A review by marywahlmeierbracciano
Twenty-Four Seconds From Now by Jason Reynolds

funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Jason Reynolds’s Twenty-Four Seconds from Now is like Judy Blume’s Forever, but from the perspective of a tender, shy, Black seventeen-year-old boy.  It’s Neon and Aria’s two-year dating anniversary, and they want to have sex…now.  The story rewinds in increments of twenty-four—seconds, minutes, hours, and finally twenty-four months before, when Neon and Aria first met.  Neon’s colorful family adds humor and heart to this realistic story, which takes great care in doing the heavy lifting of normalizing teen sexuality.  In Reynolds’s signature conversational yet poetic style, even sheltered readers will catch mentions of porn, masturbation, and, most especially, feeling nervous and excited about sex.