Subway Love

March 17, 2014
Baskin (Surfacing) embraces magical realism in this evocative story, which blends time travel with the notion of soul mates destined to connect. In 1973, 14-year-old Laura wishes she could live with her conventional father in New York City, rather than with her hippie mother and her mother’s abusive boyfriend in Woodstock, N.Y. When visiting her father in the city, she meets a strange boy on the subway. The boy, Jonas, has problems of his own, including his father’s extramarital affair. He is instantly drawn to Laura and becomes obsessed with reuniting with her, and neither teen understands why they can’t seem to contact each other outside their subway encounters. Alternating between Laura’s and Jonas’s point of view during and between their meetings on the subway, the novel captures the essence of the times in which both teens live and expresses the teens’ dissatisfaction with their situations. While Baskin keeps certain things ambiguous, such as the nature of the time travel, the book’s themes remain clear. The teens’ love for each other is eternal, providing figurative and literal escape from less-than-perfect homes. Ages 14–up. Agent: Nancy Gallt Literary Agency.

April 1, 2014

Gr 10 Up-Initially, readers might think that this is just another story about two teens who come from dysfunctional, broken homes. Laura lives with her mom in Woodstock, where her brother's drug problem is ignored and her mother's boyfriend abuses Laura. Jonas lives with his mom and dad, but discovers that his dad has a girlfriend. Laura travels on weekends to visit her father in Manhattan, where she meets Jonas on the subway. Their first encounter is fleeting, and though they eventually strike up a conversation, they don't speak the same generational language. Laura has no cell phone and doesn't know what Facebook is. Laura lives in 1973, and Jonas lives in the present day-the only place their love exists is within the limits of the subway. Baskin makes the time travel seem believable and leaves readers hopeful by relaying an ending that fits with the theme, "Know how to live in the time that is given you." The novel calls attention to the lost art of graffiti on New York subways, which inspired parts of the story. Language and an off-the-page sexual encounter make this a better choice for older teens. Readers will be intrigued and enjoy this romance that could be found in The Twilight Zone.-Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2014
A time rift connects Laura in 1972 with present-day Jonas. The story of their romantic connection alternates with scenes of each struggling with parental divorce in his or her own time. While the mechanics connecting Laura and Jonas are never explained, they seem to be related to a set of New York City subway trains tagged by a particular graffiti artist, Spike, in 1972. While riding these particular trains, Laura and Jonas can see, touch and talk to each other--but leaving the train severs their connection. Spike befriends Laura in 1972 and is also able to connect with Jonas--even outside of the subway. Wanting to preserve his subway art, Spike believes Jonas' photography hobby can help, as a white boy with a camera will be less likely to draw authorities' attention than a Hispanic graffiti artist might. There's a lot happening in this novel: time rifts, parental divorce, physical abuse, Jewish mysticism, musings on hippie culture, commentary on racial tension in the 1970s and more, all of which ends up overwhelming the romance that supposedly centers the story. Though readers are told Laura and Jonas are soul mates, the disjointed narrative never allows real chemistry to develop. An ambitious concept that doesn't take off. (Historical fantasy. 12-16)

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May 1, 2014
Grades 8-12 Laura and Jonas are beshert, or fated soul mates. At 14, Laura lives in Woodstock, New York, with her hippie mom, her stoner brother, and her mother's violently abusive boyfriend, and she visits her father in Manhattan every couple of weeks. Jonas, 16, lives in New York City and is also the child of divorced parents, although he is still angry at his father for deserting his mom and avoids seeing him as much as possible. Laura and Jonas first become aware of each other as the subway passes through a stationhe is riding in a train car and she is waiting on the platform. But this is no simple love story: Laura is living in 1973 and Jonas lives in the present. Baskin (Runt, 2013) methodically and tautly unwinds their time-transcending romance, touching on their shared interest in art and Laura's growing confidence, which allows her to leave her abusive home. Artfully depicting the transformation of New York City through photography and street art, Baskin interweaves a powerful narrative of change into an already powerful love story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)