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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
fast-paced
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
In this novel (the 2025 Newbery winner), it’s August of 1999 and twelve-year-old Michael Gibson has a lot on his mind: his single mom’s precarious job situation, the bullies he encounters in his Delaware neighborhood and at school, his 16-year-old crush Gibby (who happens to also be his babysitter), and of course the looming Y2K crisis for which he’s been shoplifting snacks in order to fortify his emergency stockpile. All that gets set to the side when an unexpected visitor arrives in the form of Ridge, a teenage time traveler from two hundred years in the future.
Michael’s initial skepticism about Ridge soon turns to fascination with this new stranger (and, most importantly, Ridge’s potential to tip Michael off about how much to worry about the turn of the new millennium), but Michael’s intrigue pales in comparison to Ridge’s fascination with all things 1999. Ridge has read about things like malls and printed magazines and living tigers, and seeing them in real life is a dream come true! But Ridge can’t stay; the longer he remains in the past, the more potential he has to alter the trajectory of history. Together Michael and Gibby must help Ridge solve his time travel woes, before it’s too late.
A Kirkus Review of this book perfectly captures my exact thoughts with this description: “a warmhearted blend of nostalgia and futurism.” This is a sweet, creative story with memorable characters and a lot of great things to say about the past, the future, and our own role in the present, and I was impressed with the author’s ability to pack so many emotions and ideas into such a compact tome.
If you’ve read my review for any amount of time, you know I have a thing for time travel novels, and I really enjoyed that element of this one—both the throwback references to 1999 (a time I remember well) and the postulations on what life may be like two centuries from now. The alternating shift between present and future was particularly well done, with the future time period told through articles and transcripts . (I can imagine, though, that this would not transfer well to audiobook format).
Though this is marketed as Middle Grade, it definitely falls on the older end of that spectrum. Aspects of the story (including the exploration of several scientific theories) would be difficult for younger readers to follow, and many of the themes (grief, chronic anxiety, complicated social dynamics, adolescent emotions, historical significance) are pretty mature. There are also some worldview issues to navigate: a minor character is nonbinary and goes by alternative pronouns; there are several references to swearing (though profanity is replaced with appropriate substitutes); and there is some commentary on controversial issues such as climate change, medical interventions for behavior issues, and more.
Keeping the potential stumbling blocks in mind, I would tentatively recommend this novel for preteens eager for a unique story with nuanced characters and strong emotional impact.
My Rating: 4 Stars // Book Format: Kindle
Michael’s initial skepticism about Ridge soon turns to fascination with this new stranger (and, most importantly, Ridge’s potential to tip Michael off about how much to worry about the turn of the new millennium), but Michael’s intrigue pales in comparison to Ridge’s fascination with all things 1999. Ridge has read about things like malls and printed magazines and living tigers, and seeing them in real life is a dream come true! But Ridge can’t stay; the longer he remains in the past, the more potential he has to alter the trajectory of history. Together Michael and Gibby must help Ridge solve his time travel woes, before it’s too late.
A Kirkus Review of this book perfectly captures my exact thoughts with this description: “a warmhearted blend of nostalgia and futurism.” This is a sweet, creative story with memorable characters and a lot of great things to say about the past, the future, and our own role in the present, and I was impressed with the author’s ability to pack so many emotions and ideas into such a compact tome.
If you’ve read my review for any amount of time, you know I have a thing for time travel novels, and I really enjoyed that element of this one—both the throwback references to 1999 (a time I remember well) and the postulations on what life may be like two centuries from now. The alternating shift between present and future was particularly well done, with the future time period told through articles and transcripts . (I can imagine, though, that this would not transfer well to audiobook format).
Though this is marketed as Middle Grade, it definitely falls on the older end of that spectrum. Aspects of the story (including the exploration of several scientific theories) would be difficult for younger readers to follow, and many of the themes (grief, chronic anxiety, complicated social dynamics, adolescent emotions, historical significance) are pretty mature. There are also some worldview issues to navigate: a minor character is nonbinary and goes by alternative pronouns; there are several references to swearing (though profanity is replaced with appropriate substitutes); and there is some commentary on controversial issues such as climate change, medical interventions for behavior issues, and more.
Keeping the potential stumbling blocks in mind, I would tentatively recommend this novel for preteens eager for a unique story with nuanced characters and strong emotional impact.
My Rating: 4 Stars // Book Format: Kindle
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Now being a teen in the 90s, I enjoyed the throwbacks to the mall, KB You store, Walden books, Christopher Pike books, and the music artists referenced.
This is a great coming of age book for tweens and teens. There were great reminders to enjoy the present moments. Don't waste your time on focusing on the past or future. Life is fleeting and moving so fast. We desire to know the future, but attem ting to figure out the future hinders the enjoyment of the present moments.
This is a great coming of age book for tweens and teens. There were great reminders to enjoy the present moments. Don't waste your time on focusing on the past or future. Life is fleeting and moving so fast. We desire to know the future, but attem ting to figure out the future hinders the enjoyment of the present moments.
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes