ALA Booklist (Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Modern teenager Jack Christie discovers that his father, who disappeared years ago, had invented a time machine with an elite group of physicists, historians, and engineers, who are split between those who think that it's too dangerous to change history and those, including Jack's dad, who are convinced that if they stop the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, they could thereby prevent many of the twentieth century's greatest horrors. Jack gets transported back to 1914, and on top of multiple chase scenes and a few wild shoot-outs, the tension comes from Jack wavering between loyalty to his father's idealism and a sneaking suspicion that it's best not to meddle with history. In O'Brien's first novel, imported from England and presumably the first in a series, the pacing is often stalled by characters stopping to explain to each other what just happened, but the premise is compelling for readers who can swallow some iffy time-travel logic. Those unfamiliar with why the assassination in Sarajevo was such a big deal would be well served to read the excellent historical endnotes first.

Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Jack Christie and his best friend Angus are caught up in the plot to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Having traveled through time to 1914 Sarajevo, the two become pawns in a struggle between competing factions. They must grapple with preserving or changing history and facing the resultant implications for the future. The story provides a fast-paced combo of speculative- and historical fiction. Timeline.

Kirkus Reviews

Rival groups of time machineequipped scientists duke it out for the loyalty of a teenager in this clumsy series opener. Caught between a residual bond with his brilliant but absent father—who, thanks to "computer simulations," believes that preventing the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand will head off the First World War, and the entirely plausible view of his father's erstwhile organization VIGIL that any meddling with the past is too dangerous—Jack travels back to 1914, makes his way across Europe by various unlikely means and finds himself standing near the assassin at the crucial moment. O'Brien folds in actual participants and even period photos for historical verisimilitude, but doesn't even try to match that with credible time-travel gear or effects. In addition, he allows the "Do Not Disturb the Past" VIGIL party to litter the 1914 scenery with modern weapons and other anachronisms without an apparent second thought and in similarly plot-driven fashion trots in massive contrivances to keep Jack free and alive. A fast-paced debut with plenty of cartoon-style violence, but the time travel never gets beyond being a convenient MacGuffin. (Fantasy. 11-13)

School Library Journal (Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Gr 6-9 This title, a cross between Anthony Horowitz's "Alex Rider" books (Penguin) and Dan Gutman's "Baseball Card Adventures" (HarperCollins), introduces Jack Christie and his friend Angus. The British teens enjoy playing video games, particularly the World War I-inspired Point of Departure , and looking for adventure. Due to circumstances beyond their control, the boys find themselves back in June 1914, as part of a conspiracy to stop the war. Within the first suspenseful pages, readers will find an engaging historical/science fiction tale that has intrigue, danger, and a little romance. Jack's conflicting emotions about his parents' divorce, his fears about the unfolding events, and his frustrations with the present-day situation that sent him back in time are genuine. O'Brien deftly articulates the historical and cultural climate of Europe, and Austria in particular, on the advent of war. He gives equal attention to the science-fiction portions of the novel too, as the device used to travel back in time is plausible enough for readers to believe its viability. From an explosive escape out of captivity to a much-anticipated scene that decides the fate of World War I, the end of the book has plenty of action. Historical information and photographs about the events and people central to the period enhance this title even more. Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY

Voice of Youth Advocates

When the word ôassassinsö appears in a title, it is a safe bet that the book is guy-friendly. Jack Christie is an everyday fifteen-year-old who likes to hang out playing Point of Departure, his favorite video game that places players in the bloody trenches of World War I. Soon a series of events has Jack and his best friend, Angus, caught up in the ultra-secret Taurus, a time-travel machine hidden in their own school. Things go very wrong, and Jack is whisked back to 1914 England just a few days before Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austria-Hungary Empire is to be assassinated. Before Jack figures out that he is a pawn of the masterminds behind Taurus, his buddy Angus intends to rescue him but also becomes trapped in 1914. The friends dodge capture and rush across Europe trying to figure out how to return to the twenty-first century. Thankfully the concept of time travel is not lectured, it just happens; however, other details make the story too wordy. It is not a simple bayonet, but a seventeen-inch serrated steel bayonet. OÆBrienÆs story is different from other guy thrillers such as the Alex Rider and Alfred Kropp tales because of its focus on the historical assassination, at times reading like nonfiction. Librarians should be aware that characters die gruesome deaths and violence emulates a war-themed video game. Still it is a cool hook knowing Jack has the power to prevent the assassination and stop World War I from happening.ùRollie Welch.