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Yesterday #1
Yesterday
THEN: The formation of the UNA, the high threat of eco-terrorism, the mammoth rates of unemployment and subsequent escape into a world of virtual reality are things any student can read about in their 21st century textbooks and part of the normal background noise to Freya Kallas's life. Until that world starts to crumble.
NOW: It's 1985. Freya Kallas has just moved across the world and into a new life. On the outside, she fits in at her new high school, but Freya feels nothing but removed. Her mother blames it on the grief over her father's death, but how does that explain the headaches and why do her memories feel so foggy? When Freya lays eyes on Garren Lowe, she can't get him out of her head. She's sure that she knows him, despite his insistence that they've never met. As Freya follows her instincts and pushes towards hidden truths, the two of them unveil a strange and dangerous world where their days may be numbered. Unsure who to trust, Freya and Garren go on the run from powerful forces determined to tear them apart and keep them from discovering the truth about their shared pasts (and futures), her visions, and the time and place they really came from. Yesterday will appeal to fans of James Dashner's The Maze Runner, Veronica Roth's Divergent, Amy Ryan's Glow, Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Ally Condie's Matched.
NOW: It's 1985. Freya Kallas has just moved across the world and into a new life. On the outside, she fits in at her new high school, but Freya feels nothing but removed. Her mother blames it on the grief over her father's death, but how does that explain the headaches and why do her memories feel so foggy? When Freya lays eyes on Garren Lowe, she can't get him out of her head. She's sure that she knows him, despite his insistence that they've never met. As Freya follows her instincts and pushes towards hidden truths, the two of them unveil a strange and dangerous world where their days may be numbered. Unsure who to trust, Freya and Garren go on the run from powerful forces determined to tear them apart and keep them from discovering the truth about their shared pasts (and futures), her visions, and the time and place they really came from. Yesterday will appeal to fans of James Dashner's The Maze Runner, Veronica Roth's Divergent, Amy Ryan's Glow, Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Ally Condie's Matched.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 25, 2012
About the author
C.K. Kelly Martin
13 books325 followersLong before I was an author I was a fan of books about Winnie the Pooh, Babar, Madeline, Anne Shirley and anything by Judy Blume. Throughout high school my favourite class was English. No surprise, then, that most of my time spent at York University in Toronto was as an English major—not the traditional way to graduate with a B.A. (Hons) in film studies but a fine way to get a general arts education.
After getting my film studies degree I headed for Dublin, Ireland and spent the majority of the nineties there in forgettable jobs meeting unforgettable people and enjoying the buzz. I always believed I'd get around to writing in earnest eventually, and I began writing my first novel in a flat in Dublin and finished it in a Toronto suburb. By then I'd discovered that fiction about young people felt the freshest and most exciting to me. You have most of your life to be an adult but you only grow up once.
Currently residing near Toronto with my Dub husband, I'm an aunt to twenty-one nieces and nephews, and a great-aunt to five great-nieces and two great-nephews. I became an Irish citizen in 2001 and continue to visit Dublin as often as I can while working on novels about young people.
My first young adult book, I Know It's Over, came out with Random House in September 2008, and was followed by One Lonely Degree, The Lighter Side of Life and Death, My Beating Teenage Heart and sci-fi thriller Yesterday. I released Yesterday's sequel, Tomorrow, in 2013 and put out my first adult novel, Come See About Me, as an ebook in June 2012. Two of my contemporary YA books, The Sweetest Thing You Can Sing and Delicate, were published by Cormorant Books' Dancing Cat Books imprint in 2014 and 2015. They also published my middle grade sci-fi, Stricken.
My 2017 young adult novel, Just Like You Said It Would Be, is the book of my heart. Packed with movies references and giddy love for Dublin, Ireland, Just Like You Said It Would Be is a frank exploration of first love, full of confusion, elation, disappointment and its knack of making the ordinary seem amazing.
In 2019 I made my horror debut with DCB under the name Cara Martin. Booklist described Shantallow as "serious, literary and very scary" and Kirkus called it "gut-wrenching on various levels." It was an Ottawa Book Awards finalist and was longlisted for the Sunburst Award.
After getting my film studies degree I headed for Dublin, Ireland and spent the majority of the nineties there in forgettable jobs meeting unforgettable people and enjoying the buzz. I always believed I'd get around to writing in earnest eventually, and I began writing my first novel in a flat in Dublin and finished it in a Toronto suburb. By then I'd discovered that fiction about young people felt the freshest and most exciting to me. You have most of your life to be an adult but you only grow up once.
Currently residing near Toronto with my Dub husband, I'm an aunt to twenty-one nieces and nephews, and a great-aunt to five great-nieces and two great-nephews. I became an Irish citizen in 2001 and continue to visit Dublin as often as I can while working on novels about young people.
My first young adult book, I Know It's Over, came out with Random House in September 2008, and was followed by One Lonely Degree, The Lighter Side of Life and Death, My Beating Teenage Heart and sci-fi thriller Yesterday. I released Yesterday's sequel, Tomorrow, in 2013 and put out my first adult novel, Come See About Me, as an ebook in June 2012. Two of my contemporary YA books, The Sweetest Thing You Can Sing and Delicate, were published by Cormorant Books' Dancing Cat Books imprint in 2014 and 2015. They also published my middle grade sci-fi, Stricken.
My 2017 young adult novel, Just Like You Said It Would Be, is the book of my heart. Packed with movies references and giddy love for Dublin, Ireland, Just Like You Said It Would Be is a frank exploration of first love, full of confusion, elation, disappointment and its knack of making the ordinary seem amazing.
In 2019 I made my horror debut with DCB under the name Cara Martin. Booklist described Shantallow as "serious, literary and very scary" and Kirkus called it "gut-wrenching on various levels." It was an Ottawa Book Awards finalist and was longlisted for the Sunburst Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
October 14, 2012
Set in Ontario, Canada, it was fun to read a book with its setting only hours away. They exist but I rarely have stumbled upon a book set in Canada (hence my love for Kelley Armstrong novels). It gave me a delightful reading experience, which made up for some of the qualms I had about the disjointed storylines in this novel.
Yesterday begins with a very enticing prologue. We get thrown into a confusing, but thrilling scene where we originally meet Freya, while raising a lot of questions, it sets an excellent mysterious tone for the rest of the book. Once the true story starts, we're in 1985, where Freya is a regular teenage girl, except now she feels like her memories are hazy. Something's going on, and it's very hard to put a finger on what.
