Book Review: The Named by Marianne Curley

Imagine you were able to change the past. By altering one tiny thing, you could start a chain of catastrophic events...
Ethan is Named- he has the ability to travel back in time, where he must use his special skills to try and interpret dark forces intent on unravelling history. But Ethan is also a normal school boy, and leading a single life with a double identity is becoming just too much to handle, especially when even the normal part is getting more and more complicated.

The Named is the first in The Guardians of Time series by Marianne Curley. It is a young adult fantasy book with a little bit of romance thrown in too. Ethan and Isabel are the central characters and alternate chapters are delivered from each of their perspectives. Isabel is effectively Ethan's apprentice and once she has discovered that she is Named she has to follow Ethan's guidance in order to survive the missions that she is sent on. I was a little irritated by how easily Isabel accepted being told that she has these amazing powers and ability to travel through time. I just thought that a little more could have been made of her coming to terms with this astonishing discovery.
The time travelling aspect of the book was brilliant and I loved the idea of the Named being sprinkled with some kind of magic dust in order to take on the appearance and mannerisms of the people of the time they have returned to.
I think that this book would appeal to male and female readers as it has a little bit of everything. Marianne Curley keeps a good pace up throughout and throws in several twists and turns to keep you turning the pages.
I shall read the next in the series as it will be interesting to learn how the characters develop and what their new time travelling missions will involve.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me this book to review.