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sab_reads14's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I read Running Out of Time the summer before my freshman year of high school. I was on a kick binging Haddix’s books and near the end of summer, I realized I still hadn’t read her debut. So I found it at the library and read it all during a family crisis.
And I really liked it.
However, I never considered the possibility of a sequel. I knew it ended on a cliffhanger, I was gaining a sense of appreciation for cliffhanger endings at the time, so I didn’t mind too much.
Fast forward to a few months ago, as a now-college freshman, and I see that…Running Out of Time is getting a sequel???
The concept IMMEDIATELY sucked me in—I’m such a sucker for false-utopia-something’s-not-quite-right-here stories. (Probably why her Children of Exile series is my favorite.) The second the ARC became available for request, I hit the button and hoped and prayed that they would accept it. How could I possibly wait until MAY???
And oh my good god it was SO good. My only issue with something’s-not-quite-right-here stories is that they’re so hard to review. There’s so much I want to say that I can’t because it’s just so much better to go into it mainly blind. (Not COMPLETELY blind, because if you’ve read Running Out of Time, you know what the main thing is, but there’s so much more.)
Just know that Margaret Peterson Haddix still has it with the plot twists.
Perfect for fans of Running Out of Time and The Truman Show.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Death of parent
Minor: Gun violence and Murder
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