Falling Out of Time

Out of Time #2

by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Return to the world of the bestselling Running Out of Time with this middle grade thriller from Margaret Peterson Haddix, where Zola discovers she’s related to Jessie Keyser and her seemingly perfect utopian world is covering up a dark reality. Twelve-year-old Zola thinks she has the perfect life. She thinks everyone does, now that it’s 2193, and humanity has solved all its problems. Insta-Closets deliver new clothes every morning, Insta-Ovens deliver gourmet meals on demand, and virtual reality goggles let her have any adventure she wants, with friends from all over the world. Then one day Zola finds a handwritten note in her If you want to see things as they really are, come find me.  What if Zola’s wrong about everything—even the year? As she struggles to figure out who wrote the note, she discovers a printed book in her Insta-Closet called The Jessie Keyser How One Girl Escaped from Clifton Village . Zola Who is Jessie Keyser, and why does she look like her . . . and what else do they have in common? In this sequel to the classic novel Running Out of Time , Margaret Peterson Haddix has crafted a riveting page-turner that captures the terrors of a world where nothing seems real—but finding out who really loves you still matters.

Genres: Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Fiction, Childrens, Mystery, Young Adult, Dystopia

352 pages, Hardcover

First published May 30, 2023

About the author

Margaret 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.

Reviews

[Kiersten · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Margaret Peterson Haddix. She was a fixture of my childhood and teens, and I still reread my favorites sporadically. Since Running Out of My Time has long been at the top of that list, I was interested to see where she took things in this new book.

The premise and setup were fantastic - Haddix is nothing if not good at coming up with fascinating premises - and the early reveals had me tearing through the first half of this book. The further I got, though, the more questions I started to have, and ultimately, I couldn't get past the gaping plotholes.

In Running Out of Time, Jessie's desperation felt believable because she was hemmed in on every side - there's a time crunch, a critical lack of knowledge about the outside world, no one to help her, no easy lines of communication between the inside and outside world. None of those factors is really in place for Zola's world, leaving a long list of alternate escape plans that... not only could have worked, but probably would have worked, and were far more obvious and far easier than what actually happened.

For instance:
Why did no one ever just grab a tourist, take off their glasses, and tell them what was happening? If they were afraid one attempt would fail, they could have assembled a group and gone for several tourists all at once. Is this a nice way to escape? No. But it seems more than justified given the circumstances.
Similarly, why did no one ever follow tourists to the exit, grab one, and follow them through?
Plotting as a group is inhibited by Sirilex. ...But the other Futureville doesn't appear to have the same kind of monitoring, given everything Puck is able to get away with. People from either Futureville could have plotted something there since, as we see, the adults in Zola's world already have frequent contact with the people serving them.
How did no tourist ever bump into an unsuspecting Futureville child? There are rules, but you're telling me these hoards of people never ever violated them either accidentally or intentionally? That would have been a more interesting story, too, if Zola had learned the truth because she was literally knocked over by an invisible person.
How did no Futureville child ever knock their VR goggles out of place and see reality? Again, a much more interesting (and likely) way of discovering the truth.
For that matter, how has no tourist ever knocked their VR goggles out of place and realized that the inhabitants aren't even saying the things they allegedly say?
Why didn't someone from Puck's Futureville rebel way earlier? The excuse given is that people didn't realize how bad it was for a long time, but that side seems to have been treated terribly from nearly the beginning, and they didn't really have anything to lose - especially since Haddix's villains consistently shy away from threatening actual murder. See above for just a few ways this could have happened.
Why didn't Nicole et al. involve the police? Zola and Puck thought the police were corrupt, but the adults should have known better. All that was accomplished the rest of the book was grabbing people's attention to tell them that something was wrong; they could have just told the police instead. The only reason that didn't really work for Jessie was that she didn't really seem believable, but a large group of adults making this allegation should have at least triggered an investigation - this was at least worth trying, before risking everything by actually going back.
When all the visitors were fleeing, why didn't someone (anyone) just shout out something attention-grabbing ("This whole place is a lie!" or "We're trapped here!") instead of "Wait! Wait! Wait!"? You're really telling me not one person could have said something remotely useful?

