Yanked

David Brin's Out Of Time #1

by Nancy Kress

Suppose your descendants – people of the future – reach back in time to ask for your help. Would you go?

24th Century humanity has created a Utopia. No more War. Disease. Prejudice. Crime. But no heroes! And suddenly they need gritty, brave heroes, fast. So they reach out across time… for you.

Would you go?

And what if only teens can survive the trip?

In the first Out of Time novel, Nebula Award winning author Nancy Kress takes you on an adventure, with a 10th Century Viking girl, a New Jersey high school basketball star and a young thief from Shakespeare’s London who are yanked into a future of both promise and peril and asked achieve what adults of that time cannot… rescue a lost star-colony. But even if they succeed, will they ever make it back home?

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Time Travel

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 1999

About the author

Nancy Kress is an American science fiction writer. She began writing in 1976 but has achieved her greatest notice since the publication of her Hugo and Nebula-winning 1991 novella Beggars in Spain which was later expanded into a novel with the same title. In addition to her novels, Kress has written numerous short stories and is a regular columnist for Writer's Digest. She is a regular at Clarion writing workshops and at The Writers Center in Bethesda, Maryland. During the Winter of 2008/09, Nancy Kress is the Picador Guest Professor for Literature at the University of Leipzig's Institute for American Studies in Leipzig, Germany.

Excerpted from Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Zed Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the rare sci-fi that is hopeful about the future and it was just something I don’t read a lot of. I found the “science” regarding why all the main characters are teenagers a bit arbitrary, but I rooted for the characters anyway after suspending my disbelief.

And even though this book was tame compared to some of the grittier fare out there, there was still danger and the stakes were still high.

Overall, this book did so many things right and I enjoyed the read.

[Circa24 Circa24 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yanked! is the third book I've read by Nancy Kress. The book is about a group of teens torn out of their various timelines to rescue others trapped across a barrier that adults cannot traverse. I figured the book would be a bit trite, but based on my prior experience, I should have had more faith. Kress can take even a hackneyed title like time-traveling hero-teens and give it her personal twist and kick. Each of the teens in the story has had a difficult life that has left them with "grit," a trait lacking by most people in the future and one needed to complete the rescue mission. One of the young heroes, a high-school basket ball player, emerges as a leader and finds abilities he never dreamed he could possess.

The book overflows with humor and adventure as this unlikely band comes together to face a dangerous adversary and bring the stranded teens back to their point of departure.

[Megan K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yanks from all times.

I loved the premise for this story. All these teens, from different places & times, are pulled to the future, & introduced to teens from that time period. T hey end up on a mission to save other kids. What they learn about themselves & each other is the bonus. The adventure is a good one!

[Steve Sargent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

Teenagers ripped from their daily lives, thrust into the future, are asked to become a team. Their mission is to rescue a ship wrecked crew, actually the children of the crew, who are the only survivors, and retrieve a message vital for the future. A good read.

[Clyde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda mixed feelings on this one. 😐🤷‍♂️
This story kept me reading—Nancy Kress is a good writer—but it pushed my willing suspension of disbelief pretty hard. Also, it is a bit preachy at points.
YMMV. I doubt that I will read any more of Brin's "Out of Time" books.
3+ stars rounded down.

[Peter Trist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than a movie

This story certainly took me out of my time - exactly in the way a great book can but a movie so rarely does

[Cathie Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original!

A great story for any age! The kids were very real, they got to find the best of each! Really enjoyed the story.

[Johnie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read

I enjoyed reading this book very much and would recommend it highly to anyone that like space opera with young adults as the MC

[Sunmade Ejiwunmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice

Good solid story with a good reason why kids are needed instead of adults. The hope of the future it inspires is awesome.

[McKeel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun story, full of hope!

It reminded me of Piers Anthony, but with more emphasis on problem solving and how even simple people can quickly become complicated.

[Jean Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful SF story for teen readers... and others.

I like the ingeniosity, the courage and dedication of the teen characters. A very well writtdn story by wondergul author. Sure a book for teen readers that I absolutely recommend. Which I very rarely do. Would that be a first ? And the SF aspect os not bad at all even for someone who has read hundreds of SF books.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite part was the peek back into the late 1990's, where the "present-day" kids came from. I liked how Kress showed the strengths of each of the kids while mostly keeping the POVs to the present ones. They started from tropes but had individual personalities. The aliens remained alien, which I also liked.

[Tiffiny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously written for young adults, but quick easy, read and an interesting premise.