EighthDay

Newly orphaned Jax is court-ordered to live with Riley who is barely old enough to vote. Why would his dad have left instructions for Riley to be Jax’s legal guardian? Jax has never even met Riley.

The answers come as soon as Jax turns 13 and experiences his first Eighth day, an extra day between Wednesday and Thursday. Jax has inherited the special power to be a Transitioner from his father. Transitioners, like Riley and Jax, get to visit that unusual slice of time but also live during the other seven days. However, there are other people known as the Kin, who only exist in the Eighth Day. The Kin want to change that even though altering the fabric of time could mean the end of the billions of normal people on earth.

There’s a mysterious Kin girl that lives next door. Against Riley’s adamant orders to leave her alone, Jax befriends Evangeline and learns she is the key to the magical battle to control time. Jax finds himself in the middle of that battle. Who can he trust?

As if the concept wasn’t fascinating enough, the personality conflict between Jax and Riley adds another dimension of tension. Great concept, strong characters, fast-paced and perfect for 10 and up. The only reason I suggest 10 as the earliest age is the somewhat complex web of characters that might need an older reader to digest.

Move over Percy Jackson and make room for a new teen hero, Jax Aubrey. The second in the series The Inquisitor’s Mark released on January 27, 2015.