The Boy From Tomorrow is a charming book for young adults. Josie and Alec live in the same house in the same room. But they lived over 100 years apart. Josie is the daughter of a hard woman who may or may not be a witch but many in the community believe that she is. Alec is a modern day child of a recent divorce. He and his mom have just moved in to the house when he realized that he could communicate using the Ouija Board that he found.

Over time and through many methods of communicating through history, Alec decides he must help Josie and her little sister escape their abusive mother. The history and the juxtaposition of the two time periods makes this book a really fun read for any age.

This had such a nice classic feel. The simplicity of the concept (a boy from today talking to a girl from a century ago) worked really well and felt fresh.

I liked the historical connotations throughout (although some were a bit lengthy), and imagine this might make a great classroom read. The characters were well-developed, felt true to that middle-grade age, and were fun to follow (especially at the end, when we find out what the future holds). Recommended.

**NetGalley provided copy for review**

The concept for the book was a clever spin on time travel, just not particularly fond of the use of ouija boards (I give the author credit for including a note discouraging their use). Through the game, a boy from the current time, ends up communicating with sisters who lived in his house 100 years prior. I found the book quite interesting but as a children't book, I felt like it covered rather mature topic of verbal and borderline physical abuse of children. As the children become friends across time, the "boy from tomorrow" helps bring about a brighter future for the girls. The book offered glimpses into the every day life of a century ago as well as the world of a self-proclaimed medium. The story was well-crafted and clean; parents just may want to preview and discuss the book with their kids after reading. Book offered lessons on friendship, honesty, and offering help to someone in need. Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of The Boy from Tomorrow for the purpose of review.

BookFilter review: A lonely girl in 1915 suffers under the cold indifference of her mother, a psychic who makes money by communicating with the dead. A lonely boy in 2015 feels adrift after his parents divorce when he and his mom move to a new town and a rambling old house. Josie, the girl, keeps an eye on her little sister and tries to keep suspicions about her mother's "gifts" to herself. Alec, the boy, is alone and feels it, awkwardly trying to make friends with a kid at his new school and wondering if life will ever get better. What connects them? A ouija board and the fact that they both sleep in the same bedroom in the same home, just one hundred years apart. Talking to one another becomes their only comfort and soon, a way for Josie to escape her prison and Alec to make a friend for real. This modest middle grade novel begins simply and engagingly. But author Camille DeAngelis piles on the melodrama and doesn't play fair. If Josie's mom is a fraud, why isn't she more astonished upon discovering her daughter is talking with a boy from the future? Alec's dad on the other hand seems to have done nothing worse than divorce his mom, but Alec is overwhelmed even though divorce is not usually the trauma it once was. So while Josie deals with her mother's creepily suspicious assistant, a staff completely indifferent to the almost brutal treatment of Josie and her sister AND a snoopy schoolmate who just wants to pry out secrets about her mother, Alec simply makes trips to the library and has a school pal who behaves decently from the start. The excitement is decidedly weighted to the past even though the chapters alternate between them. Worse, DeAngelis plays fast and loose with the magic taking place.When the ouija board becomes inaccessible, Josie and Alec simply switch to a phonograph playing wax cylinders so they can chat away, which feels awfully convenient. And while one doesn't need an explanation as such for every strange goings-on, what the heck is up with that possessed doll anyway? With lazy magic rule-making, a confused jumble of elements and a climactic plot twist that feels too easy, "The Boy From Tomorrow" wears out its welcome long before that creepy doll loses an eye. -- Michael Giltz

To me was not your typical subject matter for the age tween age that I believe it is intended for. Besides the 3 main characters, the people were very flat. The story seemed to just jump into the Ouija board incident with no relationship with the boy's friends or mother. There seemed no rhyme or reason for his friendships which really didn't seem to matter anyway. Spiritualism and the use of the Ouija board is not something children this age should be fooling around with. The man servant also was not well developed. Wasn't going to finish the book but did and it did turn out all right.

In The Boy From Tomorrow, twelve-year-olds, Alec and Josie, are roommates. They share a bedroom and are great friends. The only problem is they’ve never technically met. Alec lives in 2015 and Josie in 1915.

Alec moved to the old house at 444 Sparrow St with his mom after the divorce. While exploring the new house, he finds a spirit board and meets Josie. Josie’s abusive mother is a possible psychic in 1915, who keeps her daughters locked in the house. As Alec and Josie chat and prove that each other is real, they learn more about each of their lives and how Alec can help Josie and her sister escape their mother.

