'Movers' by Meaghan McIsaac Review

'Movers' by Meaghan McIsaac

Review by Chris

Summary:

Set in a futuristic world where some are born with the power to move people from another time, this is a thrilling new science fiction series with an original time travel twist from the author of Urgle.

The world is dying, overcrowded and polluted. Storms rage over the immensely tall tower blocks, attracted to Movers.

Movers are connected to people in the future, their Shadows. And moving your Shadow is highly illegal.

Patrick knows all too well what happens if you break the law: his father has been in the Shelves ever since he moved his Shadow. And now Patrick and his family are in danger again.

Following a catastrophic event at their school, Patrick must go on the run. Through filthy, teeming markets, forebrawler matches, a labyrinth of underground tunnels and beyond, he’ll need his wits and courage to escape the forces that want to take everything he loves.

 

Review:

Before I start this review, I should say, I tend to avoid sci-fi when I read. It's nothing against the genre but I find some of the books to be a bit lazy; they rely on elements of the genre without breaking any new ground. Time travel. Cloning. Outer space. Aliens. It's a non-exhaustive list but you get the point. Often, I find the novelty becomes the focus of the story when I want it to be a tool that accelerates the characterisation and the plot development.

 

Movers has converted me though; it's an exciting page-turner that juggles world-building with concept, characterisation with mystery, and compromises nothing. In the future, there are Movers; people who are connected to someone they can move to their time (i.e. a Shadow). It takes a bit of time to get your head  around it but you get there eventually. McIsaac doesn't spoon-feed you. She leaves a breadcrumb trail for you to follow and forces you to actively engage with her world and her characters. The concept of 'Movers' accelerates the character developments of Patrick and Gabriela. It becomes something much more than a novelty. The tension and discrimination between Movers and non-Movers too, is something worth noting. It echoes the racial inequalities of our past and the general fear and panic that sparked ensuing violence.

 

If you're looking for something a bit different for your next read, this might be the book for you. A captivating world, fresh characters and a time twist - this is perfect for male and female readers. A cross between dystopia and sci-fi, Movers has cinematic appeal that fans of Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave and Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games will adore.

 

Rating: 4/5 Stars  ★ ★ ★ ★

 

Christopher Moore:

 

 

Christopher is a co-founder of the YAfictionados blog and is best known as the YAblooker. He is a twenty-five year old book blogger who has previously worked in marketing and consumer insight for various publishing houses and writes in his spare time. He loves to travel and will read anything YA-related and some general fiction and fantasy.