This book is an important addition to the collection of coming of age stories as they relate to sex and relationships specifically. The short format and realistic dialog make it an easy read for teens. The natural way that issues of consent, thoughtful partnership, and respect are integrated was very well done. The modeling of family and friend roles in helping a young person navigate this milestone were touching to see and hopefully something that will replicate or provide the experience for readers who need it.

There were parts that felt out of joint and made it hard to follow the ideas of the book. And I wanted a little more information about the actual experience between Neon and Aria, but overall this was a strong read.

A sweet and realistic slice-of-life story. Reynolds fills a gap in YA publishing with a thoughtful perspective of a boy in a healthy teenage relationship.

I love this because it's Jason Reynolds. I love this because I loved Neon. But I struggle with this only because I know I won't ever be able to put this in my library. This is like... Judy Blume's Forever except Black and from the male perspective. I love the story, and while I don't normally love a story that is told in reverse order, this one actually worked for me. But while on page sex next happens, the entire story is basically building up to it. There are a lot of sex-positive talks, especially from Neon's parents, and I loved that. I truly think this was a great, quick read. It just sucks because I know, based on my state's stupid laws, that I won't be able to put it on my shelves anytime soon

I love this book, and in my head I can hear the author, Jason Reynolds, reading it. Neon and Aria have decided to take their relationship to the next level, this is a step that is two years in the making and not a decision made lightly. The growth of their relationship is told in reverse order and told with characters and family who feel like they are real, even the traumatized little dog, who traumatized others has a part to play. I love how every member of the family communicates their own feelings to Neon and he listens to them. If you speak honestly and with love, others hear you.
I am in a state that will probably challenge the story, but I will be purchasing it for my high school students. They need to read about building relationships and the decisions that go with that relationship. They need to see themselves in books about making those decisions and how family is important. FYI, there is no detailed sex in the story, but there are some discussions about sex, both of Neon’s parents give him good advice.

The unique telling of this story drew me in and kept me reading! It started now, and then slowly moved backward in time to tell how this moment came to be. I appreciated how that helped me to understand the characters and the events of the story. Jason Reynolds is a master at finding new and innovative ways to tell a story! I also appreciated the care he took with this topic - a young person’s first sexual experience was treated as a coming-of-age event rather than something that just happened. I think many teens and young adults will connect to this story and these characters.

Twenty-four seconds from now... is the story of high school senior, Neon, and this book is a love story told in reverse, starting with right now, in increments of twenty-four (24 hours, 24 days, etc.), and finally twenty-four months before that when he and Aria meet for the first time at his grandfather's funeral. Our story starts when Neon is in the bathroom very nervous, because he and Aria are getting ready to have sex for the first time. Also there's moments with his family and friends. This story is told from a male perspective, a love story about relationships, commitment, choices, sex and all the accompanying emotions. I recommend this anticipated release for teens who are 16 or older, and adults.

I am a fan of Jason Reynolds' work and even have appreciated the time I was able to see him speak to our community and students, so I was excited to receive this ARC of Twenty-Four Seconds from Now. This book will take students in a direction that they have not seen from Reynolds before. It focuses on the main character Neon, a teen boy who is about to take his relationship with his girlfriend Aria to the next level. Each chapter goes back in time from 24 seconds ago to 24 minutes ago, etc. The reader is introduced to Neon's family, friends, and life as time unfolds backwards through various events and conversations.

This is a charming and important book for teens, very positive and supportive in the topic and how it is handled, a wonderful story about family, friends, relationships, and more. Reynolds dives into deep questions in a way that teens can understand and relate to. That being said, as a purchase, it may be geared for an older audience depending on your school environment due to the topic, but it is an important book for all. Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for this ARC!

All the stars for Jason Reynolds' newest book, Twenty-Four Seconds From Now . . . Readers can always count on Reynolds to explore important topics in thoughtful ways and create fully-human characters who challenge societal stereotypes. As usual, the text is written masterfully; his prose is a joy to read. The story begins right before a teenage couple's "first time" together, then moves backward through time to twenty-four seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, and months before. In contrast to the way many films or other media portray teens and/or sex for the first time, where the act is the primary focus and the characters are reduced to their urges, Reynolds has written a love story, a coming-of-age story, a story of family and friends, past and future. Reynolds doesn't shy away from the gravity of the topic; conversations with parents will make teen readers laugh and even cringe from secondhand embarrassment while reminding them about intimacy and safe choices. If you're an adult, Neon and his friends will remind you what it's like to be seventeen, and that teenagers, especially teen boys, are far more than their stereotypes. If you are a teenager, especially a teenage boy, you might just find yourself in these pages.

Neon and his girlfriend of two years are in the final stretch of senior year and want to consumate their relationship. As Neon struggles with his nervousness and anxiety about the situation, we are taken back by 24's to see how their relationship developed and began and get a glimpse into Neon's own story. This is another must read of Jason Reynolds. Readers will be able to connect with both Neon and Aria and understand the real life struggles they face with life in general and in their relationship.

This is a YA romance told in reverse from a couple’s second anniversary to the day they met. This book is much lighter and happier overall but the format reminds me of Out of Love by Hazel Hayes.

I don’t usually like romances told only from the perspective of the male partner but Neon was so sweet and respectful to his girlfriend and his friends and family. I was definitely rooting for him. The relationship he had with his sister was so precious.

I liked that Neon and Aria’s futures were kind of left unwritten because that is absolutely what life is like at 17.

If you don’t like YA novels where the characters contemplate or discuss sex, this is not the book for you. It is by no means graphic but I know a lot of people believe YA books should include no sexual encounters at all even though that is absolutely not true to life if I’m being blunt.

