Earth 101 – Time To Run by Emae Church is a thoughtful, slow-burn YA science fiction mystery that gradually builds into an emotionally charged, twist-filled interstellar adventure. Told entirely from Jayne’s first-person POV, this story blends high school drama, disappearing students, and an unexpected love story into a suspenseful coming-of-age tale that rewards patient readers.
About the Book: Earth 101 – Time To Run
At Hill Derry High School, students are vanishing from existence.
Seventeen-year-old Jayne is the only one who remembers them.
Smart, science-minded, and firmly rooted in the goth crowd, Jayne’s life already feels complicated enough. She’s crushing on the new boy, Aithen, who is cute, intriguing, and clearly hiding something, but nothing prepares her for the moment her former friend turned nemesis, Laura, disappears right in front of her eyes.
No one believes Jayne. Teachers, friends, and classmates insist Laura never existed at all. As doubt creeps in, Jayne begins to wonder if the head injury she suffered last year is to blame… or if something far more dangerous is happening beneath the surface of her reality.
With her reputation for trouble working against her, Jayne must convince Aithen to help her uncover the truth and save the people she loves. But Aithen has secrets of his own, and once Jayne starts pulling at the threads, nothing about her world, or herself, remains the same.
Will life ever return to normal before graduation, or has Jayne stepped into something far bigger than she can control?
BookHookup Review: Earth 101 – Time To Run
This book took me a few chapters to fully sink into, but I’m genuinely glad I stuck with it. The pacing starts off slow and steady, carefully laying its foundation piece by piece. Rather than rushing the mystery, Emae Church allows the story to build organically, and that patience pays off.
Once the second half hits, the plot accelerates, pulling readers into a series of unexpected twists that kept me turning pages well past when I meant to stop. What began as a quiet mystery quickly transformed into a gripping, high-stakes story with emotional depth and surprising scope.
Jayne is a compelling protagonist, intelligent, skeptical, and easy to root for. Experiencing the story entirely through her POV makes the confusion and disbelief surrounding the disappearances feel immediate and personal. Her struggle to hold onto the truth when no one else believes her adds real tension and heart to the narrative.
The romantic element unfolds alongside the science fiction mystery, evolving into an interstellar love story that adds another layer of intrigue. Nothing feels overly dramatic or forced; instead, the emotional beats grow naturally out of the plot.
While readers who prefer fast-paced openings may need a little patience, Earth 101 – Time To Run ultimately rewards that investment with a satisfying payoff and a conclusion that keeps you guessing until the end. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy books like Gone by Michael Grant or The Corridor by A.N. Willis.
BookHookup Note
I focus on YA and clean fiction, including fantasy, science fiction, suspense, crime, mystery, and romantic adventure. Earth 101 – Time To Run is written for a YA audience and is appropriate for teen readers, with no reliance on explicit content. It leans on atmosphere, mystery, and character-driven storytelling rather than shock value. Some profanity is used, but it is not prolific.
I received a review copy of this book from BookTasters. I was not compensated for this review, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own. Some links in this post may be affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to affiliate sites.
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I focus on clean fiction across genres—historical romance, fantasy, suspense, crime, children’s, and more. When books include content that may not be suitable for all readers, I provide clear disclaimers so you can choose wisely.
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