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kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
Third, and possibly last, in the W.A.R.P. science fiction thriller series for middle-grade readers that is revolving around the very-young Special Agent Chevie Savano and her unexpected Victorian partner, Riley.
My Take
Jailed prisoners of today have no idea how good they have it!
The Forever Man threw me backwards and forwards in so many ways. It was horrifying and hilarious, and ended with simply sad. So much loss in so many ways. The witchfinding mentality of Mandrake was appalling. Talk about a bunch of sheep. On the other hand, the Mandrake FBI field office was pretty amazing. It's a shame Chevie had to happen to it. Arghh. I do hate that heroic-act-without-thinking trope.
It is also confusing with all that back and forth of the past intermixed with the future and the various presents. Yeah, more than one present, and I don't mean gifts. Contributing to the confusion is the dead professor whose ghost is alive and intellectually active with life still to come.
Using the holding trap as an opportunity for Riley to recap his past with Garrick was fascinating in a macabre way while the end was interesting and nebulous. That wormhole has worked some unexpected changes in Chevie, and it could actually be the end, or it could be the start of a new stage in Chevie's life with potential for a partnership? Maybe??
The Story
A desperate hope to find and save his half-brother ends with Riley, Chevie, and Garrick falling through time to the witch-obsessed village of Mandrake. It doesn't help Chevie's case in 1647 that the wormhole is changing Chevie into a cat.
Luckily, the professor's messing about is bringing time travelers to Mandrake. Unluckily, the professor's messing about is close to bringing about the end of the world.
Chevron "Chevie" Savano, a Shawnee Native American, is a juvenile consultant with the FBI who traveled to the past to fix the future. And her body is changing. Riley is a fourteen-year-old Victorian orphan who trapped his really evil master, Garrick, in the time tunnel.
…a Puritan community of 48 brick houses where Albert Garrick, a psychotic Victorian assassin who has also been known as the Red Glove, a murderous magician, is known as the Witchfinder. Only one of the many lives he's lived since Riley threw him into a wormhole in 1899.
The humorless, power-mad Godfrey Cryer is the town crier, constable, and the last disciple of the Witchfinder. Thomas Cutler and Ben are two of the guards. Jeronimo Woulfe is a mason and brick worker. Lizzie is Jeronimo's pretty daughter, and Anna is his wife. Master Baldwin Sherry is the silversmith. Bartleby Primly is the richest merchant in town and has twin sons: Randall and Henry. Women who were victimized included Millicent Lewis, a gentle midwife, and Christabella Clopton. Matthew Hopkins is the Witchfinder General.
The stranded FBI team
Fairbrother Isles, a.k.a., Fender Rhodes Isles, seems to be an African dullard with hopes for his coded name. His partner, Donald Pointer, hardly qualifies as human company anymore. Professor Charles Smart is a quantum physicist who, at the end of the twentieth century, discovered how to access wormholes, Einstein Bridges. The Hobbit Hole is an emergency hideout.
1899 London
Tom "Ginger" Riley is Riley's lost half-brother. Sir James Maccabee is London's most feared attorney, and he's afraid of his Lurker. Tartan Nancy Grimes is a prison negotiator, a wheedler. Broadband is a guard at Newgate Prison. Otto Malarkey. Bob Winkle is Riley's assistant. Redmond is his name.
2008 Malibu, California
Gary and Ted were bouncers in a casino.
Quantico
W.A.R.P. is the FBI's Witness Anonymous Relocation Program that stashes federal witnesses in the past. One problem with those wormholes? Not everyone comes out the way they went in, although silver helps. Cord Vallicose had been an instructor at Quantico. Rosa Fuentes got a bad end of the deal with the wormhole; she had been partnered with Agent William Riley to look after a Mob banker. Olaf the Boar is another victim of the wormhole.
The Devil's Brew is a method of execution that involves pouring molten silver down the prisoner's throat.
The Cover and Title
The cover is afire with oranges swirling in front of a collage of a clockface, windows, and signs, as Riley stands silhouetted in a bowler hat.
The title is all about Garrick, for he is The Forever Man.
My Take
Jailed prisoners of today have no idea how good they have it!
The Forever Man threw me backwards and forwards in so many ways. It was horrifying and hilarious, and ended with simply sad. So much loss in so many ways. The witchfinding mentality of Mandrake was appalling. Talk about a bunch of sheep. On the other hand, the Mandrake FBI field office was pretty amazing. It's a shame Chevie had to happen to it. Arghh. I do hate that heroic-act-without-thinking trope.
It is also confusing with all that back and forth of the past intermixed with the future and the various presents. Yeah, more than one present, and I don't mean gifts. Contributing to the confusion is the dead professor whose ghost is alive and intellectually active with life still to come.
Using the holding trap as an opportunity for Riley to recap his past with Garrick was fascinating in a macabre way while the end was interesting and nebulous. That wormhole has worked some unexpected changes in Chevie, and it could actually be the end, or it could be the start of a new stage in Chevie's life with potential for a partnership? Maybe??
