Customer Reviews
A lovely blend of Tam Lin and Thomas the Rhymer - By: rhinoa, 14 Jan 2008 
Polly is 19 when she picks up a copy of "Times of out Mind" edited by L Perry which has a cover reminding her of her Fire & Hemlock photograph. Looking through the short storiesin the book she feels like it should have a different title & one the stories is missing. When she looks around her room other things seem to be missing too, like the photograph she stole, so she casts her memory back to nearly 9 years ago to the night she first met Tom Lynne at a funeral she accidentally gatecrashed. Since meeting Tom it seems up to the age of 15 she has two sets of memories, one with Tom & one without. She sets off to find out why Tom Lynne has been erased from her memory & the rest of the worlds.
Polly was a great character who really grew during the novel. She starts off quite timid & easily lead by her friend Nina, but later on ends up at Oxford University leading her own life & making her own decisions. I loved how much she read as a child despite people like her mother telling her it is a waste of time & suts her off from real life. I really felt for her during her parents divorce, being turned out by her mother & finding out her father isn't the man she thought he was. I think the reading & divorce struck a big cord with me & made me really associate with Polly as it was so like my own upbringing.
Each chapter has a small quote from Tam Lin or Thomas the Rhymer & I feel I would have got a lot more from this story if I knew both tales better. I hope to read them both & then give this another read. I liked that Tom wasn't always over indulgent with Polly, at times he sent quite abrupt messages to her pretend ideas which made it more realistic & I liked the blending of the two different myths/fairy tales.
This will appeal to Young Adult readers, Fantasy & Fairy Tale fans as well as anyone who plainly likes a good story.
Magical mystical book full of deja vu - By: tiggycat, 06 Nov 2006 
This is the first DWJ novel I read. It started my looking further for other books by the writer.
Based upon the fairytale Tam Lin - here is a novel for teens full of feelings & emotions that mean something. The heroine as a child walks into (gatecrashes) a funeral & meets the hero Thomas Lynn who makes his mark on her life by regularly sending her books which inspire her into her future university degree course. As she grows older he grows younger, until they meet as adults when the magic becomes essential to saving his life.
I love this story. This is how magic was meant to be. The scenes of deja vu seem familiar. We have all experienced such magic at some time or another. The age gap that narrows is wonderfully expressed.
I believe this is a great book & worthy read for anyone who loves magic & fantasy. I especially love the teapot car- the magic horse- & the deja vu sequences. Read & enjoy- may this read lead adults to more DWJ books, & teens to finding magicin literature & life. May it lead you back to the world of her other books- all uniquely different
not bad - By: P. J. Rice, 21 May 2006 I really enjoyed this book while i was reading it but the ending let me down a tad. Kind of like when i read the da vinci code. i think i was sort of expecting a bit more at the end.
I think if you enjoy diana wyne jones's books then you should give this one a go, but if you haven't read any yet then start with one of the better ones like howls moving castle or chronicles of chrestomanci.
A favorite - By: siglin, 21 May 2006 I read this book every few years & still I'm not quite sure what happens!
Diana Wynne Jones is a favorite author of mine, she weaves a intricate story around the characters & I've only found thisin Childrens literature.
I'd definetely recommend this book, although it's probabaly it's never going to get the attention some books get(see the Da Vinci Code) don't let this put you of a fantastic read.
Old magic, gathering evil and a subtle love story - By: Jan Jones, 30 Aug 2005 This is my very favourite Diana Wynne Jones book. It starts off deceptively simply, but Diana Wynne Jones slidesin layers of complexity with such dexterity that you are soon deepin an old, old magic which has potentially horrifying consequences for Polly, the heroine, & Tom, the hero. I love the unfolding of the story, the gathering knowledge of evil & the incredibly subtle love story. I could - & have - read it over & over again. Each time I get to the end I want to cheer & cry & wish it had gone on longer. Definitely my book for a desert island. Very highly recommended.
