I didn't win the Book Life Prize for this year, but I was so pleased with the judges’ assessment:

Title: The Franklin Key

Author: Marja Coons-Torn

Genre: Fiction/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror

Audience: Adult

Word Count: 80350

Assessment:

Plot/Idea: History, fantasy, and political intrigue collide in this story of a girl who, discovering she can time travel, jumps into the past to befriend Ben Franklin, and then works to thwart a Turkish terrorist conspiracy to disable the US power grid. The book is tightly plotted and features chapters written from perspectives of many characters across a few centuries.Prose: The writing is clear and consistent. Shifts between different perspectives are clearly indicated and feel sufficiently distinct in voice and tone.Originality: The Franklin Key features a lively and novel premise. The fantasy and time-jumping elements are handled well, while the plot and central conflicts remains firmly planted in the effective worldbuilding.Character/Execution: Leah is a grounded and likable character. Some of the supporting character choices do well to further her characterization as well. While the inclusion of Ben Franklin isn’t crucial to the plot, he never comes across as superfluous and is characterized in a way that adds to the personality and charm of the book.

Score:

• Plot/Idea: 9
• Originality: 8
• Prose: 7
• Character/Execution: 7
• Overall: 7.75