The story is okay but definitely not for me. The audience is definitely for children.

I also must admit that I was annoyed at how they figured out how to travel through time. It seemed rushed and I couldn't buy into it. All of these issues(and more) left a huge disconnect from the story for me. I typically love quirky, oddball stories. This one is most definitely a quirky, oddball story, but it's not for me, sadly. I'd recommend conservative parents to read it before deciding if it's for younger

I enjoyed this middle grade story. Two Girls, a Clock, and a Crooked House by Michael Poore was the first book I have read by this author. It was a fun read!

*I received an electronic ARC of this book from Random House Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I want to start this short review by clarifying that I did not finish the book. I wanted to love it, it has the most beautiful cover art and adorable plot. For some reason, I could not connect with the story nor the characters, which is why I wasn’t able to finish it. It has so many elements I normally enjoy (for starters it’s a middle grade book). It has magic, time-travel and witches, all things I am interested in. So, I am honestly going to conclude that my not being able to finish it was more about me than the book. I would still recommend others to give this book a try, so many other people have enjoyed it and the premise of the book is brilliant.

The beginning of this book is a little clunky and slow starting. Once you get to the middle it gets funny and quirky. The end is pretty nice because it wraps things up fairly well. My only concern with recommending this one is that I'm not sure a kid reading this would stick with this long enough to get to the 'good part'

I loved this story! It was very original and intriguing every step of the way. I can’t wait for more from this author!

Based on the set up of this book, I was expecting a more magical plot. It's more of a magic/sci-fi fusion. Quasi-magical time travel. Even more than that, it's a story about trauma. Moo is catatonic. The boy is neglected. The "witch" is over-whelmed by grief. Their time travel is powered by the magic of memories, things with strong emotional ties that allow them to move through reality and find strength that carries them through their trauma. It's a weird book but has a degree of charm. The ideas it addresses are worth considering and discussing with young readers.

Amy and Moo have an unlikely friendship. Amy is the daughter of scientists who are camping in a field to stop the Big Duke machine from destroying the land. After visiting Moo she is struck by lightning. She is fine, but soon realizes she has strange powers. One of those powers is that she can now hear Moo in her head. Moo can't talk after a traumatic incident. She also can't move unless you lead her somewhere. That has never stopped Amy from being her friend but it made the friendship a little different. Now she can hear everything Moo says.

They go for a walk to see the cows (Moo's favorite) in the field. They are reminded to stay away from the woods because there is a witch who eats children and lives in the woods...everyone says so. Of course there is a storm and of course they are forced to take shelter in the woods. Then they find the abandoned cabin that of course belongs to the witch. Only what they really find is time travel. Yep, the girls can seem strands of time and put together a time machine to visit the past. And that is where the real adventures begin.

I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. I loved the humor and the perfect amount of quirkiness. Amy and Moo are fantastic friends and adventurers. I loved putting the puzzle pieces of the past together with them and figuring out how they affected their present (the future). It was whimsical and strange and dreamy and a lot of fun to read.

Two Girls, a Clock, and a Crooked House was going to get 3.5 stars from me until that ending. So good!

I love this middle grade novel. Amy and Moo are good characters that get along well together - their friendship is what all ten-year-old girls should strive for. It's great that Moo doesn't speak but Amy can still talk to her, even before they are able to communicate telepathically. Moo is especially adorable!

The plot didn't go the way I was expecting it to go, but I ended up enjoying it a lot. Amy and Moo find a clock in a "crooked house" that ends up being a time machine. The girls then discuss where they want to go, which is pretty much everywhere and every time, but where they end up going (one somewhat recent point in time) wasn't what I was wanting from this. The novel would be super long if they didn't just go to one time period, but they end up spending their time somewhere that I thought at first would be kind of boring. Fortunately, the events that took place there were fun.

The ending was the best - everyone comes together to the present with Amy and Moo. I loved that it tied everything together, and that the people the girls meet in the past recognize them after a bit. There's peril, too, which happened to be kind of out of the blue - but the focus was on the characters and how they come together, which I liked.