This is a cute story that was labeled as YA but is better for readers closer to Alec and Josie’s age. It reminds me of the innocence and warm and fuzziness of reading Babysitters’ Club books when I was that age. I’ve like a kid’s opinion on The Boy from Tomorrow though. While most of the books is “aww cute” with just enough adventure, the ending is a bit different. While keeping this spoiler-free, it’s possibly too adult. Not in an inappropriate way, but possibly uninteresting.

What I Loved About The Boy from Tomorrow

Remember, I am looking at this from an adult’s perspective.

I love that Alec and Josie are just friends. Alec has the same platonic friendship with Josie as he has with his 2015 best friend, Danny. There are jokes about girlfriends, but romance doesn’t play into it.

Which leads to the next point, the 12-year olds are 12-year olds. There’s a slumber party scene where some of Alec’s new friends smuggle their grandfather’s whiskey along, but the others decline it, and we don’t see those friends again.

The final thing I loved is that nothing is sugar-coated. Josie’s little sister is starved and locked in the closet. Alec is dealing with her parents’ divorce and his father’s new girlfriend. These things are real. It’s not graphic enough to traumatize children, but the topics aren’t hidden either.

The Boy From Tomorrowfollow is a cute, enjoyable read. Let me know if you have a child the right age who has read it. I want to know their thoughts on the ending.

This is the story of two very lonely children living in the same house. Danny and Josie are both 12, both being raised by single mothers, and both have a very real need for a friend.

The only trouble is, Josie is alive in 1915 and Danny is alive in 2015. A trifling matter.

This is an incredibly sweet and fun story. It's Middle Grade, skewing towards a slightly Coraline-level creep feel. (I had this thought before the book was mentioned by Danny, and felt vindicated). Josie and Danny communicate first through a "talking board" (a much more pleasant way to say Ouija board), then through letters written by Josie and found by Danny. Danny occasionally finds the letters before Josie has written them.

And finally, the two learn they can communicate via a very old gramophone. There, they amuse each other with their different ways of speaking, Josie's little sister Cass tells Danny of her doll that can predict the future even better than her and Josie's mother, and Danny plays rock music that completely throws Josie for a loop.

The under current to their friendship is the horrible home life Josie and her sister are subjected to. Tutored at home rather than allowed to go to school, they are raised by a cruel mother. Lavinia Clifford is psychic to high society, written about in magazines and visited from all over the country. And also, she locks her children in cupboards for hours when they make her angry. She's an absolute terror.

Is it her friendship with Danny that will save her future, and her sister's? This is Middle Grade, and it's not Christopher Pike we're dealing with, so you know nothing too bad will happen. But the suspense is real, and the desire for Cass and Josie to make it is intense. And also the hope, the seemingly impossible hope, that Danny and Josie will get to meet someday, as impossible as it may seem.

Absolutely delightful.

And I'd like to thank the author for the foot note at the very, very end, about taking care when using a 'talking board'. Because that part....made me slightly uncomfortable.

4.5 Stars

Shortest synopsis would be: This is a story of three kids who found a way/s to communicate with each other despite their timeline differences, that led one to help the other two secure their future.
But since I'm so generous, I can give you more than that one long sentence. Alec, a 12-year old from 2015, just recently moved in 444 Sparrow Street with her mom when he found an Ouija board that somehow introduced him to Josie(12) and Cassie(6-7), sisters from 1915 who are living with their mother who is a medium. Their exchanges eventually turned into some hard twists but at the same time, the realization that Alec can somehow help the sisters in their predicament with their abusive mother became obvious and he's set just to do that. But is that even possible when their century apart? And how can they change a future when it's already past.
♥♥♥MY THOUGHTS♥♥♥
Here's a fact, I'm not really into Middle Grades because I never expect them to stir emotions from me, and I want my reads touch my emotions in any way. But THIS BOOK certainly stirred my emotions in a mess, wrecked way. AND I LOVE IT.

Though this story tackled some serious, sensitive issues, I still find it a sweet story of friendship, learning how to value and treasure it no matter the circumstance. This book even teaches that life is what you make it, at least that's the message I got from it. The MCs, Alec and the sisters, Josie and Cassie are not the most extraordinary characters there are in Fiction, but they are unforgettable still. And thanks to the author's amazing talent, it was very easy to connect with them. Halfway through, I found myself connected aching for them. I didn't even see that coming. Like I said I never thought a Middle Grade book could stir such emotions from me.

