Nean McKenzie, Timefire, MidnightSun Publishing, July 2023, 200 pp., RRP $17.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781922858030
A family farm alight. A boy wrongfully accused of being a firebug, as his mother was when she disappeared in a day of flames over a decade earlier. An unexplained burn on young Gilbert’s back that throbs whenever fire is near. A fire tunnel that pulls Gil through time into the heat of greatest Australian bushfires of the last two centuries, where he must unlock their secrets to protect his family’s legacy.
This exciting new middle grade novel is a real page-turner. Clever worldbuilding makes up for occasional over-telling and a few internal (time travel) inconsistencies. At its heart, Timefire is a supernatural tale of family, learning from the past and changing the future.
A satisfying adventure that is sure to captivate young readers from start to finish.
Reviewed by Maura Pierlot
