From the Publisher
"Compelling and memorable...[a] gem of a novel." — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Gay romance + time travel! I really enjoyed this book—it was fast-paced, fun, and perfect" — Laurie Halse Anderson, NYT bestselling author of Speak
"An unputdownable read, Yesterday is History is a timely ode to the Black gay experience. Kosoko Jackson expertly delivers a real-life story about decisiveness and knowing oneself, wrapped in fantastical elements, interweaved with a wind-swept romance, all culminating in an undeniably stunning piece of art" — Cam Montgomery, author of By Any Means Necessary
"In his YA debut, Jackson has a great gimmick as well as a likeable protagonist who faces sociocultural realities across time." — Publishers Weekly
"A clever and honestly brilliant novel, Yesterday Is History is an emotional journey through grief, healing, and the complicated beauty of young love. Kosoko Jackson delivers the conflicted, time-traveling hero queer boys have been hoping for." — Julian Winters, award-winning author of Running With Lions
"In a novel with exciting representation of a gay Black teen where identity isn’t the issue, readers will appreciate the realistic nuance of Andre’s frankness when talking about the White privilege Blake and his family exhibit that makes them unable to see how different and potentially dangerous time traveling is for a 17-year-old Black boy... A skillful and engrossing time-travel adventure." — Kirkus Reviews
"A stellar novel that today’s teens needed yesterday." — Booklist
"Charming and captivating, Yesterday is History will take you on a wild ride from the very first page. Jackson puts such a clever spin on time travel in this sweet, unputdownable love story." — -Phil Stamper, bestselling author of The Gravity of Us
"Mesmerizing and romantic." — POPSUGAR
School Library Journal
04/16/2021
Gr 8 Up—Andre Cobb is a Black teen from Boston who attends a private school and plans to become a doctor. He is also a cancer survivor. When he gets home from his life-saving liver transplant, he suddenly finds himself in 1969 where he meets Michael—a young, white gay man—before returning to the present. At first, Dre thinks he's hallucinating, but then he meets the McIntyres, the liver donor's family. They're not just a wealthy white family; they're also time travelers. Soon, Dre is learning more about his newfound power from Blake McIntyre, the donor's younger brother. He also continues to visit Michael in the past, and the attraction between them slowly develops into something more. Meanwhile, Blake continues to mourn his older brother and lash out at Andre before his attitude shifts, somewhat abruptly, and he asks him out. The heft of this story is Andre's internal journey and the love triangle between Michael and Blake. The narrative briefly touches on issues of privilege, race, and the history of the gay rights movement. Though the writing feels rushed in places, ultimately the ending is well done, and Andre's decision to live his life fully on his own terms is a hopeful message that will resonate with many teens. VERDICT Hand to fans of Zetta Elliott's A Wish After Midnight or David Levithan's Every Day.—Erica Ruscio, Ventress Memorial Lib., Marshfield, MA
JUNE 2021 - AudioFile
Ron Butler narrates this YA tale of time travel and romance. Because of the time jumps, Butler has to make the characters sound specific to a time and place. Listeners will have no trouble discerning who is from 2021 and who is from the past. And when Butler narrates the internal monologue of the protagonist, Andre, he shows off his full vocal range. Because Andre was raised by academics, his speaking voice is quite different from his internal voice. Outwardly, he speaks like the son of two professors would, with a direct, almost cold, confidence, but inwardly he is a confused and scared kid who isn’t sure what to do next. The differences are subtle but make for a compelling, honest, and sometimes heartbreaking listen. A.R.F. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2020-11-12
Andre’s liver transplant does more than save his life.
After a liver transplant six months ago, things are returning to normal, until one night Andre wakes up on his front lawn—in 1969. Andre doesn’t understand how he has been transported back in time, but he manages to stay calm thanks to Michael, then resident of his house. Michael—a free spirit and musician—is both inspiring and confusing to Andre, and the characters’ dynamics oppose each other well. Andre returns to 2021, where he gets a call from the mother of Dave, his deceased donor, who reveals that they are a family of time travelers and that the gift was passed on to him. Dave’s younger brother, Blake, is tasked with teaching Andre how to “jump” safely, and the more he time travels, the more he begins to question everything he thinks he knows about himself and his future. Strong pacing features Andre splitting his time between past and present-day Boston—and between Michael and Blake. All three boys are gay; Andre is Black, and Blake and Michael are White. In a novel with exciting representation of a gay Black teen where identity isn’t the issue, readers will appreciate the realistic nuance of Andre’s frankness when talking about the White privilege Blake and his family exhibit that makes them unable to see how different and potentially dangerous time traveling is for a 17-year-old Black boy.
A skillful and engrossing time-travel adventure. (Fantasy. 13-18)
