Book Review: Twenty-Four Seconds from Now . . .: A LOVE Story by Jason Reynolds
Publisher’s description
“Jason Reynolds has done it again!…Fresh from start to finish…This is what it could be, should be, if only we were all as lucky as Aria. Girls (and everyone) wait for your Neon!” —Judy Blume, New York Times bestselling author of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. and Forever…
#1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds tackles it—you know…it—from the guy’s perspective in this unfiltered and undeniably sweet stream of consciousness story of a teen boy about to experience a huge first.
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Twenty-four months ago: Neon gets chased by a dog all around the parking lot of a church. Not his finest moment. And definitely one he would have loved to forget if it weren’t for the dog’s owner: Aria. Dressed in sweats, a t-shirt, hair in a ponytail. Aria. Way more than fine.
Twenty-four weeks ago: Neon’s dad insists on talking to him about tenderness and intimacy. Neon and Aria are definitely in love, and while they haven’t taken that next big step…yet, they’ve starting talking about…that.
Twenty-four days ago: Neon’s mom finds her—gulp—bra in his room. Hey! No judging! Those hook thingies are complicated! So he’d figured he’d better practice, what with the big day only a month away.
Twenty-four minutes ago: Neon leaves his shift at work at his dad’s bingo hall, making sure to bring some chicken tenders for Aria. They’re not candlelight and they definitely aren’t caviar, but they are her favorite.
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And right this second? Neon is locked in Aria’s bathroom, completely freaking out because twenty-four seconds from now he and Aria are about to…about to… Well, they won’t do anything if he can’t get out of his own head (all the advice, insecurities, and what ifs) and out of this bathroom!
Amanda’s thoughts
I read a lot of books (duh). So I really love it when it’s not just a good story, a well-written story, but an innovative way to tell that story. We meet Neon in the “right now” of the story, standing in his girlfriend’s bathroom right before their first time. He’s nervous and he’s excited (and fixated on a picture on Aria’s bathroom mirror of a dog named Denzel Jeremy Washington). A lot has led up to this moment. And Reynolds takes us back through it all. We move back in time 24 seconds, 24 hours, 24 days, 24 weeks, 24 months, and end up back in the “right now.” We see how their relationship starts, learn about their very eclectic friend group, learn about their lives at home, see them in school, and watch their relationship grow. Neon and Aria are each others’ best friends.
What I really loved about this book is that it shows a really good, healthy, positive relationship steeped in friendship, respect, and support. I know books don’t need to be lesson manuals, but I really do appreciate when I see truly good teenage relationships modeled for young readers. Another good relationship we see modeled is that of Neon with his family. Individually, and for different reasons, Neon talks with his sister, his mom, and his dad about his relationship with Aria and their eventual/impending first time. They are good, open, healthy conversations that focus on consent, pleasure, respect, and safety. Again, books are not lesson manuals blah blah, but the conversations feel organic, true to the characters, and are important messages teens need to hear. Neon approaches not just this big first time with so much care and thought, but all of his time with Aria. And, really, with everyone. He’s a good kid, a good friend. Whether caring for his grandma, working at the bingo hall, helping paint Aria’s house yet another color, or talking with his friends, Neon is constantly present and supportive.
This is a love story, as the title tells you. But it’s not focused on just romance or just Aria. We follow Neon through two years of time with his family, time with his friends (knowing it’s the end of senior year in the “right now” of the story and all that brings), the day-to-day things he does. It’s light on plot (though, do we all need to hear my rant about the fact that “just getting through high school/teenage life” is the biggest and most important and relatable plot there is?) and heavy on really wonderful, stand-out characters. This is a really great look at relationships and intimacy. The innovative format may help sell the book to some readers and may feel challenging at first to others, but tell them to stick it out–they’ll learn how to understand the story as it moves back in time pretty quickly. A good read about a bunch of great relationships.
Review copy (ARC) courtesy of the publisher
ISBN-13: 9781665961271
Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Publication date: 10/08/2024
Age Range: 14 – 18 Years
Filed under: Book Reviews
About Amanda MacGregor
Amanda MacGregor works in an elementary library, loves dogs, and can be found on Twitter @CiteSomething.
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