oh how I wanted to love this. I really did. but unfortunately it was really confusing for me. I struggled to figure out who all the characters were and how the time travel element worked.

the concept is so fun, a town called Pocket that all time travelers have to go through and a costume shop where they find the right clothes for the era they're traveling to, but it all fell flat because of lack of explanation.

I requested this book because the time travel concept being explored was one I hadn’t read before. The idea was so innovative that I spent days obsessively checking my email until it was finally accepted.
I was really sad when the ARC got approved but wouldn’t format properly on any of my devices, including the NetGalley app, so I had to wait for my preorder copy to arrive before I could dive into this world. And I can say wholeheartedly ... the wait was worth it.

Costumes for Time Travelers explores the idea of being able to travel anywhere in time using a pair of boots. Of course, you wouldn’t want to stand out as the “weird one” in another era, so time travelers need the right wardrobe, and that’s where the costume shop comes in. This particular costume shop is found in Pocket, a unique stop for time travelers where they can find the appropriated clothes for the time era they will be visiting. Pocket is also where Calisto lives, working at their grandmother’s famous costume shop, and where they meet Fawkes, kickstarting their adventure to save both Pocket and time travel itself.

I have to say I’m completely in love with this idea of time traveling. Not for selfish reasons or to change the past, but for the joy of slipping on a pair of boots and experiencing what other times have to offer. I won’t share much more, since the story is only around 220 pages and I don’t want to spoil anything. But I will say this: the idea Capetta created was so brilliantly innovative that it will live rent-free in my mind for a long time.

Calisto and Fawkes’ relationship was the cutest thing ever. By the end of their story, I was crying so hard for Fawkes that I genuinely wished I could reach through the pages and give him a hug.

Honestly, what I can say with all my heart is that I can’t recommend Capetta’s story enough. Every single minute of it will be loved, not just because the prose is beautiful, but because the characters truly have a life of their own.

3.75 rounded up.

I absolutely flew through this book! It was my first by A.R. Capetta, and definitely won't be my last. I was sucked in from page 1, and loved the world of Pocket and the characters. The costume descriptions were so detailed, so stunning, that I could picture everything vividly.

I was convinced this would be close to a 5-star read for the first half of the book. Where this one fell a bit flat for me was how quickly the central conflict started, was resolved, and the book wrapped up. I feel like it needed another 100 pages to really flesh it out, otherwise it felt like it happened in a blink and it was hard to stay connected. The first half was a solid 4.5 stars for me, the last half being a 3 star, so I'm giving it 3.75 overall. I loved the writing, the world building, and the characters. I'm excited to read more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. I think the stakes are too high for this to technically be cozy fantasy, but it fits the vibes very well. It's a little short for everything to be fleshed out, but I really enjoyed the glimpses into Pocket and the philosophy behind time travel that we did get. I loved how queerness in all forms was completely normalized: Calisto is nonbinary, and the story heavily features polyamory. The writing was a little unpolished for me (head-hopping is one of my biggest pet peeves), but for the most part it didn't impact the reading experience. The plot was...there. I can't say that it made a whole lot of sense, but it was interesting.

I think this book would have benefited from being longer. I felt like I didn't really get to know the main characters, and their romance felt instantaneous. I also didn't understand what was happening a lot of the time because the rules of the world weren't really laid out or they seemed to be made up as the story went along. The antagonist's change of heart is so fast that it's literally blink-and-you'll-miss-it. Ironically, this story about time needed just that—more time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for the ARC.

This one felt like slipping into a daydream I didn’t want to leave. It’s YA, but honestly? A perfect whimsical read for adults too. The time travel, the ripple effects, the quiet little moments that sneak up on you.

👢 Time travel
👢 Ripple effect consequences
👢 Found family
👢 Slow-burn connection
👢 Cosy magical vibes

It’s not loud or dramatic, but it stayed with me. Just quietly beautiful. I loved it. I can’t stop thinking about Calisto and Fawkes


Thanks to Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink and NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review

I enjoyed this tale of magical time travel. The concept is great, with the costume shop to create the perfect disguise for each time period, with the world of Pocket, hidden away from the flow of time. The mysterious Fawkes and the determined Callisto. But I never really connected with the characters or world. It was always like there was a distance separating us that kept me for caring about them fully. The romance is also very much insta-love, which is one of my least favorite tropes. They meet, they're together... there's no relationship development.

