Parents' Guide to

Out of Time (1996)

By Monica Wyatt, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

A preposterous but entertaining yarn.

Book Caroline B. Cooney Historical Fiction 1996
Out of Time (1996) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

See all
age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

ofee1211
ofee1211 Adult
December 23, 2011
age 13+

Out of time

This title has:

Educational value
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In the sequel to Both Sides of Time, Annie is now back in the present. She soon travels back in time. The simplistic, breathless plot is pulpy but entertaining, and will painlessly leave an impression of social conditions during the 19th century.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

The cliffhanger ending of Both Sides of Time forgotten, Annie begins this book in the present; this will disappoint readers who left the first book eager to find Annie in a different time. Nevertheless, fans will love the escape thriller that follows.

Complete with irredeemably evil villains and a kind, innocent girl imprisoned in the asylum only because she was born ugly, the story won't tax readers' brains to distinguish the good guys from the bad; the characters are all one-dimensional. The ridiculous story could come from an early silent movie. Yet readers will learn even more about the restrictions against women in the late 19th century and other inequities of the time than they learned from the first book.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the restrictions against women and girls in the 19th century. What has changed since then? Do you think boys and girls (and men and women) are treated equally today?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate