TIME FOR PSYQ, the debut novel in author Marti Ward’s new QUANTUM TALENTS series, is a fast-paced and exciting adventure story for older children and adults and would be an excellent option for reading aloud at school or home. The young main characters have unusual mental gifts which the kids work to master and improve as the story progresses. The story will certainly tease the imagination of readers as these gifted children begin to understand and control their skills. One of the best aspects of the plot is that the kids link with their pets and can see, hear, and smell their surroundings through their animals. This capability made for some fun and interesting perspectives.

The main character and most advanced or gifted of the group is Airlie Sanderson. Her link with her cat, Sooty, greatly enhances her ability to communicate telepathically with others in the group and share what they are experiencing, even at great distances. Airlie quickly becomes confident with her skills and doesn’t hesitate to use them to help people, taking charge in dire situations ahead of adults. One especially creative and useful skill is her ability to rewind in her mind what someone or one of the pets has seen.

I really enjoyed the Camp Polis trip when many of the kids still believed they were the only ones having odd mental experiences. Readers will surely relate to these characters’ feelings of being alone and different, that something was terribly wrong with them. Of course, their secret and potentially powerful gifts don’t stay secret for long, and trouble soon comes to Airlie, her friends, and her family. I look forward to reading about their further adventures as these remarkable kids are invited to attend a special science and maths school in book two.

My only concern about this book is the level of discussion and explanation dealing with the science of how these kids became the way they are; it seemed too advanced for the age group that would most enjoy the story. Some explanations were too complex and long, although at least in one of those instances, this seemed to be poking a bit of fun at Airlie and her enthusiasm for the subject. However, there is way more entertainment in this story than these types of passages, and shouldn’t detract from enjoying this really good fantasy adventure.

I recommend TIME FOR PSYQ to readers of upper middle-grade fiction.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from "Reedsy Discovery."

Karen Siddall
July 30, 2023

A middle grade adventure with an original twist and a cast of endearing young heroes, Time for PsyQ by Marti Ward is a phenomenally fun read. Certain schoolchildren who live near the Large Hadron Collider develop psionic abilities, leading to some very clever mystery-solving, in a kind of mash-up of Scooby Doo and Harry Potter. Like other young fellowship series, the key is the strong relationship dynamics, which are especially strong here, specifically between Airlie and her parents, as well as Yan and Kate, two of her eccentric powered-up pals... the heart of the story is strong, and the premise is enchanting from the start.

I must say, this is a very enjoyable novel for 9 – 12 year olds, and possibly older. For the most part, it’s well-written with plenty happening to keep a young reader turning the page. It’s primarily the story of a young girl who has, what I’d call, a sixth sense; or a psychic ability. So, for example, she can connect to her cat, Sooty, and see things from his POV. When her ‘talent’ is recognised by Inspector Humble, she is invited along to a camp with other gifted children. Although the story can get a little technical in parts, it’s a fun and often very exciting adventure too, as the young protagonist develops her crime fighting skills – even when it’s simply finding a boy at school who’s been nicking pens and rulers!

There were many aspects to this exciting novel I enjoyed. For a start, I felt the young hero, Airlie, was fun to get to know. She’s a strong character, determined, and very smart – but she gets things wrong too, making her the perfect, slightly flawed hero for the story. I also felt the author did a good job of plotting the story, dividing it into three acts, and offering the reader a balanced mix of adventure and psychic-related knowledge as the protagonist perfects her talents. Finally, there’s an Enid Blyton feel to the book, particularly when she’s solving a mystery.

All in all, I’m happy to recommend this novel to middle graders and young teenagers looking for a smartly plotted story with a strong, memorable hero to root for. Yes, it gets a bit wordy in parts and I suspect a few readers will be asking Google for help in deciphering the odd paragraph, but it’s still exciting and, particularly in the third act, a page turner.