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Out of Time #1
Running Out of Time
Jessie lives with her family in the frontier village of Clifton, Indiana. When diphtheria strikes the village and the children of Clifton start dying, Jessie's mother sends her on a dangerous mission to bring back help. But beyond the walls of Clifton, Jessie discovers a world even more alien and threatening than she could have imagined, and soon she finds her own life in jeopardy. Can she get help before the children of Clifton, and Jessie herself, run out of time?
184 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1995
415 people are currently reading
15k people want to read
About the author
Margaret Peterson Haddix
111books6,237followersMargaret Peterson Haddix grew up on a farm near Washington Court House, Ohio. She graduated from Miami University (of Ohio) with degrees in English/journalism, English/creative writing and history. Before her first book was published, she worked as a newspaper copy editor in Fort Wayne, Indiana; a newspaper reporter in Indianapolis; and a community college instructor and freelance writer in Danville, Illinois.
She has since written more than 25 books for kids and teens, including Running Out of Time; Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey; Leaving Fishers; Just Ella; Turnabout; Takeoffs and Landings; The Girl with 500 Middle Names; Because of Anya; Escape from Memory; Say What?; The House on the Gulf; Double Identity; Dexter the Tough; Uprising; Palace of Mirrors; Claim to Fame; the Shadow Children series; and the Missing series. She also wrote Into the Gauntlet, the tenth book in the 39 Clues series. Her books have been honored with New York Times bestseller status, the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award; American Library Association Best Book and Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers notations; and more than a dozen state reader’s choice awards.
Haddix and her husband, Doug, now live in Columbus, Ohio, with their two children.
She has since written more than 25 books for kids and teens, including Running Out of Time; Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey; Leaving Fishers; Just Ella; Turnabout; Takeoffs and Landings; The Girl with 500 Middle Names; Because of Anya; Escape from Memory; Say What?; The House on the Gulf; Double Identity; Dexter the Tough; Uprising; Palace of Mirrors; Claim to Fame; the Shadow Children series; and the Missing series. She also wrote Into the Gauntlet, the tenth book in the 39 Clues series. Her books have been honored with New York Times bestseller status, the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award; American Library Association Best Book and Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers notations; and more than a dozen state reader’s choice awards.
Haddix and her husband, Doug, now live in Columbus, Ohio, with their two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,056 reviews
July 21, 2015
I can't believe I forgot this book existed. I remember this from my childhood. Remembering books from that time period always gives me the happiest nostalgic feeling.
January 19, 2008
This book reminded me a lot of an M. Night Shyamalan movie which I won't name, just in case someone thinks I would be giving away too much of the book's plot. The storylines are kind of similar, but I think that I like the plot twist in this book better than the movie.
March 27, 2011
M. Shyamalan’s ‘The Village� has a plotline suspiciously close to Margaret Peterson Haddix’s ‘Running Out of Time.� A nineteenth century backwoods settlement is completely artificial; we’re actually in the present. When a medical emergency prompts residents to seek a twentieth century cure, a young girl is asked to escape the guarded perimeter of her make-believe world.
Despite the striking resemblances, the film’s producers called charges of plagiarism ‘meritless.� Haddix and her publishers considered litigation, then didn’t bother suing, probably because ‘The Village� was less than wildly successful, to put it charitably.
All a fascinating sidelight, but not one that really matters when you’re reading Haddix’s debut novel. The author of the fabulous ‘Shadow Children� series has written a novel far superior, not to mention slightly more plausible, than Shyamalan’s humorless clunker of a movie.
Since ‘Running Out of Time� is written for an audience that is willing to suspend disbelief, readers might excuse the lack of planes flying overhead. Or the children of the ersatz 1840s Clifton, Indiana, not wondering about the cameras in the trees.
Unlike ‘The Village,� the town in ‘Running Out of Time� is not a thought-control experiment. Instead it’s a tourist attraction that’s morphed into a study of immunology. The conspiracy, and conspirators, behind the artifice are more down-to-earth and realistic.
What really distinguishes ‘Running Out of Time,� as in the ‘Shadow Children� books, is its utterly true and finely drawn child protagonist. Jessie Keyser is a resourceful, yet vulnerable, kid, with the same sources of strength, and the same insecurities, as seventh and eighth graders in the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Her encounters with adults and other children carry a straightforward verisimilitude.
Jessie runs into all kinds of suspenseful action as she, like all children coming of age, searches for truth in an untruthful society imperfectly managed by its elders. And, like all childhood heroes should do, she saves the day.
Recommended for fifth graders on up.
Despite the striking resemblances, the film’s producers called charges of plagiarism ‘meritless.� Haddix and her publishers considered litigation, then didn’t bother suing, probably because ‘The Village� was less than wildly successful, to put it charitably.