I want to emphasize that I love the author's writing. It was simple yet very descriptive and vivid, it makes the characters and setting so alive and every scene believable. The plot is unique and well-developed. The little history, especially the thing about Psychic are fascinating subjects that was handled well. Same with the abuse. It was handled well too as wasn't romanticized and glossed.

Now why I didn't give it 5 Stars? At the end there were some points that are left still mysterious and unexplained. But I think the author left it that way so the younger readers don't get confused that much. Besides, the idea of time travelling and talking to someone you can't see are already enough confusing for younger minds. (though I don't really call what happened Time Travelling)

And yeah, the ending was bittersweet,

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK. In one sentence I can say this book is very engaging, fascinating, magical, emotional and simply amazing. It transcends all my expectation.

The Boy from Tomorrow is one of those special stories that show a whole different dimension of human dynamics, and in a certain way love. Here we have two characters, that are separated by something beyond space... time. Combining the supernatural with the incredible, this is a story of young people developing friendships and finding a way to help each other cope with the struggles of life.

I was particularly moved by the very end of the story. No spoilers, but I will say that the image of a moment that happens then is embedded in my memory and caught a tear in my eye. While it is a hard balancing act, and it takes a while to understand the conventions placed by the author, it is worth a read.

I love a book that's filled with mystery and a little time travel! I read this with my son who is 11 and we were both captivated!! The main characters Josie Clifford and Alec Frost live in the same house, but 100 years apart. They are able to connect and become friends by using a spirit board that belongs to Josie's Mom. During their growing friendship, which I thought was beautifully written... very appropriate and not filled with sappiness, Alec discovers the Josie and her Sister have a horrible Mom. Alec gets down to business as he searches for clues to figure out what happened in this house to the girls.
Both of us really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of something I would have read in middle school, perfect age for innocent friendship that turns into a race against time to save the girl. I do agree with my son that reading about Josie's life back 100 years ago was very interesting and made you connect deeply with them. Even Alec was lovable as he was dealing with his own issues too with a newly broken up family.
I wouldn't change a thing, I think this book was wonderfully written and will capture the hearts of both young and old....I say this as I'm still holding on to the faces of these kiddos in my mind even after finishing the book days ago.

I like this kind of story very much, despite it being written for a younger audience and lacking a more philosphical depth. Nevertheless the unusual connection between “Past and Future” via a Ouija board is incredibly interesting as a premise alone. The protagonists soon meet the same essential questions I had from the moment I read the blurb (on netgalley. So many thanks for granting me the opportunity to read this beautiful book!). Of course the how first but that becomes irrelevant so quickly that an answer no longer matters. More pressing are the struggles what to keep from the people in the past and what (and how) to tell them in order to set events in motion that will have happened. Bit of the usual “time manipulation/travel mindf*ckery” here but not in a headache inducing way. The future (Alec) has an influence on the past (Josie) and vice versa. Mixed in with a bit of gothic charme, con artists and love affairs… Very up my street.

I loved this, though I admit it was a little slow to get into, despite having all sorts of things that I love. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of spiritualism. The most compelling bit was the end, when Alex was older and we found out what happened in the intervening years.

Description:
Josie and Alec both live at 444 Sparrow Street. They sleep in the same room, but they’ve never laid eyes on each other. They are twelve years old and a hundred years apart.

The children meet through a hand-painted talking board—Josie in 1915, Alec in 2015—and form a friendship across the century that separates them. But a chain of events leave Josie and her little sister Cass trapped in the house and afraid for their safety, and Alec must find out what’s going to happen to them.

Can he help them change their future when it’s already past?

My thoughts:
The premise is interesting. A Ouija board found in an old house connects two children living in the same house 100 years apart. Once readers accept that part of the fantasy, then this book becomes a sweet adventure, a dark thriller and a tribute to friendship.

I think the strength in this story is that the Ouija board is not used as the main mode of communication. This makes it stronger because of the negative, dark, occult reputation of the Ouija board. This is not that kind of story.

Instead, our protagonist, Alec uses Google, the New York public library, microfiche and a little detective work to find letters hidden in the house. What makes it fun is that he is the one who tells Josie that she will hide these letters a hundred years later before she actually has written any letters. Without spoiling the story, just when I think the tricks of the book have been played out, the author brings in more surprises.

A sweet, feel-good read.

Last sentences:
Their discovery, their secret, their impossible friendship: it was all still ahead of him. She raised the glass to her mouth, smiling to herself as she took the first sip.

