Science fiction meets mystery in an engrossing Australian novel set in the not-too-distant future. At seventeen, Joss is a confirmed rebel. Kicked out of no fewer than twelve schools, she’s determined to make things work at the Centre for Neo-Historical Studies. Chosen as one of the elite few students to participate in a cutting-edge time travel program, Joss is driven to succeed as a time jumper, despite the school administrator’s efforts to expel her from the program. To further complicate matters, she’s been selected to partner Mavkel, the first alien student admitted to the time travel class. As if that’s not enough to keep her occupied, is that an assassin she’s just spotted lurking on the school grounds? Questions of alien rights and genetic engineering are timely and provocative, while generous amounts of humor and a sprinkling of harmonica blues keep things flowing smoothly. Despite the book’s action-packed plot, Joss is a surprisingly introspective character. Her relationship with her distant mother undergoes an unexpected evolution, she learns unsettling truths about her origin, and she faces complex decisions that will affect not only her own future but Mavkel’s very existence. (Ages 13–16)