It's 1985! Being an 80's baby, it was entertaining to get a setting that I was raised in. The style, the non-technological lifestyle, it was nostalgic to a simpler time, and quite original for a post apocalyptic novel to actually happen in the past. Yes! A post-apocalyptic, with time travel! This premise, definitely very original, is filled with mystery and action that easily keeps you turning the pages frantically to find out what's happening, how they ended up in 1985, and how they're going to survive. Because of the prologue, we know something big happened to Freya before she got to the past, and it's agonizing, maybe even a little frightening, to not know what the heck is happening. Finally, when we do get some answers, it can be a bit overwhelming. All of a sudden we turn the page to find ourselves into an immense info-dump where all of the future world building gets thrown at us inside the span of a few pages. It's still interesting, highly detailed, but it being such a sudden load of information, you barely have time to make any sense of it. Furthermore, the future world we learn about is extremely different with incredible scientific advancement. What's hard to believe is that it is said to be only 40 years in the future. I may be proven wrong and in 40 years we'll all be able to regrow limbs and only have sex in a virtual reality, but I found a lot of it inconceivable, and, thus, less compelling. I'm fine with unlikely, I'm fine with fantasy even, this is, after all, a fiction novel; however, it's the author's job to suspend my disbelief effectively, and in this case it was not. Once we get the low down on everything that has occurred, it basically becomes a high speed chase. Very action-packed and filled with tension; constantly on the run with Freya while still mind blown over what we learned about her past (or future..?).
When I learned it had strong time travel elements I was a little concerned. As time travel can be very tricky, I'm not easily persuaded by it. I think if you look at it in an entertaining point of view, it clearly fits the bill with twists that are equally surprising and intriguing. But when you put any thought into it, it's a different story. I was not very satisfied with the way the time travel aspect was set up. Hypothetically, If you change the past, you won't get to be in the same future that made it possible for you go back to change the past in the first place. Did I lose you? This is called the grandfather paradox, and it's a recurring problem I had more than once in this plot. Time travel is not an easy venture; you have to really work it well (Ie. Dr Who, Back to the Future, Butterfly Effect). This one unfortunately left me feeling underwhelmed with the lack of any forethought on its implementation. Yes, I am picky when it comes to time travel. It is what it is.
With its peculiarity of juggling several genres and several major plot elements, you get a very original book, sure, but I'm not completely convinced it all fits together, and if it does, it isn't seamless. It's even hard to decipher what the book wants to be at times. A dystopian? A time travel romance? A contemp with some sci-ci elements? It has a LOT going on which, again, is great for an action book and clearly kept my interest throughout, yet I can't help but feel it was a big mess.
The romance is also an aspect I'm not sure how I feel about. They do have chemistry and make a great team as main characters, but I couldn't help but feel a lot of awkwardness coming from them. As if they're constantly walking on eggshells. Some of it does have to do with the circumstances of their lives I'm sure, not to mention the high speed world building that didn't show the reasoning for her infatuation with him to begin with. At least the relationship grows slow and steadily, making it feel more genuine. There are a couple of scenes that are very mature for YA as well - just a heads up.
As you can see, I have very mixed feelings about this one. On one hand I really enjoyed the overall effect of a fast paced, exciting book with great twists, but on the other hand I'm not sure if I will really remember any of it for very long. It's like cramming for a test, you may ace it, but retake the test in 2 days and you will most likely fail miserably. Where am I going with this? I have no idea. My mind is as jumbled as this book.
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
Yesterday begins with a very enticing prologue. We get thrown into a confusing, but thrilling scene where we originally meet Freya, while raising a lot of questions, it sets an excellent mysterious tone for the rest of the book. Once the true story starts, we're in 1985, where Freya is a regular teenage girl, except now she feels like her memories are hazy. Something's going on, and it's very hard to put a finger on what.
It's 1985! Being an 80's baby, it was entertaining to get a setting that I was raised in. The style, the non-technological lifestyle, it was nostalgic to a simpler time, and quite original for a post apocalyptic novel to actually happen in the past. Yes! A post-apocalyptic, with time travel! This premise, definitely very original, is filled with mystery and action that easily keeps you turning the pages frantically to find out what's happening, how they ended up in 1985, and how they're going to survive. Because of the prologue, we know something big happened to Freya before she got to the past, and it's agonizing, maybe even a little frightening, to not know what the heck is happening. Finally, when we do get some answers, it can be a bit overwhelming. All of a sudden we turn the page to find ourselves into an immense info-dump where all of the future world building gets thrown at us inside the span of a few pages. It's still interesting, highly detailed, but it being such a sudden load of information, you barely have time to make any sense of it. Furthermore, the future world we learn about is extremely different with incredible scientific advancement. What's hard to believe is that it is said to be only 40 years in the future. I may be proven wrong and in 40 years we'll all be able to regrow limbs and only have sex in a virtual reality, but I found a lot of it inconceivable, and, thus, less compelling. I'm fine with unlikely, I'm fine with fantasy even, this is, after all, a fiction novel; however, it's the author's job to suspend my disbelief effectively, and in this case it was not. Once we get the low down on everything that has occurred, it basically becomes a high speed chase. Very action-packed and filled with tension; constantly on the run with Freya while still mind blown over what we learned about her past (or future..?).
When I learned it had strong time travel elements I was a little concerned. As time travel can be very tricky, I'm not easily persuaded by it. I think if you look at it in an entertaining point of view, it clearly fits the bill with twists that are equally surprising and intriguing. But when you put any thought into it, it's a different story. I was not very satisfied with the way the time travel aspect was set up. Hypothetically, If you change the past, you won't get to be in the same future that made it possible for you go back to change the past in the first place. Did I lose you? This is called the grandfather paradox, and it's a recurring problem I had more than once in this plot. Time travel is not an easy venture; you have to really work it well (Ie. Dr Who, Back to the Future, Butterfly Effect). This one unfortunately left me feeling underwhelmed with the lack of any forethought on its implementation. Yes, I am picky when it comes to time travel. It is what it is.
With its peculiarity of juggling several genres and several major plot elements, you get a very original book, sure, but I'm not completely convinced it all fits together, and if it does, it isn't seamless. It's even hard to decipher what the book wants to be at times. A dystopian? A time travel romance? A contemp with some sci-ci elements? It has a LOT going on which, again, is great for an action book and clearly kept my interest throughout, yet I can't help but feel it was a big mess.
The romance is also an aspect I'm not sure how I feel about. They do have chemistry and make a great team as main characters, but I couldn't help but feel a lot of awkwardness coming from them. As if they're constantly walking on eggshells. Some of it does have to do with the circumstances of their lives I'm sure, not to mention the high speed world building that didn't show the reasoning for her infatuation with him to begin with. At least the relationship grows slow and steadily, making it feel more genuine. There are a couple of scenes that are very mature for YA as well - just a heads up.