Advanced digital copy provided by Net Galley and the publisher for an honest review.

Alec and Josie are both twelve years old, but they are separated in time by one hundred years. Alec lives in the house Josie and her family lived in previously and when they discover they can communicate with each other they form a friendship. Both Alec and Josie learn about each other's family situations and their friendship changes their lives. This is a unique time travel story with magic and some suspense.

Alec Frost and Josie Clifford, along with her sister Cass, are best friends, but they have never seen each other in person. The girls live in the same house as Alec, but 100 years in the past. They all live at 444 Sparrow Street, but the girls are there in 1915 and Alec is in 2015. They communicate by using a spirit or talking board, which we today call a Ouija board. Josie’s mother is a psychic who conducts séances in her home.

The friendship develops over time and, as the kids get to know each other, Alec realizes that the girls might be in danger from their abusive mother.

The time travel aspect of this book was interesting because it was done in a completely new way. The kids didn’t step into a time machine or a portal or anything that’s been done before. They communicated with the talking board. Josie’s mother, Lavinia Clifford, is horrible to her children! When she discovers their communications with Alec, she uses it for her own gain, forcing Alec to tell her things about the future in exchange for communicating with Josie. Then, they find the phonograph and wax cylinders and are able to continue to communicate without the mother’s knowledge. Josie is also able to pass notes to Alec by hiding them places in the house where he might find them in the future. I thought that was really cool.

Cass has an odd doll named Mrs. Gubbins. One mystery of the novel is: who is she? How is it that she can communicate? Cass talks to the doll and the doll tells her things that no one the girl’s age can know. What happens to Mrs. Gubbins in Alec’s time? Does she communicate with him? We never really learn much about Mrs. Gubbins’ history, which was disappointing.

The girls are never allowed to leave their home. Their abusive mother keeps them out of school and inside all the time. She locks Cass in a cabinet as punishment, or locks the girls in their room. There are other incidents of cruelty that could be disturbing to young readers. These incidents are treated as part of the story and are essential to show that the girls are in danger in their own home. These things could bring up bad feelings in readers though. I would suggest maybe offering some resources at the end of the book for kids who may find themselves in similar situations.

Alec has made a couple friends in his new home and one, Danny, is very helpful to him. They conduct their own research into the history of the house, visiting the library and the local graveyard for answers. Alec is not sure if he wants to find the graves of his friends from 100 years before though.

Alec’s mother thinks he is having troubles due to her divorce and sends him to a counselor. When she eventually does learn the truth though, it’s surprising that she believes Alec. But, she does and she supports him, which is refreshing, especially after seeing how poorly the girls’ mother treats them.

I thought the main characters were all well developed. The book itself can be described as part mystery, part paranormal, part time travel, part historical fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed it and rate it as one of my top two books of 2018 so far. I did wish the ending had been a little different. I wanted Alec to be more eager to find out what happened and go visit the address. I wanted there to be a ton of letters telling him all about Josie’s life. I guess I was hoping that the book would not end. I wanted there to be more.

There is a good word of advice at the end that warns of the dangers of using Ouija boards. I was glad to see that. It’s not really something to play with and kids might be tempted after reading this novel.

Overall, I give this book my highest rating. You will love it.

If the first paragraph summary does not intrigue you... I do not know what will. I was hooked. The plot of the novel was so original and creative throughout the novel. I have never read a novel with such a premise.

The story is told with alternate points of view from our two main characters, Josie and Alec. There are some dark topics in the book's plot that I would not recommend for young children, but as an adult I appreciated. I would suggest a parent read this novel before deciding to let their child read it. The book covers spirits, abuse, divorce, and the use of an Ouija board. I think the author did a well job of handling these dark topics without glamorizing them or glorifying them. 

I was a little let down from the ending.. I wanted a little more. I think I would have honestly preferred a cliffhanger instead, so I could let my brain run wild with all the possibilities. Surprising I know, like who wants a cliffhanger?! Overall I highly recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys middle grade. I think this book is highly under-hyped. It deserves so much more!

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book. I am so glad I got to read this delightful story.

Time travel has always fascinated me and I have loved shows like Quantum Leap, the Sandra Bullock movie "Lake House" and the book "The Time Traveller's Wife." There was much to love about this story as Alec and his friend Sammy in 2015 seek to stay in contact with Josie and Cass in 1915. Their connection does start with a conversation or ouija board, but the author tells kids at the end to leave these devices to fiction and I really appreciate that. There is much to learn about being a good sister and a friend through some tough circumstances from this book. Would make a fascinating read aloud. Recommended!

