Kirkus Reviews

Thirteen-year-old Becker Drane's career as the youngest-ever Fixer brings him up against a World-threatening explosion in this sequel to The Seems: The Glitch in Sleep (2007). The Seems, the behind-the-scenes organization that keeps The World running, has been attacked by the terrorist organization The Tide, which has constructed a Time Bomb out of some trays of Frozen Moments and a Second Splitter in the Department of Time. If Becker and his fellow Fixers don't contain the Split Second, the universe will be destroyed in the flood of Essence of Time. Aided by a slew of trademarked devices (such as a Can of ButtwhuppinTM, a Hot PotatoTM and a This, That, & the Other ThingTM), Becker and his slightly stereotypical crew of friends and colleagues save the world for hope and whimsy. Heartwarming fluff follows predictable story lines with original and silly set-dressing. The cutesy puns can wear somewhat but are charming overall—in this small, book-length dose. (appendices: glossary, "Time Is of The Essence," "Tools of the Trade," "Post Mission Report") (Fantasy. 9-11)

ALA Booklist (Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

This book expands upon the premise of The Glitch in Sleep (2007), in which a mirror world called the Seems constructs and maintains the machinery that governs our own, with a massive bureaucracy charged with everything from keeping the Seconds rolling along smoothly to painting properly glorious sunsets and delivering Little Unplanned Changes of Kismet (L.U.C.K.). When a rebel organization plants a Time Bomb that threatens to destroy the inner workings of our universe, Becker Dran, the talented, teenage "Fixer," finds himself in desperate need of help to set things right. With increasingly severe time storms wreaking havoc worldwide, it looks like only the elusive Time Being herself has the power to help; can Becker track her down and persuade her to lend a hand? Yes, as it turns out, and no. This sequel continues to develop a truly ingenious setting while proving every bit as much of a nail-biter as the first. Becker and his allies come through in the end, but the close brings signs of impending disaster on an even vaster scale. Stay tuned.

School Library Journal (Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2009)

Gr 5-8 Fixer Becker Drane, 13, reappears to save The World from a renegade Split Second and a powerful Time Bomb. He leads the life of a normal teenager until his 7th Sense alerts him to danger, and his Blinker goes off with a message from The Seems that gives him his new assignment. The Seems is an organization on the other side of the Fabric of Reality that created the Real World and is responsible for making everything in it (Time, Sleep, Weather, etc.) run smoothly. When there is a problem, a Fixer, with the help of a Briefer, must get to work. Becker's job is to find and fix the Split Second before a rebel group bent on destroying The World sets off the bomb. Hilarious wordplay, capitalized idiomatic expressions, puns, and figures of speech propel the plot along at a manic pace as Becker falls in love, tries to follow the Rules, and narrowly escapes annihilation. A delightful caste of noble and nefarious characters adds to the fun. For those in need of a moral component, there is much philosophizing about why bad things happen if the great Seems Plan for The World is supposed to be so perfect. Readers are encouraged to take the Seems Aptitude Test to become a Fixer. Advise readers to approach this book with a Grain of Salt and with Tongue firmly in Cheek for a wild ride. Quinby Frank, Green Acres School, Rockville, MD

Horn Book (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

The Department of Time is the target of a massive bomb detonated by a terrorist group called The Tide. It falls to thirteen-year-old Becker, a "Fixer," to try to pick up the pieces and save the world of The Seems, which keeps Earth running smoothly. Lots of action and clever wordplay feature in this sequel to The Glitch in Sleep.