Out of Time
John Marsden
Tor, Oct 2005, $16.95, 127 pp.
ISBN: 0765314126

James is lonely with no one, especially his party-animal parents to talk to about his feelings of loss and alienation. His only salvation is sneaking out of the house each night to stealthily enter the nearby Lab 17, where physicist Mr. Woodford invents incredible gizmo's, with the latest being a time machine.

When James enters Lab 17 the next night he finds a horrible sight; Mr. Woodford has died. Unable to resist the lure of adventure, James takes the time machine with him. James begins to travel the time stream observing the mysteries of individual people that raises his curiosities, but will he try to help those in need or will he use the gift of time to make a fortune?

OUT OF TIME is a fine young adult time travel tale, that reads more like a series of interrelated short stories based on James' misadventures. The idea of a teen loose on history is fun to follow, and James feels like Spiderman immediately after the bite, deciding between heroic deeds or obtaining affluence. Youthful fans will enjoy his escapades as he gets involved in one scenario after another.

Harriet Klausner