All a fascinating sidelight, but not one that really matters when you’re reading Haddix’s debut novel. The author of the fabulous ‘Shadow Children� series has written a novel far superior, not to mention slightly more plausible, than Shyamalan’s humorless clunker of a movie.
Since ‘Running Out of Time� is written for an audience that is willing to suspend disbelief, readers might excuse the lack of planes flying overhead. Or the children of the ersatz 1840s Clifton, Indiana, not wondering about the cameras in the trees.
Unlike ‘The Village,� the town in ‘Running Out of Time� is not a thought-control experiment. Instead it’s a tourist attraction that’s morphed into a study of immunology. The conspiracy, and conspirators, behind the artifice are more down-to-earth and realistic.
What really distinguishes ‘Running Out of Time,� as in the ‘Shadow Children� books, is its utterly true and finely drawn child protagonist. Jessie Keyser is a resourceful, yet vulnerable, kid, with the same sources of strength, and the same insecurities, as seventh and eighth graders in the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Her encounters with adults and other children carry a straightforward verisimilitude.
Jessie runs into all kinds of suspenseful action as she, like all children coming of age, searches for truth in an untruthful society imperfectly managed by its elders. And, like all childhood heroes should do, she saves the day.
Recommended for fifth graders on up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2013
This is probably one of my favourite books ever. I love the innovative idea behind it, the pace (which is FAST), and the drama.
Basically, it's the story of a girl who lives in a village in the 1800s. Only it's not really the 1800s. It's a kind of living museum and none of the children know that. Except something's gone wrong and they're all trapped. Jesse escapes and on her own and has to move through this strange modern world to find help for her village.
The only thing I can think of to complain about is that it's sorted as a "science fiction- dystopia". It's really not. For those who don't know, dystopia means a society that looks utopian, or perfect, but isn't. Famous examples are 1984 by George Orwell or the Hunger Games series. Guys, Jesse is running about in our own society, which the author is absolutely not going out of her way to criticise. Eventually, only a few people are responsible for the tragedies in Clifton, Indiana.
I think one thing that I like about it as a teenager is that it's NOT a dystopian book but still manages to create that high-tension atmosphere. It also has elements of historical fiction, which is my favourite genre, adventure, and mystery.
I like that the book is short. The author keeps the pace very brisk but there's still time to develop Jesse and really have her observe our world. It's easy to read being in the 9-12 category but it's still very enjoyable for adults and teenagers.
I read a lot of books when I was a kid. This is one of the ones that I keep going back to again and again.
Basically, it's the story of a girl who lives in a village in the 1800s. Only it's not really the 1800s. It's a kind of living museum and none of the children know that. Except something's gone wrong and they're all trapped. Jesse escapes and on her own and has to move through this strange modern world to find help for her village.
The only thing I can think of to complain about is that it's sorted as a "science fiction- dystopia". It's really not. For those who don't know, dystopia means a society that looks utopian, or perfect, but isn't. Famous examples are 1984 by George Orwell or the Hunger Games series. Guys, Jesse is running about in our own society, which the author is absolutely not going out of her way to criticise. Eventually, only a few people are responsible for the tragedies in Clifton, Indiana.
I think one thing that I like about it as a teenager is that it's NOT a dystopian book but still manages to create that high-tension atmosphere. It also has elements of historical fiction, which is my favourite genre, adventure, and mystery.
I like that the book is short. The author keeps the pace very brisk but there's still time to develop Jesse and really have her observe our world. It's easy to read being in the 9-12 category but it's still very enjoyable for adults and teenagers.
I read a lot of books when I was a kid. This is one of the ones that I keep going back to again and again.
August 7, 2008
Riveting story about a world within a world. My in-laws live near Conner Prairie, Indiana which is an outdoor living history museum; we had just returned from visiting there when we read this book. The frontier village of Clifton, Indiana which Haddix describes seems much like the tourist attraction, Conner Prairie, a mid-American country town frozen in 1836. But what if there were real people in the living history museum? Wouldn't that make it much more interesting? And what if those people didn't know they were being used? And not just as live models for the museum...
How can such a sinister-sounding story be so good? The secret about the town's true identity and purpose is revealed to one of the youngsters when a diphtheria epidemic threatens to wipe out the town's residents who are still coping with 19th century medical care. Haddix uses the unconventional features of her story's environment, time and circumstances to raise important questions about life, health care, death and who has the right to make critical decisions.
An excellent story! Not for very young children due to mature theme.
How can such a sinister-sounding story be so good? The secret about the town's true identity and purpose is revealed to one of the youngsters when a diphtheria epidemic threatens to wipe out the town's residents who are still coping with 19th century medical care. Haddix uses the unconventional features of her story's environment, time and circumstances to raise important questions about life, health care, death and who has the right to make critical decisions.
An excellent story! Not for very young children due to mature theme.
October 7, 2020
If you've seen the movie the Village and think the plot of this book seems familiar, keep in mind, this book was written first. The book also has a much better idea/backstory (and ending!!!) than that movie, and though this is only my second book from this author, I can see why she's so well-regarded. Definitely worth a read.
September 29, 2018
I've heard it said that you should avoid cultural references as a writer because they make your work seem dated. That's true of "Running out of Time," but also pretty much unavoidable: The point of the book is throwing a character from the 1800's into modern time, and the time described - in terms of fashion, entertainment, and technology - is very much 1996, and will never seem present-day again. This gives the story a "modern vintage" feel that readers may or may not appreciate.
I picked up this book because it was free (or nearly free) at a bag sale, and I was thinking about giving it to a tween girl. It's a bit young for my taste - and a bit unrealistic and contrived - but I found it fairly entertaining nonetheless. Tweens and teens will likely enjoy it more.
I picked up this book because it was free (or nearly free) at a bag sale, and I was thinking about giving it to a tween girl. It's a bit young for my taste - and a bit unrealistic and contrived - but I found it fairly entertaining nonetheless. Tweens and teens will likely enjoy it more.
June 24, 2022
i was VERY into margaret peterson haddix books as a kid and finding this one on my shelf today was perfect timing for a reread! i strangely remembered almost all of it?!? also i very clearly remember being convinced that all mirrors were actually one way windows after reading this� still the trippiest storyline! 🤯
December 24, 2019
I really enjoyed this novel, it’s quite an interesting idea, well worth a read.
January 10, 2017
This book is a very quick read, as it is intended for a fairly young audience. With its simple characters and plot, it is not exactly captivating, but I did enjoy the protagonist's commentary on the elements of our time period, which were completely foreign to her. I also like the dual meaning of the title. Many of my students enjoy Haddix's books, and this is one that I will recommend to them.
July 22, 2020
M. Night Shyamalan owes Margaret Peterson Haddix a WHOLE bunch of money for plagiarizing "The Village" from this 1995 novel. I mean, it is just a blatant rip-off. And this one is better written.
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April 17, 2025
I was today years old when I realized that this book—the book that has literally haunted me for nearly 30 years as a sort of fever dream typed hallucination—was a series. Okay, that's because the second book was released in 2023.
I saw something on reddit about someone asking about this book from their 90s childhood where the main character thinks she's living in 1840 but it's actually 1990-something, and then has to escape and rescue sick children or whatever, and I was like HOLY FUCK I REMEMBER THAT BOOK.
Rereading it as an adult, I can firmly say that it holds up (minus the casually pervasive 90s fatphobia). And that most children of the mid-90s would immediately know how dangerous diphtheria is when left untreated by antibiotics (and how easily treatable it is with antibiotics), thanks to a shared fascination with Balto. Kids movies felt a lot more universal back then.
Anywho, as the kids today, this book slaps.
Although, of course, the 90s probably seems as wildly out of place now as the 1840s did to us back in the 90s. Okay, just kidding: we actually had electricity and running water and all the things that were in the book, but like, life without internet? No cell phones? How did we exist back then?
I saw something on reddit about someone asking about this book from their 90s childhood where the main character thinks she's living in 1840 but it's actually 1990-something, and then has to escape and rescue sick children or whatever, and I was like HOLY FUCK I REMEMBER THAT BOOK.
Rereading it as an adult, I can firmly say that it holds up (minus the casually pervasive 90s fatphobia). And that most children of the mid-90s would immediately know how dangerous diphtheria is when left untreated by antibiotics (and how easily treatable it is with antibiotics), thanks to a shared fascination with Balto. Kids movies felt a lot more universal back then.
Anywho, as the kids today, this book slaps.
Although, of course, the 90s probably seems as wildly out of place now as the 1840s did to us back in the 90s. Okay, just kidding: we actually had electricity and running water and all the things that were in the book, but like, life without internet? No cell phones? How did we exist back then?
August 17, 2020
This was Haddix' debut?! I'm going to have to read more by her. Even though I've never liked adventures, I have always liked SF, the What If aspect of it especially, and I would have given this five stars when I was 10.
Now I can see the imperfections, and I can see that today's children need to read it more like Historical Fiction because 1996 had phone booths that accepted coins from which you could dial landlines!
Entertaining and thought-provoking. I appreciated all the different characters, especially the parents, but even the truck-driver and security guards.
Now I can see the imperfections, and I can see that today's children need to read it more like Historical Fiction because 1996 had phone booths that accepted coins from which you could dial landlines!
Entertaining and thought-provoking. I appreciated all the different characters, especially the parents, but even the truck-driver and security guards.
May 25, 2019
This book was DOOOOPE if I remember correctly from childhood.
January 29, 2024
Read this when I was like 7 and I think about it so often
September 18, 2010
My friend is a, well, a kind of guru of the young adult sci-fi genre. She has excellent taste in books. When I saw her review of this one, I knew I had to read it.
