Running Out of Time

I really enjoyed M. Night Shyamalan's film, "The Village", and later read that there was controversy over where the idea for the film had originated. It had been suggested that the premise of the film had been taken from this book. My curiosity having been peaked, I decided to check for myself. I was surprised that the book was one that had been written for the young adult market. Still, I did not let that deter me from buying the book, though it had been decades since I had been a young adult. I was pleased, however, to note that the book had been designated an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, so all was not lost. The book is an easy and pleasant read with a very compelling storyline. It tells the story of thirteen year old Jessie Keyser, who all her life has believed that she lives in the nineteenth century frontier village of Clifton, Indiana. When diphtheria starts claiming the lives of the village children, her mother tells her that it is not really 1840, as Jessie has been led to believe, but 1996. It appears that the village in which Jessie has grown up is actually a historical preserve, which its inhabitants are forbidden to leave. Jessie, however, is entrusted with a very important mission. She is to leave the preserve and seek help for their village in the outside world, avoiding capture by those who would seek to silence her in order to maintain the status quo and the secret that they are harboring in Clifton. This is a very imaginative debut novel with a strong storyline that will appeal to those who are fond of historical fiction or time travel tales. It is most definitely a plot driven, rather than character driven, story. While it is simply written so as to appeal to the young adult market and teens, the story is so compelling that adults will also enjoy it, as long as they keep in mind the targeted audience. As for its similarity to the film, "The Village", there can be little doubt as to why someone would suggest comparison between the two.

Jessie is a young girl who lives with her family in an 1840 village, Clifton, Indiana. She learns a shocking secret that sends her mind racing. Jessie, only thirteen-years-old, must save her village from the spreading disease diphtheria. As I read this book one mystery unfolded after another. Margaret Peterson Haddix kept me on my toes and begging for more. This book is stuffed full with adventure, mystery, hope, and destiny. I attempted to set Running out of Time down, but I longed to know Jessie's fate. This magnificent novel was very enjoyable to read. I couldn't wait to start the next chapter, and when the story ended I wished it hadn't. I had gotten so attached to the characters that I hoped that it would never end.

I really enjoyed M. Night Shyamalan's film, "The Village", and later read that there was controversy over where the idea for the film had originated. It had been suggested that the premise of the film had been taken from this book. My curiosity having been peaked, I decided to check for myself. I was surprised that the book was one that had been written for the young adult market. Still, I did not let that deter me from buying the book, though it had been decades since I had been a young adult. I was pleased, however, to note that the book had been designated an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, so all was not lost. The book is an easy and pleasant read with a very compelling storyline. It tells the story of thirteen year old Jessie Keyser, who all her life has believed that she lives in the nineteenth century frontier village of Clifton, Indiana. When diphtheria starts claiming the lives of the village children, her mother tells her that it is not really 1840, as Jessie has been led to believe, but 1996. It appears that the village in which Jessie has grown up is actually a historical preserve, which its inhabitants are forbidden to leave. Jessie, however, is entrusted with a very important mission. She is to leave the preserve and seek help for their village in the outside world, avoiding capture by those who would seek to silence her in order to maintain the status quo and the secret that they are harboring in Clifton. This is a very imaginative debut novel with a strong storyline that will appeal to those who are fond of historical fiction or time travel tales. It is most definitely a plot driven, rather than character driven, story. While it is simply written so as to appeal to the young adult market and teens, the story is so compelling that adults will also enjoy it, as long as they keep in mind the targeted audience. As for its similarity to the film, "The Village", there can be little doubt as to why someone would suggest comparison between the two.

I first read this wonderful book years ago (for school), and I still own a copy. It is about the adventures of a young girl named Jessie, a citizen of an 1840 town called Clifton Village. Unbeknownst to her and the other children of the village, she is actually living in the modern day (at that time 1996) inside of a tourist site - sort of an ultra Colonial Williamsburg their parents volunteered to become a part of in the early 1980s. However, when Jessie's friends start dying of a terrible disease, her mother reveals the truth to her and sends her on a mission to escape the compound to bring back modern medicine. Banned from the site because it is "historically inaccurate," this medicine that works is the only thing that will save Jessie's friends. What the villagers don't know, however, is that there is an even more sinister reason the medicine is not allowed... read the book! This is a wonderful book that really makes you think...unfortunately, because I read this book, I caught onto the plot of a certain movie that came out the other day pretty quickly...

Jessie believes she is being raised in the 1840s, but the year is actually 1996. You see, Jessie lives in a tourist site made to look like a real village of 150 years ago. Her classmates have begun dropping out of her small, one-room classroom, and the medicines they are given don't seem to work. Jessie's mother finally tells her the truth about their community, and it's up to Jessie to escape from Clifton and seek help from the "real world." Although the plot is quite serious and suspenseful, I had to laugh at the scene where Jessie sees cars for the first time and thinks they move by witchcraft. My favorite part of this well written story is when she calls a press conference and reveals the "shocking secret" of Clifton. I haven't read many books with female protagonists, so it was neat to see a young girl making things happen - it's usually a boy.Now imagine this: We're moving along, thinking it's the year 2000 when a terrible disease spreads through our city. Eventually we learn that the year is really 2150 and people have been paying money to watch our EVERY move since we were born. Get the idea? Read this book!-- JFS