Unlike Clifton Village, this is not really a new problem - so why has no one acted before?
Unlike Clifton Village, this is not a problem that must be resolved on any particular timeline (well, it turns out that it is, but the characters don't know this until the end) - which further emphasizes the question of why now and not earlier.
Unlike Clifton Village, there is regular contact with the outside world - so how have they been so successfully kept apart, both in the past and during the escape attempt?
Unlike Jessie, Zola does have access to general knowledge of the time period and she is familiar with concepts like police, news media, and retail stores - so why is she portrayed as just as helpless?
Unlike Jessie, Zola has an entire team of adults who are completely onboard with helping here - so why is a 12 year old still spearheading everything?



I'm sure there are plausible explanations that could be given for some of these. But... they aren't, and there are enough obvious alternatives that it significantly impedes the reading experience.

Some more questions that I was left with, about the general worldbuilding:

I struggle to believe Hannah's journey into this community. Not that she would be duped again - this is a known phenomenon with cult escapees. But after the trauma of losing her entire way of life... she's going to go even further away from what she's comfortable with, and give herself over completely to modern technology?
This is a tiny detail, but why the name Zola? I would expect something super traditional coming from Hannah and Arthur. Yes, it is actually an old name, but it has strong futuristic vibes, which would have to be totally coincidental, right? It just feels like a case of the author doing something for an out of universe reason and ignoring the in-universe logic.
Why does the fake history have the 2020s as the turning point, when it was founded in the 2010s?
How specific do people get to be with the InstaWhatevers? Because they can't possibly have every possible option - even for clothes, let alone food, which is going to have to be replaced CONSTANTLY (in which case... that alone should solve the problem of how to feed the other Futureville). This whole thing logistically made no sense.
What are the actual experiments the tech companies are doing that requires that people be held captive? There's honestly no real explanation given for this, and I think it would probably be pretty easy to recruit people to test advanced technology like that - heck, that's what people originally thought they were signing up for, more or less. Clifton Village had a legitimately unique opportunity for their experiment, and it was sinister enough to require secrecy; Futureville, from what we're given of their reasoning, could have accomplished the same goals in so many other ways.
And if it's all a tech experiment, why have the other Futureville? If it's to make the other side look more appealing, why have real people in the dystopian side, when the visitors aren't even watching reality? Why make them actually suffer instead of just acting like they were originally supposed to? The motives given explain small parts of what's been happening, but fall far short of explaining the complete situation.
How did all other the kids come to terms with their new reality so quickly? We see Zola wrestle extensively with this news, but Beatriz finds out and then five minutes later is in active revolt?

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ehhh. The first book was a childhood favorite. I’ve reread it several times as an adult. The sequel fell short and didn’t seem plausible. I wanted a continuation of Jessie’s story, I guess. This was more like a redo of the first, but not as good.

[msbooktalker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book!

WHAT A BLAST FROM THE PAST…or future?? Running Out of Time was one of my FAVORITE books in elementary school—so much so that I still remembered specific parts of it today as a 30-something adult. I never realized that this was Margaret Peterson Haddix’s first novel, and I feel like it may have been the spark for me for my love of time-travel novels (real and imaginary).

This book has so much heart of the original. It follows Zola, a pre-teen girl who believes she is living in 2193 when the world’s problems have been solved. Global warming has been conquered and most people interact with high-tech VR goggles or using the aide of AI. However, Zola discovers that it isn’t really 2193…it’s 2023, and her world is only one version of what the future could be.

I loved the connections from this book to the first, and I felt like a lot of questions from the first were answered or updated in this one. I loved getting to see so many characters from the first book again (even if they’re older!). I did feel that the pacing was a tiny bit slow because there is a lot of world-building for both versions of the future, but I enjoyed reconnecting with this universe!!