If you've seen "The Village" you know what this story is about. Except that this book was published in 1995 and "The Village" was released in 2004. Basically the same plot. The book takes place in a village where all the children think it's 1860 or so. They have no memories of what is beyond their village of Clifton. Then the children start getting sick. Our protagonist is a very brave 13-year-old who will do anything to prove her bravery to the other kids in Clifton. So when her mother figures out that the children in town have diphtheria she has to send Jessie out to get help. But first she has to tell Jessie that Clifton is a tourist attraction and that the real year is 1996.
Stop me when this starts to sound familiar.
While Running out of Time does not have the man-made monster that "The Village" had to keep the people within the town's borders, it does has it's own share of human monsters. The owner of Clifton is a rich old guy who hired people to live like it was authentically the 1800s. Raise their children, work, live and play like it was the 1800s. It would be the most authentic flashback to history for tourist possible. Cameras are hidden in trees and children are punished if they find them and try to examine them. There is a large rock that we later find out is the entrance to the "offices" of the Clifton Village incorporated. It's the way that Jessie gets to escape to find help.
The story is pretty good. I enjoyed and I know my 13-year-old self would have LOVED this book. When I lived in Virginia, my parents took me to Williamsburg, Jamestown, and every other historical site they could find in VA. I loved being there and seeing everybody in their old fashioned garb. As an adult I liked the book. Haddix does a good job of understanding the voice of the children, who are the prominent people in the book. I think that's what distinguishes a good young adult author from a bad one: can the author write realistically in the voice of children and teenagers? And Haddix did a good job.
Now let's get back to M. Night Shyamalan and the possibility that he just might have plagiarized his movie "The Village" from this book. Seeing as M. Night is one of my favorite directors and writers (I know his movies all follow the same pattern, I don't mind, he reminds me of a couple of pals from college who were trying really hard to start an improv group, however, I digress), I wanted to make sure that his movie wasn't linked to Running Out of Time. Shame on me for doing some digging.
From Wikipedia: Simon & Schuster, publishers of the 1995 young adults' book Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix, claimed that the film had stolen ideas from the book.[19] The book had a plot which features a village whose inhabitants are secretly forced to live in the 1830s when the year is actually 1996. The plot of Shyamalan's movie had several similarities to the book. They both involve an 1800s village which is actually a park in the present day, have young heroines on a search for medical supplies, and both have adult leaders bent on keeping the children in their village from discovering the truth.[citation needed]
I dug further into that citation 19 and found this: M Night Shyamalan, the writer-director of The Sixth Sense, is facing possible legal action for his latest hit, The Village, from publishers of a children's book.
Reuters reports that publisher Simon & Schuster is "reviewing" its legal options against Walt Disney and Shyamalan over perceived similarities between the movie and the plot of one of its books.
Reports say the story of the Village, and its surprise ending, are similar to Margaret Peterson Haddix's first book, Running Out of Time, which was published in 1995. It sold more than half a million copies.
Haddix told Reuters that fans and journalists had emailed and called her to ask if she'd sold the book to Shyamalan. She said she had never spoken to him, or to Disney.
"It's certainly an interesting situation," said Haddix. "I'm just examining what my options are." Shyamalan's Blinding Edge Pictures, and Disney, have dismissed the claims as "meritless". ()
According to the info on M. Night's wiki page (which we all know is truth!) Simon & Schuster did not follow up on their threat to sue. Sadly this isn't the first time he's been threatened with plagarism: In recent years, Shyamalan has been accused of plagiarism. Robert McIlhinney, a Pennsylvania screenwriter, sued Shyamalan over the similarity of Signs to his unpublished script Lord of the Barrens: The Jersey Devil.[62][63] Margaret Peterson Haddix noted that The Village has numerous elements found in her children's novel Running Out of Time,[64] and publisher Simon & Schuster had talked about filing a lawsuit;[63] it was never filed.
I really hate to think that M. Night stole the idea from the book. This is one of my favorite movies of his. I thought the movie was so genius. *sigh* I mean, if he did read Running Out of Time, and liked it, and wanted to make it a movie, why couldn't he have just contacted the author and Simon and Schuster and worked out a deal? Jeez, that would be better than having your fans and critics think you were a story thief!
If you've seen "The Village" you know what this story is about. Except that this book was published in 1995 and "The Village" was released in 2004. Basically the same plot. The book takes place in a village where all the children think it's 1860 or so. They have no memories of what is beyond their village of Clifton. Then the children start getting sick. Our protagonist is a very brave 13-year-old who will do anything to prove her bravery to the other kids in Clifton. So when her mother figures out that the children in town have diphtheria she has to send Jessie out to get help. But first she has to tell Jessie that Clifton is a tourist attraction and that the real year is 1996.
Stop me when this starts to sound familiar.
