Girl Out of Time - Clyde Boyer - ★★★★.¼

AUTHOR: Clyde Boyer

Genre: Middle-Grade Science Fiction

Rating: 4.25 Stars.

In a Nutshell: An intelligent and imaginative sci-fi read for middle graders. Covers some thoughtful themes. A bit too long for the target age group but the fast pace and thrilling action-adventures compensate for the length.

Story Synopsis:

Anna Armstrong has always been a space aficionado. After her parents pass away unexpectedly, she is sent to live with her Uncle Jack on his farm, which is not the kind of farm you might imagine.

On her first night there, Anna sees some strange lights and a mysterious woman floating above the lake in the back of the house. Thus begins Anna’s thrilling adventure, courtesy Mara, the time traveller from the future who seems to be hiding from something, or someone. Mara needs Anna’s help in tracking some wormholes, but little do they know that an ‘unearthly’ visitor has already landed in their vicinity.

Where the book worked for me:

👽 The story stays true to its protagonist’s age. Anna is a seventh grader, and she acts like one, though at a much higher intellectual level. She is impulsive, curious, stubborn, but also courageous and loyal. She makes for a complex and well-rounded lead character. The parallel lead, Mara, is a wonderful mentor-cum-friend to Anna, allowing Anna to learn from her mistakes and allow her curiosity to lead her the right way. I loved their bond.

👽 The plot includes many complex scientific concepts such as wormholes, gravitational pull, and artificial intelligence. However, it doesn't treat its readers as stupid by spoon-feeding them every explanation, but provides just enough info to understand the scene and trusts its young readers to decipher it correctly. Many YA authors would do well to learn from this approach.

👽 Thought-provoking topics such as sustainable farming techniques, the importance of food and farmers, climate change and its impact, and conservation of natural resources are balanced alongside more regular MG staples such as bullying, supportive friendships, and first crushes. There are also some brief philosophical points such as on actions vs. consequences. While I could have done without the crush factor (it didn’t add much to the story and wasn’t even explored in detail), the rest of the themes are handled well.

👽 The imagery is amazing. Every scene is so vividly written that it is not at all difficult to visualise the events, even when they are out of this world, literally. The descriptive writing is one of the best features of this plot. I still can’t believe the scenes came from debut novelist’s pen… errrr… laptop.

👽 It was a lot of fun to read about the futuristic elements in Mara’s arc. They did feel a tad too farfetched to be practically possible just a century ahead, but hey, this is science ‘fiction’. We go with the flow!

👽 While the content is episodic at times, there are enough of action and adventurous sequences to keep us hooked. Even during moments of lull, the book doesn’t reduce the pacing. This is especially helpful because the book is quite lengthy at 368 pages.

👽 Plus points for having two well-sketched female protagonists in a sci-fi story, all the more relevant as the author is a man. This is so rare an occurrence!

Where the book could have worked better for me:

👾 The secondary characters, maybe except for Jack, don’t get enough detailing. Fiona and Lulu, being Anna’s besties, could have had a much greater role to play in the plot, but we barely get to know them. Scout gets a somewhat better deal, but why he is looked down upon and teased so much by his friends, we never know properly.

👾 Mara’s backstory wasn’t too convincing. I was hoping for a better explanation.

All in all, this was a fun yet intense middle-grade sci-fi novel. It will work even for teens and possibly for adult readers too, as long as they go in with the right expectations. I can’t put my finger on the reason, but somehow, that cover, though striking, doesn’t convey ‘middle-grade’ to me. I began this book expecting a regular sci-fi story. Luckily, I was able to adapt to the right age group soon. (Being a regular children’s book reader helps.)

The plot is quite ambitious for a debut work, but the author uses his credentials well to provide us with an entertainer. Definitely recommend this to youngsters who enjoy sci-fi adventures.

Though the story ties up neatly at the end, something tells me that we shall be seeing more of Anna and Mara in future. I hope my gut feel is right. If there is indeed a sequel, it will definitely hop onto my reading list.

My thanks to Girl Friday Productions and NetGalley for the DRC of “Girl Out of Time”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.