View on Biblioguides
When it is done very well, I love science fiction. Thanks to Connie Willis, I tend to favor time travel books—probably because they feel the most like good old-fashioned novels, but with a twist. John Greco’s middle grade novel from Moody Publishers, The Unlikely Intrusion of Adams Klein, does time travel very well indeed.
The story opens in the year 2196, where Adams Klein is going about his daily routine under the oppressive shadow of The Marshall, the totalitarian ruler of a post-apocalyptic world. In this dystopian future, independent thought of any kind is punishable by death. Adams and his classmates spend most of their school day training to be soldiers because any knowledge they may need is simply downloaded into their brains. Life is rigid, bleak, and dangerously controlled. It’s clear from the beginning that Adams and his father are different. And, when The Marshall has a series of dreams where he is attacked, he goes on a witch hunt looking for his would-be assassin.
Grant Klein knows that The Marshall has ordered Adams to be “eliminated.” Fearing for his son’s life, Grant Klein does something desperate and courageous: he sends Adams and his dog, Jupiter, back in time to our present day, hiding his son in history.
“‘You have to promise me you’ll keep to yourself. You can’t get involved. You can’t change anything. Just find a quiet spot away from people and live out your life in peace.’ Grant paused on the landing at the seventh floor. He turned to Adams with tears in his eyes for all the experiences he knew his son would miss with a life of isolation. ‘It’s not the life I wanted for you, but I promised your mother I would take care of you,’ he said. ‘This is the only thing I know to do, and at least this way, you’ll be free.’” p. 50
For nearly a year, Adams follows his father’s instructions. He lives in the woods, avoids detection, and keeps a careful distance from the people around him. When he’s in need, he takes only discarded or overlooked items—never valuables—earning him the local nickname “The Ghost.”
But everything changes when Adams witnesses a group of teenagers at a skating party, and two of them fall through the ice. Though helping them will expose him and risk unraveling the timeline, he doesn’t hesitate. He rescues them—and in doing so, sets into motion a series of consequences that cannot be undone.
I love stories like this. The characters are interesting and relatable, the world-building is thoughtful without being overwhelming, and the narrative is carefully and intelligently woven together. The time travel element provides a clever mechanism for the story to unfold, but it never overshadows the deeper themes of courage, sacrifice, and the moral complexity of doing what’s right.
One of my favorite parts of Connie Willis’s Oxford Time Travel series is the central question it wrestles with: What do you do when doing the right thing might change everything? Like Willis, Greco answers with moral clarity: doing the right thing is always the right thing—even when the consequences are severe.
Parents May Wish to Know:
This is a strong upper middle grade novel, ideal for readers ages 10 and up. Parents may want to preview it for themes including divorce, remarriage, and mild violence. These elements are handled sensitively and appropriately for the target age group.
The Unlikely Intrusion of Adams Klein is the kind of book that lingers after you finish. I found it nearly impossible to put down, and I’m eagerly awaiting the next installments in the Timefall Trilogy. Greco has created a world and a team of heroes worth rooting for—and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.