While Running out of Time does not have the man-made monster that "The Village" had to keep the people within the town's borders, it does has it's own share of human monsters. The owner of Clifton is a rich old guy who hired people to live like it was authentically the 1800s. Raise their children, work, live and play like it was the 1800s. It would be the most authentic flashback to history for tourist possible. Cameras are hidden in trees and children are punished if they find them and try to examine them. There is a large rock that we later find out is the entrance to the "offices" of the Clifton Village incorporated. It's the way that Jessie gets to escape to find help.
The story is pretty good. I enjoyed and I know my 13-year-old self would have LOVED this book. When I lived in Virginia, my parents took me to Williamsburg, Jamestown, and every other historical site they could find in VA. I loved being there and seeing everybody in their old fashioned garb. As an adult I liked the book. Haddix does a good job of understanding the voice of the children, who are the prominent people in the book. I think that's what distinguishes a good young adult author from a bad one: can the author write realistically in the voice of children and teenagers? And Haddix did a good job.
Now let's get back to M. Night Shyamalan and the possibility that he just might have plagiarized his movie "The Village" from this book. Seeing as M. Night is one of my favorite directors and writers (I know his movies all follow the same pattern, I don't mind, he reminds me of a couple of pals from college who were trying really hard to start an improv group, however, I digress), I wanted to make sure that his movie wasn't linked to Running Out of Time. Shame on me for doing some digging.
From Wikipedia: Simon & Schuster, publishers of the 1995 young adults' book Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix, claimed that the film had stolen ideas from the book.[19] The book had a plot which features a village whose inhabitants are secretly forced to live in the 1830s when the year is actually 1996. The plot of Shyamalan's movie had several similarities to the book. They both involve an 1800s village which is actually a park in the present day, have young heroines on a search for medical supplies, and both have adult leaders bent on keeping the children in their village from discovering the truth.[citation needed]
I dug further into that citation 19 and found this: M Night Shyamalan, the writer-director of The Sixth Sense, is facing possible legal action for his latest hit, The Village, from publishers of a children's book.
Reuters reports that publisher Simon & Schuster is "reviewing" its legal options against Walt Disney and Shyamalan over perceived similarities between the movie and the plot of one of its books.
Reports say the story of the Village, and its surprise ending, are similar to Margaret Peterson Haddix's first book, Running Out of Time, which was published in 1995. It sold more than half a million copies.
Haddix told Reuters that fans and journalists had emailed and called her to ask if she'd sold the book to Shyamalan. She said she had never spoken to him, or to Disney.
"It's certainly an interesting situation," said Haddix. "I'm just examining what my options are." Shyamalan's Blinding Edge Pictures, and Disney, have dismissed the claims as "meritless". ()
According to the info on M. Night's wiki page (which we all know is truth!) Simon & Schuster did not follow up on their threat to sue. Sadly this isn't the first time he's been threatened with plagarism: In recent years, Shyamalan has been accused of plagiarism. Robert McIlhinney, a Pennsylvania screenwriter, sued Shyamalan over the similarity of Signs to his unpublished script Lord of the Barrens: The Jersey Devil.[62][63] Margaret Peterson Haddix noted that The Village has numerous elements found in her children's novel Running Out of Time,[64] and publisher Simon & Schuster had talked about filing a lawsuit;[63] it was never filed.
I really hate to think that M. Night stole the idea from the book. This is one of my favorite movies of his. I thought the movie was so genius. *sigh* I mean, if he did read Running Out of Time, and liked it, and wanted to make it a movie, why couldn't he have just contacted the author and Simon and Schuster and worked out a deal? Jeez, that would be better than having your fans and critics think you were a story thief!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2017
”Jessie wanted to ask so many questions, she couldn’t think where to begin. She wanted to know about the ‘something dangerous,� but she wanted to understand everything else Ma had told her first. She wanted to watch Pa and Mr. Smyth and the Ruddles and all the other adults in Clifton and see what they were hiding.�
I’m not one to begin rampant speculation on a theory. In the end, there’s usually a logical explanation for everything. But in this instance, there are just too many examples to ignore. Why do I say this? Because a certain movie’s premise sounds an awful like this book.
I enter into evidence these examples.
Running Out of Time
A girl and her family live in a small, isolated village in the 1800s. The girl has several siblings.
The Village (2005)
A woman and her family live in a small, isolated village in the 1800s. The woman has several siblings.
Running Out of Time
There’s some sort of secret that the elders of the village are hiding that they don’t want the younger members to find out.
The Village (2005)
There’s some sort of secret that the elders of the village are hiding that they don’t want the younger members to find out.
Running Out of Time
The Village (2005)
Running Out of Time
The Village (2005)
Running Out of Time
The Village (2005)
I rest my case. Does that not sound familiar to you? Oh, sure; they changed several of the plot points in the movie to make it just different enough that they wouldn’t get sued for plagiarism (though if you read the book and then watch the movie you’ll recognize the similarities almost immediately. But still, the premise is so gosh darn similar that’s it’s startling.
