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Out of Time #1
Out of Time
Scarlett Shortt is just an average 16 year old until she wakes up in a dark new world. As she tries to make sense of what’s happened to the London she knew, she meets a group of strange teenagers who insist she’s part of their team of superheroes.
She’s sceptical at first, but after run-ins with weird robots, superpowered villains and corrupt cops, she decides that trusting her new friends is her best option. And so the reluctant hero joins their fight to overthrow the evil Prime Minister Goulden, who is determined to shape the world in his own warped image.
Can Scarlett learn to use her powers of telekinesis in time to overcome their many foes and will she ever find out where she is and how she got there?
11+
This fun, action-packed adventure is the first in a series of superhero books.
She’s sceptical at first, but after run-ins with weird robots, superpowered villains and corrupt cops, she decides that trusting her new friends is her best option. And so the reluctant hero joins their fight to overthrow the evil Prime Minister Goulden, who is determined to shape the world in his own warped image.
Can Scarlett learn to use her powers of telekinesis in time to overcome their many foes and will she ever find out where she is and how she got there?
11+
This fun, action-packed adventure is the first in a series of superhero books.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 9, 2014
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396 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 30, 2014
It isn’t often that a young adult book is age appropriate for younger teens, but Out of Time by Donna Marie Oldfield is definitely a book for all ages! She has cleverly called her characters ‘Superheroes’ as opposed to mutants, or genetically engineered or whatever, it lends a positive note to this band of gifted teens who live on the fringe of society, fighting against the evils of a corrupt government and the brutal mistreatment of their people. Besides,who doesn’t like the idea of having special powers?
The last thing Scarlett remembered was a vehicle bearing down on her. When she finally wakes up in a grungy hospital, things have changed, and her world has been transformed from normal to dystopian nightmare where nothing is the same, she does not exist on record and a group of teens, all unknown to her claim she is one of them. To rattle her cage a little more, they each have an extraordinary power they can manipulate to do their bidding. Can you imagine finding out, you, too have a special gift? Scarlett learned she has her own unique power she can wield with ease. Of course, she remembers none of this because she is not their Scarlett. Where is this world? How did Scarlett get there?
To her shock, Scarlett masters her talents and the rebels go on the offensive, to rescue others like them who are being tortured and used as guinea pigs in a secret government laboratory. When a rival group of gifted teens confront Scarlett, she is in for yet another blistering shock. Will she ever go back home or will her growing affection for the leader become an unbreakable bond?
Donna Marie Oldfield must have her own special gift, the gift of storytelling to a large range of ages! With brilliant, constant dialogue in a toned down teen tongue, these kids come to life, with all the stresses of youth, but when the chips are down, they band together as one loyal unit. Ms. Oldfield has created a positive, yet exciting read with its own share of action and emotion in the well-drawn world she has created, is this her inner child at work? Even better, there is a prequel with all the backstory you could want! Currently free on Amazon titled Super Unknown: An Out of Time Prequel!
Publication Date: July 9, 2014
Publisher: Sonic Pop Publishing
Genre: YA Fantasy Age Level: 11 - 18
Print Length: 269 pages
Available From: Amazon
The last thing Scarlett remembered was a vehicle bearing down on her. When she finally wakes up in a grungy hospital, things have changed, and her world has been transformed from normal to dystopian nightmare where nothing is the same, she does not exist on record and a group of teens, all unknown to her claim she is one of them. To rattle her cage a little more, they each have an extraordinary power they can manipulate to do their bidding. Can you imagine finding out, you, too have a special gift? Scarlett learned she has her own unique power she can wield with ease. Of course, she remembers none of this because she is not their Scarlett. Where is this world? How did Scarlett get there?
To her shock, Scarlett masters her talents and the rebels go on the offensive, to rescue others like them who are being tortured and used as guinea pigs in a secret government laboratory. When a rival group of gifted teens confront Scarlett, she is in for yet another blistering shock. Will she ever go back home or will her growing affection for the leader become an unbreakable bond?
Donna Marie Oldfield must have her own special gift, the gift of storytelling to a large range of ages! With brilliant, constant dialogue in a toned down teen tongue, these kids come to life, with all the stresses of youth, but when the chips are down, they band together as one loyal unit. Ms. Oldfield has created a positive, yet exciting read with its own share of action and emotion in the well-drawn world she has created, is this her inner child at work? Even better, there is a prequel with all the backstory you could want! Currently free on Amazon titled Super Unknown: An Out of Time Prequel!
