The building of the hadron collider was once big news, but now it is just part of the scenery for most of the community, until Airlie and other children start showing unusual gifts. Airlie uses her psi abilities to solve a number of mysteries and crimes at her school and in her neighborhood - and comes to the attention of Inspector Jonathan Humble of Minor Crimes.
Towards the end of the school year, Airlie gets two intriguing invitations: an offer of a scholarship to a new middle school with 'opportunity classes' in exotic subjects like Quantum Psychology, and a free place at a summer camp run by Inspector Humble. The two invitations and her emergent psionic talents are clearly connected, and Airlie can't resist the opportunity to learn more about her gifts and to meet others with psyq powers at the camp.
But Airlie ends up in a desperate race to rescue one of her new friends.
This story is set in the "Appearance of Magic" universe, and is Hard Science Fiction - that is it is founded on real science. This edition includes a Heroine's Foreword and and educational appendix/glossary that introduces the science and technology referred to in the book.
Reviews
"A middle grade adventure with an original twist and a cast of endearing young heroes, Time for PsyQ is a phenomenally fun read, 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, and the premise is enchanting from the start." - SPR
'A cleverly plotted supernatural adventure for middle graders and young teenagers with a strong cast of young characters and a memorable protagonist... there's an Enid Blyton feel to the book, particularly when she's solving a mystery.' - The Wishing Shelf Awards
'Time for PsyQ is a super-engrossing science fiction novel penned by Marti Ward. Though it may seem that the book is intended for children and teenagers, I am confident adult readers will find it fascinating as well.' - Official Review, Online Book Club
'Time for PsyQ by Marti Ward is a remarkable piece of hard science fiction for young adults that catapults readers into the enigmatic world of quantum science and brain science ... a tour de force. The book is not only an engaging adventure but also a catalyst for encouraging young minds to delve into the wonders of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). It does so with such finesse and authenticity that it easily earns a 5 out of 5 rating.' - Volunteer Review, Online Book Club
A creative, imagination-inspiring fantasy/adventure for upper middle-grade readers as well as adults. - Reedsy Discovery
Time for PsyQ won the Silver medal for Teen and Young Adult Sci-Fi Action & Adventure in the 2023 Global Book Awards and was a finalist in the 2023 Wishing Shelf Awards (Teens) and the 2024 Book Excellence Awards (SF).