As you can see, I have very mixed feelings about this one. On one hand I really enjoyed the overall effect of a fast paced, exciting book with great twists, but on the other hand I'm not sure if I will really remember any of it for very long. It's like cramming for a test, you may ace it, but retake the test in 2 days and you will most likely fail miserably. Where am I going with this? I have no idea. My mind is as jumbled as this book.
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
September 13, 2012
Yesterday is two parts science fiction, one part contemporary, and one part adventure. It's 1985 and Freya just moved to the suburbs of Toronto with her mother and her sister after her father's untimely death in New Zealand. She's not finding the transition easy (who would?) but there's something that feels really remote and distant in her everyday. And she keeps having strange headaches. Not to mention strange instincts to just act, rather than think. She has one of those when she sees a boy in the city who looks so familiar to her, but she can't place him. She follows him to his house, and on the second occasion of following him, she asks him if they have anything in common, and it's then that the pieces of this story unravel.
See, Freya and Garren are connected to one another in the future -- 2063, to be precise. But it's how they're connected and how they're here, in 1985 together, that propels this story forward. I don't want to give away too much, other than this is a story about nature vs. science and technology. About living in, appreciating, and respecting the moment and the world around us. The future is a terrifying place. . . if we let it become that way.
This isn't at ALL a didactic novel, nor does it try to push a message. Instead, it's a story that conveys everything we already know in a way that's scary enough to feel like the truth, even though it's fictional. I loved Freya and how imperfect she was, and I loved her relationship with Garren so much. Martin has a way of writing relationships that never rings false. There's just enough romantic and sexual tension here to really make you pull for the characters, for their happy ending, but it never guarantees anything.
I'm not usually a fan of books set in the 1980s, but this one absolutely had to be and it absolutely works. And sure, at times it felt a tiny bit indulgent on the pop culture references, but I'm willing to forgive that because it fits into the greater context of the story and about appreciating/living in a moment.
My only qualms are that some of the execution and explanation for the time travel feels a bit heavy handed and that the beginning is a little tough to take in. But once past page 50 or so, this is a non-stop read. But damn, Martin can WRITE. She also gets credit for maybe having the best acknowledgments in a long time -- a page and a half of all the bands that have influenced her. Loved it.
Longer review here: http://www.stackedbooks.org/2012/09/y...
See, Freya and Garren are connected to one another in the future -- 2063, to be precise. But it's how they're connected and how they're here, in 1985 together, that propels this story forward. I don't want to give away too much, other than this is a story about nature vs. science and technology. About living in, appreciating, and respecting the moment and the world around us. The future is a terrifying place. . . if we let it become that way.
This isn't at ALL a didactic novel, nor does it try to push a message. Instead, it's a story that conveys everything we already know in a way that's scary enough to feel like the truth, even though it's fictional. I loved Freya and how imperfect she was, and I loved her relationship with Garren so much. Martin has a way of writing relationships that never rings false. There's just enough romantic and sexual tension here to really make you pull for the characters, for their happy ending, but it never guarantees anything.
I'm not usually a fan of books set in the 1980s, but this one absolutely had to be and it absolutely works. And sure, at times it felt a tiny bit indulgent on the pop culture references, but I'm willing to forgive that because it fits into the greater context of the story and about appreciating/living in a moment.
My only qualms are that some of the execution and explanation for the time travel feels a bit heavy handed and that the beginning is a little tough to take in. But once past page 50 or so, this is a non-stop read. But damn, Martin can WRITE. She also gets credit for maybe having the best acknowledgments in a long time -- a page and a half of all the bands that have influenced her. Loved it.
Longer review here: http://www.stackedbooks.org/2012/09/y...
Shelved as 'ask-greg'
July 22, 2014Fans of the Smiths, Depeche Mode, Scritti Politti—this one’s for you.
AND it takes place in canada???
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN??
AND it takes place in canada???
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN??
September 15, 2012
"Yesterday" was my first read from C.K. Kelly Martin, and it's one of those reads that has a brilliant premise shaping the framework of the story, but the overarching execution leaves much to be desired. I did not like the structuring of the story or the writing in this very much. That's one thing I have to be honest about from the get-go in this review. I wish that it had better streamlining and engagement for the story it was trying to tell - it could've made the experience far more intimate without all the telling of details and info dumping that occurred in the early part of the story. It jumped awkwardly in many places without really needing to and there was no ease of transition between the present day (mostly functioning within the environment of 1985) and the future. This is certainly a time travel story - coupled with a romantic flare and a bit of discovery of identities in a sci-fi environment. I don't think Martin made use of the elements she brought to this novel as much as she could have. It's frustrating because I really liked the overarching story contained in this work, and there were certainly moments where I followed along with the story with ease and interest.
To speak a bit about the story itself, it revolves around a young woman named Freya who suspects that her life isn't as it seems - the relationships she's built, the time she lives within, and the death of her father all take a toll as she adjusts to her school and home life in the aftermath of tragic events. Yet things become very complicated when she meets a boy that evokes a sense of deja vu within her, and triggers visions of something she can't quite grasp. She meets with him, only to have disasterous results at first, but then a revelation comes to be that sends them both reeling and on the run for their lives and their futures.
Sounds intriguing? That's because it really IS an interesting story for a time, but the way it's presented comes in series of jagged frames. The prologue is a presentation of escape occurring within the future - that I could get behind fine. It was the chapters following that I couldn't wrap my head around. Freya, at first, was portrayed as a very static protagonist and it took forever to move through her narrative - I couldn't sympathize with her. She had many baseless suspicions and I just couldn't get behind them with the way the story "told" this information - it had no due intimacy. The presentation of the 1985 environment was rather underwhelming - favoring scattered mentions of TV shows watched and music references without providing any intimacy to the time in which it takes place. It's unfortunate because there were many opportunities I think Martin could've played around with that element and really brought home the environmental and time details.
When Garren comes into the picture, the ball starts rolling a little more, but it comes in the form of cliched elements, at least until the big revelation hits about their connection, and then I finally, FINALLY had a point to connect with the story. Unfortunately, the story doesn't kick off from that point until nearly 50% into the novel, and that's a long delay. Easily, I think many pages could've been shaved out of the 120 pages at the beginning of the novel to help move it along. From that point, for a time, the story engages in a wonderful chase sequence. When the time jump and realizations are made, it doesn't come with potency because it's shortchanged by the massive amounts of info dumping about the world Freya used to know, and the revealing of her true identity and losses are lost for impact. I did, however, find that the latter part of the novel came more smoothly than the initial part. I didn't like how certain parts of the story threads were dropped entirely, and the lack of closure I felt despite a decent ending.
