This Time of Darkness: Amazon.ca: H. M. Hoover: Books

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"With detail and suspense the author tells an exciting futuristic survival story which comments on power and class-ridden social structures." -Horn Book

"The author's careful attention to detail and her astute sense of timing make this a highly believable, highly readable story that, while frighteningly powerful, ends on a comforting note." -Booklist

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description

Eleven-year-old Amy lives in a decaying underground city. Ignored by her mother and under surveillance by authorities because she can read, Amy reluctantly finds herself befriending Axel-a strange boy who claims to have come from a mythical place called ...Outside. Is Axel crazy? Amy knows there is no such place as Outside.

But what if there were? What would it be like?

Curious, Amy convinces Axel to escape. What she hopes to find is something Axel remembers called freedom. But what she discovers is beyond her wildest dreams.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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First Sentence
It was day 157, and it was raining. Read the first page

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Concordance

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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Average Customer Review

4.9 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Awsome, Feb 1 2004

By

Kat (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Time of Darkness (Mass Market Paperback)

I can't believe this book hasn't received more recognition. Its outstanding! The entire feel of This Time of Darkness is intense, stark and unembellished. Its charged with mood and atmosphere, and it elicits very strong, genuine emotions. SUCH an improvement over the sterile kids books we were forced to read in school. Tuck Everlasting? Please.
Hoover does not use her novel as a vehicle for preaching. Though there are definite messages conveyed within the context of the story, her first intention was to TELL a story, not to lecture or moralize at children. Too often, kids books that deal with complex issues make the plot secondary to the point they are trying to force. Not so here.
Best of all, this book isn't condescending. Hoover obviously respects children, and understands that their capacity for emotional and intellectual understanding is quite high. I truly appreciated the no-nonsense, this-is-how-things-are approach when I was little.
I think The Giver borrowed from this book a bit. I mean, how many dystopian children's novels are OUT there? For the record, this one came first, and its the better of the two.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Tales from the Underground!, Jan 24 2004

By

Shanshad "shanachie_shadowfax" (Discworld) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Time of Darkness (Mass Market Paperback)

In a far-flung future, the people are told the air above is too polluted to breathe-there is nothing left on the surface anymore. All that exists is the crowded underground city. Eleven-year-old Amy has always been the curious sort, but she has learned to hide her curiosity-and the fact she can read-from the adults who watch her. Until a strange boy tumbles into her world, claiming he is from the outside-and together the two of them must uncover old secrets and new worlds.

This is a rollicking preteen SF tale by H.M. Hoover that I found back in the eighties and was one of my favorites. Though this was originally published in the eighties, Hoover's ability to conjure up a another kind of world, to tell the kind of stories that speak to the reader and spark their imagination still shines through-so it's unsurprising that so many of her books are being reprinted for a new generation of young readers to discover and enjoy. Hoover herself confesses in her bio that she wrote the kind of stories she enjoyed reading as a child-what better way to capture an audience? THIS TIME OF DARKNESS encapsulates the idea of a strange, oppressive future society with appealing preteen protagonists. Readers journey with them as the discover the way out of the darkness, but will the watchers allow them to find freedom and hope in the world?

Many will want to pick this book up out of nostalgia-having read this when they were kids-to revisit the story they remember, and maybe to share with their children who are just encountering science fiction for the first time.

This story is perfectly tailored to its audience, and while some of the future technology may feel a little dated since publication, the overall themes hold up well, and deliver their message of hope and perseverance admirably. If you are encountering Hoover for the first time, look for some of her other SF classics, like THE WINDS OF MARS, ORVIS, or my favorite, THE LOST STAR. For books in a similar vein, you might also check out THE CITY OF EMBER by Jean Duprau and DEVIL ON MY BACK by Monica Hughes.

Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad

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5.0 out of 5 stars Unforgettable, July 13 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: This Time of Darkness (Mass Market Paperback)

I remember reading and absolutely loving this book when I was young (and let's just say I am definately not young anymore, yet still absolutely love it!) The attention to detail and intricate story about a future society will really grab any reader, young or old. Over the years I have thought of it and made attempts to find and purchase it without success. It became my "white whale" of sorts, and I am extremely glad to have finally found it again! It is a book that I will pass around to friends and to future generations.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Slightly Eerie - But An Excellent Futuristic Story
This is one of those stories that makes you think, "What if? If this world were REAL, would I be like a mindless, robotic moron?". Read more

Published on Jun 14 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars An old favorite
Like so many others who are writing reviews, this was one of my favorite books when I was a child in the mid-1980's. Read more

Published on April 12 2003