A 17-year-old girl attends a school for unusual thieves in this YA novel. NatashaClarke was once a popular, star student. But she barely makes it through school these days, working overtime to help her mom make ends meet after her father's disappearance years ago. When her new friend Elodie Blue invites her to ditch school one day, Natasha jumps at the chance, not knowing her life is about to change forever. She wakes up the next day to find herself accused of a crime she has no memory of committing and an invitation to join Gray Wolf Academy, a private boarding school in a remote location, run by the reclusive tech trillionaire Arthur Blackstone. Given no choice, Natasha joins the ranks of the academy, where she discovers that she is about to start a career as a time-traveling thief. Tripping into the past to steal artifacts and treasures, Natasha learns that Arthur has a secret mission that he expects her to fulfill. Her faint memories of time spent with her father may have something to do with the covert operation. If navigating the waters of the past were not complicated enough, Natasha also must contend with potentially untrustworthy schoolmates, her broken relationship with Elodie, and her growing feelings for Braxton, the boy who recruited her for the academy. Noël's series opener is a fast-paced tale full of puzzles, secrets, and adventures through time, featuring a strong-willed protagonist, an exploration of ethics, and a healthy dose of romance. But characters' reactions to some of the story's events are perplexing: People disappear in time, and no one seems to care; Natasha's mom signs away her daughter's life to a mysterious school that doesn't even have a website; and the protagonist often displays a blasé attitude in enigmatic conversations with classmates. The time-traveling element is fun but its mechanism is barely explained in what is decidedly a tale that's more fantasy than SF. Still, the novel is engaging, with the potential for more character and story development in the sequel. An entertaining time-traveling tale with a spirited hero. (Fantasy. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 9 Up--Natasha is heading down the wrong path: poor grades, bad attitude. Her mother is sinking after the death of Natasha's father, and Natasha feels doomed to a life of struggle. The only good in her life is her best friend Mason, a fabulous fashion-forward Black teen, and bright, blonde, beautiful Elodie, who chooses Natasha to be her friend. At a bar while skipping class with Elodie, Natasha is hypnotized and awakens at Grey Wolf Island, a refuge for misfit young people who live in the lap of luxury under the watchful eye and direction of billionaire Arthur Blackstone. Natasha isn't sure of anything; angry at being there and disgusted at herself and her inability to do anything "right," she lashes out. The long inner dialogue Natasha conducts with herself makes the story uneven, extends the page numbers unnecessarily, and can be frustrating to readers. She learns that the reason they are there is to time travel to specific locations to "get" things for Arthur. Digging deeper, she becomes certain that it has something to do with her father and the lessons he gave her before his death. Might she have the special insight and skills to achieve Arthur's dream--and does she want to? VERDICT An optional purchase: this book is obviously setting the stage for the series, introducing characters, conflict, and suspense with tidbits of more to come. When the next book comes out, hand both to students. The full series might hook readers of time travel and mystery and ultimately turn into true page-turners.--Connie Williams

After being expelled from school for a crime she didn't commit, 17-year-old Natasha Clarke is recruited by alluring, enigmatic stranger Braxton to attend Gray Wolf Academy, an isolated, elite boarding school founded by reclusive tech trillionaire Arthur Blackstone. Hesitant, but with no other prospects, she decides to trust Braxton and accompanies him to the academy. There, she's surrounded by opulence and luxury unlike anything she's ever experienced, and uncovers the school's secret initiative to train students in the art of time travel, preparing them to not only combat whatever challenges their trips may bring, but to return from each operation with stolen treasures and artifacts. Natacha flourishes at Gray Wolf, excelling in her studies and slowly developing feelings for Braxton. But when her first trip--an excursion to 18th-century France--reveals Blackstone's true agenda for training time-traveling thieves, she is set down a dangerous path. Noël (Field Guide to the Supernatural Universe) delicately conjures cutting-edge time-traveling technology, combining it with ancient numerology and mysticism to deliver a meandering series opener couched in wish-fulfilling drama, romance, and adventure. Characters cue as white. Ages 14--up. Agent: Elizabeth Bewley, Sterling Lord Literistic. (June)