The Boy from Tomorrow

I've watched several movies before that have the same theme just like in this novel, such as the Hollywood movies Frequency and The Butterfly Effect, and Korean movies Ditto and Il Mare. Thus, I was not expecting much when I've asked for the reading copy of this from the publisher.

This book really did exceeds my expectations because of how impressive Camille DeAngelis in writing it. Readers will be hooked once they start reading the story of the incredible friendship of Alec to the Clifford sisters, Josie and Cassie, even there's a 100-year gap. And in spite of the fact that they will never all get to meet at present time, the ending is still absolutely great and heartwarming.

The Boy from Tomorrow may be categorized as a children's fiction or a middle-grade book, but adult readers will surely enjoy this amazing novel — it is a great and highly recommended for light-reading. Lastly, it is so easy to decide that this is one of the books that I can put into my favorites this year because how I really enjoyed reading it.

Ever since I finished reading this novel, I have been searching for the right words to describe it—words that encompass every topic, every emotion, in the best way possible. Words like “charming”, “adorable”, and “sweet” are fitting to certain aspects, but somehow still feel wrong. However, darker words do not have a place here either, just as the characters do not allow darkness to remain in their lives. This is a novel of an endearing and vital friendship that defies the most impossible of circumstances. Of a life-changing connection bridging a century’s distance. To really pinpoint those words that I need, let’s dive into the story itself.

In this novel, we follow the lives of two young children—Josie and Alec—and their blossoming friendship. They both live in the same room of the same house on Sparrow Street. The twist? Josie is living in 1915, while Alec is in 2015. The pair meet across this one-hundred-year gap through the use of a hand painted spirit board belonging to Josie’s mother—who works as a psychic—and left in the house for Alec to find.

The two, along with Josie’s sister Cassie and their tutor Emily, form a deep connection, one that they rely on to cope with the difficult circumstances they are all in. However, the safety of Josie and her little sister is torn apart as events on their side quickly escalate to dangerous and life-threatening. Learning of this, Alec realizes he must do everything he possibly can to help bring them to safety and protect these people he has come to love.

I thought the main characters were very well portrayed, and were very much the driving force of the narrative. Josie, Alec, Cassie, and Emily are beautiful and utterly lovable. It is impossible not to get swept up into their lives, to feel every emotion they feel, and root for them all the way. We are given much insight into their points-of view, an intimate look at their situations, and a detailed depiction of their personalities. The three-dimensional quality of these characters magnifies the realism, connects the reader on a personal level, and sets a solid base for a powerful story.

There is a bit lacking when it comes to many of the side characters, however. Though some of them play very important roles in the plot, they still remain fairly two-dimensional. We never get to see particularly far into their stories, which I think would have expanded and deepened the plot further—it would have made the message of the novel even more poignant.

While I had a few issues with Camille DeAngelis’ writing, overall, I do believe it fits the narrative and the book’s target age range pretty well. Her writing style is easy to fall into and her words flow nicely at a reasonable pace. DeAngelis is very descriptive, in terms of both physical and emotional details. The tone and atmosphere of every scene is very vivid, pulling the reader deeper into the lives and struggles of her lovable characters. It is easy to feel the wonder of the children, the joy and excitement of their friendship, the fear and pain in the darkest moments.

She also does a great job of switching between the two sides of the story, alternating between Josie’s and Alec’s stories every chapter. Her transitions over the space of a century are seamless. DeAngelis builds both children’s worlds skillfully, including plenty of historically accurate details that bring even more dimension into the setting. On top of that, she creates her own historical elements, centering around Josie and her family. I absolutely loved that she included this—it is such an interesting addition to the plot.

I only have a few issues with aspects of this novel. The biggest one is the style of writing within the chapters themselves. It felt as though every event, every day, completely ran together due to a lack of placing breaks between these parts. The fact that the narrative jumped around so much with absolutely no warning made things feel a bit jarring and choppy. This is something that could potentially make the story difficult for readers to follow.

The only other minor complaint I have is with the backgrounds of Josie and Alec. I feel like we are given very little insight into other parts of their lives. For instance, I would have liked to see some of the side characters, such as their parents, fleshed out a bit more. There is so much that is just hinted at, particularly on Alec’s side, and it left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. It is as if these aspects are multiple loose ends that were never tied up.