But that’s beside the point. I’m here to review the actual book, not a big, giant conspiracy theory. I honestly think I would have enjoyed the book more if I hadn’t been so wrapped up in the fact said theory. On the whole, though, the book was OK.
Jessie herself is a very spirited, resourceful girl, but I couldn’t help but think that most of the situations she would have found herself in on her adventures in the outside would be very unrealistic if it were set here today. The explanation of why she was the one chosen to get help was flimsy at best, laughable at worst. I also thought that she was too lucky in getting out of situations (aka not enough close calls for me to ever believe that she was in any real danger). However, I did find that her actions and reactions to being in the outside world were believable.
The explanation of why the village was founded and set up was a little bit odd as well. It made sense in a certain way, but the way the author tried to explain and justify it made it seem like a bumbling mess. We’re led to believe that this village was a grand experiment by a mad scientist with an agenda so grand there was no possible way it would succeed (and he knew it too), Nah, I’m not buying it.
A very uneven if solid middle grade read, but don’t read it if you’ve watched The Village (or vice cersa), the similarities may distract from the overall reading experience.
I’m not one to begin rampant speculation on a theory. In the end, there’s usually a logical explanation for everything. But in this instance, there are just too many examples to ignore. Why do I say this? Because a certain movie’s premise sounds an awful like this book.
I enter into evidence these examples.
Running Out of Time
A girl and her family live in a small, isolated village in the 1800s. The girl has several siblings.
The Village (2005)
A woman and her family live in a small, isolated village in the 1800s. The woman has several siblings.
Running Out of Time
There’s some sort of secret that the elders of the village are hiding that they don’t want the younger members to find out.
The Village (2005)
There’s some sort of secret that the elders of the village are hiding that they don’t want the younger members to find out.
Running Out of Time
The Village (2005)
Running Out of Time
The Village (2005)
Running Out of Time
The Village (2005)
I rest my case. Does that not sound familiar to you? Oh, sure; they changed several of the plot points in the movie to make it just different enough that they wouldn’t get sued for plagiarism (though if you read the book and then watch the movie you’ll recognize the similarities almost immediately. But still, the premise is so gosh darn similar that’s it’s startling.
But that’s beside the point. I’m here to review the actual book, not a big, giant conspiracy theory. I honestly think I would have enjoyed the book more if I hadn’t been so wrapped up in the fact said theory. On the whole, though, the book was OK.
Jessie herself is a very spirited, resourceful girl, but I couldn’t help but think that most of the situations she would have found herself in on her adventures in the outside would be very unrealistic if it were set here today. The explanation of why she was the one chosen to get help was flimsy at best, laughable at worst. I also thought that she was too lucky in getting out of situations (aka not enough close calls for me to ever believe that she was in any real danger). However, I did find that her actions and reactions to being in the outside world were believable.
The explanation of why the village was founded and set up was a little bit odd as well. It made sense in a certain way, but the way the author tried to explain and justify it made it seem like a bumbling mess. We’re led to believe that this village was a grand experiment by a mad scientist with an agenda so grand there was no possible way it would succeed (and he knew it too), Nah, I’m not buying it.
A very uneven if solid middle grade read, but don’t read it if you’ve watched The Village (or vice cersa), the similarities may distract from the overall reading experience.
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August 3, 2020When Jessie finds out that her 19th-century American town is actually in 1996, her world is flipped upside down. Her hometown is a staged historical reenactment of the 1840s made for tourists, who view the town from the outside using hidden cameras. Then, the town is struck by a diphtheria outbreak, and her mother sends her to sneak out of their isolated world to get modern medicine. Once again, Margaret Peterson Haddix has composed an outstanding read. With her trademark emphasis on the character's emotions, she allows the reader to really put themselves into Jessie's shoes and feel anxious when she sneaks through secret passageways and confronts villains, feel excitement when she reaches the modern world and laugh along when she mocks the "modern" kids. And best of all, she accomplishes this without extremely long, rambling paragraphs describing the protagonist's thoughts, reactions, and emotions, a practice common in her Shadow Children and The Missing series. This amazing novel focuses on concerns about the survival of the fittest theory and genetic testing on humans and is great for kids 10+ or teens. -Meenal, SPL Teen Volunteer
Jessie lives in an ordinary frontier town, Clifton, in the year 1840. At least, that’s all she’s known her whole life, but when an outbreak of diphtheria begins to infect more and more of her neighbors, her mother reveals a horrifying secret: Clifton is actually a historical tourist attraction town and the year is really 1996. Now, Jessie has to escape to the real world in order to receive the cure that will save her home from extinction. It’s a refreshing change to read a book with a female protagonist who doesn’t have mystical or magical abilities, or any specific special talents. This is
simply a story of a girl wanting and needing to save her family, and using her wits and resources to do so. While the plot is serious, the author injects plenty of humorous situations as we see Jessie experience “modern� technology and amenities for the first time. This book is a good mix of suspense and historical fiction, and a great read for tweens. –Hannah V.