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fellow millennials, cast your minds back to the mid to late 90's: do you remember reading a book called Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix? With its very exciting premise and plot twist that the cover may or may not have spoiled? I may not remember details, but I certainly remember that plot, and I remember also being intrigued when a blockbuster movie in the early 2000's had a suspiciously similar twist.

Anyway, fast-forward to now, nearly 30 years later, and there is, at last, a sequel coming out. The original adventures of Jessie Keyser in her 1840's Indiana village find some interesting parallels in the story of Zola, a 12-year-old living in a futuristic society where everyone has a perfect life and some truly immersive tech. Or do they?

Adult readers have to suspend a hefty amount of disbelief for some of the shenanigans, but it's quite a page-turner, especially early on. Do you have to have read the first book? Not necessarily, although it probably works better if you do.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for this advance review copy! This book goes on sale in May 2023.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considering how much I loved Running Out of Time growing up (and, frankly, as an adult too) it was probably impossible for a sequel to live up, but even besides the somewhat less engaging plot, I was pretty disappointed by a lot of the craft elements here. I didn’t really connect with Zola as a character and found her perspective a little frustrating to read through; it left me wishing that Puck had been the narrator or at least a POV character instead. The action didn’t really pick up until over halfway through the book and even once it was there, it felt pretty circular and minimal in the actual adventure which made it feel pretty pointless. I was happy that some amount of the “old man yells at cloud” anti-technology tone of the opening chapters wore off a bit and the inclusion of the underclass Futureville society felt interesting, pointed and timely, but it still ended up feeling a bit preachier than is necessarily engaging for me, especially in terms of Zola’s dialogue every time she was shocked about the flaws of people and the world (“Why isn’t that parent being endlessly patient with their child?”); the use of the specific villain also felt pretty cheesy, especially by the point of the confrontation. Perhaps this might work better for readers who come in without the background or expectations that I did, especially those interested in futuristic/dystopian literature, but I wanted to enjoy this far more than I actually did.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

[becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

In theory, this should be a fun return to the Keyser family, but I found myself more frustrated than anything.

The pacing feels off which makes this a more difficult read than Running Out of Time. My main issue is that it is almost the same exact plot as the first book but time is reversed, but there is a lot more plotholes that just seem to be skipped over. It felt like Jessie had to work a little more to save the village whereas things just fell into Zola's lap.

Overall, a quick and mildly entertaining read, but not something I'd recommend highly to (adult) readers who loved ROoT.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this so much!

[AllyP Reads Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is just terrible. Everything Kiersten says in her review is true. (That's the first review that comes up when I look at reviews for this book; it's a two-star review). The plot holes are just so enormous and everything is just so implausible. The same company makes a Futureville and Jessie's sister from Running Out of Time goes to live in it. But then when things go awry, she and the rest of the adults do nothing! They just continue with their lives, living in fear and allowing their children to grow up in this false world. The issue with getting to safety in Running Out of Time was that they were under control and didn't know when the spectators would be watching and all attempts at messages were squashed. Now, the Futureville residents are out walking amongst the spectators and they still do nothing! It is so ridiculous. All you have to do is go outside and tell people what's going on and walk out the main door to freedom. The children of Futureville supposedly don't know what's going on because they have to wear VR headsets when they go outside which leads to even more plot holes. Even with noise cancelling headphones, you can still hear people. You can also sense when someone is next to you so they would absolutely would be wondering who else is around. As others have said, there is also no way some of the Futureville children would not have been bumped by the spectators, either on purpose or on accident.
The idiocy starts right at the beginning when the MC receives a note in her instant closet saying "find us" or something to that effect. So stupid. This is something that occurs in other books and movies and it is just so illogical. So someone receives this note and is then supposed to upend their life trying to discover who sent it because that person is in mortal danger. Well, if you are in such danger, maybe you should actually say where you are and how you need help. If the powers that be would murder you just for sending a note that says "find us" then you might as well spell it out how you could be helped because you have nothing to lose. And seriously, if you received a note like that, would you give a flying fuck or just go on with your life because, seriously, what the fuck are you supposed to do about it?
Just stick with having read Running Out Of Time and pretend this idiocy doesn't exist.

[Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Man, I wanted to love this. Running Out of Time is one of my all-time kidlit faves; I've recommended it a hundred times to young readers, and I think I've managed to keep a copy for over a quarter-century.

But part of the genius of Running out of Time was how believable it was. The situation in the novel was this weird mixture of toxic nostalgia and eugenics, both of which are in abundant supply in the real world. By comparison, the situation in this novel is predicated on nothing realistic -- a sort of faux EPCOT plus a testbed for tech companies? Neither of those have the gravity of the dark forces behind the first novel.

I was just left with way too many questions at the end of this book. I appreciate that Haddix wanted to write a sequel, and I think the premise wasn't bad. But the execution bordered on ridiculous. Even with some of the apparent future tech explained away by sleight of hand, too much of it was inexplicable in 2023. (Example: the main character and her friends have conversations that appear to be auto-censored by an AI; the main character has an AI that answers all her questions; the main character has super-realistic VR simulation experiences; I could go on.)

The reveal of the antagonist was also, I dunno, just really underwhelming. There's symmetry and then there's recapitulation.

[Haylee Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you ever read “Running Out of Time” in middle school like I did, I highly suggest reading this long-awaited sequel. I do think that you need to read the first book in order to fully understand this one. I reread it after getting a few chapters in because I felt a little lost. I really enjoyed this story as it kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t predict what would happen next. Reading about Zola’s life in the “future” made me jealous, and I do kind of hope technology advances enough within my lifetime so I can see some of the things she got to see. I didn’t enjoy the ending, unfortunately. It felt like the author was adding too much and couldn’t figure out how to conclude the whole story. I wanted more than a silly monologue from the Futurevilles owner, and I wanted to learn more about Jessie’s life in the last 30 years. I also wanted more about Puck throughout the book. He felt like a convenient side character whenever Zola needed something, but he was very flat. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

[Barb Middleton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same premise as book 1 but with some twists. The villain is not developed particularly well but the action packed book makes for a quick read.

[Josephine Sorrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Margaret Peterson Haddix for writing this well written sequel to Running Out of Time. I remember it’s huge popularity when I was teaching third grade. Wow, was that was 28 years ago?

I remembered the 1995 book ending on a cliffhanger, so when I saw this on Netgally, I couldn’t believe it. Thank you Netgally for granting my request as I completely devoured Falling Out of Time,

Haddix has done a really super job with the utopia/dystopia genre. I enjoyed reading the afterward concerning her research and who she consulted for information. I get all my updated TikTok, VR, modern day insight from my 10 year old grandson. I think this book will have great appeal to middle grade readers of the 21st century.

When the book started I wasn't quite sure where Haddix was going with the storyline. It was set so far in the future I couldn't quite figure out how it would tie in with Jessie and Clifton Village. The author summoned her masterful talent and did a great job of making the connection happen. And yes, Jessie does make an appearance in this book as well. How, you ask, if the setting is the year 2193? You will find out.

Maybe it’s my age but I didn’t think this Futureville world was as plausible compared to the setting she created in Running Out of Time. This new scenario with Zola and Puck is quite thought provoking as we ourselves have witnessed such dramatic changes in technology in the past decades. For example, I never knew I’d be able to fit a whole computer in the back pocket of my jeans. So who’s to say this 23rd century scenario is not so far off base. The novel 1984, published in 1949 wasn’t

Zola is a fun main character, with a perfect name for a futuristic kid. I loved her passion for the truth even though it was sometimes at odds with what she's always believed. Zola discovers she''s related to Jessie Keyser, the brave teen we got to know in the first book. Zola begins to understand her seemingly perfect utopian world is actually a cover for a dark reality. Twelve-year-old Zola has been led to believe she has the perfect life. She thinks everyone does, now that it’s 2193, and humanity has solved all its problems. No hunger, pain, homelessness or lack for anything one desires. Insta-Closets deliver new clothes every morning, Insta-Ovens deliver gourmet meals on demand, and virtual reality goggles let kids have any adventure they might demand. School is tailored to each learner so your friends are from all over the world.

