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Missing Time
"313" VOLUME 1: Eight students. A lonely bridge on a dark night. When their school bus careens off the bridge and crashes into the river, they are lucky just to survive. But soon, they discover they possess strange powers, like the power to read minds, to fly, or to resurrect the dead. And that's just the beginning. None of them knows exactly what happened, and each remembers something different. Now, they are being hunted down one by one, and to survive they must piece together their memories and solve the mystery of the missing time.
334 pages, Paperback
First published February 5, 2013
2 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
J. David Clarke
5 books29 followersJ. David Clarke was published in the literary journal of Tarrant County Jr College before moving on to become a Fine Arts graduate of Southwest Texas State University.
He has written four books: one collection of short stories called "The Rubberband Man and Other Stories". The YA fantasy adventure THE WIZARD IN MY WINDOW. MISSING TIME, Volume 1 of a science fiction series called "313" and Volume 2, TIME SPENT. He is currently working on Volume 3, TIME LOST and anticipates its release in 2014. He is also currently working on an epic fantasy series called "Keeper of Days", Volume 1 of which, "The Book of Day and Night", he hopes to have completed in 2014.
He is a lover of all things nerd: movies, television, books, science fiction/fantasy, role playing, and gaming.
He lives in Texas with his cat, Nightingale.
He has written four books: one collection of short stories called "The Rubberband Man and Other Stories". The YA fantasy adventure THE WIZARD IN MY WINDOW. MISSING TIME, Volume 1 of a science fiction series called "313" and Volume 2, TIME SPENT. He is currently working on Volume 3, TIME LOST and anticipates its release in 2014. He is also currently working on an epic fantasy series called "Keeper of Days", Volume 1 of which, "The Book of Day and Night", he hopes to have completed in 2014.
He is a lover of all things nerd: movies, television, books, science fiction/fantasy, role playing, and gaming.
He lives in Texas with his cat, Nightingale.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 23, 2014
I think there should be a warning: be ready for a wild ride.
What I thought would be another Heroes turned out to be totally insane. And I say that in a good way. From the description and the genre listed, I thought I was in for a superhero story, and I was quite ready for it. What I got instead was…well, I have no word for it.
The story revolves around a school bus accident and how the kids inside ended up with superpowers. You get a little of what happened with each character: enough to understand, yet also plenty to keep you wondering.
Mr. Clarke did a wonderful job piecing the puzzle together. Which seems not to make much sense at first comes together nicely.
I would recommend this book to fans of superheroes, of course, but also to those who like to speculate afterward. The story (and especially the end) kept me pondering long after I finished reading it.
What I thought would be another Heroes turned out to be totally insane. And I say that in a good way. From the description and the genre listed, I thought I was in for a superhero story, and I was quite ready for it. What I got instead was…well, I have no word for it.
The story revolves around a school bus accident and how the kids inside ended up with superpowers. You get a little of what happened with each character: enough to understand, yet also plenty to keep you wondering.
Mr. Clarke did a wonderful job piecing the puzzle together. Which seems not to make much sense at first comes together nicely.
I would recommend this book to fans of superheroes, of course, but also to those who like to speculate afterward. The story (and especially the end) kept me pondering long after I finished reading it.
November 10, 2013
Per FTC regulations, this review is for the novel Missing Time: “313” Volume 1 of 3 by J. David Clarke received in a Goodreads.com First Read Giveaway.
When I first opened Missing Time and started flipping through the pages I felt my heart drop. I saw that each chapter was broken up into mini chapters of one line to a couple pages, al James Patterson. I really do not like reading books written in this style because I do not like my information spoon fed to me in tiny nibbles paragraph after paragraph. These books usually fail to keep my attention. I was only one chapter into the novel when I realized how very wrong I was.
Each chapter of Mr. Clarke’s novel is the story of one of the eight survivors of the bus. It is told in a series of remembrances and jumps back in forth in time from the night of the bus accident to present day and several times between over and over again. Although these mini-chapters tend to be short, they are by no means simple. I found myself after reading the first chapter going back and rereading it, so I could establish a time line of when each mini-chapter was written.
Each chapter is told from the point of view of each of the 10 survivors of the bus crash. Everyone saw something different and come away from the crash with a different power or skill.
