A review by posies23
The Trolley to Yesterday by John Bellairs

3.0

Johnny Dixon and his eccentric friend, Professor Childermass, are back! This time, they get mixed up in time travel, which leads them on a wacky adventure to the fall of Constantinople. And, honestly, "wacky" really is the operative word for this book. Compared to the previous Bellairs books, this one really seems disjointed and more like a weird gothic sci-fi "buddy comedy" than the expected creepy gothic storylines. (Part of this is the strange addition of an Egyptian god as a minor character, but you almost have to read it to understand.) There's still some good action, but the characterization is minimal, and there are some plot points that stretch believability even for a Bellairs novel. (And that's really saying something, let's be honest.) But I think I'm probably being to harsh here. Part of Bellairs's charm as a writer is his grasp of childhood's fears and lack of logic. In the best Bellairs books there's a balance between the adult world and the child world. I'm guessing most 10-13 year olds would really enjoy this book, and not dwell on how weird the plot is at times. Instead, they would focus on Johnny's fears about being lost in time and how he needs to work with the Professor to make things right. Overall, it was a good read, but nowhere near the best of the series.