cover image Rewind

Rewind

Carolyn O’Doherty. Boyds Mills, $17.95 (256p) ISBN 978-1-62979-814-1

In this intriguing sci-fi thriller, a young woman with the ability to freeze and rewind time discovers that she may not have long to live. As a “spinner” employed by the government to help solve crimes, 16-year-old Alex Manning yearns for freedom that is forbidden to her kind. After she’s struck by an incurable time sickness, she’ll do anything to avoid death, even take an experimental, illegal medication and pursue off-the-book missions with her handler. When she unexpectedly unlocks new powers, she stumbles across a dark secret at the heart of the spinner program. While the minimal backstory of the spinners raises some basic questions, O’Doherty supplies a solid premise, memorable characters, and a fast-paced plot. The exploration of limited time travel to combat crime and the societal prejudice against spinners are both thought-provoking concepts; this is a worthwhile setup for future installments in the proposed trilogy. Ages 12–up. Agent: Alison McDonald, Rights Factory. (Apr.)