Publication Date: July 9, 2014
Publisher: Sonic Pop Publishing
Genre: YA Fantasy Age Level: 11 - 18
Print Length: 269 pages
Available From: Amazon
October 12, 2014
In her debut YA novel, Out of Time, author Donna Marie Oldfield gets most of it right. Plus, she’s a professional copywriter, so grammar and spelling are immaculate, a welcome surprise in a new indie author. I did find the title somewhat misleading, as the story isn’t a time-travel, but more an urban fantasy.
On her eighteenth birthday, Scarlett Shortt has no larger agenda than showing her best friend Alex her new watch, when he leaps toward her as a truck is about to hit. She wakes up in a strange hospital to find that four weeks have passed and the world is completely different. This world’s Scarlett has superpowers, a hot crush, and a Most Wanted poster with her picture on it. In this version of It’s a Wonderful Life in reverse, she discovers that England has been transformed into a kind of British Pottersville, in which she and a handful of other teens with their own superpowers are the closest thing to guardian angels.
The plot was well-developed, and most of it was relevant. The overly-simplistic explanations for one man—even if he’s the Prime Minister—having the ability to impose a totalitarian state on one of the most stubbornly democratic places on earth was a bit of a swallow, as was the weak scientific backup. Luckily, Out of Time sticks pretty much to the “then magic happened” framework, which actually works pretty well here. For teens, the characters were astonishingly well-spoken and polite, but she does give them distinct personalities which are fun mirrors of each one’s superpower. It would have been great to see more character growth caused by their pivotal and wrenching life developments, but actually the action covers a relatively short period so perhaps that will come in future volumes.
Although I found the style a bit stiff at first (“As she stared at his 6ft frame and broad shoulders…”), the fast paced action soon pulled me in and I was rooting for Scarlett and her new friends. My biggest complaint is that the superpowers were super convenient, with new ones manifesting just when they are needed most. Also convenient is that one of the teens has that most British of institutions, the spinster godmother who conveniently dies, leaving her money and a mansion. But the interpersonal conflicts and spats that would be common to any group of teens, the self-questioning and challenges faced by their leader (and romantic hottie) Dylan, and the tentative romance developing between Dylan and Scarlett are nicely done.
I’d give Out of Time four stars for slightly stiff pace and lack of character development, but fast-paced action and plot. I’d certainly pick up the next volume, and urge any young teens who might be looking for an adventure with light romance to do the same.
On her eighteenth birthday, Scarlett Shortt has no larger agenda than showing her best friend Alex her new watch, when he leaps toward her as a truck is about to hit. She wakes up in a strange hospital to find that four weeks have passed and the world is completely different. This world’s Scarlett has superpowers, a hot crush, and a Most Wanted poster with her picture on it. In this version of It’s a Wonderful Life in reverse, she discovers that England has been transformed into a kind of British Pottersville, in which she and a handful of other teens with their own superpowers are the closest thing to guardian angels.
The plot was well-developed, and most of it was relevant. The overly-simplistic explanations for one man—even if he’s the Prime Minister—having the ability to impose a totalitarian state on one of the most stubbornly democratic places on earth was a bit of a swallow, as was the weak scientific backup. Luckily, Out of Time sticks pretty much to the “then magic happened” framework, which actually works pretty well here. For teens, the characters were astonishingly well-spoken and polite, but she does give them distinct personalities which are fun mirrors of each one’s superpower. It would have been great to see more character growth caused by their pivotal and wrenching life developments, but actually the action covers a relatively short period so perhaps that will come in future volumes.
Although I found the style a bit stiff at first (“As she stared at his 6ft frame and broad shoulders…”), the fast paced action soon pulled me in and I was rooting for Scarlett and her new friends. My biggest complaint is that the superpowers were super convenient, with new ones manifesting just when they are needed most. Also convenient is that one of the teens has that most British of institutions, the spinster godmother who conveniently dies, leaving her money and a mansion. But the interpersonal conflicts and spats that would be common to any group of teens, the self-questioning and challenges faced by their leader (and romantic hottie) Dylan, and the tentative romance developing between Dylan and Scarlett are nicely done.
I’d give Out of Time four stars for slightly stiff pace and lack of character development, but fast-paced action and plot. I’d certainly pick up the next volume, and urge any young teens who might be looking for an adventure with light romance to do the same.
September 12, 2014
Original review at JC's Book Haven
Source: provided for honest review
"What do I do now?" she thought. "I've been hit by a lorry, woken up in a nightmare universe, lost my best friend, found out my family are supposedly dead, I'm homeless and I've been attacked by a bunch of super-powered maniacs. Things really couldn't get crazier, or much worse."
