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A review by waytoomanybooks
Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It's been 15 years since I read this book, and while I remembered some of the big plot points, I picked up on a lot more of the nuanced messages this time around.
What I had once considered a time travel adventure story is actually much darker. Jessie, the main character, grows up in a cult based around around beliefs and life styles of the 1840s. It isn't until the people running the show--literally, the cult is on display to the public--introduce diphtheria to the tiny town that Jessie's "ma" decides that action needs to be taken.
Cue Jessie on a journey of modernity: 1840 --> 1996.
The main message of the story is what happens when anti-vaxxers and fake news mongers are revealed to be what they truly are. It is a cautionary tale that uncomfortably lines up with where we are as a nation in 2021.
What I had once considered a time travel adventure story is actually much darker. Jessie, the main character, grows up in a cult based around around beliefs and life styles of the 1840s. It isn't until the people running the show--literally, the cult is on display to the public--introduce diphtheria to the tiny town that Jessie's "ma" decides that action needs to be taken.
Cue Jessie on a journey of modernity: 1840 --> 1996.
The main message of the story is what happens when anti-vaxxers and fake news mongers are revealed to be what they truly are. It is a cautionary tale that uncomfortably lines up with where we are as a nation in 2021.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Medical trauma