I am not normally a fan of love triangles in my fiction, too messy, and authors often overplay the dramatic side of the relationships. So I went into Yesterday is History with some trepidation, but an open mind. Trust me when I say Kosovo Jackson has taken a twist on the love triangle, kept it fresh, and brought some heartbreak that I wasn’t anticipating.

Andre has recently had a liver transplant, following cancer treatment, and recovery and remission is going well. When the donor’s family reaches out to connect with Andre, new and exciting adventures await him, with unexpected connections in the past and present.

An interesting look at the possibility of time travel, the relationships that develop from grief, and the hope that calls to us, even in the dark days. Jackson has brought together a triangle of loss, grief and hope in a story that kept my attention so completely that I started and finished in the same day. And narrator Ron Butler has added a beautiful rending of this story, providing each character with their own unique attributes. An LGBTQ story, with strong Black characters, focusing on love, hope, and the realities of approaching adulthood.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Audio for providing me with an advance copy for my honest review.

Oh my lanta. I really did not enjoy this book which honestly really sucks because I really thought that the idea and the plot had so much potential.
The main protagonist was not relatable at all. He was super whiny and annoying. He had a very selfish attitude and it made for an irritating listen. Like, can we talk about why he tells Blake that he wants to start dating him and *not* because Michael was no longer an option and.. then.. POOF! Andre is at Michael’s door wishing to stay there forever and acting like he was the main option. The fuck?
Ugh. I don’t know about this one, my dude’s. It was really juvenile feeling.

A liver that gives you the ability to time travel? Sign me up!

I enjoyed this novel quite a lot. I liked reading from Andre’s compassionate point of view as he dealt with the things life threw at him. What really got me was the soft moments and how the dialogue was written in tender scenes.

Some small grievances I had were also surrounding the relationships, though. At some points I struggled to follow the progression of them, like there were a few steps missing. There was a slight disconnect with how Andre felt in the love triangle and how it was presented to the reader. These were just small instances I noticed in an overall wonderful story.

I could NOT put down this book. Sweet story, sweet premise, sweet characters. Good stuff.

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book, but I have a lot of thoughts about it so I'm just going to make some lists.

Likes:
-I liked Andre a lot, and for the most part he felt like a pretty relatable character.
-There seem to be quite a few romance books and movies out there about teens with cancer, and of those stories I've read, most of them I didn't really care for. The way this novel handles Andre's cancer is a bit different than other cancer stories I've read, and I feel like Jackson tackled it in fairly nuanced way. I liked that Dre's cancer was an important part of his character, but that it wasn't the sole focus of the book. I also appreciated seeing him make a full recovery from cancer. (I have a close friend with cancer, who is around Dre's age, so reading about people dying from cancer isn't exactly what I need right now.) I also thought it was cool how his cancer was connected to his time traveling.
- Time travel stories are pretty hit or miss for me, but I thought the way time travel worked in this book was interesting. The fact that Dre got his time travel abilities from his liver, and that over time the liver rejected the time travel, presented some unique challenges for the characters. After reading some other reviews, apparently gaining time travel abilities from donated organs isn't exactly a new story idea, but as far as time travel stories go, I think it's a cool concept.

Dislikes:
- The pacing of this book felt off. There were several times where I felt it was moving too slow and other times where I felt it spent too little time on a particular scene.
- I think as readers, we spend too much time in Dre's inner monologue and that might be part of the reason the pacing was weird. Like, it's good to know what the protagonist is thinking, but there were parts when I felt it was too much and that the story just needed to move along.

Things I feel conflicted about:
-Even though I think the story was slow, I feel like it could've used more? I felt like it could've spent less time reciting Dre's every thought, and more time developing his relationships with the other characters.
- So... love triangles. I'm not a big fan. Mostly because a lot of the time when a character has to choose between two love interests, one of them is obviously better or just makes more sense. In this case, Blake just made more sense. From the beginning, it's clear that it won't work out with Michael because how is Dre supposed to live in the past? So when Dre started making stupid decisions because he couldn't choose, I started getting irritated with him. That being said, I know you need conflict to make a story interesting, and that definitely worked. I also am just not a huge fan of romance novels. Although, it was refreshing to see a Black gay character at the forefront of a romance.

Overall, I thought the book was enjoyable. I listened to the audiobook, so it might've been a different experience if I had read the print version, but I liked the guy who narrated the audiobook. If you like YA, LGBTQ+ protagonists, time travel, and/or love triangles, then I'd say this book is worth a shot!


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3986522792?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

What really sticks out to me about this novel is the time travel aspect: it's unique. Andre is low on transplant list for a new liver, so when he receives news that he's suddenly found himself a match: it's sort of a miracle. Little does he know that he's getting a genetically mutated liver which bestows on him the ability to time travel. Right? How cool is that? Epic. Except Andre doesn't know that he has these abilities and he passes out and wakes to find himself outside his house... in 1969... and it looks a little different and there's a different family living there. Luckily, Michael (one of the current residents) is not easily startled and helps Andre figure out where and when he is. They form a friendship (which later blooms into more than friends). As Andre slips back to the present, he connects with the family of the liver donor - who offer to explain and train him. Enter a love triangle: Blake, his time traveler trainer, is the brother of the liver donor who unintentionally falls in love with Andre too. Of course, time travel isn't unlimited and comes with some physical complications. So Andre has to pick between a past love and a present love.

But as the title implies, yesterday is history... and it's not possible to sustain such a long time traveler distance relationship. Or is it?

What I loved: the time travel element, a complicated love triangle, the LBGT+ characters
What I didn't love: the guilt and pain of the mom: it broke my heart that she always went back to the day her son died.
Narrator: A+

I really didn't have high expectations for this book 😅 I won't lie. It just didn't seem like something I'd like but I absolutely loved it.

Watching the main character go from having his whole life planned out to beating cancer and getting the ability to jump through time. He meets a boy in the past that makes him see life through different eyes and maybe the life he has planned isn't the one he wants anymore.

I'm not even a contemporary fan but this book was so good I regretted not getting my fae crate with it in it

This is a cute lgbtq ya read about time travel. I enjoyed the story line and how deep it got. I think its so important to have more book likes this for young readers. Highly recommend for teenagers and even young adults/ adults.

3.75-4

Going into Yesterday is History, I didn't have any expectations, but I really enjoyed it. There are lots of wrong ways to write a love triangle, but Kosoko Jackson did it wonderfully. It didn't even feel like a love triangle. Every time that Andre traveled back in time, I felt like I was back in 1969/1970 as well. I'm no history buff, but it would be so much fun to be able to travel to certain times in the past.

The story was a little hard to get int at first, but about 30% in I was a lot more invested and wanted to know how Andre's relationships with Michael and Blake would grow. I also would have like to see more of a relationship between Andre and his best friend Elizabeth. I feel like we missed out on a whole other side of Andre.

Overall, I really enjoyed it and will be recommending it as a light, fun and quick read.

<b> 4.5/5 stars </b>

So if I ever say that I don’t like love triangles, just know I’m not talking about this one.

Andre is a Black gay teen recovering from a life saving liver transplant when something weird happens- he time travels to 1969.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the writing style. I thought that it worked really well. I also really loved Andre as character and I thought that the premise of this book was really interesting. I long wish that it was longer so that Micheal and Blake could have been more developed and well rounded.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy of the audiobook in exchange for a review.

This book was absolutely amazing! I couldn’t put this book down and strongly recommend it! The romance is compelling and the science fiction angle is really well done.
I really enjoyed this book!

Okay! This was an absolute delight!

In a nutshell, Yesterday is History follows Andre Cobb, a teen who unexpectedly gains the ability to time travel following a life-saving liver transplant. When he jumps back to the 1960s, he meets and begins to fall for a boy named Michael. At the same time, he begins to connect to Blake, the brother of the dead boy who gave him his liver.

This book had the perfect combination of important messages, sweet romance, and teenage shenanigans. The vibe and tone this story had were absolutely phenomenal and reminded me of several books I'd previously read and loved (examples include Last Night at the Telegraph Club and Darius the Great Is Not Okay). Andre was a great protagonist to read from the perspective of, but what I really loved about this book were all the relationships he had with the other characters. The main friendship felt so wholesome yet realistic, as did his relationship with his family and his organ donor's family who he gets to know over the course of the book. The romances were also just so, so sweet. The love triangle was enjoyable and I found myself rooting for both of the relationships, yet was completely satisfied with the way things turned out in the end.

As for the deeper topics discussed in this book, I think they were handled extremely well in a way that added meaning to the story without feeling heavy-handed at all. Being a cancer survivor is something that impacts various aspects of Andre's life, and I really enjoyed the way this book explored that. I also loved how this book dealt with Andre trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life as he comes to realize that his former dreams of becoming an oncologist may not be the right path for him.

I know that complaints about this book often have to do with people wanting more from it, and I understand where they are coming from. This book presented some really great discussions that I wish we got to see more of, and I also wish we could have seen more of the relationship as I feel like the last 20% of the book wrapped up a little too quickly. If you go into this book expecting a grand, sweeping, sci-fi story, I completely understand why you would be let down. This really is just a contemporary YA romance book with the time travel element thrown in there for a delightful touch of whimsy. Overall though, this was just such a sweet story and I think if you just go into this book for the vibes, I think there's a great chance you'll really enjoy this.

The audiobook narration was also wonderfully done!

