School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 9 Up-The wood is a dangerous setting where travelers from other places and times slip in through portals. After her father's disappearance, Winter becomes the guardian of the wood. She cannot move away or ignore the wood's ominous pull. There are rules that her father has drilled into her. Stay on the path. Leave the wood before dark. All travelers must return to their homes. The wood is changing-dying. A British traveler from the 18th century convinces Winter that the wood can be saved, but evil forces are at work. Henry promises that he arrived to find his own parents, but he may have other motives. The wood becomes menacing, hungry, and watchful. The rules have altered, and unless Winter figures them out, everything will be in peril. Henry and Winter share flirtatious repartee and a sizzling chemistry, but the wood takes center stage as the main character and driving force of the plot. This interesting twist in storytelling makes this title a standout. VERDICT This provocative debut is a must-have for collections where fans of time travel are looking for their next fix.-Pamela Thompson, Col. John O. Ensor Middle School, El Paso, TX © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Winter's father is the guardian of the wood: he spends all day helping accidental time travelers through portals in the dark of the forest, returning them to their homes. The title of guardian is a mystical one, and none who bear it ever wander off the paths or get lost until Winter's dad does. Now the job of guardian passes to her, despite her reluctance. As she tries to learn why her father has disappeared, Winter finds new dangers in the woods, with dark creatures and hidden perils around every turn. When she encounters lost Englishman Henry, who's wandered away from the 1700s, Winter attempts to return him to his own time, only to find that he might know more than he should about her woods. Winter can be difficult to relate to, and the beginning is slow-paced due to the inclusion of a significant amount of backstory a prequel could have helped establish the world more thoroughly. Still, the concept is intriguing, and this is a good buy for larger collections.--Comfort, Stacey Copyright 2017 Booklist

Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

After her father's disappearance, Winter becomes guardian of a forest containing time-traveling portals; she must see that all travelers return to their original times. But the forest is dying, and the latest traveler may hold the key to her father's fate. The strong world-building of this horror-tinged fantasy will hook readers from the beginning and keep hold as the adventure slowly gains steam. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.