Jessie lives in an ordinary frontier town, Clifton, in the year 1840. At least, that’s all she’s known her whole life, but when an outbreak of diphtheria begins to infect more and more of her neighbors, her mother reveals a horrifying secret: Clifton is actually a historical tourist attraction town and the year is really 1996. Now, Jessie has to escape to the real world in order to receive the cure that will save her home from extinction. It’s a refreshing change to read a book with a female protagonist who doesn’t have mystical or magical abilities, or any specific special talents. This is
simply a story of a girl wanting and needing to save her family, and using her wits and resources to do so. While the plot is serious, the author injects plenty of humorous situations as we see Jessie experience “modern� technology and amenities for the first time. This book is a good mix of suspense and historical fiction, and a great read for tweens. –Hannah V.
October 15, 2011
This book, for about 10-14 year old girls, reads like a rebuttal to the pioneer-girl fantasies those same girls likely had a few years earlier if they read or played Oregon Trail -- at any rate, those fantasies stand a chance of giving the young reader a better chance of understanding this surprisingly sophisticated and action-packed novel. The driving motivation behind the book's set-up is the lure of old-timey charm on tourists, which has been perverted in a twist by an evil corporation (as I recall, one of my first introductions to that breed in literature (though Alex Mack, on Nick, had already introduced it in television.)
If I had visited Colonial Williamsburg as a kid after reading this, I probably would have been terrified.
As it was, I only wished I could believe that, thrown into the same situation, I would be as awesome as Jessie.
If I had visited Colonial Williamsburg as a kid after reading this, I probably would have been terrified.
As it was, I only wished I could believe that, thrown into the same situation, I would be as awesome as Jessie.
December 31, 2018
This is an old favorite, which I listened to via audiobook. We found what was most interesting *now* was the idea that the "present" in the book is 1996, effectively making it a period piece whether we're in the tourist attraction or the real world. Imagine if Jessie's mom had told her about phones in the 80's, but Jessie walks out into 2018! With an adult perspective we also had a fuller understanding of the darker implications of certain aspects of the book (ethics, mental health), which we didn't notice as children. Seems like it would be a good book to read aloud with kids since it's entertaining for all ages and gives you lots to talk about.
Engaging, suspenseful, thought-provoking, middle-grade.
Engaging, suspenseful, thought-provoking, middle-grade.
February 13, 2010
This book had an interesting premise and it was fun to read. If one thinks about the logic too much it breaks down--what were the makers of Clifton village going to do when the kids grew up and wanted to move away?--but sometimes it's best not to analyze those sorts of things when reading books. Suspend disbelief, and all that.
I did wish for a happier ending for Jessie. She did save the day, but I have to wonder how a person from a village in 1840s would really feel about being uprooted and thrown into the future. I sort of wanted all of the families to live in the village, get rid of the tourists, and add modern plumbing. But that's just me.
I did wish for a happier ending for Jessie. She did save the day, but I have to wonder how a person from a village in 1840s would really feel about being uprooted and thrown into the future. I sort of wanted all of the families to live in the village, get rid of the tourists, and add modern plumbing. But that's just me.
April 23, 2013
One of my faves as a kid. I wonder where my copy went? Anyway, supposedly MPH got super pissed when The Village came out, and she accused M. Night Shamalamadingdong of stealing her story. I have no idea about this. I have never seen The Village. The End.
May 23, 2019
Read this book for the first time years ago with my oldest and it has stayed with me so long. Excellent mystery/thriller for kids.
July 3, 2022
talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before
September 19, 2023
This was amazing, I wish I’d read it as a kid because I would have lost my mind.
December 24, 2022
Fun blast from the past. Thank you to @Allison Riding for helping me find this book that I read in elementary school. All I could remember about it is that she wore a t-shirt with a smiley face. It was fun to read it again.
November 18, 2013
“Running out of Time� by Margaret Peterson Haddix was a very interesting quick-read. Due to the outrageous turns of events and the in-depth character developments, this book was a “page turner�, in the truest sense of the word.
To begin, the plot and turn of events easily caught me by surprise. For example, the book started out with a fairly normal family who obviously lived in the past. In fact, it later states that the year was currently 1840. I actually read the back of the book before I started reading so I knew it was going to be something about a diphtheria epidemic. Before reading, I fully intended this book to be a novel set in the 1800s. However, when the epidemic is actually discovered, the main character, Jessie Keyser, has a meeting with her mom who is a local doctor. Her mom quietly spoke to her and, out of the blue, mentions that the year is actually 1996. When I read this line in the book, I was honestly caught off guard. Like a natural human, I began formulating a plot according to this one line. I couldn’t manage to do so because this turn of events was so outrageous. I am not exaggerating by saying that this was probably the largest turn of events in any book I have ever read. I started to get very interested in how the story would pan out. This was one of the many turn of events in the book, but it was definitely the largest.