The plot was more coherent than time travel plots often are, and I had no issue with it. But my issues with the instalove and difficulty connecting with the characters impacted my enjoyment.

*Thanks to Candlewick for providing an early copy for review.

Costumes for Time Travelers was honestly unlike anything else I'd read before, which I have to give huge credit for. I will always appreciate an author that does something a little different. We're following Calisto, who works at their grandmother's shop which provides... well, costumes for time travelers. They live quite a lonely, sheltered life in a place out of time called Pocket, perhaps a bit bored of life, but clearly in love with their job. The importance of fashion in time travel is something I haven't really seen explored anywhere else and I thought it was a really cool idea right off the bat. I also love a fashionista of a character lol. Shortly into the story we're introduced to our second main character, Fawkes, 'the time savant' that flies through time like nobody else has been documented to do and for that has earned himself a bit of a strange reputation. Despite that, him and Calisto are immediately drawn to each other and it even seems that Fawkes already knows them. What follows is honestly a very fun, strange adventure that once you start reading, is very difficult to put down.
Now for the difficulties I had with it. The beginning honestly had me very confused - there's a kind of dreamy quality to the writing and descriptions that I, as a reader, tend to struggle with. I could not tell you what any of what I read looked like - and unfortunately, that's very important to me as I have a terrible imagination. Perhaps that's where the issue lies. If you're not a detail-oriented person, you might love this. Also, very importantly to me at least, the characters - while I loved them in theory, especially my dearest Fawkes, I felt they were all completely unreachable to me, and by the end I was so detached from anything that was happening, despite things being quite high-stakes.
I think the core of why this book didn't work for me and what influenced everything I've mentioned so far - the pace was waaaay to fast. I almost felt like I was skimming the book. There was absolutely no time allowed to sit with anything, situations came rushing in quickly and left even quicker. I think this story could've honestly been incredibly impactful and possibly a favorite if we'd just been given... time. More exploration of characters and their relationships. Not to mention the side characters... could not name one honestly.
All that being said, I had a fun time. I found a lot of this very clever, lots of interesting ideas sprinkled all over. I even laughed out loud a bunch of times. I would definitely read more from this author.
Thank you SO MUCH to NetGalley and Candlewick for this ARC!!

I first discovered author A. R. Capetta with the early chapter book Hocus and Pocus: A Spell for Home. I was amazed at the sense of whimsy and magic they created in such a short, simple story. When I saw the book Costumes for Time Travelers, which I would guess will be marketed to a young adult audience, I had to give it a try, and I'm so glad I did. In Costumes for Time Travelers, shy homebody Calisto finds time travel adventure and love when they meet Fawkes, the "time savant." Together, they fight to save the world from splintering with the rise of a new, destructive timeline. This cozy fantasy features excellent world-building and well-developed characters that I fell in love with. It's an adventure for sure, but also a beautifully crafted tale of first love. This is a book I plan to re-read and that I highly recommend. I will be waiting to see what A. R. Capetta offers us next, no matter what age it's for. Thank you to Candlewick and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

3.5 stars

The concept is very interesting, I do enjoy time travel stories with locations outside of space/time. The writing style is very simplistic but also gives the book an overall vibe that is very atmospheric.

I really enjoyed our protagonists! I love how Calisto's skills as a tailor play into the story, as well as Fawkes' weird timey-wimey abilities. The romance is soyyy cuteee, Fawkes can see into the future a bit so he already knows Calisto and that they get together, which could have made it weird, but I think they both communicate and understand each other pretty well, so it works out! :)

TBH, I did not love the plot as a whole. The main antagonist guy was alright, but the time wardens, while I get the concept, never felt like much of a threat and were beaten too easily.

