"Double Identity" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Upon seeing me pick up a copy of Running Out of Time, a friend recommended that I read Margaret Peterson Haddix's Double Identity. So I did. And considering that I read it in just a couple of hours, you could say that I liked it. Bethany isn't sure what is going on. Her parents just dropped her off at her aunt's house, but prior to this moment, she didn't know that she even had an aunt. Her parents leave her behind and the only clue she has is the name "Elizabeth." It takes some time, but she finally finds out that Elizabeth was her older sister who was killed in a car accident before she was born. However, even after that revelation, everything is not as it seems.

The entire time I was reading this, I was on the edge of my seat (both figuratively and literally, as I sit weird when I am cold). I never quite knew which turn the plot would take but what I liked about it was how Haddix set everything up. My problem with many suspenseful novels is that plot twists often come out of no where in such a way that the reader couldn't have predicted any of it. Haddix does a great job of setting up potential plot points without bashing the reader over the head with hints that it might be important. I'm not sure if I would have cared for this book when I was a kid (I wasn't into anything with suspense or science at that age), but reading it as an adult was a very enjoyable experience.

Happy Reading!
-Melly

"Running Out of Time" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Running Out of Time is my first Margaret Peterson Haddix novel. Somehow I have gone my entire life without reading any of her books, and if this book is a good judge, then there is something wrong with me. I absolutely loved this book!  Jessie has gone her entire life not knowing that her entire life is a lie. She and the other children living in the village of Clifton do not know that they are not really living in the 1840s, but instead on exhibit in a living museum. The adults made the decision to move to the village with the condition that there children not know the truth. Everything had been find until the people of the village are no longer receiving modern medicine and people started getting deathly ill. Suddenly it is up to Jessie to go into the modern world and find a way to rescue her family and friends before it is too late.

The only thing I didn't like about this book is how dated it has become. The book itself is set in 1996 and it was weird to read about references to phone booths. I would be interested to read an updated edition of this book. Considering Jessie's reactions to things like the radio, it would be really interesting to see her trying to navigate making a call on a smart phone. New technology aside, this book is a fascinating read. Haddix does a great job of throwing Jessie into this totally new world and takes the reader on a very tense journey that had me turning pages as quickly I could read them. I have already checked out more of Haddix's books at the library with the intention of reading them soon!

Happy Reading!
-Melly