The Story
A desperate hope to find and save his half-brother ends with Riley, Chevie, and Garrick falling through time to the witch-obsessed village of Mandrake. It doesn't help Chevie's case in 1647 that the wormhole is changing Chevie into a cat.
Luckily, the professor's messing about is bringing time travelers to Mandrake. Unluckily, the professor's messing about is close to bringing about the end of the world.
"Only kill the innocent."The Characters
Chevron "Chevie" Savano, a Shawnee Native American, is a juvenile consultant with the FBI who traveled to the past to fix the future. And her body is changing. Riley is a fourteen-year-old Victorian orphan who trapped his really evil master, Garrick, in the time tunnel.
In 1647, Mandrake's Groan, Huntingdonshire, England, is…
…a Puritan community of 48 brick houses where Albert Garrick, a psychotic Victorian assassin who has also been known as the Red Glove, a murderous magician, is known as the Witchfinder. Only one of the many lives he's lived since Riley threw him into a wormhole in 1899.
The humorless, power-mad Godfrey Cryer is the town crier, constable, and the last disciple of the Witchfinder. Thomas Cutler and Ben are two of the guards. Jeronimo Woulfe is a mason and brick worker. Lizzie is Jeronimo's pretty daughter, and Anna is his wife. Master Baldwin Sherry is the silversmith. Bartleby Primly is the richest merchant in town and has twin sons: Randall and Henry. Women who were victimized included Millicent Lewis, a gentle midwife, and Christabella Clopton. Matthew Hopkins is the Witchfinder General.
The stranded FBI team
Fairbrother Isles, a.k.a., Fender Rhodes Isles, seems to be an African dullard with hopes for his coded name. His partner, Donald Pointer, hardly qualifies as human company anymore. Professor Charles Smart is a quantum physicist who, at the end of the twentieth century, discovered how to access wormholes, Einstein Bridges. The Hobbit Hole is an emergency hideout.
1899 London
Tom "Ginger" Riley is Riley's lost half-brother. Sir James Maccabee is London's most feared attorney, and he's afraid of his Lurker. Tartan Nancy Grimes is a prison negotiator, a wheedler. Broadband is a guard at Newgate Prison. Otto Malarkey. Bob Winkle is Riley's assistant. Redmond is his name.
2008 Malibu, California
Gary and Ted were bouncers in a casino.
Quantico
W.A.R.P. is the FBI's Witness Anonymous Relocation Program that stashes federal witnesses in the past. One problem with those wormholes? Not everyone comes out the way they went in, although silver helps. Cord Vallicose had been an instructor at Quantico. Rosa Fuentes got a bad end of the deal with the wormhole; she had been partnered with Agent William Riley to look after a Mob banker. Olaf the Boar is another victim of the wormhole.
The Devil's Brew is a method of execution that involves pouring molten silver down the prisoner's throat.
The Cover and Title
The cover is afire with oranges swirling in front of a collage of a clockface, windows, and signs, as Riley stands silhouetted in a bowler hat.
The title is all about Garrick, for he is The Forever Man.
rukistarsailor's review against another edition
4.0
I'm probably just a little biased toward this book because I started reading The Reluctant Assassin trilogy when I was in high school and I just LOVED it to death at the time. (Also, yes, it's been more than six years since I started the trilogy.) That being said, I went into reading the book with more love in my heart than I have for most things.
I still really liked this book even though it didn't seem to live up to The Reluctant Assassin in my mind. I kind of wish Chevron was more involved in the plot, and the ending seemed kind of lame. Idk. I was expecting more, but The Forever Man is still a solid conclusion to the W.A.R.P. trilogy.
I still really liked this book even though it didn't seem to live up to The Reluctant Assassin in my mind. I kind of wish Chevron was more involved in the plot, and the ending seemed kind of lame. Idk. I was expecting more, but The Forever Man is still a solid conclusion to the W.A.R.P. trilogy.
miketheboy89's review
3.0
While it both starts and ends poorly, the conclusion to the time travelling FBI series has a scrumptious middle section. Writers, when adding new characters into a universe, often fail miserably, however Colfer has succeeded excellently, as both Isles and Pointer are entertaining and dynamic new additions to the trilogy (Pointer's departure especially adds a great emotional element). Readers are once again given a brilliantly mad villain in Garrick, and Riley's bold protagonist character once again fulfills expectations. A surprisingly excellent supporting character in Woulfe brings the story to new levels, although some ridiculous plot points (some which are much too convenient), an abrupt ending and a somewhat forced romance spoil what might have been a great ending to a good trilogy.
wyrmbergmalcolm's review
3.0
The first two books of the series had lots of great character development and good adventures. This one, unfortunately seemed to be a bit lacking in both. Overall, it was okay but is not as good as the others. There was also an overuse of the sci-fi gobbledegook that did stuff just because and was the get-out clause of many of the situations.
cpcabaniss's review
5.0
This book is so good. I have yet to read a book by Eoin Colfer that I did not love. I'm just sad to see this series end. It has time travel, humor, fun characters, everything. An excellent read.
Full review coming soon.
Full review coming soon.