Although this novel looks simplistic on the surface, once I got into it, the very nature of the writing style forced me to concentrate on what was going on. To be honest I was not sure what was going on for most of the novel and was ready to give it a 2 star review, but the final 50 pages helped resolve many of the questions and concerns I had, while opening several new ones. I would recommend this intriguing novel for anyone who wants a challenging yet interesting read.
When I first opened Missing Time and started flipping through the pages I felt my heart drop. I saw that each chapter was broken up into mini chapters of one line to a couple pages, al James Patterson. I really do not like reading books written in this style because I do not like my information spoon fed to me in tiny nibbles paragraph after paragraph. These books usually fail to keep my attention. I was only one chapter into the novel when I realized how very wrong I was.
Each chapter of Mr. Clarke’s novel is the story of one of the eight survivors of the bus. It is told in a series of remembrances and jumps back in forth in time from the night of the bus accident to present day and several times between over and over again. Although these mini-chapters tend to be short, they are by no means simple. I found myself after reading the first chapter going back and rereading it, so I could establish a time line of when each mini-chapter was written.
Each chapter is told from the point of view of each of the 10 survivors of the bus crash. Everyone saw something different and come away from the crash with a different power or skill.
Although this novel looks simplistic on the surface, once I got into it, the very nature of the writing style forced me to concentrate on what was going on. To be honest I was not sure what was going on for most of the novel and was ready to give it a 2 star review, but the final 50 pages helped resolve many of the questions and concerns I had, while opening several new ones. I would recommend this intriguing novel for anyone who wants a challenging yet interesting read.
December 26, 2013
“You were on the bus with me.” It is amazing how this first statement gets to you. Certainly not when reading it at the beginning of the prologue. The importance and/or meaning becomes crystal clear as the story proceeds. “You were on the bus with me.” has “Call me Ishmael.” quality.
After the prologue, you meet the students chapter-wise. Right after the first paragraphs I realised that I was already trying to get a grip on what happened to them. Just a few pages into the story you realise that this is not a simple task. The story evolves by presenting each protagonist hopping back and forth between their lives before, during and after the accident. This is a very distinctive style, a style that does not make it an easy read, yet attracts the reader to continue. Meet Kevin, Brandon, Simon, Heather, Mia, Becca, Zachary, Tyler, Max, and Carl because I will not tell you more. This would spoil the fun of reading this book yourself.
With this first volume of a series, J. David Clarke proves that it is not required to give never-ending descriptions or have to keep a flow. You can clearly imagine what the protagonists have to go through. Missing Time perhaps seems to be a complicated read at first – however, you get used to it pretty fast.
As I have already finished Time Spent (“313″ series, 2 of 3) I am now looking forward to reading the third book in the 313 series: Time Lost. :)
After the prologue, you meet the students chapter-wise. Right after the first paragraphs I realised that I was already trying to get a grip on what happened to them. Just a few pages into the story you realise that this is not a simple task. The story evolves by presenting each protagonist hopping back and forth between their lives before, during and after the accident. This is a very distinctive style, a style that does not make it an easy read, yet attracts the reader to continue. Meet Kevin, Brandon, Simon, Heather, Mia, Becca, Zachary, Tyler, Max, and Carl because I will not tell you more. This would spoil the fun of reading this book yourself.
With this first volume of a series, J. David Clarke proves that it is not required to give never-ending descriptions or have to keep a flow. You can clearly imagine what the protagonists have to go through. Missing Time perhaps seems to be a complicated read at first – however, you get used to it pretty fast.
As I have already finished Time Spent (“313″ series, 2 of 3) I am now looking forward to reading the third book in the 313 series: Time Lost. :)
October 28, 2013
I thought this was a great book. It was very different. I normally do not care for syfy types of books but this one kept my attention and kept me wanting more. It is about a bunch of kids who got into a bus accident. They all come to with different powers. There is a goverment agency that sees them as a threat and wants to kidnap them and kill them. There is a twist at the end and I am not the type to put spoilers in it. This book was well written and I can't wait to read the second one. It almost reminds me of Fringe type of material. When the kids talk to each other they all seen something different and swears something different happened. They all have to band together and save themselves and the world. Great suspense!!