I truly believe there could've been more to "Yesterday"'s overarching story if it were given more "show" than "tell" in its narrative, had a better structuring of its presentation, and better intimacy towards its time specific elements - though when it was all said and done, it did provide an interesting rollercoaster in spurts. I just wished it amounted to more than what it was.
Overall score: 2/5
Note: I received this ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Random House BFYR.
To speak a bit about the story itself, it revolves around a young woman named Freya who suspects that her life isn't as it seems - the relationships she's built, the time she lives within, and the death of her father all take a toll as she adjusts to her school and home life in the aftermath of tragic events. Yet things become very complicated when she meets a boy that evokes a sense of deja vu within her, and triggers visions of something she can't quite grasp. She meets with him, only to have disasterous results at first, but then a revelation comes to be that sends them both reeling and on the run for their lives and their futures.
Sounds intriguing? That's because it really IS an interesting story for a time, but the way it's presented comes in series of jagged frames. The prologue is a presentation of escape occurring within the future - that I could get behind fine. It was the chapters following that I couldn't wrap my head around. Freya, at first, was portrayed as a very static protagonist and it took forever to move through her narrative - I couldn't sympathize with her. She had many baseless suspicions and I just couldn't get behind them with the way the story "told" this information - it had no due intimacy. The presentation of the 1985 environment was rather underwhelming - favoring scattered mentions of TV shows watched and music references without providing any intimacy to the time in which it takes place. It's unfortunate because there were many opportunities I think Martin could've played around with that element and really brought home the environmental and time details.
When Garren comes into the picture, the ball starts rolling a little more, but it comes in the form of cliched elements, at least until the big revelation hits about their connection, and then I finally, FINALLY had a point to connect with the story. Unfortunately, the story doesn't kick off from that point until nearly 50% into the novel, and that's a long delay. Easily, I think many pages could've been shaved out of the 120 pages at the beginning of the novel to help move it along. From that point, for a time, the story engages in a wonderful chase sequence. When the time jump and realizations are made, it doesn't come with potency because it's shortchanged by the massive amounts of info dumping about the world Freya used to know, and the revealing of her true identity and losses are lost for impact. I did, however, find that the latter part of the novel came more smoothly than the initial part. I didn't like how certain parts of the story threads were dropped entirely, and the lack of closure I felt despite a decent ending.
I truly believe there could've been more to "Yesterday"'s overarching story if it were given more "show" than "tell" in its narrative, had a better structuring of its presentation, and better intimacy towards its time specific elements - though when it was all said and done, it did provide an interesting rollercoaster in spurts. I just wished it amounted to more than what it was.
Overall score: 2/5
Note: I received this ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Random House BFYR.
May 22, 2018
This story didn't wow me, but it was ok. For half of the book, I had no clue what was going on, and it was a bit slow going. And then, bam, 180 degrees and a large information dump.
The twist at the end was cool though. I'm glad I stuck with it.
The twist at the end was cool though. I'm glad I stuck with it.
February 21, 2019
This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd
Actual Rating: 2.5 Stars
MY THOUGHTS
I read this book for my TBR challenge in which I read the oldest books on my to-read list. I added this book to my to-read list in 2012, the same year this book came out. The copy that I have in my possession is an ARC copy which I found at a used book sale a couple years back. I mention this only because I hope that some of my complaints about this book got solved before it was officially published but I doubt it.
The book begins with a prologue where the main character, Freya, is struggling because she and her mother are being taken somewhere and she is trying her hardest to make sure her brother, Latham, does not disappear from her memory. Then, in the next chapter, Freya wakes up in the year 1985. Her, her mom, and her sister have just moved back to Canada from New Zealand after her father dies from an odd gas explosion. She is starting at a new school but can't help but feel distanced from her reality. Nothing feels real to her and she starts to question her own memories and the world around her. During a trip to a museum, she sees a stranger outside, but he doesn't seem like a stranger to her. She has a nagging suspicion that she knows him and this suspicion will cause everything she thought she knew about her life to be upended.
One of the factors that were fascinating about this book was the concept. Taking a dystopian premise but placing it within 1985 is one I had not read before and was likely why I wanted to read this book in the first place. Besides the prologue, the entirety of the book takes place in 1985. We spend a better part of the book following Freya around as she tried to remember things. This dragged the plot along a bit, but I did not mind it too much because I liked the friends she made and it did create a mystery on what exactly was happening with her memories. What I had trouble with is that roughly 200 pages in Freya goes is hypnotized to remember her past and we end up with a very very long info-dump. Freya actually gives us a whole entire chapter in which she discusses world history from the 2020s to 2063. That is a lot of world history and I was unable to process it all. Then, after this info-dump, she refers to some of these events, but I had no clue what she was talking about because 4o years of world history dumped onto me in one chapter is a lot to process!
The information I did process from the info-dump was really interesting. Martin uses some really interesting ideas and does create a frightening and technology-based future, but it was too much all at once. Why couldn't there have been alternating chapters between 1985 and 2063? That would have been easier to process and would have held my attention a lot more. From the prologue and synopsis, I already knew that the future would come into play at some point so it would not have ruined the suspense, it may have actually added suspense. After the info-dump, the pacing really sped up, but now it was too fast because I hadn't processed everything and other points of interest were passed over too quickly.
Freya did work as a main character. There is definite growth in her character throughout the book as she tries to grapple with what her memories tell her about herself and what she really believes about herself. She also has to deal with who she is as a person if she grew up in a different environment without the freedom she has in 1985. There is a turning point where her character changed because her childhood memories have changed.
There is romance in this book which is not all too shocking. I liked how they worked as a team to overcome the challenges they faced and tried to understand what exactly was happening. I did not have any particularly strong feelings towards their relationship, although at points it did seem too fast. Part of this is because I did not quite understand what their relationship with each other was before they were placed in this situation. The book wasn't really clear on that.
IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I loved the concept and idea behind this book but I did not love how the idea was executed. I was not a fan of the info-dump and I think just that info-dump alone caused further problems in the pacing in the book. The ending of this book was pretty open-ended, which I actually think worked for this book. There is a sequel to this book but I will not be reading it. This book seems like it does better as a standalone.
Actual Rating: 2.5 Stars
MY THOUGHTS
I read this book for my TBR challenge in which I read the oldest books on my to-read list. I added this book to my to-read list in 2012, the same year this book came out. The copy that I have in my possession is an ARC copy which I found at a used book sale a couple years back. I mention this only because I hope that some of my complaints about this book got solved before it was officially published but I doubt it.