One day Zola finds a handwritten note in her Insta-Closet: it’s on a very rare medium, paper. “If you want to see things as they really are, come find me.” What if Zola''s wrong about everything--even the year? As she struggles to figure out who wrote the note, she discovers a lot of things about her existence that are in no way what she perceives.

Great read for sure!

[Hannah]

Running Out of Time is one of my all-time favorite books from childhood, and I'm always recommending Haddix's books to people because who else can write medical ethics thrillers for kids? I've never seen anyone else do it. This book was a cool-ish idea, but the execution and pacing were way, way off, and the logic just felt a lot more tenuous both compared to Haddix's other books AND when you consider that it's supposed to be linked to the first book. What exactly are these tech tests? How has nobody in the federal government or in grassroots activism in the intervening years done anything about these repeated ethics violations in the state of Indiana? Why are the evil adults more cartoonishly evil than they were in Running Out of Time? I think it's obvious Haddix doesn't particularly enjoy extending stories into series, which I actually respect--more SFF should be standalone instead of forced into series, imho. The later entries in the Shadow Children series are similarly strained and tryhard and cringe in a way that feels like she's just doing something she's forced to do instead of something she wants to do. It's also clear that in all her decades of writing, she really hasn't learned how to be comfortable with or competent at writing about issues of race. I think this was just too much idea to be in such a short text, even though usually what Haddix does really well is tight thrillers that aren't a lot of pages long! I had fun revisiting this world, and I love that Jessie became a doctor, but honestly--and I cannot believe I'm saying this because I usually think this is a cheap and shitty tactic for money-hungry and relevance-seeking publishers and authors to do--a book for adult readers about adult Jessie going to med school or watching Futurevilles begin to start up and working to take them down likely would have been more believable and interesting than this take.

[Gabriel Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars out of 5!!!

Genuinely confused about this book’s low-ish average rating because I enjoyed every moment of this. The tension, the refreshingly nuanced message for kids to question their comforts, the callbacks to the first book. Sure, there were contrivances and oddities, but I was entertained and thought-provoked nonetheless.

For a kids’ book to express to the reader that technology and idealistic expectations of the future are not evil or foolish, but rather can serve as distractions from reality at the least and tools for oppressors to isolate and consequently exploit people through misinformation and cultish brainwashing…all to serve the purpose of unethically testing experimental technology on unsuspecting children to perpetuate control by way of corrupt dollars…wild.

Margaret, you didn’t miss with this one for me. Even if there were some hokey or heavy-handed moments, the characters, the weight, the stakes—it all felt genuine and immersive.

I am slightly disappointed that Zola’s future didn’t explicitly teach her about nonbinary identities, but overall, this book raises many other pressing issues, like climate change, ethics in science, solidarity, corporate greed, the unfortunately valid paranoia of living in a surveillance state, the costs of “utopia” (reminiscent of Omelas, or even the real-life horror of Thomas Jefferson’s “Smart” house, which was run by slaves unseen), etc. I hope kids read this duology and, like Zola and Jessie, are inspired to pursue justice in their daily lives and in the long run alike.

Also I was slightly shocked when it was revealed that Jessie and Nicole weren’t married, but that was probably just wishful thinking as someone who likes it when gay people exist. Still a great book though!!!

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would say you should definitely have read the first book recently to get the most out of this, but that it doesn't match the heights of the first one (which I just realized was the author's DEBUT book?!). This book isn't JUST the first one reversed, and it does have some stuff that it's fun to look back on or laugh at compared to the 1990s as portrayed in the first book, but I agree with some other reviewers that the plot holes definitely seem larger, and the narrator less of a well-drawn character than Jessie in the first book. Worth reading, but not something that I loved, maybe partly because I am no longer the age of the main character, which... fair.

[Brandi Fundingsland · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of "Falling Out of Time" via NetGalley. I really enjoyed "Running Out of Time", and had high hopes for its sequel. While I didn't hate it, I feel like it dragged. There wasn't as much action, danger, or a rush to save the residents from some impending doom. There is mention of Zola, Jessie, and others being in danger, but it felt like an after thought in the plot, not a driving force for survival.

