Race Against Time

By Piers Anthony

Raised in Middle America, John Smith, was the typical teenage kid, with caring parents, a pet dog, and a bright future. But John knew something wasn't quite right. First of all was the pet cat that had a prehensile tail. When he asked his parents about this the cat was taken away and he never saw it again. So when he realized that his dog could climb trees, he kept his mouth shut. And other small inconsistencies caught his eye. And he wondered why he was never allowed to leave the small town he lived in, not even to go camping or visit another city. And if he tried to slip away, he was always brought back. Gradually he came to realize that his parents weren't really his parents and that the townspeople were only playing a part, a role designed to keep John unaware of his captivity.
Not only was John a captive, but he discovered other teens in similar captivity, but in different locations and eras. Two teens were raised in a scenario of ancient China, and two in a place like Africa before Europeans came there. Making his escape, John joined up with the other teens and they set out find a home and the freedom to live as they chose, not be kept confined like exhibits in a museum.
This was an OK story. John's and the other kids tricks to escape captivity seemed pretty transparent but it turns out that their captors are not quite as dumb as they appeared to be, giving the kids so many opportunities to slip away, and that it was all part of a master plan. However, it seemed to me to be a lot of nonsense. Why go to all the bother to deceive these kids all their young lives? Why not just explain from the start the role they were to play in society? I didn't get that part.
The story started out pretty good but it just didn't maintain my interest after a while.