Lost Time

by Susan Maupin Schmid

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

Lost Time attempts to be imaginative and gripping, but the strongest impression it gives is of a book being held back by its own audience. It is a science fiction book written for children, and the limitations on page count, technological ideas, and even scariness prevent the story from being fully developed. Names of alien races are thrown about, but little is described about them besides general physical appearance. The geography of the planet is vague and difficult to follow. The climactic scene, where the time and space travel system of the Croon is explained, explains very little. The bad guys are mundane or laughable instead of a credible threat. All must be kept simple so children can follow and relatively light so they will not be too afraid.

It is possible this approach works for the intended audience; of course it would be unwise to confuse younger readers with a complicated technological explanation full of jargon or perhaps bore them with detailed descriptions of each alien species’ eating habits, but all the generality gives the impression that Schmid might not be completely familiar with her invented world herself. Even what is given—physical descriptions—leaves little impression. Raki fly, sort of. Tosk are gray and have four arms. No true, distinct identity has been developed for these races or any of the others. The planet is hot. It has a lake, a canyon, and two moons—but again, no identity.

In the case of characterization, the Arbiter is supposedly terrifying, and the reader is informed that Violynne is frightened when she meets him, but it is difficult to see why. He controls the society with an iron fist, but mainly by issuing a lot of decrees specifying ridiculous things such as which days certain colors are allowed to be worn. And far too many citizens break the decrees for the reader to think them very serious. Secret underground prisons are mentioned but never actually seen. Nothing very scary ever happens, and Violynne and her family never seem to be in very much danger. If caught by the Arbiter during her exploits, Violynne is to be sent to a prestigious boarding school.

Schmid attempts to be profound, but in the end this book falls flat. Its intended audience might appreciate it—I am too old to speak for that—but the best children’s books can be enjoyed by both children and adults, and Lost Time lacks the detail, ideas, and even emotional appeal to achieve that.