mandkips's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Cancer, Medical content, and Homophobia
Moderate: Grief, Death, and Racism
Minor: Car accident and Alcoholism
anniereads221's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Homophobia, Racism, Death, and Medical content
imstephtacular's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Cancer and Chronic illness
Moderate: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Child death, Death, Grief, Addiction, Alcoholism, Classism, Medical content, and Homophobia
Minor: Cursing and Racism
foreverinastory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed this book. It was such a fun time romp. Andre was an easy character to love. He's been through a lot and had low expectations of things working out for him. Then this liver transplant changes his whole life. Now he can plan a future and he's finding that the future he wants is not the dream his parents have coached him on. I loved seeing Andre get to grow and live. His adventures show him just some of the experiences he can continue to have.
I wasn't super invested in either of the romance candidates. Michael was from 1969 so like that would never work? But then I never really felt the connection with Blake until super late in the book. Regardless, I did really enjoy this book and Andre's character.
Rep: Black gay male who has liver cancer (in remission), two gay white male love interests.
CWs: Grief, homophobia (someone is kicked out of their parents house for being gay), alcohol consumption (underage) , alcoholism, drug use/abuse, cancer (MC had liver cancer, in remission, book opens with liver transplant), medical content, death/death of child (love interest's brother), car accident (cause of death), grief, racism, outing.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, and Racism
Moderate: Car accident, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Outing
angelicathebookworm's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Grief, Homophobia, and Medical content
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Cancer and Medical content
Moderate: Death, Grief, Homophobia, and Racism
Minor: Alcoholism, Car accident, and Drug abuse
thedanielhurst's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, and Terminal illness
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Car accident, Homophobia, and Racism
thepassivebookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Moderate: Death, Medical content, Terminal illness, Grief, and Car accident
Minor: Alcoholism
violet_pages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Grief, Medical content, and Racism
Minor: Car accident, Drug abuse, and Homophobia
spinesinaline's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is one of the most unique time travel concepts I’ve heard of. A teenage boy receives a liver transplant and suddenly can travel in time! I was immediately intrigued by the premise and pleasantly surprised by the depth of emotions and conversations that the author explores in this book.
I really loved Andre as a character. He’s quick-witted and funny, stubborn and refuses to back down, sometimes to his detriment but it also leads to many important conversations in the book. The main character, and the author, don’t shy away from bringing up privilege, something that’s entirely absent from time travel media, and how Andre’s identity as a gay Black man have an impact on his life in both the present and past. Privilege is explicitly challenged in the book and while some characters are hesitant or feel affronted to have the topic broached, there’s still space for an open discussion, though I still would’ve loved for it to have been expanded on even further. As a note on the content warnings above, there is racist and homophobic content but it is repeatedly called out and often a description of a past incident.
There’s a lot going on in this book but it never feels too busy, taking the time to work through topics of privilege, race, wealth, healthcare, and gay history alongside the major time travel plot. I honestly wouldn’t have complained about the inclusion of many more chapters to further explore the discussions that are raised and continue the characters’ journeys. I was surprised how little of a role Andre’s best friend had in the book but considering how busy he was with his time travel adventures, it makes sense that she wouldn’t be as active in the plot.
There were some small things that held me up at first that made it more difficult to get sucked into the book, some descriptions that didn’t flow well or were nonsensical (like a glass that was empty and suddenly full again), but these were very likely caught by copyeditors in later edits as I did read an advanced copy.
Jackson has created an incredibly beautiful book about a boy who loves big, and this lovely, funny, and yet heartbreaking book touched me more than I ever expected it to and I’m so grateful for that.
Graphic: Cancer and Terminal illness
Moderate: Car accident, Death, Grief, Homophobia, and Medical content
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Racism