/99844/77798/2029?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abebooks.com%2Fservlet%2FSearchResults%3Fisbn%3D9780956231598″ target=”blank” ]Purchase here[/button]

When Robin at Interrobang contacted me to ask if I would review the publisher’s newest book, he appealed to my deepest and strongest instincts: vanity and cheapness. Vanity gave its thumbs-up as soon as Robin mentioned that the book’s author, Panama Oxridge, was a fan of the Book Trolley and had asked particularly to have me review Justin Thyme. Cheapness agreed the moment Robin offered to send me a free copy of the book. And now that I have disclosed my selfish motivations for reading this book, you can take my review for what it’s worth.

Honestly, though, I enjoyed Justin Thyme, the first book in the Tartan of Thyme series. And I think that it should appeal to many of the deepest, strongest instincts of many people who enjoy Harry Potter. It has a thirteen-year-old hero who lives in a Scottish castle full of eccentric characters, some of whom may be spying for the boy’s elusive and deadly enemy. It has puzzles, clues, anagrams, and weird creatures including the Loch Ness monster, a talking gorilla, and an eight-legged cat. It involves time travel, memory modification, a master of disguise, a kidnap, and loads of technological wizardry. Fans of Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, and the Pure Dead series should feel right at home here.

Also, parents and teachers will be thrilled by the book’s educational value. Laced with a thirteen-year-old’s-level explanation of the principles of time travel, it ends with a glossary of vocabulary-building words, Scottish dialect and scientific terminology used in the book. It also has several pages for young readers to note down the clues they pick up as they go along, including clues to mysteries yet to be revealed in the sequel, Thyme Running Out.

The young hero is a thirteen-year-old, self-made billionaire named Justin Thyme. He lives in Thyme castle with his rebellious older sister Robyn and their baby brother Albion, their mother who is the celebrity host of a television safari program, and their father who was on his way to becoming a great inventor when his memory was erased. They also have some live-in staff who may, in fact, be spies for the slippery enemy who erased Sir Willoughby’s memory. Finding out who the spy is becomes a matter of urgency when Justin starts inventing a time machine, and when his mother is kidnapped. The ransom note demands the finished machine. Poor Justin has to work night and day in a race to finish the machine while also trying to work out who is friend, who is foe, and how to rescue his Mum.

Justin and Robyn are appealing characters, contrasting sharply with each other. The other eccentric folks in the castle are interesting company, making you giggle and gasp in close succession. As Justin’s suspicions focus on one suspect after another – as he gets closer to the dangerous truth – you can’t help getting caught up in his adventure. Plus, there are unique quirks to enjoy, such as the title on the front cover (which reads the same when you turn it upside down), the chapter headings (which contain a secret message), and the author’s bio (which claims that Panama Oxridge will be born next year). And speaking of the author, his or her name forms anagrams with the name of the illustrator and cover designer, as well as a chemical substance mentioned in the text…clues to yet another mystery!

As all the clues, theories, and dangling threads of Harry Potter are tying up once and for all, perhaps the time has come to look for another series to work your sleuthing skills upon. If so, consider the Tartan of Time series. To learn more, visit www.justinthyme.info.

  • Post date
    January 1, 2013
  • Posted by
    Robbie
  • Posted in Book Reviews
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