Reflective and fun YA.

A short novel, taking us back to 1985 Sydney. This wasn’t what I was expecting at all, I thought I was up for “time travelling” back to being a teenager during this period, but more it was a 2025 teenager - Shannon, plus her friends - going back to almost being bystanders in the life of Shannon’s mum when she was their age.

Enjoyable and life affirming, a pleasant enough YA read.


Thanks to the publisher Simon and Schuster (Australia) for the ARC via email and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is suited for a younger YA audience.

First off, I'm so glad the author did research on the Newtown/Sydney area of the 80s. Everything appears to be factual, including things like the park, cemetary and the cinema not existing then. So that is great.

The story itself wasn't as fun as I was expecting though. Traveling back to the 80s should have been a blaaaast but I found myself definitely wanting more.

This book is also VERY short, so there's not much time for bonding with the characters and such. This can be read as a standalone but past events are constantly mentioned. The first story sounds like it was a bit more interesting.

I thought this was an average read. I haven’t read Royals.

It’s 2025. Four friends find themselves whisked back in time to 1985, by 40 years. How will they cope with being teens in that era?

There are some odd bits in the book. One character finds out her Nan is to get a damaging melanoma in the future but refrains from warning the Nan about the importance of taking care in the sun! She feels justified in her decision. There’s also a commentary about their not warning the 1980s people about Climate Change or Donald Trump, about COVID, or Ukraine or Palestine, or about rent prices going so crazy and many people in 2025 being unable to afford to buy houses.

Shannon goes to the cinema in 2025 and comes back out in 1985. Somehow she’s travelled forty years back in time to the past. Her three friends have also gone back in time to 1985. Things are very different in 1985 : music, fads, hairstyles especially. Shannon has to track down her friends without the benefit of smartphones or the internet.

The friends, when they do get together, face a strain in their relationships. Some become closer, others experience a fractious relationship.

The group of friends came together a year before. It’s not the first time something odd has happened to this group of friends.

They struggle to find a way back to the future. When they do get back to the future, friendships among them are different.

While this book didn’t really appeal to me that much, I will get a copy of Tegan’s short stories as I read that they were shortlisted for the Stella Prize and I have always loved short stories.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Found out about this through my email and the author I have read one other book previously by her. The premise sounded interesting and I love being able to read any book by an Australian author and one set in Sydney. Was pretty chuffed to have been accepted for an arc review. Love the comparisons between 1985 and 2025.

I loved this book. I grew up in the 1980s and the author has caught the vibe of the era really well. It’s an intriguing premise and the author is smart enough not to delve too deeply into the how and why of the time travel which occurs. Instead, they take the reader on a fascinating journey of reflection and self affirmation.