Overall, this novel lacked for me and I wouldn't use it for a book club selection like I did its predecessor.

[Kimberly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having loved Running Out of Time, I had high hopes for the sequel. However, it felt like a retelling of the first book but not told as well. It was very predictable and left gaping plot holes that had me rolling my eyes by the end.

It also felt like a long-winded argument for environmental protection slammed in my face again and again.

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Takes place in 2193 - or does it? I’d love to have an Insta closet - I’d request only clothes with pockets. Gets right into the action - perfect for MG. Great to read after the first book, which won’t feel so dated after reading this one.
“VR goggles meant that everyone could have full rich, exciting lives without encountering the slightest risk of danger ever.”
“how could she and Puck look at the same objects and have such different reactions?” when they get off the school bus and see driver drinking Gatorade.
Good story to read after the original one

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zola's life in 2193 in many ways seems perfect. It is free from worry and strife and her VR goggles make the entire beautiful world available to her. But is it really? A clever follow up to Haddix's Running Out of Time with a fascinating premise, interesting twists and turns, and thoughtful speculation about technology, the environment, and misinformation. A well told story by a master storyteller!

[Ms. B · Rating 4 out of 5]

History repeats itself in this worthy sequel to Running Out of Time. If you enjoyed the original, you'll enjoy Zola's story too. Is 2193 as wonderful as it seems? Zola's about to find out when she discovers an autobiography about Dr. Jessie Keyser from the early 2000s.

[Aislin]

When I heard there was a new sequel to one of childhood favorite books, of course I had to check it out. This book has lots of issues (honestly, that’s an understatement) but it made me a little nostalgic and I’m not totally mad I read it.

[Zoe Zeid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to read a sequel to a book I loved in childhood!

[DaNae · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun follow-up to Running out of Time.

[Morgan Rondinelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and suspenseful, but not quite as solid as the first one.
Still good though! And fun to read 20+ years later!

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tore through this sequel published 28 years after the original! Running Out of Time was one of my all-time favorite childhood books and this sequel did not disappoint!

[Meagan Khatthaname · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Kristen Loper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first book “running out of time” more but this was still a fun sequel! Definitely appeals more to the middle school age audience. I think my kids will enjoy this series when they are older.

[Bethany DuVal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listen, I want to love anything Margaret Peterson Haddix writes, and I realize that this is a book written for children, but….

Falling Out of Time is a sorry copy of Running Out of Time.

The feasibility of Running leaves some tech questions, sure: How many microphones did they have in that village? How hard was it to isolate the right sounds for visitors? What did they think would happen when kids in that first generation grew up and wanted to pioneer beyond Clifton Village? How would they handle the Civil War, giving them that part of history but dissuading an entire village from taking up the noble Union cause?

But believing in some very advanced for the 1990s production tech and that the villains lacked foresight isn’t SO crazy. And as a kid, I really didn’t think about these things.

Falling’s issues are: How does the insta-refrigerator actually make exact recipes so quickly? We can believe that they have a lot of freezer meals, but meeting the exact specifications? What happens when someone orders clothing wildly outside their normal requests? Or with some kind of special alteration?

How is it that no kid has EVER taken off their VR goggles while outside—just to see what it’s like? When I was a kid, you couldn’t make me keep on 3D glasses through a whole movie because I wanted to see what things looked like without them. You’re telling me NONE of the kids in Futureville have ever gotten curious… ever? Zola and her friends have never messed around by trying to walk through each other in their supposedly VR environment?

Part of the challenge in Running is that the villagers don’t know the tour hours. They try to communicate with quarantine signs, but they’re made to take them down before the tourists see. But Falling has no such issues. The adults know when the tourists are there and can walk right up to them and remove their goggles. Why don’t they? Hannah says she’s made attempts to escape, but what WERE those attempts, and why didn’t they work?

