David Valdes
Bloomsbury, 2021
287 pages
Grades 8-12
Magical Realism
As a senior in his small private upstate New York high school Luis Gonzalez is at the top of his game. He has a supportive best friend, devoted mother, and swoon-worthy boyfriend: who he is not allowed to take to the prom. After a tragedy involving a boy named Chaz in 1985, of which no one will really talk about, same sex couple are strictly forbidden at the prom of his otherwise progressive school. An unfortunate encounter with some theatrical scenery sends Luis back to 1985, the year of the past tragedy-as well as his mother's senior year. He throws himself on the mercy of his well-seasoned English teacher, now just starting out in her profession, and she believes his time-traveling tale and enrolls him at the school as her nephew. Luis meets Chaz, who is clearly gay, yet has a girlfriend named Tawney, the reason of which becomes clear as he is relentlessly bullied by Luis's father, a fellow senior in 1985. Luis also meets and befriends his mother, as well as other students. Even though he is working to return to his own time and tries not to cause any disturbances that could affect his future, Luis struggles at hiding his true self and encourages others to do the same. Progressive ideas are brought to this conservative crew and lives are changed-as well as circumstances. Will Luis ever get back to the 2020's? And will life be different because of his meddling?
I love time traveling books and this one had me at the Back to the Future references. Valdes takes us from the present back to 1985, which is my generation, as well as, ironically, the year Back to the Future went from 1985 to the 1950's. I was also intrigued as the story is set in upstate New York, where I also went to high school. I found much to identify with, as I traveled as a teenager with my best friend on his coming out journey, which was messy and dangerous. Kids committed suicide before admitting that they were gay and the bullying and social stigma was fierce. I love that through Luis's eyes we see that the world is much more accepting now and that conditions for queer kids in the 80's were oppressive. We also see Luis not being allowed to go to the prom with his boyfriend in the present because of adult's fear from what they experienced in the past. Teens are accepting of gender fluidity and mixed sexual orientations of their peers, so adults should step away from trying to "protect" them. I enjoyed the time travel concept of this book and felt that it was done believably enough. The effects caused by Luis' adventure on his present are simular to Back to the Future in nature, which I also liked. Luis as a character runs a bit "extra", but he is never boring and it makes his entrance in the 1980's that much more of a contrast. This book is a "wicked-cool" journey back to a time that, though now nostalgic, in many ways shows that the good old days weren't so great for everybody.
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