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The Night I Borrowed Time
Book Review
I like different and new books which made this story interesting
I liked this book and thought it was really good and different to the books I normally read. I like different and new books which made this story interesting.
The book is about a boy who wanted to change things and started to go back in time after walking round a special prayer mat that was his grandpas that he never saw as he died before he was born.
His Brothers, the six, were all super annoying and got him in trouble, especially when they fought as they sometimes broke things that were meaningful to the family.
When Zubair started going back, he was changing history for their family, so when he returned from the past, things had changed, some had stayed very similar. Zubair changed things he couldn’t imagine, he saw his Grandpa, The Six weren’t born so he was an only child, his parents were happy, got the jobs they dreamed of when they were younger and his Dad hadn’t had a car accident.
Things changed but Zubair wanted it to got back to normal. He missed the annoying brothers, and his best friend who seemed to not know him. Could he get back to his normal life again or is that not possible anymore?
I think this books could be for ages 10+ because it is not got the same type of meaning as some of the other books I have read. It could be for younger good readers as well.
I think that the meaning of this book is to be grateful of what you have even if you have annoying siblings, or other things because you can’t change time or go back to the past to change things. You just have to put a little bit of love into the things you do, have and what is yet to come in life.
My siblings are sometimes super annoying and I just want space to myself but at the same time, I’m really grateful to have them, and I love them so much as well as the rest of my family! Just be you and feel happy that the ones you love are here for you, and love you too :)
About the Book
Eleven-year-old Zubair is a seventh son. This means a LOT of big brothers. But when Zubair’s granny arrives from Pakistan and gives him a mysterious amulet, he discovers it means something else, too: he has inherited a gift. The seventh sons in his family have the ability to time-travel.
With his dad a shadow of his former self since his car accident, and his mum always tired and angry, Zubair has a genius idea. He’ll use time-travel to fix things between them.
But each trip comes at a cost. If he changes something small in the past, it can have a huge effect on his future. And if he gets it wrong, the results could be devastating . . .
Author
Iqbal Hussain
Originally from Lancashire, Iqbal Hussain has focused on fiction and nature writing, drawing on his Pakistani heritage, with short stories published in outlets such as The Hopper and Caught by the River. His debut coming-of-age novel 'Northern Boy' was published in 2024 by Unbound Firsts, and in January 2025 he left a long career at a City law firm to become a full-time writer.
Reviewer Profile
Chloe, 12
- Reviews: 10
- Likes: swimming, reading and sleeping
- Dislikes : unkindness of any kind
- Favourite Books: stories that make you think about the different challenges people face
- Favourite Artist : Chris Tomlin
- Favourite Films: Star Wars and Back to the Future
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