Finally, there’s a real missed opportunity to highlight how so much of 21st century life depends on the invisible hard labor of kids like Puck. It’s not just how the imagined Futureville has to run—it’s how our current world runs. Instead we just focus on sustainability. Why couldn’t Zola be horrified to find out that in the year 2193, sweatshop labor hasn’t actually been eliminated?

I love Haddix. She’s usually so great at creating dystopian books that take on real issues in a kid-friendly way, but this one is just not up to her normal standard.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Along with everyone else, I fell in love with the 1995 Margaret Peterson Haddix thriller, Running Out of Time. The concept was fresh, and the basic conflict was a matter of life and death. I read it as a school librarian and welcomed this exciting story into our collection.
If Running Out of Time could be said to hit a home run, the sequel Falling Out of Time is more like a solid double. Building on the original story in which a young girl must escape from a village in the year 1840 to find medical treatment for children falling ill from diphtheria, it is only as the danger begins to build that young Jessie learns the village of Clifton is a fabrication, and the outside world Is living in the twentieth century In the sequel it is Jessie’s sister and niece Zola who are living in a fabricated community, but this time more like Tomorrowland, The harsh failings of contemporary society have been supplanted by VR goggles, air pollution has been conquered, there are Insta-Closets and -Ovens and, the best invention of the whole book — sirilexagoogle, a virtual assistant that can solve every problem you might ever face.
Unfortunately, the novelty of living in a false world has already been done, so the basic premise doesn’t have the surprise of the original story. That is not to say that the labor-saving devices of 2093 aren’t clever and fun to imagine, but even while we are enjoying the Picture Wall and the pleasure of instant meals and wardrobe, the reader is expecting a darker world to be revealed.
I’m not sure if my other big criticism is fair. I, of course, am reading this book as an adult, and I found the frequent repetition of Zola’s observations and complaints to be quite annoying. The author, however, was writing for a Middle School audience and this technique might be warranted for younger readers. The story was narrated by young Zola which gives it a certain immediacy but prevents any sophisticated reflection from being introduced.
The strength of this story lies in the discussions that are sure to arise on the topic of whether technology without freedom will create a better or worse society. Haddix, I’m confident, will have a ready made audience eager to read about time-shifting of another sort.

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Falling out of time wins the award for Book With The Most Plotholes So Far This Year!🏆 TBH plotholes drive me insane, so that alone would be enough to ruin the book for me.

Falling Out of Time simply doesn’t compare to Running Out of Time, which I read for the first time a couple of months ago.

I would have removed a whole star (even if the rest of this story was great) just for the crime of naming the Ai assistant “Serilexagoogle”🙃🫠 (&then using that name EVERY PAGE for the rest of the book🥲). Could the author think of NO other names?!?!

Past that, I did enjoy the first half of the book. The setup and premise were interesting, despite the fact that it’s basically the *exact same plot* as the last book. Unfortunately, the second half devolved into complete and utter nonsense, especially in the last few chapters. I originally was going to include detailed explanations of the many plot holes and inconsistencies, but the top liked review on GR has a good overview of many points.

Overall, the urgency and fear experienced by the characters was completely baseless: no one is actually trapped (especially in the “bad Futureville”!) and there is no reason for the *children* to be the ones to save everyone (when all the adults could do the exact same thing that they are having the children do?!!). Furthermore, the reason that the bad guys kept everyone “trapped” in the Futurevilles was completely irrelevant and a paper thin explanation. *Nothing* that happened in this entire book made sense OR needed to happen… unlike the first book, which was believable and fleshed out.

And last but not least, the author’s attitude towards her (young) characters was condescending. It was obvious that she is twenty years older writing the sequel than she was the first time around, and she seemed to be of the attitude that “12 year olds are silly small children with big feelings”. I truly can’t imagine young readers loving this book because the author treats tween characters as inferior and simpleminded.

I’m not sure what to rate this book, I guess I’ll go for 2 stars since the writing itself isn’t bad and I did read this VERY quickly. But I wouldn’t recommend it to ANYONE, especially if you loved the first one and are hoping for more.