Reviews

'90s Kids by Savy Leiser

abaranes's review

2.0

The book was fine. There are some issues with the writing - it's kind of choppy, especially in the scenes that take place in 2006 and 2015 (for some reason, it was much smoother in the 1989 scenes). I do also wish that we'd seen more of the day-to-day activity in 1989, giving Bex and Nicole more time being together. I think we get two or three scenes of them actually as a couple - more detail on the relationship building and then falling in love would have really strengthened my connection to them as a couple (as opposed to individually, which was very well done). For example, more of the characters interacting with the gay rights movement (beyond the one scene in which they were spectators) in the past as a way to help promote character development and discovery and why it's important that these types of stories are told ("One Last Stop" does this really well). The characters spend two months in the basement of a lesbian bar, but given the way it was written, really could have been anywhere. Something that showed why this type of place was important in the time period could have been powerful - especially for two teenagers who may not recognize it given where they came from.

I also think an epilogue would have been nice. Without spoiling it, one of the characters makes a massive decision at the end of the book; an epilogue that recognized that and showed the characters addressing how they were going to deal with that decision would have been a nice way to give some closure.

Basically, I think my criticisms boil down to just wanting more detail. It's a really clever take on an interesting prompt - I just think there was a lot of unexplored potential.

cakt1991's review

adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 I recently became a fan of Savy’s YouTube channel, and I really love her takes on various topics related to the book world. I became interested to check out one of her books, gravitating toward ‘90s Kids, because of the take on the time-travel concept, including paying homage to Back to the Future. This is such a fun book, and I appreciate how it simultaneously capitalizes on the nostalgia of the time periods it features with the geeky media references, while exploring deeper issues related to queerness, like biphobia and homophobia. It really is a reminder of how much society has changed in the mid-2000s, even if we still have so far to go in some respects.

The time-travel aspect feels so unique, because it’s typical for romances in this subgenre to have someone from one time period going to another and finding love, but it’s rare for two time travelers to encounter each other. The way the “science” of all that was incorporated, with the reveals about the time-loop were well-done, especially in regards to setting up how the romance could possibly work out in the long-term. 

Bex in particular really resonated with me, as in 2006, I would have been a year or so younger than her. I really liked seeing her navigate figuring out her identity in that time period, with the rampant biphobia, and on reflection, I think the attitudes of the time definitely played a role in me being unsure of who I was, so I admire her for embracing her own queerness. Nicole, by contrast, coming from almost a decade later, isn’t constrained by the same judgments from those around her, and I appreciate that she doesn’t feel pressured to go by a specific label. 

I really enjoyed this book, and I’m eager to read more from Savy in the future. If you’re a fan of time travel a la Back to the Future, nostalgia for trends from the past, or YA romance, I’d recommend checking this one out! 

 

competencefantasy's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

therapybard2021's review

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

As someone who's been a fan of the author's YouTube channel for a while, it's shocking how long it took me to actually read one of her books.
I think the easiest way to talk about this book is to split it up into sections, so that's what I'm gonna do.

• Plot: I think the story is pretty good. The ending is definitely the best part, which is always a good sign. I can't think of any major plot holes. My only issue is that some of it felt very forced at time. Mild spoiler:
  I still don't fully understand why the girls were so desperate to run away when they were in the past, especially Nicole. It's even less clear why they drove into the portals. It felt like the author really wanted this plot to work the way it did so she decided the characters needed to do these things without providing proper motivation.
  Other than that, which is only a problem for about 1/5th of the book, the story is fine.
• Characters: I don't feel much for any of the side characters, but I don't really need to. Bex and Nicole are strong enough protagonists to carry this book. Bex is my least favorite of the two but I still really like her. Her bi awakening is much more similar to mine than Nicole's, though I also relate to parts of her experience. She's cool and adventurous and a fun person to sit in the head of for half a book. Nicole is even better. I don't know exactly what the author had in mind for her, but as an autistic person I related to her a lot. It's been a while since I could so easily put myself in the shoes of another character. She's very well written (besides the bit in the spoiler mark above) and I loved her.
• Pacing: I said that the pacing is medium, but it's more accurate to say slow, then fast, then medium. That is to say, the pacing was all over the place. It took too long for the plot to get started. Then, once we got to 1989,  things moved too quickly. If we didn't have the month in the beginning of each chapter, I would have thought they were only there for a few weeks. The ending is the only part that felt well paced to me.
• Writing: Unfortunately, I think this is the books biggest fault. It's not horrendous, but it's very simplistic and doesn't leave much, if any, room for nuance. I got used to it after a while but I can imagine this really turning a lot of people away from the book.
• Sci-Fi: This is definitely soft sci-fi. There isn't much scientific explanation for things. It's pretty clear the author had a story to tell and made up sci-fi elements as she needed them in order to make it work. I really don't mind this but I'd understand if others didn't like it.

sabrena's review

adventurous lighthearted 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? No

3.5

booksploration's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? N/A

4.5

This book was a real joy to read - perfect if you're looking for something that's funny and emotional, whimsical and thought-provoking at the same time.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Biphobia