Tempest

Tempest
by Julie Cross
352 pages
High School+

While Jackson Meyer may look and feel like an ordinary teen, he is anything but normal.  Jackson can travel back in time.  While nothing like the movies and he can't go back very far, he thinks it's amazing. Nothing changes in his current time line, and he always has to return to "home base," his natural time line.  Together with his friend Adam, he is studying his ability to see what his limits are.  All Jackson has to do is keep it secret from his dad and his girlfriend, Holly.

Then one day, something completely unexpected happens.  Men storm into Holly's room while Jackson is staying there, and shot Holly.  In the stress of the moment, Jackson jumps and time travels, but in doing so, changes where his "home base" is.  All the emotion makes him do something he has never done before.  Instead of living as a college student in 2009, Jackson must assume the role of his high school self from 2007.  Not sure of how to get home, and how to change what happened to Holly, Jackson is confused and panicking.

Things get even worse when he starts being followed by the same people that shot Holly.  How can they be back in 2007 unless they are time travellers as well?  Jackson has to figure out what is going on, and fast, so he protect himself and those he loves.

Way fun book!  Fast paced, lots of action, twists and turns! Definitely action filled! 

I loved how it started giving details about how the time travelling works- does it spin off alternative realities?  Does what happen in one time-line affect another?  It gave the reader a lot to think about and learn, just as Jackson was learning about it too.  Instead of having the narrator explain it, it naturally explains stuff.

I also really ended up liking Jackson a lot.  He has to deal with some tough situations, and it's interesting to see his thought process and why he does what he does.  While outwardly a "tough guy," things that have happened to him make him approachable and very easy to like.  Great character- I'm looking forward to see what happens to him and if he can have a happy ending.

Great book!  I'm very excited to read the next (which comes out soon!).  I said for high school age mostly for complexity, but also because of the relationship between Jackson and Holly.  While it never gives details, it is obvious that they are sleeping together.  Also, a little violent in places.  But I really enjoyed it and those things supported the story instead of being unnecessary.