The other thing that made this book interesting was the highly developed characters, mainly Jessie. The start of the book is really an explanation of the daily life of people in the 1800s. Jessie would wake up and get out of her bunk bed in her family’s log cabin house. To start off the day, Jessie would do her chores, which seemed to be rotated between all of the children. Then she went to school where her teacher, Mr. Smythe, would often physically harm the students if they didn’t do something correctly. When Jessie got home, they would eat a family dinner and she would help her mom find herbs to heal local sick people. Jessie’s personality in the beginning of the book was very conservative and innocent.
When the plot really started picking up, Jessie’s personality really changed. She became a determined girl trying to learn about the outside world while also looking for a cure to her siblings� disease. Her conservative personality started changing into aggressiveness, as would anyone’s if their siblings were about to die. This interested me because I was constantly wondering what I would do if I were in her situation. However, this comparison didn’t work very well since Jessie knew nothing about the world in 1996 and I obviously do. Overall, this well-developed personality change made the book that much more interesting.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a quick read and would like to read something totally different. It didn’t necessarily pique my interest, but I am glad I read it because it was totally unique. The interesting plot and well-developed characters really do propel this book to be one of the most unique books I have read.
To begin, the plot and turn of events easily caught me by surprise. For example, the book started out with a fairly normal family who obviously lived in the past. In fact, it later states that the year was currently 1840. I actually read the back of the book before I started reading so I knew it was going to be something about a diphtheria epidemic. Before reading, I fully intended this book to be a novel set in the 1800s. However, when the epidemic is actually discovered, the main character, Jessie Keyser, has a meeting with her mom who is a local doctor. Her mom quietly spoke to her and, out of the blue, mentions that the year is actually 1996. When I read this line in the book, I was honestly caught off guard. Like a natural human, I began formulating a plot according to this one line. I couldn’t manage to do so because this turn of events was so outrageous. I am not exaggerating by saying that this was probably the largest turn of events in any book I have ever read. I started to get very interested in how the story would pan out. This was one of the many turn of events in the book, but it was definitely the largest.
The other thing that made this book interesting was the highly developed characters, mainly Jessie. The start of the book is really an explanation of the daily life of people in the 1800s. Jessie would wake up and get out of her bunk bed in her family’s log cabin house. To start off the day, Jessie would do her chores, which seemed to be rotated between all of the children. Then she went to school where her teacher, Mr. Smythe, would often physically harm the students if they didn’t do something correctly. When Jessie got home, they would eat a family dinner and she would help her mom find herbs to heal local sick people. Jessie’s personality in the beginning of the book was very conservative and innocent.
When the plot really started picking up, Jessie’s personality really changed. She became a determined girl trying to learn about the outside world while also looking for a cure to her siblings� disease. Her conservative personality started changing into aggressiveness, as would anyone’s if their siblings were about to die. This interested me because I was constantly wondering what I would do if I were in her situation. However, this comparison didn’t work very well since Jessie knew nothing about the world in 1996 and I obviously do. Overall, this well-developed personality change made the book that much more interesting.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a quick read and would like to read something totally different. It didn’t necessarily pique my interest, but I am glad I read it because it was totally unique. The interesting plot and well-developed characters really do propel this book to be one of the most unique books I have read.
April 3, 2018
My daughter recommended this book one day in the library. I can’t keep up with her hours a day of reading but wanted to try one of her favorites. This was a good mystery book. There was plenty of pull to keep me reading but it wasn’t overwhelmingly scary for a young reader. The main character, Jessie finds out she has been lied to her entire life. The only world she knew was living in a cabin with her family in 1840 until her mother confides that it’s really 1996 and she must escape the village to find help for sick kids. With only a brief knowledge of 1996, Jessie is given the responsibility to discover the ‘new� world on her own without being caught as well as saving all the sick children from the village. The author does an excellent job of showing the fear of the unknown through a young girl experiencing cars instead of horses, phones, mirrors and even TVs and radios. I can see why my daughter enjoyed this book and why it made an impression in her young mind.
March 12, 2012
I liked the premise of this book more than I did the execution. The set up was great, and I felt like I understood the world very well. But the book seemed to fall apart a bit at the end, where things got rushed. I wanted to see a bit more deeper characterization overall. I think that for what it is, it's a solid and enjoyable read though, and would recommend it if you're looking for light entertainment.
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May 26, 2022i asked ren if he remembered a book that i remembered reading in school as a kid. i then proceeded to describe the plot of this book, to which he replied, "you're remembering the village," and i INSISTED i wasn't, which led us to realizing this book existed separately. anyways i'm suspicious and also i remember this book slapped when i was a kid. two thumbs up
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