The Good
Alright just what I needed...an easy to get into super hero book. Fun powers, good heroes, and of course, my favorite, the despicable villain. But not only do you have your good guy super hero group but you also get your grey area, the end's justify the means super hero group trying to bring down the villain as well.
The Bad
The bad thing for me would be the old saying 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me'. You'll see what me and General Ackbar (Think return of the jedi) mean by this when you read it.
The Romance
The romance is interesting in this book as it has a love triangle, plus amnesia and even a 4th party. So let's just say everything is not smooth sailing.
Conclusion
Overall I had a great time reading the book and look forward to the second book in the series. If you’re looking for a fun Superhero Young Adult novel, this is the book you're looking for. And just in case I'm not a jedi, give it a try any way you won't regret it.
Source: provided for honest review
"What do I do now?" she thought. "I've been hit by a lorry, woken up in a nightmare universe, lost my best friend, found out my family are supposedly dead, I'm homeless and I've been attacked by a bunch of super-powered maniacs. Things really couldn't get crazier, or much worse."
The Good
Alright just what I needed...an easy to get into super hero book. Fun powers, good heroes, and of course, my favorite, the despicable villain. But not only do you have your good guy super hero group but you also get your grey area, the end's justify the means super hero group trying to bring down the villain as well.
The Bad
The bad thing for me would be the old saying 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me'. You'll see what me and General Ackbar (Think return of the jedi) mean by this when you read it.
The Romance
The romance is interesting in this book as it has a love triangle, plus amnesia and even a 4th party. So let's just say everything is not smooth sailing.
Conclusion
Overall I had a great time reading the book and look forward to the second book in the series. If you’re looking for a fun Superhero Young Adult novel, this is the book you're looking for. And just in case I'm not a jedi, give it a try any way you won't regret it.
August 25, 2014
3.5 Stars
I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. When this author approached me with a dystopian with superheroes I was sold. I was very excited to start this novel because dystopians are my favourite and I haven't read any with superheroes before. Now with that being said I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. It was definitely more superhero than dystopian. Also I found there to be way too much dialogue. Otherwise I enjoyed the story and look forward to the next one.
I found that I didn't really connect with any one character in particular because there were a lot of them. I also liked the small amount of romance in the novel. I am excited to see what is really up with Scarlett and Alex.
This is an interesting read and I will continue on with the series. I would recommend this to those who enjoy superhero reads.
I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. When this author approached me with a dystopian with superheroes I was sold. I was very excited to start this novel because dystopians are my favourite and I haven't read any with superheroes before. Now with that being said I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. It was definitely more superhero than dystopian. Also I found there to be way too much dialogue. Otherwise I enjoyed the story and look forward to the next one.
I found that I didn't really connect with any one character in particular because there were a lot of them. I also liked the small amount of romance in the novel. I am excited to see what is really up with Scarlett and Alex.
This is an interesting read and I will continue on with the series. I would recommend this to those who enjoy superhero reads.
November 4, 2014
I loved this fun book about superheroes and liked how real all the characters were. The world its set in is different but in a believable way. I really felt like I could be Scarlett and that my own world could turn out like the one she's in. This added to my enjoyment. There were no uniforms or code names just Scarlett and her other superhero friends battling the very real but very sinister bad guys. The main bad guy was brilliant too! There's a cute romance between Scarlett and Dylan and I found that believable and it fitted into the story well. All in all a book I definitely recommend. I've really even getting into super hero books and this is up there with the rest of them.
September 12, 2014
This was mostly fun and entertaining; it certainly hooked me in well from about chapter 2. The action and adventure is well done, and one or two bits certainly had me on the edge of my seat. Overall: a strong start (from chapter 2), a tedious middle, and an okay end. As the first in a series, it's a promising start.
It got a bit tedious around two-thirds through, with all the tiresome details of the bickering. That bit could use some editing; it's needed for the plot, but it doesn't have to be given in such depth.
There were a lot of bits that weren't believable for me. For example, Scarlett understandably needs explanations after waking to find a completely different world than the one she knew, and those are given, but some are given out in public, which seemed rather stupidly dangerous to me. Chapter 1 was a bit forced and contrived, and to me had some rather unrealistic thoughts for the mind of an 18-year-old, though you see quickly enough why the author's stressed these things in the beginning. Perhaps I'm expecting too much from a young adult book.
I know others won't share this issue, but those aged 17, 18, and 19 are no longer girls and boys, despite being called that throughout the book.
It got a bit tedious around two-thirds through, with all the tiresome details of the bickering. That bit could use some editing; it's needed for the plot, but it doesn't have to be given in such depth.
