ALA Booklist (Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Danny, a 17-year-old clock mechanic living in an alternate 1875 London, narrowly escapes death when a clock tower in which he's working is bombed. It takes some time to regain his nerve, and he is distracted by an impossible romance, his mechanic father's entrapment behind an impenetrable time-wall, and ongoing attacks on clock towers all over the English countryside. First-time author Sim has constructed a mild combination mystery, LGBTQ romance, and supernatural tale of clock spirits and sabotage that explores how far people might go for those they love. Its strongest elements are the time-related mythology and the supernatural gay romance; the mystery is inconsistently developed, and its resolution seems rushed. There is a hint opped and quickly gone at this is the first of more books to do with young Danny and his friends. An author's note indicates changes to real historical London of 1875 and addresses technology and inventions, the role of women, and homosexuality. Try this with A. J. Hartley's Steeplejack (2016) for the unusual occupation angle.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Debut novelist Sim creates an alternate Victorian England in which every town, regardless of size, has a clock tower that controls the local flow of time. If a town-s clock runs slow, time runs slow as well, and the town goes out of sync with its surroundings. Mechanics, who can feel the flow of time and keep the clocks running, are vitally important, but Danny, the youngest mechanic in England at age 17, has been devastated by twin tragedies: his father was trapped, along with the citizens of Maldon, when its clock stopped, and Danny himself nearly died when another clock tower exploded for reasons unknown. Working on Colton Tower, which has apparently been sabotaged, Danny meets and falls for a mysterious apprentice, a boy who, it turns out, isn-t human. Sim creates a cast of complex and diverse characters, as well as a mythology to explain how the clock towers came to exist (though it isn-t quite clear how the flow of time is controlled in locations far from a tower). It-s an enjoyable, well-realized tale, first in a planned trilogy. Ages 14-up. Agent: Laura Crockett, Triada US Literary. (Nov.)

School Library Journal (Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Gr 10 Up-The first installment in a steampunk trilogy by a debut author focuses on the power of clocks. In an alternative Victorian London, time is kept in check by clock towers that were put in place so long ago that their origins have become part of mythology. Seventeen-year-old Danny is a mechanic tasked with keeping the clocks running smoothly to prevent time from fracturing or being stopped. Having time stop has been Danny's biggest fear ever since his father became trapped in a stopped town. The teen is assigned to a clock tower that keeps breaking down where he meets a strange and attractive young man claiming to be his new assistant. As Danny falls in love for the first time, he realizes that love can make people selfish or selfless, and he must decide between the two. In the book, homosexuality is no longer illegal but still weighs heavily on Danny's mind and plays into his other insecurities as the youngest mechanic on record. Part mystery and part romance, this fantasy novel delves into what it means to grow up and make important decisions. With an easily relatable main character struggling to fit in, the novel has a realistic and contemplative voice. Several chapters focus on the world's mythology, providing a secret history of the domain the characters inhabit. VERDICT A must-have richly written fantasy novel that will have readers eagerly anticipating the next volume. For fans of Cassandra Clare's "The Infernal Devices" or more mature works like V.E. Schwab's "Shades of Magic" series. Rebecca Greer, Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative, FL

Voice of Youth Advocates (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Sim's debut novel is set in an alternate Victorian England where clock towers located in every town keep time running smoothly. Clock mechanics, able to feel the threads of time, are trained to maintain and repair the towers, for if a clock slows, the town slows, and if a clock stops, time in the town is stopped. Danny, a troubled young clock mechanic, copes with not only the loss of his father who has been trapped in a Stopped town for three years, but also with the recent near-death experience of a bomb going off in a tower he was assigned to repair. Shaken but determined, Danny is tasked with his first assignment since the explosion, and he discovers and falls in love with the lonely male clock spirit, assigned to be his assistant, living in the tower. As their relationship deepens, more bombings occur, putting more towns in jeopardy. Danny must decide what is more importanta forbidden romance or sacrificing true love to save others.Combining elements of steampunk, mythology, and mystery, Sim has created a rich fantasy that explores loss, grief, love, and LGBT issues. Danny's internal struggles with overcoming his fears and making confident decisions, feeling helpless over the loss of his father, and feeling secure about who he loves will ring true to adolescent readers. Sim's additional crafting of complex secondary characters and a captivating plot top off this highly recommended novel. Jewel Davis.