The book begins with a prologue where the main character, Freya, is struggling because she and her mother are being taken somewhere and she is trying her hardest to make sure her brother, Latham, does not disappear from her memory. Then, in the next chapter, Freya wakes up in the year 1985. Her, her mom, and her sister have just moved back to Canada from New Zealand after her father dies from an odd gas explosion. She is starting at a new school but can't help but feel distanced from her reality. Nothing feels real to her and she starts to question her own memories and the world around her. During a trip to a museum, she sees a stranger outside, but he doesn't seem like a stranger to her. She has a nagging suspicion that she knows him and this suspicion will cause everything she thought she knew about her life to be upended.
One of the factors that were fascinating about this book was the concept. Taking a dystopian premise but placing it within 1985 is one I had not read before and was likely why I wanted to read this book in the first place. Besides the prologue, the entirety of the book takes place in 1985. We spend a better part of the book following Freya around as she tried to remember things. This dragged the plot along a bit, but I did not mind it too much because I liked the friends she made and it did create a mystery on what exactly was happening with her memories. What I had trouble with is that roughly 200 pages in Freya goes is hypnotized to remember her past and we end up with a very very long info-dump. Freya actually gives us a whole entire chapter in which she discusses world history from the 2020s to 2063. That is a lot of world history and I was unable to process it all. Then, after this info-dump, she refers to some of these events, but I had no clue what she was talking about because 4o years of world history dumped onto me in one chapter is a lot to process!
The information I did process from the info-dump was really interesting. Martin uses some really interesting ideas and does create a frightening and technology-based future, but it was too much all at once. Why couldn't there have been alternating chapters between 1985 and 2063? That would have been easier to process and would have held my attention a lot more. From the prologue and synopsis, I already knew that the future would come into play at some point so it would not have ruined the suspense, it may have actually added suspense. After the info-dump, the pacing really sped up, but now it was too fast because I hadn't processed everything and other points of interest were passed over too quickly.
Freya did work as a main character. There is definite growth in her character throughout the book as she tries to grapple with what her memories tell her about herself and what she really believes about herself. She also has to deal with who she is as a person if she grew up in a different environment without the freedom she has in 1985. There is a turning point where her character changed because her childhood memories have changed.
There is romance in this book which is not all too shocking. I liked how they worked as a team to overcome the challenges they faced and tried to understand what exactly was happening. I did not have any particularly strong feelings towards their relationship, although at points it did seem too fast. Part of this is because I did not quite understand what their relationship with each other was before they were placed in this situation. The book wasn't really clear on that.
IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I loved the concept and idea behind this book but I did not love how the idea was executed. I was not a fan of the info-dump and I think just that info-dump alone caused further problems in the pacing in the book. The ending of this book was pretty open-ended, which I actually think worked for this book. There is a sequel to this book but I will not be reading it. This book seems like it does better as a standalone.
September 20, 2012
3.5
I love dystopian novels and was drawn to the synopsis for Yesterday. The bulk of the tale takes place in 1985. Not to give my age away or anything, but I graduated from high school in 1985. My teen years seriously reflect all that you know about this iconic time in history. Martin creates a suspenseful science-fiction dystopian and wonderfully portrayed the eighties as I remember them.
The tale begins with a prologue. The year is 2065. We meet sixteen year old, Freya Kallas. We learn about the world she lives in and her family. Something horrific happens and Freya and her Mom are whisked away. Freya wakes up in small home in Canada with her mother and sister. She vaguely remembers an explosion that killed her Dad and his secretary. They have moved here to be closer to her grandfather. Things feel foggy, but she and her family have had a flu that made them very ill. The year is 1985 and today she begins her first day at a new high school. Freya doesn’t feel right; she is suffering from headaches and cannot explain holes in her memories. On a class trip, she sees Garren Lowe. She has no memory of meeting him, but knows that she knows him. He claims he has no idea who she is, but Freya is determined to prove they know each other. The tale that unfolds reminded me of the The Matrix and Divergent. Freya and Garren stumble upon a secret and find themselves on the run from powerful forces as they search to discover the truth. This tale while not without flaws, kept me reading until late in the night.
The characters were both cliché and unique. Freya is drop dead gorgeous, all the girls dislike her and the boys ogle her. Why she is perfect was interesting. I struggled with her in the beginning but ultimately liked and connected with Freya. She is complex, and inquisitive. She knows something is wrong and seeks answers. Garren was sweet and of course *swoon-worthy* He trusts Freya, despite not remembering her and manages to keep them safe. The romance that develops between them was sweet and felt genuine. It developed slowly and the absence of insta-love was delightful. The romance takes a backstage to the action, but does contain a steamy scene or two. The men in suits gave me Matrix chills and other characters added to the tale. A woman they met towards the end of the book left me speechless!
The world-building was fascinating, despite some of the rough delivery. The prologue beautifully describes 2065, and I could visualize it and how it came to be. When we are dumped in 1985, we find ourselves as confused as Freya. The author allows us to discover things alongside the character(s). This was fine, and added to the suspense. Freya begins to remember bits and pieces in her dreams. Parts of the tale lagged until suddenly we get this huge information dump. Now, personally I gobbled up all of this lovely information but I have a feeling some of you might find this part tedious. Martin beautifully depicted the 80’s and she did it subtly. She recreated it with songs playing on the radio, clothing, television shows and speech. To those who didn’t grow up in the eighties; these nuances may be lost on you. The lack of cell phones, computers and playstation give clue to the fact that we aren’t in Kansas 2012. The story-line has a few holes but overall felt plausible and original. It is my hope that another book is coming and will fill in the gaps.
Yesterday is well worth the read for dystopian fans. Overall, I enjoyed this tale, and was swept up in the action. I could not find any information on a second book, but the ending allows for one. I would certainly read it. Martin has six distinct works published.
I want to thank Random House for sending this copy in exchange for my unbiased review.
Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
I love dystopian novels and was drawn to the synopsis for Yesterday. The bulk of the tale takes place in 1985. Not to give my age away or anything, but I graduated from high school in 1985. My teen years seriously reflect all that you know about this iconic time in history. Martin creates a suspenseful science-fiction dystopian and wonderfully portrayed the eighties as I remember them.
The tale begins with a prologue. The year is 2065. We meet sixteen year old, Freya Kallas. We learn about the world she lives in and her family. Something horrific happens and Freya and her Mom are whisked away. Freya wakes up in small home in Canada with her mother and sister. She vaguely remembers an explosion that killed her Dad and his secretary. They have moved here to be closer to her grandfather. Things feel foggy, but she and her family have had a flu that made them very ill. The year is 1985 and today she begins her first day at a new high school. Freya doesn’t feel right; she is suffering from headaches and cannot explain holes in her memories. On a class trip, she sees Garren Lowe. She has no memory of meeting him, but knows that she knows him. He claims he has no idea who she is, but Freya is determined to prove they know each other. The tale that unfolds reminded me of the The Matrix and Divergent. Freya and Garren stumble upon a secret and find themselves on the run from powerful forces as they search to discover the truth. This tale while not without flaws, kept me reading until late in the night.