There were a lot of bits that weren't believable for me. For example, Scarlett understandably needs explanations after waking to find a completely different world than the one she knew, and those are given, but some are given out in public, which seemed rather stupidly dangerous to me. Chapter 1 was a bit forced and contrived, and to me had some rather unrealistic thoughts for the mind of an 18-year-old, though you see quickly enough why the author's stressed these things in the beginning. Perhaps I'm expecting too much from a young adult book.
I know others won't share this issue, but those aged 17, 18, and 19 are no longer girls and boys, despite being called that throughout the book.
January 20, 2016
I was given this book in exchange from the author in exchange for an honest review. I am giving this book 3.5 stars but rounding up for reasons which will become clear by the end of this review.
I honestly don't know what to classify this book as. I think it is an YA urban fantasy. I generally don't try to classify the genre because books are books to me and I read them all. This book was full of action and it was a little on the small size at 280 ish pages. This is the first book in a series and there was no cliffhanger.
The characters in this book were between the ages of 17-19 making it YA but I felt the characters emotional maturity was more in line with teenagers 14-16 if that makes sense. The plot was straight to the point with no sub-plots that I could really see. Good guys vs. bad guys.
This book was imbalanced in that the dialoge and action heavily outweighed the internal and emotional conflict Scarlet and the rest of the gang showed. I feel I could have bonded with the charcters if a deeper background and a more internal development of them was integrated into the story. (i.e. the love interest and how scarlet was feeling needed to be described more. Dylans anger at her for her concern for Alex and her struggle to come to terms with her old life being gone.)
That being said, this book clearly wasn't geared to my demographic, so I can defenitely write that if my little sister read this book, she would have absolutely loved it. So in that aspect, this book is a huge win. It flowed well and had great actions scenes. The evil guy was more evil than I had intially expected but I liked that.
The morality of two sets of super heroes was well written and added a nice contrasting touch. Dylan was the leader with a highly idealistic view. No harm must come to anyone no matter how evil they were. As opposed to the other super group who want to stop the bad guy no matter the cost. It poses an interesting question of what would I do in that situation. I will not tell you. He He He.
I will be reading the next book.
I honestly don't know what to classify this book as. I think it is an YA urban fantasy. I generally don't try to classify the genre because books are books to me and I read them all. This book was full of action and it was a little on the small size at 280 ish pages. This is the first book in a series and there was no cliffhanger.
The characters in this book were between the ages of 17-19 making it YA but I felt the characters emotional maturity was more in line with teenagers 14-16 if that makes sense. The plot was straight to the point with no sub-plots that I could really see. Good guys vs. bad guys.
This book was imbalanced in that the dialoge and action heavily outweighed the internal and emotional conflict Scarlet and the rest of the gang showed. I feel I could have bonded with the charcters if a deeper background and a more internal development of them was integrated into the story. (i.e. the love interest and how scarlet was feeling needed to be described more. Dylans anger at her for her concern for Alex and her struggle to come to terms with her old life being gone.)
That being said, this book clearly wasn't geared to my demographic, so I can defenitely write that if my little sister read this book, she would have absolutely loved it. So in that aspect, this book is a huge win. It flowed well and had great actions scenes. The evil guy was more evil than I had intially expected but I liked that.
The morality of two sets of super heroes was well written and added a nice contrasting touch. Dylan was the leader with a highly idealistic view. No harm must come to anyone no matter how evil they were. As opposed to the other super group who want to stop the bad guy no matter the cost. It poses an interesting question of what would I do in that situation. I will not tell you. He He He.
I will be reading the next book.
April 27, 2015
I'm glad I gave this one a try. It does suffer a little from the usual super hero problem: you have a bunch of people with super powers, they can even combine and enhance each other's powers - what can possibly stop them? And while it does seem that super powers can and can't be used when it suits the story (for instance it's apparently easy enough to unlock doors and cars and throw objects around with your telekinesis but it's impossible to undo a knot because it's tied too hard - I don't really buy it), I'll forgive it because the story is still intriguing.
The villain of the piece is a bit of a caricature whose main motivation seems to be that power corrupts - but then again that is the case with a lot of villains in sci-fi/fantasy universes. I'd like a little more background though.
It would be nice if the "different universe/timeline" concept was clarified more, as I find it strange that almost everything is exactly the same as in the timeline Scarlett came from, except who is in power in the UK and the consequences thereof (also a little bit of a stretch - how did so many people allow this to happen?). If there's an infinite number of universes it seems quite convenient that this is the one Scarlett ends up in.
