Publishers Weekly
11/08/2021
Korman (Unplugged) brings smart plotting to an absorbing time travel narrative that examines the long-term impact of actions. Mason Rolle has shared a “two-brain hive mind” with Tyrus Ehrlich since elementary school, initially bonding over a sports phobia and deep love of science and time travel. When new girl Ava Petrakis arrives from New York City and both boys develop crushes, the friends agree to a “non-Ava treaty” to maintain their friendship. But a time jump five years into the future reveals a terrible falling-out between them when Mason and Ava are caughkissing in a photo. Narration alternates between Mason at ages 12 and 17, until an incident sends 17-year-old Mason back to his 12-year-old body and life. Given this opportunity for a do-over, he seeks to right wrongs as well as try new things, leading to a climax in which both he and readers see what, if anything, has changed. Full of warmth and middle grade humor, the novel centers, among other protagonists who read as white, sympathetically flawed Mason, whose chatty narrative proves engaging at both ages, and whose desire to do right by his friend is inspiring. Ages 8–12. Agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
Korman brings smart plotting to an absorbing time travel narrative that examines the long-term impact of actions….Given [the] opportunity for a do-over, [Mason] seeks to right wrongs as well as try new things, leading to a climax in which both he and readers see what, if anything, has changed. Full of warmth and middle-grade humor." — Publishers Weekly
“Watching Mason learn from mistakes and explore new aspects of himself (especially with a 17-year-old consciousness trapped in a preteen body) is vicariously satisfying, and the sheer fascination of his predicament will keep readers turning pages, anxious to find out if he succeeds.” — Kirkus Reviews
"Korman’s signature blend of comedy, drama, and middle grade angst will leave readers with a warm fuzzy feeling.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Just plain fun from start to finish, this story will appeal to Korman’s many fans and others who enjoy humorous fiction.” — School Library Journal
“A rewarding time-slip story.” — Booklist
“Korman brings his usual humor and heart to this well-plotted mystery… that sensitively explores themes of friendship and family.” — Publishers Weekly
Booklist
A rewarding time-slip story.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Korman’s signature blend of comedy, drama, and middle grade angst will leave readers with a warm fuzzy feeling.
Booklist
A rewarding time-slip story.
School Library Journal
01/01/2022
Gr 4–7—Twelve-year-old Mason and his best friend, Ty, are obsessed with all of the same things: science, Star Trek, time travel, and—unfortunately—Ava, the new girl in their class. After breaking their "non-Ava treaty," Mason finds himself without a best friend and has to forge his own path. Fast-forward to senior year of high school, where the rift between the two former friends leads to a disastrous incident that gets Mason expelled from school. Driving home, he gets into a car accident and wakes up in his 12-year-old body, just days before Ava arrives. Realizing that he has a chance to make amends and alter the future, he avoids Ava at all costs, joins the football team, and tries hard not to give away the fact that he knows the future. Eventually another head injury transports him back to his 17-year-old body, where he discovers which of his efforts have paid off. Right from the beginning, Korman's storytelling engages readers, who will root for Mason as he tries to preserve his friendship with Ty, keep his parents married, and prevent his dog being hit by a car. While there's not much new ground broken here, there are lots of laughs and chances to consider how people's choices in the present affect their future. Main characters are cued white. VERDICT Just plain fun from start to finish, this story will appeal to Korman's many fans and others who enjoy humorous fiction.—Sarah Reid
Kirkus Reviews
2021-10-26
A high school senior tries middle school again.
Seventh graders Mason Rolle and Tyrus Ehrlich are more than best friends, they’re platonic soul mates. That is, until cool New Yorker Ava Petrakis shows up at Pasco Middle School, befriends them both, and starts flirting with Mason. The boys attempt to create a bros-before-girls pact, promising that they won’t ruin their friendship by trying to date her, but when Mason kisses Ava during a freak storm at the Harvest Festival, he sets in motion a chain of events that destroys their friendship and ends with his getting expelled from school in his senior year after accidentally assaulting his favorite teacher. A near-death experience mysteriously thrusts Mason back to that fateful middle school moment, and he tries to figure out both how he traveled through time and how he can fix his future. Watching Mason learn from mistakes and explore new aspects of himself (especially with a 17-year-old consciousness trapped in a preteen body) is vicariously satisfying, and the sheer fascination of his predicament will keep readers turning pages, anxious to find out if he succeeds. The story ends well but with no conclusive answers to the questions Korman tantalizingly dangles throughout. Main characters read as White.
A satisfying story—right up until readers are left wanting more. (Fiction. 9-14)