E ARC from Netgalley.com



When Alec moves into 444 Sparrow Street after his parents' divorce, his expectations are pretty low. He does manage to make some new friends quickly, and finds a cool Ouija type board stuck in a cupboard. When he and his friends get messages that make some sense, he realizes that he is communicating with a girl names Josie who lived in the house 100 years ago. In alternating passages, we see how this communication across time affects both children. Josie is able to gets information about the future, some of which she shares with her professional clairvoyant mother, who is more concerned with her clientele than her children. Josie and her young sister Cass have a governess, Emily, who is very kind, but their mother will lock Cass into a cupboard for an entire day for even small transgressions. On Alec's side, he finds out about the fate of the girls as they get older, and encourages them to seek help, especially once Emily is sent away. Can a friendship across time save both children from unfortunate occurrences in their lives?

Strengths: I find the spiritualist movements in the early 20th century very interesting, and Schlitz's A Drowned Maiden's Hair is one of my daughter's favorites. Saw this compared to Tom's Midnight Garden, and that's not a bad comparison. There's no time travel, but definitely a feel of that. The sisters' relationship is interesting, and I loved that Alec talked to his mom about everything and she believed him. Clipped along at a nice pace, and had some good creepy moments.

Weaknesses: I really wanted the characters to eventually meet, but the 100 year difference makes this impossible.
What I really think: I don't have a lot of call for this type of book, so I will only purchase it if I have funds left towards the end of next year.

Josie, Cassie and Alec all live at 444 Sparrow Street and sleep in the same room but have never seen each other in person. Why? Because Josie and Cassie are in the year 1915 and Alec is in 2015. Somehow, despite being a hundred years apart, the two girls and Alec can speak to each other through a talking board.

Alec Frost is a kind 12-year-old boy who finally got his wish of living away from the city by moving to a small town with his mum. The only downside is that his father will not be joining them. His parents are getting a divorce and while it does have some effect on him, he handles the situations really well.

Josie Clifford is the same age as Alec - just a hundred years before - and she did not believe it possible to talk to someone from the future despite her mother, Lavina Clifford, being known for her abilities to talk to the dead. Josie is a clever and polite young lady, but thanks to her mothers fear or dislike of people and the outside world, she is not allowed to go to school. Being trapped in a house with a mother with no time for her children, a handful of servants, her little sister, Cassie, and their tutor, Emily Jasper. 

Cassie is a spirited child with a heart of gold but a knack for getting herself into trouble. She also has the habit of saying strange things on behalf of Mrs Gubbins, her dirty and tatty looking doll. Cassie wants nothing more than her mother's love and is denied it. Luckily for both of the Clifford girls, Emily is there and she cares about both of the girls more than most tutors would. 

I love how the book started - both groups thinking the other were ghosts. It was an interesting, entertaining, heartwarming and heartbreaking story all at once. The plot was brilliant and I enjoyed the mystery elements that were an underlying feature to be wrapped up at the end. The writing style appropriate for younger readers but still engaging enough for older audiences and I enjoyed the layout of the story with the alternating points of view and time periods. Both Alec and Josie were lovely characters to read the story through and most of the characters in the book were well developed and just complex enough for their role in the story.

I could not be happier with this book and I believe it will be one of my favourite reads of 2018!

This book was a really cute read! I'm really glad that I read it. Josie Clifford and Alec Frost live in the same house, 100 years apart, and forge a friendship by using a talking board. This was really interesting in the way that it was set up because it wasn't really a time travel book, but it had a similar quality to it, as these two friends were able to communicate even with time separating them.

The story is told in alternating viewpoints between the past (Josie) and the present (Alec). I really liked this setup and I liked being able to get glimpses into both of their lives. However, I felt that the balance between the two viewpoints was tipped in favor of Josie. We really got to see more of her world, and the people in her life much more than Alec, which made his chapters a little more one dimensional and not as deep.

There are some tough concepts in this book, mostly the abuse that Josie and her younger sister Cass suffer at the hands of their mother, but I think it is well done and it is never glamorized or romanticized. In fact, Alec is completely shocked when he finds out, and decides to do everything in his power to try to help them.

I was a little surprised that there wasn't more conflict at the end of the novel, but this didn't detract from the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to any one who enjoys middle grade novels.