This book about relationships as told in the guy's perspective - the relationship between Neon and girlfriend and between Neon and his family. It is an honest look at young love and the progression of life and relationships leading up to that one special moment. It will give readers great insight and connect with many young people who read this book. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Childrens Publish/Atheneum Caitlyn Dlouhy Books for this e-ARC.

I loved this story. It's such a fresh take on love story between two teenagers that is very sweet and normal. We follow the journey of Neon's relationship with Aria and we start with Neon coaching him self in the mirrow 24 seconds because he's about to experience his first time with his girlfriend of two years Aria. Each chapter is 24 - 24 seconds, 24 minutes, 24 hours, 24 day, 24 weeks, and 24 months. We see different moments that bring them to that moment. I loved every second of this book. His conversations with his friends, family, and Aria were so honest and geniune. Even though all of these moments bring us back to his first time, you can see that this isn't just about some horny teenage boy who is ready to have sex with his girl. We see a boy who genuinely loves his girlfriend and feels happy with her and wants to make her happy. He wants to be around her and cares what she thinks. He's nervous for this moment and goes to his loved ones for advice and help. There was something so sincere about the whole journey for me. I also have been loving YA romances and loves stories that comes from a young boys perspective.

This was my introduction to Jason Reynold's and I really had a great time reading this.

Reynolds is a master of non-linear storytelling and Twenty-Four Seconds from Now is no exception. I loved Neon and Aria and the exploration of their relationship based around their first time but grounded in Neon's relationships in his family and with his friends. The underlying topic is definitely about sex, but the book is so much more than that and I look forward to recommending it to teen and adult readers. A big thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for the early access in exchange for my honest opinion. 4.5 stars

This was soooo cute! It really gives you insight on the thoughts of a teenage boy’s first time and how they can be nervous too. It sort of reminds me of the movie “The Wood”, except less comical during the actual pre-sex scene. The story did have a lot of funny moments though. I like that the author incorporated all of Neon’s family members who play a vital role in his everyday life and upbringing. He listened to them and valued their opinions. A lot of teenagers, boys and girls, need that support system when they start experiencing sex. They need to hear from their parents, grandparents, and older siblings that sex is normal, to be safe when you do explore, and treat your partner with respect. This was a book with a lot of teachable moments for teens.

Thank you Jason Reynolds and Simon & Schuster via NetGalley for the ARC of this book. It was truly enjoyable and relatable!

Twenty Four Seconds from Now is a sweet, honest, and relatable story about teenagers' lives, relationships, and firsts. In this book we meet Neon and Aria who have been dating for two years and are thinking about taking the next step. This book shows all of the different things running through Neon’s mind and shows how honest and respectful Neon and Aria are with each other throughout their relationship. In addition to the two main characters, there are a lot of funny, likable characters we meet throughout this book. I really enjoyed reading about the family dynamics for both Neon and Aria’s families. All of Neon’s family is open and honest with him in their own way.

Jason Reynolds is one of my favorite authors to share with my middle school students. The way Jason Reynolds writes is always poetic and unique. This book is no exception. The order and structure of this book really made for an interesting read. However, I do think the topics in this book are more for a high school audience. I think a lot of young adult readers could relate to different parts of this book throughout their high school years. Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing for an ARC of Twenty Four Seconds from Now in exchange for an honest review. This book comes out on October 8th, 2024.

I liked the premise of this book (moving back through time, 24 seconds, 24 minutes, 24 days, 24 weeks, 24 months, etc.) and thought the characters were very cool and well-developed.

However, I wasn't entirely sold on the writing. While I don't need the dialogue to be super trendy or witty like a John Green book, it just a little flat for me. I felt like all the words were just laying there static on the page instead of fully coming to life inside my mind. (Maybe that's just a me thing?)

The book also felt a little underdeveloped, (Cause you can only go back by 24 so far before these kids are fetuses). I felt like all the loose ends get tided together and the plot becomes cohesive, but again, it didn't fully grip me. I think I also wanted a bit more scenes with the crew of friends.

Anyway, certainly not a bad book. Just an unbaked one from my personal perspective. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I got through about half of this book but had to come to terms with the fact that it unfortunately wasn’t for me. I love Jason Reynolds’ writing but with some of his full length books, I find that there is too much narration and not enough plot to keep my interest. The rawness of some of the scenes also made me uncomfortable and at times, even disturbed.

I really liked that Reynolds told this story in reverse order! Having never read a book this way, I had fun connecting everything together. This book was okay for me. I did struggle keeping myself interested in the story. I'm not sure what it was, but I just wasn't completely captivated by it. I liked Neon's character and I can see teens relating with him. Aria was a great character and I liked what Reynolds did with the dynamics of her family. I thought Neon and Aria's relationship was cute! The side characters were entertaining and well-flushed out. I thought Reynolds did a fantastic job creating realistic high school characters. I liked that not each character was following the same path out of high school. Overall, I wish I felt more invested in the story. For some reason, I just couldn't fully get into this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books for the ARC.

Jason Reynolds' newest title is another instant classic. Reynolds has an uncanny ability to inhabit the mind and heart of characters of all ages that readers of all ages can instantly relate to. This new title captures the rush and anticipation in young love without being precious or overblown about it.

I liked this book. Jason Reynolds is always up for tackling the hard topics and doing so incredibly well. I liked how this book was a backwards timeline. It added interest and depth to the story and really helped you fall in love with the characters. This is not an easy topic for a lot of adults let alone teens but I think this is the kind of book that is necessary because you know they are doing it anyway and they may as well be informed and safe when they do.