Now all of this may make it seem like I didn't enjoy it, and yet I have given it 4 stars. So, it redeems itself by being a quick and fast-paced read, with a compelling story and some lighter/funnier moments to balance it out. I really enjoyed the universe and the characters though I wish it was a bit more fleshed out.
The romance was a bit awkward to start with (but when was teenage romance not?), but then it gets cute.
I would recommend if you want a fun, quick read and don't dwell too much on the details. I immediately bought the second one.
The villain of the piece is a bit of a caricature whose main motivation seems to be that power corrupts - but then again that is the case with a lot of villains in sci-fi/fantasy universes. I'd like a little more background though.
It would be nice if the "different universe/timeline" concept was clarified more, as I find it strange that almost everything is exactly the same as in the timeline Scarlett came from, except who is in power in the UK and the consequences thereof (also a little bit of a stretch - how did so many people allow this to happen?). If there's an infinite number of universes it seems quite convenient that this is the one Scarlett ends up in.
Now all of this may make it seem like I didn't enjoy it, and yet I have given it 4 stars. So, it redeems itself by being a quick and fast-paced read, with a compelling story and some lighter/funnier moments to balance it out. I really enjoyed the universe and the characters though I wish it was a bit more fleshed out.
The romance was a bit awkward to start with (but when was teenage romance not?), but then it gets cute.
I would recommend if you want a fun, quick read and don't dwell too much on the details. I immediately bought the second one.
December 18, 2014
This was... well, it was a good filler for some down time, but it wasn't great. I had a few problems with it that kinda threw me out of the plot itself.
1. Speech dialogue. This was more minor point, but every time, nobody spoke. They YELLED. Or SHOUTED. Or... well, mostly yelled. It was all very very obvious, which detracted from any subtleties that could have been done with body language or thought or just author comment really.
2. Background plot. Worldbuilding, basically. It was good, I know what the author was trying to get at certainly, but it was just too... OTT, really. A large chunk of the population in workhouses; extortionate travel and food costs, but nobody blinking an eye? Everybody completely sucked in by the government? No, no no. It just didn't work for me, it was too much.
3. This also went for characters. The bad guys were literally textbook /bad guys/. Monologues and all! They were so obvious, there wasn't really any twists or turns to be spoken of.
4. Some cringeworthy love-triangle stuff.
I think the main problem with this was that it was all so very heavy handed, there was nothing left to imagination or to actually wow the reader. There were some nice concepts, but it was all thrown so in your face, there was nothing left to actually think about- or too much to question, when it came to the worldbuilding.
1. Speech dialogue. This was more minor point, but every time, nobody spoke. They YELLED. Or SHOUTED. Or... well, mostly yelled. It was all very very obvious, which detracted from any subtleties that could have been done with body language or thought or just author comment really.
2. Background plot. Worldbuilding, basically. It was good, I know what the author was trying to get at certainly, but it was just too... OTT, really. A large chunk of the population in workhouses; extortionate travel and food costs, but nobody blinking an eye? Everybody completely sucked in by the government? No, no no. It just didn't work for me, it was too much.
3. This also went for characters. The bad guys were literally textbook /bad guys/. Monologues and all! They were so obvious, there wasn't really any twists or turns to be spoken of.
4. Some cringeworthy love-triangle stuff.
I think the main problem with this was that it was all so very heavy handed, there was nothing left to imagination or to actually wow the reader. There were some nice concepts, but it was all thrown so in your face, there was nothing left to actually think about- or too much to question, when it came to the worldbuilding.
May 10, 2015
Really enjoyed this YA book. To me it seemed aimed at younger teens but it was definitely a good read for this adult too. Scarlett is a great protagonist and all the other characters had clear identities too. The plot is mainly simple in an easy to follow way but there are quite a few twists and surprises. It's packed with action and is fast paced. I read it in a day. A quick read. I'd recommend it to teens, super hero fans and also people looking for a fun light read.
November 17, 2014
This was a fun, light book with somewhat predictable plot (not without a few twists). Would I read more by this author? Sure. Would I recommend this book to others? Meh.
See the full review on my blog, Awesome Book Assessment.
See the full review on my blog, Awesome Book Assessment.
February 18, 2015
Well written book with a storyline that is suitable for both teenagers and adults. I enjoyed reading this book and have since read her second book Heroes and Villians and look forward to further publications by Donna
May 10, 2015
While I think the premise of the book was interesting, I found myself less interested in the characters. Most of the details centered around stuff that a teenage girl would be interested in reading about, but I was not. So, if that's your thing, then this is the book for you, but for me it wasn't.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews