Reviews

Time Travelling with a Tortoise by Ross Welford

Only show reviews with written explanations

nickabockaglory's review

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Now that I've finished this book, it feels like this is essential reading for anyone who read "Time Travelling With a Hamster." The stories are so linked that it feels almost like this could have been one longer story combining both.

I enjoyed having a mix of different characters in this story and hearing how Al was adjusting to his new life. I enjoyed the role Grandpa Byron played and I think he has become my favourite character in this series.

I thought the story was much more conclusive than the last one which I thought was a bit "and everything ended well for everyone" and it seemed well thought out through the actual practicalities of time travel.

I thought the story was a bit more straightforward than the first book and I don't think I enjoyed it as much, even though it did seem like a much better ending than the way book 1 finished.

Specifically to the audiobook, I disliked the change of narrator from the previous one. I thought they switched between whisper voice and shouting (especially when speaking as Paulie) too often and I was either turning up the volume or being deafened.

Listened at 1.5x speed on the Libby app through my local library.

katykelly's review against another edition

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4.0

Fulfilling sequel with heart (and science).

4.5 stars

It's been several years since I'd read TTWAH, the predecessor to this, and I was very glad of Welford's recap! I don't remember the ending and implications for the changes caused by time travel.

But this picks up where the last one left off (you might need to back up and read Hamster first) where Al (short for Albert), having saved his Dad's life by travelling back and meeting him as a boy, has now changed his present so much that his life doesn't feel like 'his' anymore. And now his beloved Grandpa Byron is caught up in an accident that might prove fatal - sending Al back to his father's homemade machine to see if he can put things right.

But will meddling with time again have implications?

With some familiar characters and some even more exciting time travel scenarios (think waaaaaaaaay further back than the 1980s) this brings readers the same science and philosophy conundrums as previously, with added Tortoise.

A fabulous continuation, with the downsides of time travel apparent to readers, and a collection of memorable friends, family and rodents making this a book children won't want to put down until they've found out how Al's story ends.

For ages 9-13.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.