Lost Time

by Susan Maupin Schmid

Overview

A space age mystery!

Twelve-year-old Violynne Vivant wants answers. Orphaned and anguished, she wonders daily what happened to her parents, archaeologists who went digging for the ancient city of Ninthon and vanished into the red sands of Lindos never to return.

Things heat up when a thief breaks into the Vivant's house, looking for Violynne. Suddenly, she is swept into a maze of powerful adult forces: from the planetary ruler called the Arbiter to the murky underworld figure, the Coil?they all have a sudden deep interest in Violynne. Why? And what does it have to do with her parent's disappearance? It becomes apparent that only Violynne herself can uncover her parents? whereabouts?along with age-old secrets of the mysterious planet that many would rather stay buried . . .

Imaginative and gripping, this unique blend of sci-fi and mystery will captivate young readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101652299
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/01/2008
Series:	PRETTY FREEKIN SCARY Series
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	307 KB
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Susan Maupin Schmid lives in Iowa.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 5-7

This sci-fi novel takes place on the planet Lindos, where 12-year-old Violynne Vivant struggles with the disappearance of her parents, who vanished from an archaeological dig a year earlier. Though there are not many humans living on Lindos, she is looked after by her Aunt Madelyn and their butler, Einhart. Violynne's life gets even more complicated when someone breaks into their home, which is filled with valuable artifacts, and steals only an old violin. This incident triggers many others, resulting in Violynne trying to figure out who kidnapped her parents and keeping herself safe from the culprit. The concept of Lost Time is a good one: combining a suspenseful mystery with an otherworldly science fiction tale. Unfortunately, the promise is not fulfilled within the story. Many alien life-forms and futuristic technologies are introduced, but none of them is fully realized or completely explained. The mystery unfolds at a frantic pace, and readers must acclimate quickly to the various events with limited information. The end result seems rushed, and the resolution unsatisfying. Vivian Vande Velde's Heir Apparent (Harcourt, 2002) or Margaret Haddix's "Shadow Children" series (S & S) are better choices for sci-fi fans who also love a good mystery.-Saleena L. Davidson, South Brunswick Public Library, Monmouth Junction, NJ

School Library Journal

A promising SF/fantasy/mystery blend, Schmid's debut features an intrepid 12-year-old who picks up her parents' trail a year after they vanish at an archeological dig on planet Lindos. That trail leads Violynne into brushes with the autocratic planetary Arbiter and with several sorts of enigmatic aliens, then into a dramatic flight that culminates in the discovery of an ancient time machine deep underground. As Schmid plays fast and loose with physical laws (specifically a moon that doesn't affect the orbits of any of its near neighbors, despite having the gravity well of a black hole), this isn't pure SF, but she creates a credible setting and keeps the pace up. She also stirs in suspense and political intrigue, provides Violynne with a good stock of native intelligence, plus a pair of colorful secret agents to give her a hand at need, and finishes off with a dramatic multiple rescue. This stands alone but could engender sequels-which would be a good thing, as well-crafted interstellar tales for this audience are rare. (Science fiction/fantasy. 10-12)

Kirkus Reviews