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Reading age
8-12
Genre
Sci-fi
Publisher
Katherine Tegen Books
Publication date
May 30, 2023
Book 1: Running Out of Time
Jessie believed that she lived in 1840 in a village called Clifton.
But after a diphtheria epidemic broke out, Jessie’s mom told Jessie the truth about Clifton. Clifton is a tourist attraction, and the year is 1996. Jessie has to escape Clifton to find a man named Mr. Neely. Jessie is introduced into a whole new world of 1996 and begins a dangerous adventure, and failure means the deaths of her and 20 children.
I enjoyed this creative and original story.
I always loved how Jessie, the main character needed clarification about 1996 things. That always made me laugh, especially when she discovered the toilet. And that’s when it hits me; how come Margaret Peterson Haddix, always comes up with crazy ideas such as this one and the greystone secrets books 1-3? I have a screw loose or two in my brain, but even I can’t think of anything that crazy. That is what I love about Margaret Peterson Haddix. I love how creative and imaginative her stories are.
I also love how her stories can take unexpected plot twists—an excellent read for anyone who enjoys a brave adventure and an original story.
Book 2: Falling Out of Time
It’s now the year 2193, and things such as Insta-closets (closets that deliver any outfit you like), Insta-ovens (ovens that provide any meal you’d fancy), and VR (virtual reality) goggles exist. That was Zola’s lifestyle until everything changed; she found a note in her Insta-closet. The message said that they needed help.
Later she found a book in her closet about the story of Jessie Keyser and how she saved Clifton village.
Who is Jessie Keyser, and why does Zola have a book about her in her closet?
This book is the sequel to Falling Out of Time. You could read this book and somewhat understand, but this book mentions the first book quite a lot. The first book was written in 1995! Crazy right? I wasn’t even born yet, LOL. I am super glad she republished and wrote a sequel.
I always loved how Zola expects things to go as they usually would in her world. I quite liked Zola’s friend Puck. He always seemed calm and collected; he was a close second to my favorite character Zola.
It is a clever, twisty, and imaginative take on a utopian/dystopian world filled with love and courage. The mystery will keep you up late at night when nothing seems real.
My rating