So, as we come back around to the beginning of this review, I feel as though I have a bit more clarity. Heartwarming. At its roots, this is a depiction of two lost souls finding one another. Bittersweet. This is a story of a beautiful friendship, but it is not by any means purely fluff. It deals with some heavy and incredibly important topics—DeAngelis does not shy away from showing the horrific and heart-wrenching aspects of neglect and abuse. Family. Family is not made up solely of those related to you by blood. Family is made up of those who make you feel whole, who love you deeply, who protect and always support you. And above all—this novel is unreservedly powerful.

Magical ~ Poetic ~ Haunting

tl;dr: Friendship can exist across centuries, if only in books.

A girl and boy live in the same place but in different times. In the magic of this book, they develop a friendship. This beautifully=written book feels like a classic (like Tom's Midnight Garden or Mandy), but is not in any way derivative. The book feels so fresh, particularly thanks to the quality of the writing. I am totally stunned at how beautiful, and surprising this story is. Bravo DeAngelis.

4.5
Thank to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book from netgalley in exchange of my honest review

I loved this book, it was so adorable. I spent the entire book alternating between my tween self and my adult self hoping for some resolution that would make my heart happy. I liked the story, the characters, the setting, and I loved the idea of this book.

I thought it was very well written.

A high 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

This is a YA book, geared most likely to the middle grades. It has a little bite to it, although it is an easy read, because it has in it the fairly mature topic of child abuse. There are elements of time travel (somewhat, anyway), of the supernatural, and really fun bits in seeing the differences in life (and technology!) in a span of 100 years time.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Boy from Tomorrow by Camille DeAngelis is a captivating young adult novel featuring protagonists that have a real problem to solve - not just distance, but time. The book is well-written and would be engaging for older readers, as well as the younger set.

As a former middle grades teacher, I can recommend this book as a title that would have been sure to fly off of my shelf into the hands of hungry young readers. Nicely done.

This kind of book reminds me why i love reading and storytelling. I loved everything about it, both characters were very well developed and so charming. Worth every single page and it's one of those stories that will stay with me forever.

"Oh, how I would love to read all the good books yet to be written." - Josephine

Completely unexpectedly, I really enjoyed this middle grades read. It has everything I loved in a kid adventure book- the new boy in a small town, a mysterious old house, a fortune teller, investigative research, magic, a hero, a villain, some history, a drop of feminism, and multiple references to books/reading.  What's not to like? 

Even though the author dives right into the story, there's still pretty good character development through the unfurling of the plot line. Good morals & a love of reading are encouraged in this book. After finishing it in less than 48 hours, I definitely recommend it.

I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I loved the whole plot line and the character arcs that were in this book. The story had such a great flow to it and it was very easy to get into.

This is a lovely story about friendship that transcends time. A boy from the 21st century meets two young girls from the early 20th century via a talking board and they forge a deep connection despite them living lives a century apart. The premise hooked me from the start and I was not disappointed by the execution. This would likely be classified as fiction for children but I'm sure most adults could enjoy this as well. I certainly really enjoyed this book!

I loved this book very kid friendly I loved that it was two people having a unlikely friendship I couldn’t put it down that’s how much I loved this book!

This is one of those book you cannot help loving and makes you happy for having requested.
It's a great story that can be surely appreciated by adult reader and will make your inner child happy.
Well written, engaging, entertaining and a real page turner, once you start reading you cannot put down.
I loved everything: the plot, the characters, and the atmosphere.
I look forward to reading other books by this writer.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Amberjack Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This book was simply marvelous. It felt amazing to discover and follow along Alec and Josie's friendship. They both gave each other what they needed most and for that I think their relationship was really well written.

This is a lovely book with a unique and original premise. The title perfectly describes the story! Readers will be left in awe at the very end. This has the perfect blend of magic and adventure. Very great read with well-developed characters and interesting plot line. The Boy from Tomorrow will resonate with readers of every age. Highly recommend this book!

This book was so much more than I was expecting it to be! I went in thinking this would just be a cute story about kids from very different eras meeting and becoming friends through a spirit board, but it turned out to be a much more serious book. The story takes on topics including social isolation, abuse, divorce, starting over in a new place, and moving on after difficult events. I would recommend it for older children who are able to understand and process some of the darker/more serious portions of the story.