The characters were both cliché and unique. Freya is drop dead gorgeous, all the girls dislike her and the boys ogle her. Why she is perfect was interesting. I struggled with her in the beginning but ultimately liked and connected with Freya. She is complex, and inquisitive. She knows something is wrong and seeks answers. Garren was sweet and of course *swoon-worthy* He trusts Freya, despite not remembering her and manages to keep them safe. The romance that develops between them was sweet and felt genuine. It developed slowly and the absence of insta-love was delightful. The romance takes a backstage to the action, but does contain a steamy scene or two. The men in suits gave me Matrix chills and other characters added to the tale. A woman they met towards the end of the book left me speechless!
The world-building was fascinating, despite some of the rough delivery. The prologue beautifully describes 2065, and I could visualize it and how it came to be. When we are dumped in 1985, we find ourselves as confused as Freya. The author allows us to discover things alongside the character(s). This was fine, and added to the suspense. Freya begins to remember bits and pieces in her dreams. Parts of the tale lagged until suddenly we get this huge information dump. Now, personally I gobbled up all of this lovely information but I have a feeling some of you might find this part tedious. Martin beautifully depicted the 80’s and she did it subtly. She recreated it with songs playing on the radio, clothing, television shows and speech. To those who didn’t grow up in the eighties; these nuances may be lost on you. The lack of cell phones, computers and playstation give clue to the fact that we aren’t in Kansas 2012. The story-line has a few holes but overall felt plausible and original. It is my hope that another book is coming and will fill in the gaps.
Yesterday is well worth the read for dystopian fans. Overall, I enjoyed this tale, and was swept up in the action. I could not find any information on a second book, but the ending allows for one. I would certainly read it. Martin has six distinct works published.
I want to thank Random House for sending this copy in exchange for my unbiased review.
Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
September 12, 2012
Dystopias and I never really clicked. Don't ask me why, maybe I've just always picked the wrong stories to read, the ones that only came into existence due to the genre's huge popularity after the success that were The Hunger Games – which ironically, never really registered as dystopian in my head. So I thought that this book, written by an experienced author in my beloved contemporary genre, would maybe be the thing for me. Maybe you've deducted from my rating that this wasn't the case.
Although I was interested enough in the heroine's fate to finish reading this book, I found large parts of the story tremendously boring. The prologue tells the reader enough to allow him to at least suspect what is going on – yet, despite some flashbacks, the heroine actually needs over 200 pages to find out the truth (why is this truth actually right there in the blurb? Don't those blurb-writers think about their readers every once in a while?) behind her detachment from her family, old friends and her former life that is hazy in her memory at best – all in all, the strange alienation from everyone except a mysterious boy she feels she's known forever without actually having any memory of meeting him before. And then, after those 200 tremendously boring pages, everything comes crashing down onto her – and the reader – after a hypnosis session in what I will from now on only refer to as the hugest info dump ever written. Although this lovely info dump does feel like it goes on forever, the book actually gets a little more interesting after. There are arguments and reconciliations; hiding, running, kissing – some more flashbacks, and an ending that actually made me get a little teary eyed. Yet, sorry, this ending did not make up for endless pages of eating sandwiches and chatting with random people at school, hiding out in abandoned houses, and an overall sloppy explanation of the science behind the story. Seriously, you give me and that's how it's supposed to work?! After I sat through a three chapter long info dump I don't even get some cool explanation that sounds actually probable?! Words are not enough to convey my disappointment (maybe imagine me shaking my head so furiously it is about to fall off?). There actually was another scene that caused the scientist in me to wring her hands and sob: “That is impossible!!”, but I forgot to take notes and now I've forgotten what exactly it was (I know, bad reviewer, bad reviewer!).
So, in the end, I expected much, much more from the contemporary aspect of this novel – which is set in the 80es, by the way, but apart from a few band names dropped, you don't really notice – and especially from the science behind the whole thing. Now, this book is not nearly as ridiculous as Awaken for example, and the romance is actually portrayed well, but didn't particularly get to me. In my opinion, you won't miss anything if you skip this.
Although I was interested enough in the heroine's fate to finish reading this book, I found large parts of the story tremendously boring. The prologue tells the reader enough to allow him to at least suspect what is going on – yet, despite some flashbacks, the heroine actually needs over 200 pages to find out the truth (why is this truth actually right there in the blurb? Don't those blurb-writers think about their readers every once in a while?) behind her detachment from her family, old friends and her former life that is hazy in her memory at best – all in all, the strange alienation from everyone except a mysterious boy she feels she's known forever without actually having any memory of meeting him before. And then, after those 200 tremendously boring pages, everything comes crashing down onto her – and the reader – after a hypnosis session in what I will from now on only refer to as the hugest info dump ever written. Although this lovely info dump does feel like it goes on forever, the book actually gets a little more interesting after. There are arguments and reconciliations; hiding, running, kissing – some more flashbacks, and an ending that actually made me get a little teary eyed. Yet, sorry, this ending did not make up for endless pages of eating sandwiches and chatting with random people at school, hiding out in abandoned houses, and an overall sloppy explanation of the science behind the story. Seriously, you give me and that's how it's supposed to work?! After I sat through a three chapter long info dump I don't even get some cool explanation that sounds actually probable?! Words are not enough to convey my disappointment (maybe imagine me shaking my head so furiously it is about to fall off?). There actually was another scene that caused the scientist in me to wring her hands and sob: “That is impossible!!”, but I forgot to take notes and now I've forgotten what exactly it was (I know, bad reviewer, bad reviewer!).
So, in the end, I expected much, much more from the contemporary aspect of this novel – which is set in the 80es, by the way, but apart from a few band names dropped, you don't really notice – and especially from the science behind the whole thing. Now, this book is not nearly as ridiculous as Awaken for example, and the romance is actually portrayed well, but didn't particularly get to me. In my opinion, you won't miss anything if you skip this.
April 5, 2016
A finished unsolicited copy was provided by the publisher for review.
So many amazing futuristic technological advances in this one that my mind was spinning. I love how creative some authors can be and C.K. Kelly Martin is no exception. It starts of in the year 2077. There is biotechnology that has eradicated cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and even AIDS. Life expectancy is over a hundred years old, limbs can be repaired, heart attacks and strokes prevented. Virtual reality is embedded without a screen where citizens can experience games, stories and even sexual experiences called mashing. (Um yes those mashing scenes popped up in the book! I’m not too sure if this is YA appropriate because the sex scenes are pretty hot and heavy! Just warning you all there are some steamy scenes in here.)