I would recommend this book to any age group, but especially to older children. I think they'd appreciate this novel and its quirkiness.

Two Girls, a Clock and a Crooked House is unlike any book I’ve ever read. It’s quirky and a little weird and delightful in many ways. Amy and Moo are the reason the books work. Their way of looking at the surrounding world is unique.

Michael Poore’s prose mirrors his story. There’s a playfulness to it that makes what happens more believable, or unbelievable — depending on who you are. It’s this light tone that kept me reading, even when some of the elements became borderline too wacky.

Two Girls, a Clock and a Crooked House is a book that plays right to the middle-grade imagination and will be a good choice for the younger set.

**Disclaimer: I was given an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

The writing in the book was very stilted and hard to read, personally. This book would obviously appeal more to children or adults reading to their children. I'm sure the story is sweet and becoming, but I couldn't bring myself to get past 15%.

Imaginative, quirky story about friendship and time travel. Amy, the daughter of environmentalist parents, befriends Moo, a mute girl who has had a brain injury. After being struck by lightning, Amy finds she has supernatural power to read minds. Moo also has this power, and the two girls use their ability to communicate to put together a time machine and go on a wild trip back to 1989. I liked the twist ending where the kids Moo and Amy met in school on their adventure turn out to be their parents, along with the villain Amy's parents are battling. In addition to being a fun story, bullying and environmental concerns are addressed.

This book is simply magical. I loved it! It is very quick, engaging read about two very bright and wonderful little girls named Amy and Moo. It has science, and time travel and cute illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. I am very much looking forward to reading this with my daughter in a year or so when her attention span for chapter books has improved. I highly recommend this to anyone that is fan of junior fiction about strong, adventurous, bright little girls.

What is there to not like about this book? Time travel, witches, and all things that make a kids book feel like a classic. There is bullying but that is so prevalent in many kids' lives that it shouldn't be taboo. I can see this appealing to many kids.

This was such an interesting read! I’m not usually one for middle grade books but this was such a great story that I think all ages can enjoy it. The characters were very well written and I felt like I could see exactly where I was as the scenes were described.

It was okay, I'm sure others will like it better than I did. It just really wasn't my thing. My kids skimmed it, but none of them wanted to read it. Just okay.

This is a really cute story about lightning strikes, time travel and witches. It also touches on some serious issues like bullying and abuse. I think the overall message about the book is how there is sometimes more to people than what you see at first. I look forward to purchasing this book for my library in September. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I just loved this book! It was so fun, and original. It was entertaining from the first page to the last! I would definitely recommend it!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

"She had a nervous feeling in her stomach, because going to Moo's house was another kind of experiment. An adventure, in a way.

In order to get there, see, you had to get past the woods.

The woods where the witch lived. The witch who ate kids.

Seriously."

Amy is the daughter of scientists, and likes to live her life as a series of experiments. After she is struck by lightning she begins to see the world a little differently. While her parents are busy trying to ward off a behemoth of a drilling machine, Amy and her best friend Moo set off into the legendary woods. They may find cows, or the witch who eats children, but they will definitely find adventure.

Two Girls, a Clock and a Crooked House (while the title is a mouthful) is so whimsical and spirited! The main characters are eccentric, but not made into stereotypes. Amy and Moo are smart and brave, and the kind of kids I wish I had been friends with. I love the way magic is woven into the story. And beneath all the magic, the book also handles some serious issues like bullying and environmental activism. My review copy did not have the finished illustrations, but it looks like they will be amazing. Overall, this is a delightful middle grade book that I think will inspire curious minds of all ages.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for the review copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

I can't express how much I love this book! It's one of my new favorite middle readers. A Roald Dahl-esque tale of time travel, friendship, and magic-like science. Children and adults alike will enjoy diving into the adventures Moo and Amy, two children who, after unfortunate accidents, have the ability to read thoughts and feelings. On a perilous journey through time they learn much more than any classroom could provide.

This was such a fun, quirky little book! I absolutely loved it. The writing style was unique and a breath of fresh air. I highly recommend this to all middle grade readers!