Yesterday

August 13, 2012
In Martin’s fifth YA novel, the author pairs a solid romance and an SF premise with mixed results. It’s 1985, and Freya and her family have recently moved to Canada. On Freya’s first day at a new school, the high school sophomore wakes up feeling like her memories of her recent life in New Zealand and the death of her father are somehow artificial. She makes a few friends at school, but is entranced by a gorgeous boy, Garren, certain that she knows him. Garren doesn’t remember Freya, but after she confronts him, they realize that odd coincidences tie them together; exploring these connections leads to threats that bring them closer. A gratuitous prologue undercuts any potential surprise over Freya’s origins for readers, and Martin (My Beating Teenage Heart) further weakens the story with a chapter-long infodump. It’s unfortunate, as there’s a good deal of charm in Freya and Garren’s relationship and the fleshed-out supporting cast (particularly Freya’s mother and her classmates), as well as some well-written action sequences (and one intensely erotic scene) late in the book. Ages 14–up. Agent: Stephanie Thwaites, Curtis Brown.

August 1, 2012
A vivid infusion of 1980s culture gives this near-future dystopia an offbeat, Philip K. Dick aura. Her father's recent death and the move from New Zealand to Toronto with her mother and sister in 1985 have left Freya Kallas seriously disoriented and plagued by headaches. Worse, her memories have puzzling gaps. She can't recall her best friend Alison's taste in music or how it felt to kiss her old boyfriend, Shane. Some events feel unreal, while others (like the guys who hit on her at parties, something she's sure never happened before) don't engage her. What do Freya's dreams of living another life mean? Something is seriously out of joint, and Freya is sure the boy she spots on a school field trip has the answers she needs. Though she doesn't know his name and he doesn't recognize her, Freya, increasingly desperate, can't let him go. A thicket of exposition slows the narrative briefly, but the pace picks up, and the action accelerates to a gripping climax. Sympathetic, well-drawn characters compensate for a rather flimsy instant dystopia and rubber science. The cultural homage is nostalgic fun, from Care Bears to MacGyver. But for delivering that uniquely '80s flavor, nothing beats music. Fans of the Smiths, Depeche Mode, Scritti Politti--this one's for you. (Dystopian romance. 12 & up)

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Starred review from December 1, 2012

Gr 10 Up-United North America, 2063. Biological weapons and global climate change have left humanity on the brink of destruction. To protect his family, Freya's powerful and politically connected father sends his daughter and his wife back in time to 1985. Upon arriving, Freya does not remember anything about her previous life. Though she feels disconnected, she has no idea she is from the future and mostly believes the lies that shape her new life. But when she sees a familiar boy on a class field trip, she cannot shake the feeling that she knows him from somewhere. Desperate for answers, she follows Garren and questions him, and they discover that their lives and families are eerily similar. When they investigate further, they are forced to run from people who will stop at nothing to erase their memories of 2063-and of each other-forever. Sci-fi thrillers are hot right now, and Yesterday does not disappoint. Featuring a psychic teen running for her life, the novel will appeal to readers who enjoyed Rachel Ward's "Numbers" trilogy (Scholastic). The oppression of 2063 is frighteningly believable; Martin does a good job explaining how the world got so horrific in such a short time. Slow-building suspense and heart-pounding action help keep readers engaged. While the story starts a little slow and unanswered questions abound, patient readers will be rewarded and will clamor for a sequel.-Leigh Collazo, Ed Willkie Middle School, Fort Worth, TX

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