100% cover crush! And also, title crush, actually... I was still a child in 1985 tbh but the title made me want to dive into this book and reminisce about the 80s. Unfortunately, didn't quite do that for me as I didn't actually grow up in Australia but there were some things (for example cassette tapes & walkman which as you can see I still have!) that were fun reminders.

Before I started reading this book (which I requested as I thought it was stand alone), I found out that it is actually a sequel and being me, I had to read book 1 first. It turns out to be quite an unnecessary exercise as it was mostly explained in this book even if we are missing 2 characters from the first book. In this book, however, they weren't all quite together to start with and already had that bond of friendship which is the highlight of this novel.

While it was quite fun "walking" around Sydney streets in the 80s, once again (as per book 1), I felt that this book is trying very hard to 'educate' on certain things and I didn't enjoy that teacher-y voice. It was a sad time with no bubble tea but as a mother who continues to try to get her kids off their screens, it was annoying that the characters keep checking their phones despite no reception and no battery; it was just twice or thrice! 

Was it the good ole days? No... it was just a different time and we all have to learn to live where we exist.

<i>My thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia for ecopy of book via NetGalley</i>

First of all - I havent read The Royals. I didnt realise this was the sequel to another book so maybe it would have been a different experience for me if I had read the first one, but this was such a struggle to get through. I stopped a number of times, read another book and came back, but it just did nothing for me.

The nostalgia trip I was looking forward to wasnt there for me either, sadly.

This one wasnt for me.

Thank you Simon & Schuster Australia and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I really liked the premise of this book, time travelling back to 1985. Set in Newtown, Sydney , Shannon goes to the movies with friends and ends up back in 1985,, meeting her future mum and comparing her now life of 2025 with her mums life of 1985, seeing. Things that have not yet happened.

Being a teenage in 1985 I had great hope for this book, but unfortunately it fell flat for me,
Rounded up to 3 stars.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book and provide my honest feedback.

I really liked the premise of this novel, and I liked the early scenes when our protagonist is discovering the 80s. I particularly like the tension in the character meeting her mother when she was her age.

... Except the tension doesn't seem to result in any real conflict, nor does the premise. There was a real lack of suspense and I struggled to read the novel.

Thank you Simon & Schuster Australia and Tegan Bennett Daylight for this read!

This plot reeled me in for sure and I just knew I had to read it. Unfortunately this book fell a little flat for me. I feel like not enough action happened and I just was left craving more.

While it's not for me I know this book will be for others so it's worth giving it a go!!

This book was a tad painful to read. It just dragged on with no plot other than travelling back in time. It should have been amazing to explore but nothing happened. There was lots of discussion about the previous time they travelled back in time (which is when I discovered this was Book 2 in a series) and references back to this were annoying when I haven't read that book. I'm not even sure the YA readers would find this interesting.

How To Survive 1985 by Teagan Bennet Daylight is a time travel story where our main character Shannon goes back in time from 2025 to 1985, giving her the opportunity to meet and spend time with her mother as a teenager. This isn’t the first time a strange time experience has happened to her with a small group of other people and once again they all appear in 1985.

An interesting story with comparisons between the two period being a significant focus.

Well developed characters and storyline. An easy and enjoyable read.


This review is based on a complimentary copy from Simon & Schuster Australia via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#HowToSurvive1985 #NetGalley

Review for How to Survive 1985 by Tegan Bennett Daylight
Rating: 4stars

This was such a unique, nostalgic, and quietly powerful read. How to Survive 1985 really captures what it felt like to grow up in the mid-80s — the music, the fashion, the anxiety, the friendships, and the confusion of trying to figure out who you are in a world that feels like it’s constantly shifting.

The story follows a teenage girl navigating grief, identity, and the complexities of being a young queer person during a time when queerness wasn’t widely understood or accepted. The writing is reflective and raw, with moments that feel deeply personal and tender. Tegan Bennett Daylight nails that mix of teenage intensity and vulnerability.

At times the pacing felt a little slow or meandering, but it suited the introspective tone of the book. It’s not a fast-paced plot-driven story — it’s more about the inner world of the main character and the time period she’s trying to survive.

If you like coming-of-age stories with a strong emotional core, especially ones set in the not-so-distant past, this one’s worth picking up.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you for letting me read this book. It ended up not being the book for me, I just couldn't get into it and didn't enjoy the story. I did still put up a release day post as someone else might find it and enjoy it.

Two years ago a group of teenagers were trapped in a time loop within shopping centre until they learned to turn down materialism and hyper consumerism. They dubbed themselves the Royals (book 1 in the series) and their bond endured after they escaped back to the "now" - where no time had passed.

