School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-Abby's whole life has been planned: she is dating the "boy next door," whom she met shortly before she turned four, her parents are organizing the same bowling birthday party they've thrown for her for 14 years, and she and her best friend plan to be college roommates. Then Dante, a tall, dark, and handsome Italian foreign-exchange student, arrives at her high school, and everything gets turned upside down. Suddenly, she is having passionate feelings for him that she never had for her boyfriend, and she is willing to entertain possibilities that she never before considered. The closer she gets to Dante, the more her life spins out of control. Dante has secrets: He always wears leather gloves that cover his wrists, he disappears for days, and time literally stops when Abby is with him. The more she finds out about Dante, the more danger she is in. This novel has an exciting premise and moves along at a brisk pace. Unfortunately, the supporting characters are all caricatures of high school students, Abby and Dante have very little real chemistry, and the dialogue is stilted and frequently either cliched or superfluous.-Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Abby, a senior in high school, finds her routine broken by the new guy at school. Mysterious Dante Alexander (oh yes, the name means something) is fixated on Abby, but he is hesitant to touch her, and he claims to have been born in 1484. No, he's not a vampire, but fans of Stephenie Meyer's books might be the audience for this supernatural, tortured romance. The plot takes an intriguing turn when it is revealed that Dante was an apprentice to Leonardo da Vinci and helped him build one of his inventions: a time machine. Wrongly accused of a crime, Dante was sent through the Hourglass Door and into the future and Abby's town, along with some nefarious characters. Many of the metaphors feel clichéd, but the time-slip story may draw some interest. The first in a proposed series, this title suggests that Abby may head back in time to Florence, Italy, in future adventures.--Dobrez, Cindy Copyright 2009 Booklist
