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A review by neilrcoulter
Torn by Margaret Peterson Haddix
4.0
Another good entry in Margaret Peterson Haddix's Missing series. Haddix is a great storyteller, and one of the things I like most about this series is her skill in introducing new twists in a natural, organic way. Each book in this series has upped the stakes just a little bit, by introducing new characters, conspiracies, or challenges for Jonah and Katherine. In a lot of stories, this constant upping of the game feels artificial, but Haddix is good at constructing series in which each new challenge makes sense within the world she has created. This is only the halfway point in the Missing series, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing what further twists and turns she has in store as the series continues.
The focus of Torn is explorer Henry Hudson and his son, John. I didn't know much about their final voyage, so the historical information was all new, and interesting, to me. Jonah has a new challenge in this story, and time itself is unraveling, so no one is quite sure how the events are supposed to proceed. Though there are some father/son issues in the book, I felt that the emotional effect of that relationship was not quite as poignant as in the previous book's relationship between Virginia Dare and her grandfather. Also, I really couldn't believe that it took Jonah and Katherine so long to figure out that. I mean, really. That should have been obvious to them much earlier.
Even with those flaws, however, I enjoyed Torn very much, and went right into the next book, Caught, as soon as I finished Torn. This is a really fine series, and I recommend it for upper-elementary ages and older.
The focus of Torn is explorer Henry Hudson and his son, John. I didn't know much about their final voyage, so the historical information was all new, and interesting, to me. Jonah has a new challenge in this story, and time itself is unraveling, so no one is quite sure how the events are supposed to proceed. Though there are some father/son issues in the book, I felt that the emotional effect of that relationship was not quite as poignant as in the previous book's relationship between Virginia Dare and her grandfather. Also, I really couldn't believe that it took Jonah and Katherine so long to figure out that
Spoiler
Prickett was actually SecondEven with those flaws, however, I enjoyed Torn very much, and went right into the next book, Caught, as soon as I finished Torn. This is a really fine series, and I recommend it for upper-elementary ages and older.