Locked in Time

How suspenseful is a book that's peppered, from the beginning, with foreshadowing like ... on that day last June when my nightmare summer at Shadow Grove began." Ok, so three paragraphs in we already know bad stuff is going to happen, but she's going to be ok.

Of course almost every time I read a suspense, horror, or ghost story I encounter this kind of thing. I guess that's why I read so few of them.

Anyway, in this particular case, I recommend you read [b:Tuck Everlasting|84981|Tuck Everlasting|Natalie Babbitt|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311978194s/84981.jpg|1955922] instead. Much better treatment of the theme, and though it's intense in it's own quieter way, it doesn't have any of the forced adventure & gimmicks this did."

This is my favorite Lois Duncan book that I’ve read so far. It was atmospheric and unsettling. I loved the setting of the Louisiana bayou, and the ending actually felt complete and not rushed.

"I'm a reasonable person;I don't believe in ghosts.

What I have learned to believe in, though, is something far more frightening."

Locked in Time by Lois Duncan

One of Duncan's best.

She crafts an incredible mystery using a wonderful premise combining a Historical element with the here and now and it is a page turner!

SPOILERS:

Imagine if you could take a pill or drink from a fountain and you..never aged? Never ever? Would you do it?

I so enjoyed this book and I loved the hauntingly beautiful prose and setting. I was right there with Nore and am glad her story ended well.

Always loved Duncan and this is one of her best.

This is my favorite Lois Duncan book that I’ve read so far. It was atmospheric and unsettling. I loved the setting of the Louisiana bayou, and the ending actually felt complete and not rushed.

Very creepy, cool book that has stood the test of time well (apart from the Walkman references instead of Mp3s & Ipods) by the "I know what you did last summer " author Lois Duncan. Nore goes to the deep south to meet her father's new wife and family for the first time. The more she delves into the family's past; the more she begins to realize something is not right. Why does her 12 year old step-sister talk about a circus fire like she was actually there when it happened 40 years ago? What really happened to the older brother Louis - how did he die? And why does Nore overhear her stepmother talking about her as a "danger" they need to get rid of? When Nore's step-brother Gabe tries to kill her, she knows something deadly is happening show more at Shadow Grove. Her father refuses to believe that he and Nore are in any danger - how can she make him see what is really happening?
p.109 "There's a question... " to p.114 "...over his shoulder." Gabe asks Nore to run away with him and then tries to kill her. show less

Locked In Time: Revenge can last forever...

The Setup (Overview):

A young woman named Nore is visiting her father for the first time since he remarried. The remarriage was something that took Nore by surprise since her mother had passed away not long before and her father still seemed to be lost in his grief. Though she did not entirely approve, Nore gave her father the benefit of the doubt as the new marriage seemed to pull him out of the depression that had consumed his life. In order to welcome her into the new “family” and introduce her to her stepmother, Lissette, her father invites her to Louisiana to spend her summer vacation getting to know everyone at Lissette's family estate which is known as Shadow Grove. While the initial show more meeting is a bit tense, Nore soon finds that Lissette and her two children are not really that bad. Everything seems to be going well until Nore starts to notice that the family seems to be a little too out of touch with the modern world...

The Story(Some Story Details):

Nore first notices the time frame difference in conversations with the family. Lissette's children speak of events that happened twenty years before as if they saw what happened first hand. Yet one child is only twelve and the other is seventeen. There are other occurrences where people in town swear that they have seen Lisette before, somewhere. As Nore continues to investigate it seems that she is dealing with something that is not possible. What Nore doesn't realize is that some people make terrible mistakes and will do anything to keep those mistakes secret. Even if it means making sure that those that go snooping into the past will soon become part of it.

Conclusion(My Overall Opinion on the Story):

This was a short, interesting read. The story flows well and for the most part makes sense. The characters are well written and even though the effects of what ails Lissette's family are not really explored in detail there are a few scenes with Lissette's children that do give a glimpse of what being “locked in time” has done to them. Even though Lissette's family has resigned themselves, mostly, to their fate; they do still try to give Nore a way out, even though she can't really take the offers because of her father.

This is where I have a slight problem with the story though. Or maybe it just comes from having read other stories that are like this that have the room to explore that side of the story. I get that Nore, understandably, is not willing to give Lissette's family the benefit of the doubt due to the events of the story. Some of Nore's action's come across as tone deaf towards the end of the story to me though. Even though Lissette's children seem apathetic towards the events, they do *try*. Nore just kind of bats them away instead of trying to listen. In the end, strangely, Nore does do her best to help in a way. It just came across as too little, too late to me.

In the end I do recommend giving this a read. I t does have a couple of twists in it and it does pack a lot in for a shorter story. I recommend this to anyone who likes supernatural mysteries, thrillers, and books where the “bad guys” might be worthy of some sympathy too. m.a.c show less

Locked in Time features the concept of immortality by applying it to an exceedingly interesting plot line full of suspense and secrecy.

Locked In time is about a girl named Nore who has just come home from boarding school and is to spend the summer with her dad and his new wife. Her stepmother and step-siblings seem nice yet have a mysterious air about them. Something is strange about her new family members as suspicious things keep occurring such as that they keep making allusive references to the fact that time doesn’t matter and that they will remain the same. Finally Nore discovers that her stepfamily does not age when she finds journals dating back to the 19th century. They belong to her stepmother, Lisette Berges. She is then at show more a race with time for she leans the fate that they have in store for her and her father.

Locked in Time is one of my all time favorite books. It is not particularly hard nor does it have overly sophisticated wording but it does make for a great read. There is much suspense in this book and the imagery is amazing. Lois Duncan is great at creating setting/atmosphere and makes it seem as if you are actually there. Additionally the characterization is great; all the characters are well thought out and developed. The main character Nore is smart, witty, and is easily relatable. show less