February 10, 2013
This second piece of work I've read by J. David Clarke definitely does not disappoint. His style and imagination shine through in Missing Time with an excellent science fiction story. After surviving a bus crash a group of kids develop strange powers unique to each individual. Struggling to figure out what's going on they realize they're being hunted and band together to find a solution. Every chapter is focused on a specific character and unfolds the story from each of their points of view. Clarke's unique writing style shine in this strange and wonderful story and I'm excited to see what comes next! Oh, and f*ck you Carl!
March 14, 2015
4.5 stars
J. David Clarke’s Missing Time (313) runs your brain through a meat grinder, pounds it with a tenderizer and then, when you think you’re finally fashioned into a meat patty ready to be served up for the ending, he tosses you against the wall. Don’t expect to escape with a neatly tied up ending, Missing Time is the appetizer for the next course in the series and Clarke leaves you dripping down the wall hoping to be scooped up by the pages of the next book.
Yes, I prefer books to come to a clean cut end, even books in a series. Then they can set up the sequel. Hence, I'm holding back the final star. But in this case I'll forgive him.
I recognize that sometimes you want to be left dangling. Not to mix metaphors but to switch them, if you ever had that girlfriend or boyfriend—you know the one—the classic tease, who could flatten you against that wall, totally electrify you and then walk away leaving you wanting more, this would that book.
Missing time opens with a shark about to discover he stumbled into faster waters than he can handle. The woman he’s stalking makes him look like a minnow, only she discovers she’s prey as well. If this seems like a peek into an Escher drawing, be prepared, Missing Time uses timelines like a roller coaster to propel readers through the Moebius-strip narratives of eight students who survive a bus crash (bus 313) that leaves them with supernatural powers.
The students experience more than new powers. Each experiences a different perception of the crash with a different origin story for their powers. Some try to hide their powers, others embrace them, but all become the targets of the military and a mad scientist who see them as a threat to humanity.
Or do the military see a threat? And is the scientist really a scientist?
Clarke has more tricks up his sleeve than Penn and Teller in an unrated Vegas show. As soon the heroes, and readers feel they’ve finally figured out the storyline, Clarke lifts the veil and they realize it’s all been misdirection. When will he finally reveal the gag? Hopefully by the end of book three, but until then readers will see enough smoke and mirrors to make the ride worthwhile and punch that button to download book two, Time Spent (which I have on my iPad waiting for me to read).
Phillip T. Stephens is the author of Cigerets, Guns & Beer and Raising Hell. You can follow him @stephens_pt.
J. David Clarke’s Missing Time (313) runs your brain through a meat grinder, pounds it with a tenderizer and then, when you think you’re finally fashioned into a meat patty ready to be served up for the ending, he tosses you against the wall. Don’t expect to escape with a neatly tied up ending, Missing Time is the appetizer for the next course in the series and Clarke leaves you dripping down the wall hoping to be scooped up by the pages of the next book.
Yes, I prefer books to come to a clean cut end, even books in a series. Then they can set up the sequel. Hence, I'm holding back the final star. But in this case I'll forgive him.
I recognize that sometimes you want to be left dangling. Not to mix metaphors but to switch them, if you ever had that girlfriend or boyfriend—you know the one—the classic tease, who could flatten you against that wall, totally electrify you and then walk away leaving you wanting more, this would that book.
Missing time opens with a shark about to discover he stumbled into faster waters than he can handle. The woman he’s stalking makes him look like a minnow, only she discovers she’s prey as well. If this seems like a peek into an Escher drawing, be prepared, Missing Time uses timelines like a roller coaster to propel readers through the Moebius-strip narratives of eight students who survive a bus crash (bus 313) that leaves them with supernatural powers.
The students experience more than new powers. Each experiences a different perception of the crash with a different origin story for their powers. Some try to hide their powers, others embrace them, but all become the targets of the military and a mad scientist who see them as a threat to humanity.
Or do the military see a threat? And is the scientist really a scientist?
Clarke has more tricks up his sleeve than Penn and Teller in an unrated Vegas show. As soon the heroes, and readers feel they’ve finally figured out the storyline, Clarke lifts the veil and they realize it’s all been misdirection. When will he finally reveal the gag? Hopefully by the end of book three, but until then readers will see enough smoke and mirrors to make the ride worthwhile and punch that button to download book two, Time Spent (which I have on my iPad waiting for me to read).
Phillip T. Stephens is the author of Cigerets, Guns & Beer and Raising Hell. You can follow him @stephens_pt.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews