David Valdes

This book was sweet and fun; I loved the kids in both eras, and who could possibly disdain any back-to-the-future-style examination of changes to a timeline? I thought the main character was kind of shockingly shallow—I found it a bit unbelievable that a high school senior so knowledgeable about pop culture, and experiencing and fighting homophobic discrimination himself in 2022, would be so blithely unaware of and unconcerned with the realities of bigotry against other LGBTQIA people, not show more only in the 1980s but in the world around him. show less

time travel group April 2024
---
Yes, time slip. 2020s (left vague, iirc) to 1985. Good historical fiction for modern kids who think millennials are too old to be cool. It's important that in both time periods the school is Christian & conservative - some gay people in both eras could be more out & proud than these kids could.

I absolutely love that I did not love Luis at first. I kinda got tired of teen stories about gay boys because they were all so adorable, but Luis isn't supportive enough show more of his friend, or understanding enough of his mom, and he has an entitlement attitude that he should always get his way, always be at the center of attention.

Well, not unexpectedly, this is the set up for all the lessons he learns when he goes back in time. I time where being gay could get you killed. It's not just micro-aggressions that are of concern back then! But it's complicated.

Yes, the book is awfully earnest. At the beginning it's rather preachy, tbh. But if you're interested, stick with it. I found it rewarding, even though I struggled at first.

Btw, I also love that Luis does reach out to adults for help (in both timelines). Life is hard enough, so authors shouldn't always make kids be orphans or have a parent die on them.

"... this kid is way more complicated than I thought.... He's the reason why you're never supposed to judge a book by its cover."

I love that Luis and his favorite adult are fans of time travel stories. But he wisely points out that [b:A Wrinkle in Time|18131|A Wrinkle in Time (A Wrinkle in Time Quintet, #1)|Madeleine L'Engle|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1329061522l/18131._SX50_.jpg|948387] should be called "A Wrinkle in Space."

"... or maybe he's a classic bigot, needing an Other to punch when he's mad."

(Sorry I don't have more quotes; I was too engaged to appreciate which were the best lines, worth bringing here.) show less

Maybe it's because I'm old, but all the slang in this book felt so embarrassing. The beginning is hard to get into because the main character is so naive and self-centred. Once we get to the past things get more interesting, but it's still difficult to watch some of the things he does. The book tries to send a message that you should never have to tone yourself down in order to avoid harm, but this doesn't work well with the setting (a rural christian highschool in the 80's). Instead it came show more across as Luis acting frustratingly stupid and selfish and putting everyone in danger. However, the plot and side characters are really engaging, and I read it really fast because I always wanted to see what happened next. I did enjoy the ending even though it's a very wishful-thinking type resolution. If you're hoping Luis might gain some character development, you'll be disappointed, so if you find him annoying in the first chapter, be prepared for a whole book of that. 
Older readers might find it a bit too teen-y, but I was still able to enjoy it.  show less

Some of Cam's 'I am an idiot' decisions were definitely I'm 18 with little life experience, but there were some that. . . Well. *sighs*

Also his incredible self-centeredness, among other traits - even when he was supposedly learning better! - made me less than giddy to root for him - and most of the other characters in the spotlight made little better impression on me, unfortunately.