As a whole, this was a quirky, comforting read <3

Calisto lives outside of time, in the town of Pocket, where they help their grandmother make costumes for time travelers, painstakingly creating outfits that will fit into whatever time a traveler wishes to go to. However, things take a turn when their grandmother sets off traveling again, to her childhood, and a mysterious stranger, the time savant, rolls into town. Fawkes, the savant, knows them already, and he's being chased by the time wardens, people who want to end time travel forever. And there's another force, a man who wants to make the secrets of time travel available to all, no matter what the cost may be. Calisto and Fawkes set off to save their world and all of time, rattling through Elizabethan England, ancient Crete, and 1999 California.
This was such a fun book. It actually managed to make time travel work for me. It was cozy and wholesome and I fell in love with the town of Pocket and the whole wild cast. It was such a fun series of settings and the whole concept of a tailor for time travelers was great. Calisto was a little flat at times, but Fawkes was interesting enough to make up for them. All in all this was an adorable, quick, cozy read.

The world-building is great. I love how it's set in this mysterious place called Pocket that exists outside our own. I also love how it focuses on dressmaking and the importance of having an outfit that fits in (quite overlooked in general time travel fiction) The fabric pattern printed throughout the book also completed the dressmaking theme.

Thank you NetGalley and Candlewick for giving me access to an e-arc for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Queer time travel YA is right up my alley, and the concept for this one is immaculate. I loved the town of Pocket, where our MC Calisto lives with their loveable, intriguing family. What was less immaculate to me, though, was the execution of this book. The writing felt confusing to the point of nonsensical, which is probably my main criticism. I also thought the story was very rushed, and I just wish everything had been developed and structured more clearly.

This queer cozy romantasy sounded cute with a cool premise but I honestly go rather bored fairly early on and decided I didn't want to slog through to see if it would get better. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. This one just wasn't for me.

Queer norm worlds should be a thing in every book. I enjoyed this but do wish it was a bit longer to maybe flesh out some things. I needed some more development with the relationship between Callisto and Fawkes. I loved the timey-wimey bits and the fact it didn't all go over my head. Also I would love either more books or companion novels within Pocket.

I’m not big on time travel to be honest. So a lot of this hit the notes about what I don’t enjoy BUT I think Capetta helps it by having some very intriguing characters and keeping it condensed enough to keep you engaged. A good read for simple time travel enjoyers

I'm not sure if its just the Netgalley file, but the Kindle edition is glitched, which made it a little difficult to read at times but overall I found the story very cute and an enjoyable read.

While reading this, I kept thinking how nice it would be if you could just ask someone their pronouns without wondering how they would respond. Then, have everyone respect them. I absolutely loved the discussion of chosen vs. given names, too. I know it wasn't central to the story at all, but at the same time, it makes a huge difference. The only issue I had was Fawkes was called the Time Savant multiple times (so many) times in the book. Didn't like that at all.

At first, I thought there was going to be a Doctor Who/River Song type relationship (if you haven't watched Doctor Who yet, you really should), since they talked about a non-linear relationship between the two. In a way, yes, but at the same time, not really. Fawkes gets glimpses of the future. Although, I don't think it was ever really spelled out if that was the only way or if he had met Calisto before. I really would have liked better explanation on that, but if wishes were horses . . .

I really enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more by the author in the future.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book! My opinions are my own and are freely given.

I love a good time traveling story and Costumes for Time Travelers has such a unique take on it. It's like a combination of portal fantasy, timeline manipulation, and this concept of timelines which need to be protected. So it's some of my favorite concepts all mashed into one. Then we have Pocket which is like this time traveling nexus town where we meet Calisto. I'm a sucker for a good 'out of order' meeting and this fits the bill! One world building idea I especially loved was the concept of costumes for time traveling.

As someone who is not normally a sci fi lover, I full heartedly can recommend this delightful little romp! Queer time travel, what a concept! I loved all of the characters, the plot was compelling, and the romance was lovely.

What would you do if someone you met for the first time said that nonlinearily, you had known each other forever. Calisto and Fawkes are a wonderful duo, and even as (on a linear timeline) they are just getting to know each other, you really do feel that they have know each other a very, very long time.

And oh, the costumes! The descriptions of fabrics and styles and stitches took my breath away! And that reveal of Calisto's time power- mmm just perfect! Truly the costuming and sewing lens this book took I think is what made the science fiction bits a lot more accessible to me. Truly, beautiful work.