Locked In Time
Encyclopedia
Locked in Time is a novel
by Lois Duncan
, first published in 1985. This book is categorized as a suspense novel for young adults
. The story centers around a seventeen-year old girl who attends a boarding school
and whose mother recently died. The story is written solely from the protagonist's point-of-view and takes place in modern-day and primarily at her stepmother's Confederate
-era plantation
.
Besides the fact that Lisette Berge is much too young to have teenage children, Nore's stepsister, Josie,
has a habit of making strange comments about her family being "stuck where they are" and time "not counting for anything."Josie also has a precocious manner, flirts with boys, and wears too much makeup.She hesitates to pry into the matter.
When Nore discovers Lisette's old diaries in the shed—some dating back to the 1800s—she realizes that she and her father are in terrible danger. The question is, can they leave Shadow Grove without meeting the very fate the Berges have worked so hard to bring on them?
, eternal youth
and everlasting life.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Lois Duncan
Lois Duncan
Duncan is best known for her novels of suspense for teenagers. Some of her works have been adapted for the screen, the most famous example being the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer, adapted from her novel of the same title...
, first published in 1985. This book is categorized as a suspense novel for young adults
Youth
Youth is the time of life between childhood and adulthood . Definitions of the specific age range that constitutes youth vary. An individual's actual maturity may not correspond to their chronological age, as immature individuals could exist at all ages.-Usage:Around the world, the terms "youth",...
. The story centers around a seventeen-year old girl who attends a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
and whose mother recently died. The story is written solely from the protagonist's point-of-view and takes place in modern-day and primarily at her stepmother's Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
-era plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
.
Plot summary
Seventeen-year-old Nore Robbins is less than thrilled when her father, Chuck, remarries. After all, her mother hasn't even been gone for a year yet, and there's something odd and sinister about his new wife, Lisette.Besides the fact that Lisette Berge is much too young to have teenage children, Nore's stepsister, Josie,
has a habit of making strange comments about her family being "stuck where they are" and time "not counting for anything."Josie also has a precocious manner, flirts with boys, and wears too much makeup.She hesitates to pry into the matter.
When Nore discovers Lisette's old diaries in the shed—some dating back to the 1800s—she realizes that she and her father are in terrible danger. The question is, can they leave Shadow Grove without meeting the very fate the Berges have worked so hard to bring on them?
Major themes
The story's teenaged protagonist, Nore, must deal with her mother's death, her father's re-marriage, and the new stepmother, stepbrother, and stepsister. Her stepmother's name is Lisette, her stepbrother's name is Gabe, and her stepsister's name is Josie. The stepbrother falls in love with Nore. Nore also has dreams that include warnings from her deceased mother. Nore ignores the warning but strange things happen, and her curiosity leads to the discovery of a terrible secret. Characters in the novel must deal with the concepts of aging, deathDeath
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
, eternal youth
Eternal youth
Eternal youth is the concept of human physical immortality free of aging. The youth referred to is usually meant to be in contrast to the depredations of aging, rather than a specific age of the human lifespan....
and everlasting life.
Awards and nominations
- ALA "Quick Pick"
- Jr. Literary Guild, 1985
- IRA-CBC "Children's Choice"
- Nevada Young Readers Award, 1988
- South Carolina Young Adult Book Award, 1988
- Tennessee Young Readers Award, 1989-90