Time Stoppers by Carrie Jones

Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408872581
(Age: 9-11) Recommended. Annie Nobody's life is truly sad; she has survived placements in eleven foster homes, and now she is placed with the Wiegles in their filthy trailer with their pack of dogs. Her carers treat her like a slave and make her sleep outside into the snow, where she is forced to sleep with the dogs. Things become worse for her, when an evil force chases her through the forest. In the same town Mount Desert, twelve-year-old Jamie Alexander's family life is also difficult. His grandmother and father are really trolls, waiting for him to turn thirteen because trolls love to feast on human's bones and brains!
At the very last minute, Annie and Jamie are rescued, then swept away on snowmobile-hovercraft to the magical city of Aurora. Their rescuer is a dwarf called Eva, who is rather opinionated and sassy. This supernatural place is filled with magical creatures protected by a woman named Miss Cornelia. Annie Nobody has a purpose, a special role - she is a Time Stopper with magical powers. The townsfolk expect her to save them from the evil Raiff.
Carrie Jones' novel is one of darkness and light, of action-packed adventures, fantastical creatures and is filled with a range of quirky characters. The protagonists rise up to meet the challenges, as they begin to draw on their inner strength, their resilience and start to believe in their own capabilities. The story ends with a cliff-hanger and sets up the beginning of the Time Stoppers series. The exposition and rising arc of the narrative are extremely dark and confronting, and this may be of concern to a younger reader.
Rhyllis Bignell