I loved the characters of Alec and Josie and the friendship they formed as the novel progressed. They provided one another with someone to talk to about the serious things going on in their lives and had each other's back when they needed help. I like Danny for accepting Alec right off the bat and joining in his adventures with enthusiasm. Cass is such a little sister and I mean that in the nicest way - she’s funny, sneaky, and completely lovable and Josie was a great big sister to her. I found myself just wanting to give those girls a big hug so often while reading this. I am so appreciative that the author gave us a glimpse into everyone’s lives as adults rather than ending after the girls left the house.

The only thing that could have been added to make me like this book any more would have been a little more information about Mrs. Gubbins and Lavinia.

The Boy from Tomorrow is a fantasy time travel fiction that blends friendship and family in its beautiful tale.
Josephine and Cassandra are lonely stuck in their big house. Their mother hardly ever pays them any attention, and their only source of entertainment is their tutor, Emily. When Josie and Cassie finds a talking board, they are virtually connected to a boy living 10 years in the future, at their house, in their room.

The book confused me in the beginning because there was no indication of any time change. At one point, we were in 1995 and then suddenly in 2015. However, I got adapted to it as the story progressed.

I must say, this story is brilliantly crafted. The friendship that blossomed between the three kids was so lovely to read about. I loved Cassie and at the same time, hated her. Josie was more matured and practical. Emily's character plays a huge part and I love how caring she was toward the sisters, and how she helped them in their conversation with Alec, the boy from future.

The time travelling theme was tackled brilliantly, using it to show the power of friendship and the brutality of domestic child abuse. The story took a very serious turn towards the end, it got intense. I terribly hated the mother for all she did and felt no remorse for her end.

The end was pretty well done, and I loved that there was no big romanticized story between the two leads. I loved the end, it was a bittersweet one. At times, however, I did feel like the story dragged a little in the middle. But the chapters were short and easy to read, so it was a win win.

Overall, this book was truly enjoyable. I would totally recommend it to anyone who wants beautiful middle grade book about friendship and family.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an e-version of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Alec, a twelve-years old boy had just moved to an old house at 444 Sparrow Street with her mother after the battled divorce with Alec's father, when he found some things that were left by the previous house owners. Being the curious (and lonely) boy that he is, he found a spirit board tucked in a secluded part of the house. Little did he know, Alec had befriended a girl his age, Josie and her little sister Cass through the board, who had apparently lived in the house a century before him. In this story that was told in an alternating point of view based on Josie's and Alec's, the readers basically are indulged in the friendship they had formed over the years, and the life-altering situation the girls had to endure in the hands of their abusive mother.

At the first few chapters, I was extremely baffled on the author's approach to express the way the kids communicate through the board. Out of my limited understanding on supernatural/psychic whereabouts, people usually only used a glass piece to magnify the words that the 'spirits' would like to convey. However, this was presented through sets of dialogue, in which gave the impression that both sides could actually 'talk and hear' each other. Perhaps, hence the term talking board? I'm not even sure......

I love the authenticity of each of the characters. It showed up so vividly, that it was almost very easy to distinguish the way the kids communicate and use certain languages according to their period of time, especially Josie.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who is interested in middle grade novels.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of my honest reviews - all opinions are my own

The Boy from Tomorrow is a well-told, solid story and the true strength here lies in the characters. In the past, Josie and her little sister Cassie were simply charming, I wanted Emily to be my tutor, and the girls' mother is a powerful force. In the present, Alec was the star and his friend Danny was very likeable, too. The interactions between all of the children were very believable and there was a powerful sense of connection between them all. Once this story got rolling, I was truly enchanted by these children.

It took me a bit longer than I expected to get used to the writing style in this book, but once I found the rhythm, I was really pleased that the language wasn't dumbed-down at all. I also appreciated that Camille DeAngelis didn't shy away from putting the children into situations that were truly unnerving. This made me care more about the characters and added a decent amount of tension to the plot. I can imagine the delicious sense of foreboding I would have felt if I'd read this as a preteen.

I'm always a sucker for books with alternating chapters that are handled well, and the author did not let me down there -- it was always very clear immediately which time we were in as a chapter began. Unfortunately, though, even with those alternating chapters, the story wasn't quite balanced enough for me, and that drops this book from being a 5-star, all-time favourite into the 3.5 to 4-star range.