Now Shannon, James, Akira, Grace and Juno find themselves whisked back in time 40 years, to 1985. Why are they there? What are they expected to do this time? Do they try to change the world? How can a handful of teenagers change the past so they have a future to go back to? What happens if they step on a butterfly?

The story is told from Shannon's perspective, and there are some astute observations about how the world has changed in 40 years, for both better and worse. Shannon's first instinct is to find her 16-yo mum, who takes the whole time travelling daughter from the future bit in her stride, unlike James' teenage mum whose response is more realistic.

This is a very 2025 novel. There are many many many references to current events, from global politics to ongoing wars, the climate situation and so on, along with observations about the changing demographics of Sydney.

I liked the premise of this one, but as with Royals, it felt like it missed the mark a little. The tale takes place over maybe 2 or three days, and there didn't seem to be the same sense of urgency and conflict that we saw in Royals, leaving the ending a bit flat. Were there any repercussions from their interfering with the past? Did they change anything? Or was their lesson to be less connected and more present (there was a lot of automatic checking of phones) ?

I give this a 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

~This is a NetGalley ARC. All opinions are my own~

A very enjoyable YA book which is admittedly not my go-to. The title definitely grabbed my attention however there are references to a preceding event encountered by cast of characters so I’d recommend reading Royals before diving into this. That being said, the author does a great job at providing enough detail on the characters to allow How to Survive 1985 to be read as a stand-alone. I really enjoyed the focus on the differences between 1985 and present-day and the hopeful feeling in a world that sometimes doesn’t seem so. I will definitely recommend the series to the younger readers in my life.

This is the second book using a cast of characters from the authors debut novel, which I didn't realize when I picked it up; however, it didn't matter since there was a complete summary of the story at the beginning. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book. The characters felt flat, and I struggled to find the purpose of the story. On a brighter note, as a child of the 80s, I appreciated the nostalgic themes present throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of this book

Such a cool concept and story. How weird would it be if you suddenly were in a world that looks like yours but older, and where would you go when everyone you know is 40 years younger then when you know them from.

I thought that this was a good middle grade/young adult reader level book and would be interested to know more about why they were sent back to 1985

This was a delightful trip down nostalgia lane, viewing Sydney as it was in the 80s was a fun time. Choose Life was cool okay? Who doesn't miss mix tapes and walkmans and the easier vibes?

I had not read The Royals prior to this, and probably should have to know the characters. But it was an entertaining enough story, although I'd definitely keep this title in the Young Adult section. It was a fun rewind but as an Old Adult it obviously wasn't aimed to me. So if definitely recommend this for teens, and to ask their parents if they remember all these things.

Four friends find themselves back in 1985. Life is very different in 1985,

Whilst this book is not aimed for me, as someone who lived through the 80s I like the premise and the basic idea of the story, it just fell a little short for me. The writing was easy to follow, and it had some fun moments, it just didn’t keep my attention throughout the whole story.

Good, but also meh….

Four teens time travel back to 1985
One of each denomination - Shannon, skinhead alternative girl, white upper middle class. James, half hippy half Greek immigrant, itinerant, gorgeous. Akira, Asian, Gay, arty rebel. Grace, 13, Kamilaroi, bold.

Pretty sure this is a sequel, the whole plot revolves around a retelling of another time loop that the kids were stuck in.

Not much happens in terms of character development, plot, tension or consequences. It's confusing but not unheard of that a 16 year old girl in 2025 could have a parent who was 16 in 1985.
If this was trying to do Back to the Future, the time gap was only 30 years not 40. This didn't give nostalgia, as I was born in 1986 and don't remember most of the 90s, let alone the 80s. I'm not sure who this was aimed at. 2025 teens? Maybe.

If I were 12 years old again, I’d love this book. Instead, I’m an adult, who lived like two months in 80’s in Australia (with very little recollection of that time) - so many details from this book echoed into my life in the 90s and 00s.

This is a kids book, and it’s hard to review as I am not the primary audience. It’s ultimately a fun concept. It’s well written and I think many young teens would like it.

Shannon gets transported back to 1985 and has to survive without the trappings of 2025. Amazingly it has happened before and more amazingly she works out where her mum Julia grew up and was able to go there. The book was a light read, but not the most exciting. I get the premise in that times have changed, but it was kept really light in a lot of ways.

I was really interested in reading this book as the premise sounded fun but unfortunately I just couldn’t get into it and found it too unbelievable. I also didn’t realize it was the second book in a series. I DNF at 60%

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A follow-up to the Royals book I have previously read. It was hard to put down as there were limited chapters. I would have liked a recap about the previous characters as I forgot some things about them. I enjoyed learning about the 80's and the author was thorough describing it. The book is left open ended ready for the next book. It did get me thinking why the time travel occurs and left me with questions wanting to know more. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.