After receiving the gift of a liver, Andre finds that he can time travel between the present and 1969. Back in 1969, he meets Michael and they're adorable together. But, Michael is in 1969.....how can they be together? And back in the present, Andre also meets Blake, the brother of his liver donor, whose family teacher Andre about traveling through time and the rules involved.

A story about love, heartbreak, and living life to the fullest. Ron Butler does a good job as the narrator for this audiobook. Pretty sure my students will love this one.

Andre’s story is fraught yet hopeful and heartwarming. There’s a dreamy quality to the way this story unfolds across different time periods, and I thought the transitions were deftly handled. The three parts made it feel like an old-timey radio play. The narrator was stellar as well, bringing a lot of whimsy to Andre’s voice. The love triangle romance worked for me (though I was pretty firmly team Michael LOL). I’m looking forward to reading more of Kosoko Jackson’s work.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscapes for the Audio ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Yesterday Is History was such a fun book to dive into. Sometimes time travel and I don't really get along but this book was just really enjoyable. I liked getting to know Andre, Michael and Blake. Even though this was a love triangle, and I'm not a huge fan of those, these three somehow made it cute. I think the whole time different probably made it more enjoyable to me but it also made it super hard to figure out who to ship Andre with.

I honestly wasn't expecting to feel so many emotions while listening to this one. Trust me, they came and I was so sad. Of course Andre has to make some tough decisions when certain things come his way and I just kind of sat back and watched it all happen. I had comments and opinions, sure, but I just didn't know how to handle it.

In the end, I loved Andre and seeing his personal journey through love.

5/5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for providing this audiobook-arc!

God was this amazing. It was one of those novels that I had little to no expectations about since I wasn't aware of its existence, therefore not giving me any details that could entice me. I just loved this. The protagonist "stuck" in a love triangle with hot chiseled white guys AND it's queer? SIGN ME THE FVCK UP. That queer gaze was something I didn't know I liked so now I look forward to seeing it in other fictional works. I hate to be that person but this gave me Call Me By Your Name vibes. But like less melancholic and the magical realism giving it an interesting ouch. For a bit I considered rating it lower. Then the rollercoaster of events made me realize that that bit of prose was necessary to develop Andre's character. He's not always rational, despite it something he should have inherited from his genius parents. Another detail I adored. It was fun to see parents that somewhat participated or at least had a bond with the protagonist. The love interests were great as well. A bit shallow at times though, just like how I like my men. The nuances of race and sexuality were handled fine in my eyes. I've also established that i'll only rate books 5 stars if i have the desire to re-read them someday. This definitely is something I might buy myself when I crave this story in another time. Tons of applause for the author.

This one was average. I didn't love it and didn't hate it, but it lagged. The premise was interesting but something just missed the mark. One problem was the pacing--it felt very slow for the first half and then suddenly jumped forward in time and seemed to skip many important plot points. Also, there were unnecessary characters (like the best friend) who served no real purpose. I will purchase for my library, however. Perhaps students will like it more.

Wow, this was great! It had so much emotion, was sweet and sad and well written. The pacing is good and I couldn't get enough of Andre, Michael, and Blake. Be prepared to shed a few tears when you check this one out!

Andre is recovering from a life saving liver transplant when he discovers that he's inherited the ability to time travel. He journeys back to 1969 and meets Michael and they immediately click. I loved their relationship and it made it so difficult because how could they possibly be together when they're separated by forty years? In the present, Andre is connecting with Blake who's brother gave Andre the liver. Blake is cute and still grieving and having Andre seems to help him heal. Now I'm torn between the two love interests.

There was really only one way for this to play out, though it hurt my heart. Even though one relationship couldn't work out, Andre learned a lot about love and being true to yourself. The story was so good and the narrator for the audiobook did a fantastic job!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the copy

Yesterday Is History was such a great read!! I really loved following these characters and their love triangle.

Not only is Andre black and gay, but he also has a special ability..... time traveling!!!

After getting a liver, Andre feels like he will get his life back, that is until he goes back in time all of a sudden.

Not only does he fall in love with someone from the past, Michael, but also with someone from the present, Blake.

I was rooting for Andre the whole time! I really wanted him to end up with one of them... not saying who... you’ll need to read it 😉

Audiobook provided by NetGalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Kosoko's writing style and Ron Butler does a really good job with the audiobook.

This is an interesting concept... what if you are on the receiving end of an organ transplant and the organ gives you the ability to travel back in time. What would you do? And what happens if this ability puts you into a love triangle of sorts after falling for people in your present and in the past?

Loved the POC and LGBTQ+ representation in a YA romance that also didn't include violence... not every POC story needs to be a fraught one.

This was so good! I loved the rep in this, and although I hate love triangles (THEY NEVER CHOOSE THE ONE IM ROOTING FOR) I was not mad at this. Like yes. I very much like was rooting for the guy that did not get chosen. HOWEVER. It was so fun to see how everything played out and how andre reacted to everything that I am not even mad