The past is filled with a more detailed setting, in part because all of the action takes place in one location, while Alec roams around to different places in the present. But the past also features more fully-developed supporting characters than the present. The only contact we're shown with Alec's father decidedly did not go well, but then was never mentioned again, and we hear about his mother as more of a background character instead of playing a strong contrasting role to the girls' mother.

In addition, the startling tribulations the girls were facing in their time could have been better complemented by showing Alec's problems more starkly. His parent's divorce and fallout is glossed over somewhat. While we're *told* Alec is upset, and we see a brief scene with a counsellor, we're not really shown the true extent of his emotional distress. In fact, when his mother finally realizes that the girls from the past are real, she actually almost dismisses the idea that he had any emotional problems at all. This aspect of the story is begging for more depth, and could have been a wonderful portrayal of dealing with mental illness (anxiety/social anxiety) in the modern world.

A lot of the time it seemed like Alec from the future was teaching the naive girls from the past, when it would have been really interesting to see those lessons more obviously going both ways. One example is a falling out Alec has with a friend of a friend. The unease he felt about the interaction was very realistic, but Alec later comes to a very mature realization about that kid all on his own; it might have been interesting to show a stronger link to a lesson learned from his conversations with Josie.

On a final note, as an adult, I loved the ending, but I wonder whether its charm would hit the mark with a younger reader.

Overall, this was definitely an enjoyable read that I would recommend to the younger readers in my life. I just wish the depth of the present story had been enough that I'd want to shout about this book from the rooftops.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free electronic ARC of this novel, received in exchange for an honest review

Such a cute little book! I was interested in this one for my students. I think it would be great for early middle school level. I was captivated from the first page.

I liked this book a lot, the characters were believable and well crafted. The subject will intoxicate my library readers.
I will certainly be buying it for my library

I started and finished this book this evening. I enjoyed it very much. It dealt with the trials of having a not perfect home life across generations while remaining fresh and at times funny. Josie and Alec are both wonderful protagonist and narrators. Josie and Cass’ mother is villainous and hateful and a perfect contrast to our two time-crossed friends. This would be an excellent read aloud.

An incredible story of friendship- this is no ordinary middle-grade book here. This book blew me away with its characters, well-crafted plot and unique premise.

The Boy from Tomorrow was refreshing in that it took something typically found in the horror genre and made it into a way to connect across the parallels of time and space in a sort of heartwarming way. Granted, you need to suspend your disbelief for several instances, yet Camille DeAngelis seamlessly pulls it off.

The Boy from Tomorrow follows dual narratives- Alec Frost in the modern day and Josie Clifford in the early 1900s as they communicate via Ouiji board sparking an unlikely friendship. The characters are relatable and the interactions between them seem very realistic. Also, loved Josie's younger sister, Cassie.

The premise was really well-done, lived up to its synopsis and extremely unique. While this isn't full-fledged "time travel", it was neat to see how the past and present timelines connected and I liked that it wasn't bogged down by science mumbo-jumbo.

However, one of the problems I had with this book was how it glossed over some of the heavier topics. Alec's parents are divorced and although there is a scene in which Alec visits a therapist, I wish that they'd explored this aspect more. Additionally, Josie and Cassie are victims of child abuse by their mother, Lavinia. While this is more developed, I wish there was more characterization on Lavinia for her motivation/reasoning for the poor treatment of her children.

I liked the ending well enough, it was satisfying and yet held that note of hopefulness and open-mindedness. At times, I actually forgot this was a middle-grade novel because it lacked the juvenile atmosphere and dumbed down language that is typically geared toward younger readers despite the young protagonists and occasionally the plot went kind of dark... All in all though, I really enjoyed this book- 8/10 would recommend.

*Thank you to NetGalley and its publishers for providing a free ARC*

I loved this book. It totally wasn’t what I expected but it was a delight to read. I really engaged with the characters and wanted to protect the sisters. Alec was lovely and I’m sure I wasn’t alone in wishing he could have met up with Josie. My heart was in my mouth when the boys found the grave... yes I definitely felt the emotions while reading this book. I felt Harold was a character who didnt really add to the story but this would be a great book to use with my Middle Schoolers and I know will generate some great discussions. I will look for more books by the same author.