2.5 starsThis was my first Eoin Colfer read, so I had little idea what awaited. The premise sounded interesting and, with a few rough spots, I got through it quickly.
Characters: Riley was an okay protagonist, but I never became attached to him. His presence was often overshadowed by the more volatile and louder personality of his FBI friend, Chevron Savano. Chevy had a chip on her shoulder and was anxious to prove herself a capable agent worthy of a real badge. Agent Orange wasn't around long enough to form any strong opinion. The villain, Garrick, was not especially scary or villainous. He was too over-the-top, particularly in the passages written from his perspective. He seemed too emotional.
Romance: None.
Plot: The beginning interested me. Murder, mystery, mayhem, suspense, time travel-it had all the makings of a fun sci-fi adventure. Then it hit a pacing plateau setting up the present timeline and delving into Chevy's back story. It picked up again once the time travel was in full swing, but it was never as exciting and creepy as the first scene led me to expect. The story also had a few too many moments of pulling things out of nowhere (e.g., dead inventor's girlfriend, mysterious Victorian "genius," time twisted parentage, etc.). It was almost too easy.
Writing: Third omniscient POV. The POV use was interesting, but sometimes annoying, as when it switched between too many characters in a small space of text. I think it may have been more effective had the author limited the perspective jumps by sections or chapters and stayed with only two or three characters for the book.
Conclusion: Again, the solution was a little too easy, a little too neat. The "teaser" for the next book failed to grab me.
Overall: It was a decent story, but it never struck me as horribly original or exciting. I may or may not read the next in this series. This one would probably be good for boys and girls, though we do spend a considerable amount of time in Chevy's head.