Pull

February 8, 2016
In an entertaining if sometimes convoluted adventure, teenager Rosie Clayton discovers her connection to a secret society, the Servators, that uses an ability called "Pulling" to turn back time to fight crime and prevent disaster. An American who has traveled to London with her family to be with her dying grandfather, Rosie witnesses a woman being muggedâand then the scene repeats; the second time, a Servator named Albert intervenes and saves the woman. Rosie is determined to learn more about the Servators, who are engaged in a war against the evil Mortiferi, people corrupted by infernal magic. Learning that her troubled brother may already be under their sway, Rosie and her new allies, including the enigmatic yet attractive Albert, work to thwart the Mortiferi's plans. Riley (Voyage to the Star Kingdom) offers up an intriguing premise but undermines it with slow pacing and an overstuffed blend of time travel, sorcery, demons, and black magic. Readers may find the initial concept of Pulling more enticing than the many other components that come to fill the story. Agent: Emma Patterson, Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents. Ages 12âup.

March 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-Rosie cannot believe her grandfather's cancer took him so quickly. She does not have time to come to grips with the fact that he would not be a part of her life anymore. Nor can she prepare herself for the impact his dying words will have on her life. "My talent is yours, dear girl. Take it and conquer." She cannot help but wonder what her grandfather meant by that. Then Rosie experiences "the pull," which is what occurs when time is rewound so that an event can be altered. Rosie gains some information from Albert, a librarian whom seems to hold all the answers and who is always present when weird things happen. With Albert and his crew, Rosie learns the truth about time manipulation, demons, and herself. However, the Mortiferi, the demons they must fight, seem to be hunting them and Rosie's family. Rosie must decide who she can trust to get her and her family out of this alive. VERDICT Riley seamlessly introduces readers to a world where you can change the past. Teens will enjoy this journey of a girl who must handle death, addiction, heartbreak, love, friendship, and adventure.-Jessica Strefling, US Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit Library

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