Then the reader is whipped back to 1985, where the eighties are back in full force. I can understand why Freya is whipped back into the past, because we have to find out what happened in the past, in order to understand the future, and yes all the pieces are pulled together in the end.
Such a lovely moment to read a character’s setting and actually know where she’s going. Yes, this is set in Toronto, and I actually pictured what downtown Toronto would have looked like back in the nineteen-eighties. (I always get a little thrill when the books I’m reading are Canadian. Gives me a little surge of pride.)
I wasn’t a big fan of how the book ended. I’m always a sucker for a killer climatic ending, but this one fell a little short. My questions were answered but I guess I wasn’t satisfied with the answers.
So many amazing futuristic technological advances in this one that my mind was spinning. I love how creative some authors can be and C.K. Kelly Martin is no exception. It starts of in the year 2077. There is biotechnology that has eradicated cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and even AIDS. Life expectancy is over a hundred years old, limbs can be repaired, heart attacks and strokes prevented. Virtual reality is embedded without a screen where citizens can experience games, stories and even sexual experiences called mashing. (Um yes those mashing scenes popped up in the book! I’m not too sure if this is YA appropriate because the sex scenes are pretty hot and heavy! Just warning you all there are some steamy scenes in here.)
Then the reader is whipped back to 1985, where the eighties are back in full force. I can understand why Freya is whipped back into the past, because we have to find out what happened in the past, in order to understand the future, and yes all the pieces are pulled together in the end.
Such a lovely moment to read a character’s setting and actually know where she’s going. Yes, this is set in Toronto, and I actually pictured what downtown Toronto would have looked like back in the nineteen-eighties. (I always get a little thrill when the books I’m reading are Canadian. Gives me a little surge of pride.)
I wasn’t a big fan of how the book ended. I’m always a sucker for a killer climatic ending, but this one fell a little short. My questions were answered but I guess I wasn’t satisfied with the answers.
February 12, 2014
The girl named Freya has just moved across the globe and now she is living in Canada. She can hardly remember her life, then one day, she saw Garren. For once in her life she felt real, she feels that they've met, but he insists they have never met. She then finds out that they both hold a secret that tell when they were really from. As the story continues, they find out more about themselves, which brings them to more danger.
The reason I picked up this book was because the summary at the back of the book was interesting, and another reason was because I have an interest in science fiction.
The reason I finished this book was because very "addicting" and the plot of the story made me want to know the ending of the story.
I recommend this book to people who like to read science fiction, because there's a lot of parts where the book explains about the future technology.
The reason I picked up this book was because the summary at the back of the book was interesting, and another reason was because I have an interest in science fiction.
The reason I finished this book was because very "addicting" and the plot of the story made me want to know the ending of the story.
I recommend this book to people who like to read science fiction, because there's a lot of parts where the book explains about the future technology.
August 28, 2012
Originally reviewed on A Reader of Fictions.
My second C. K. Kelly Martin book has me convinced that I need to write every single thing she writes. Martin has a very distinct style. Her writing is wonderful and her concepts, at least for the two books I've already read, are entirely original. Yesterday didn't remind me of any other dystopia, a very rare experience.
Yesterday is one of those stories where you'll spend most of the book confused, unsure what the heck is going on. However, rest easy with the knowledge that you WILL be given answers; Martin will explain everything. Her vision of the future is dark and complex, taking into account various ways that humans could destroy the world. Not only that, but, of course, the meddlesome government will take charge in a harsh way to try to control everything.
I really cannot say much of anything else about the world building aspect of Yesterday, because spoilers would be unavoidable. The only other things I need to point out in this regard are the reasons I rated it down a little bit. First, there was the clunky info dump when Freya realized what was going on. I'm not sure if there was a better way to do that, but that chapter read like a history text. I also felt like her memories came back too quickly and easily. Second, the time travel aspects were questionable, but, then again, I almost always have big suspension of disbelief issues with time travel.
Yesterday made a really nice change from most of my other reads, because of the unique setting. For one thing, the book is set in Canada, taking place largely in Toronto. Very few books I've read have had a Canadian setting, though I'm a bit surprised by that. Even more uncommon, Yesterday is set primarily in the 1980s. I loved all the mentions of music, like The Smiths, and other bits of pop culture from that time period. Also, picturing everyone in the horrific clothes greatly amused me.
Freya won my affections early on. She's gorgeous, in a way that could have made her completely obnoxious; literally, everyone stares at her. However, she is completely uncomfortable with that. She doesn't try to be popular; instead she befriends the goths, and even does a makeover on herself so people will pay less attention to her. I loved that, despite her beauty, she doesn't take advantage of it nor does she deny it.
Freya has premonitions, visions of the near future. These really could have felt out of place, and I am curious about them, but Martin made them work. They did not come off as an unnecessary paranormal addition to the plot, thank goodness. I love Freya for her intelligence, her forthrightness, her courage and her anger. She feels so real. It also entertained me that in this case, it wasn't a heroine falling for a vaguely creepy, gorgeous guy who stalked her; she does the stalking, although she does have her reasons.
Garren definitely was less dear to me, but I liked him because Freya did. I still question him a bit, because he had a girlfriend at the beginning. The switch of his feelings from Janette to Freya seemed rushed and unnatural. However, I can accept it, since, though they get close to one another VERY quickly, they don't instalove all over the place. In such a stressful situation, emotions developing is not a surprise, but I would have punched everything if they were declaring eternal love for one another. Thankfully, they did not. As an added bonus, Martin is a genius at writing steamy scenes, as evidenced here and in My Beating Teenage Heart.
Reading Yesterday was a pleasure from beginning to end, a refreshingly original addition to dystopian fiction. Now I need to go add her other books to my wishlist...
My second C. K. Kelly Martin book has me convinced that I need to write every single thing she writes. Martin has a very distinct style. Her writing is wonderful and her concepts, at least for the two books I've already read, are entirely original. Yesterday didn't remind me of any other dystopia, a very rare experience.
Yesterday is one of those stories where you'll spend most of the book confused, unsure what the heck is going on. However, rest easy with the knowledge that you WILL be given answers; Martin will explain everything. Her vision of the future is dark and complex, taking into account various ways that humans could destroy the world. Not only that, but, of course, the meddlesome government will take charge in a harsh way to try to control everything.
I really cannot say much of anything else about the world building aspect of Yesterday, because spoilers would be unavoidable. The only other things I need to point out in this regard are the reasons I rated it down a little bit. First, there was the clunky info dump when Freya realized what was going on. I'm not sure if there was a better way to do that, but that chapter read like a history text. I also felt like her memories came back too quickly and easily. Second, the time travel aspects were questionable, but, then again, I almost always have big suspension of disbelief issues with time travel.
