Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Amanda

Oooh how I love this author! Having only discovered Margaret Peterson Haddix a few months ago, I've been slowly making my way through her books one at a time, this only being the 4th or so. I hold myself back from devouring the books simply because if I do that, I'll run out. Then I'll have to wait for the next new one. Amanda does not like waiting for new books from her favorite authors. Not one bit! So, I've been trying to read slowly. This one however, it was a one sitting book. I couldn't help myself. So much suspense...such a page turner. What was I supposed to do?!


Running Out of Time follows Jessie, a young girl growing up in Clifton, Indiana in the 1840's, living a normal teenage life in that time period. When children around her begin to get sick with what her parent's are saying is diphtheria, Jessie's mom fills her in on a horrifying secret. It's not 1840, it's 1996. Clifton is part of a social experiment in which tourists can watch the citizens every move with the help of cameras and windows placed strategically around the town. The owner's of Clifton will no longer allow medicine that could easily clear the diphtheria epidemic. Jessie must now embark on a mission to help save her friends and siblings, escaping Clifton and finding help in the huge city of Indianapolis. The journey itself is scary enough, but along the way she encounters cars, money exchange, and telephones, all while be costumed in blue jeans and a t-shirt, none of which she even knew existed. And she must do all of this before she runs out of time.


This plot captivated me from the very beginning. It was such a fresh and unique concept, one that kept me turning pages very quickly in order to get to the next part of the story. All of Haddix's books are like this, I can't wait to get to the next one!