Yesterday made a really nice change from most of my other reads, because of the unique setting. For one thing, the book is set in Canada, taking place largely in Toronto. Very few books I've read have had a Canadian setting, though I'm a bit surprised by that. Even more uncommon, Yesterday is set primarily in the 1980s. I loved all the mentions of music, like The Smiths, and other bits of pop culture from that time period. Also, picturing everyone in the horrific clothes greatly amused me.
Freya won my affections early on. She's gorgeous, in a way that could have made her completely obnoxious; literally, everyone stares at her. However, she is completely uncomfortable with that. She doesn't try to be popular; instead she befriends the goths, and even does a makeover on herself so people will pay less attention to her. I loved that, despite her beauty, she doesn't take advantage of it nor does she deny it.
Freya has premonitions, visions of the near future. These really could have felt out of place, and I am curious about them, but Martin made them work. They did not come off as an unnecessary paranormal addition to the plot, thank goodness. I love Freya for her intelligence, her forthrightness, her courage and her anger. She feels so real. It also entertained me that in this case, it wasn't a heroine falling for a vaguely creepy, gorgeous guy who stalked her; she does the stalking, although she does have her reasons.
Garren definitely was less dear to me, but I liked him because Freya did. I still question him a bit, because he had a girlfriend at the beginning. The switch of his feelings from Janette to Freya seemed rushed and unnatural. However, I can accept it, since, though they get close to one another VERY quickly, they don't instalove all over the place. In such a stressful situation, emotions developing is not a surprise, but I would have punched everything if they were declaring eternal love for one another. Thankfully, they did not. As an added bonus, Martin is a genius at writing steamy scenes, as evidenced here and in My Beating Teenage Heart.
Reading Yesterday was a pleasure from beginning to end, a refreshingly original addition to dystopian fiction. Now I need to go add her other books to my wishlist...
March 28, 2013
Yesterday by C. K. Kelly Martin was a slightly disappointing read for me. I have heard really good things about this author but I was not overly wowed by this book, though the writing was good and I would still consider checking out her other works. I really liked the idea behind this story but the execution of it fell little flat for me and I found the story to be confusing, at least initially.
Yesterday is told from the perspective of Freya Kallas, a sixteen year old girl who is thrown into a new life and finds herself starting over at a new school in Canada. The year is 1985 and Freya has moved with her mother and sister from Auckland, New Zealand, after her father is killed in a freak gas explosion. Freya feels oddly disconnected to her life and it is not just her grief that is making her feel that way. She has blanks in her memories and some of the things that have happened to her feel as though they had happened to someone else.
Freya has difficulty connecting with people at her new school but one day, on a class trip to the museum, she sees a boy and feels somehow like she knows him, even though her memories are telling her otherwise. Freya follows the boy (who we later find out is called Garren Lowe) home and although she does not talk to him, she cannot shake off the feeling of deja-vu that she feels. Freya decides to confront Garren but he has no recollection of her. It is not until they realise that their backgrounds have a few too many similarities that Garren comes round to the idea that Freya may be right about them having a history. They decide to uncover the truth but their investigation has unforeseen consequences and the two teens find themselves on the run, fighting for their lives.
I feel that there was a very good idea within this story, and it definitely kept me reading as I wanted to find out what was going on, but i never felt really connected to the characters and I didn't feel invested in their struggles or the overall story. The writing itself was really good though (despite one chapter where Freya gets her memories back and proceeds to give a detailed but clinical version of their history .
Three stars ***
Yesterday is told from the perspective of Freya Kallas, a sixteen year old girl who is thrown into a new life and finds herself starting over at a new school in Canada. The year is 1985 and Freya has moved with her mother and sister from Auckland, New Zealand, after her father is killed in a freak gas explosion. Freya feels oddly disconnected to her life and it is not just her grief that is making her feel that way. She has blanks in her memories and some of the things that have happened to her feel as though they had happened to someone else.
Freya has difficulty connecting with people at her new school but one day, on a class trip to the museum, she sees a boy and feels somehow like she knows him, even though her memories are telling her otherwise. Freya follows the boy (who we later find out is called Garren Lowe) home and although she does not talk to him, she cannot shake off the feeling of deja-vu that she feels. Freya decides to confront Garren but he has no recollection of her. It is not until they realise that their backgrounds have a few too many similarities that Garren comes round to the idea that Freya may be right about them having a history. They decide to uncover the truth but their investigation has unforeseen consequences and the two teens find themselves on the run, fighting for their lives.
I feel that there was a very good idea within this story, and it definitely kept me reading as I wanted to find out what was going on, but i never felt really connected to the characters and I didn't feel invested in their struggles or the overall story. The writing itself was really good though (despite one chapter where Freya gets her memories back and proceeds to give a detailed but clinical version of their history .
Three stars ***
Want to read
March 20, 2012Read along with Kat Kennedy. :D
Putting aside for now until it's closer to September.
Putting aside for now until it's closer to September.
April 7, 2014
Yesterday was definitely one of my favorite book becuase it had so much details put into it.
February 19, 2013
I had to give it a one.
1.
Alright, first and foremost, I suppose it's partially my fault for assuming the book and style would be different than it actually is. I believed the books would be mostly set in the future, or at least have a bunch of robots walking around. I get it now, that I was mistaken, and that's not the author's fault. Although I Would have appreciated a somewhat more detailed synopsis, but that's not the point.
2.
After that, I'd like to say that something I find extremely irritating is a load of swearing in a book. Being a Christian, I don't like any, period. But when there's so much of it, especially the hard stuff, it makes me feel like there's a lot lacking in the area of vocabulary. Take Divergent by Veronica Roth as an example, and you'll find no swearing. It's an excellent book, well-known, and well-liked, and the need for swearing can obviously be disolved when you look at this book.
2.1
There are an excessive amount of words in the English language, and a multitude that could easily replace swearing. This book is not made for children, and yet the vocabulary is abundantly simple, and the swearing, in itself, is abundant.
2.2
Another thing I didn't appreciate when it comes to the swearing, is the fact that there was either none, or very little in the first hundred pages. I felt as though the author drew his readers in, and, when they were least expecting it, pounced on them with a bag full of it.
2.3
To sum up, if the author Had to have swearing in his book at all, limit it considerably, and use it sparingly, rather than dropping it in buckets.
3.
The characters. This is one thing that is extremely important, and if it's done well, it's obvious. When it's not done well, it seems to be less apparent, and a lot of people don't even notice until they happen to read a book where it Is obvious. In my opinion, most of the characters weren't developed very well. To give another example, let me point out a book called Bloody Jack by L. A. Meyer. This is a book where you discover the main characters' personalities right away, and not only that, but they grow and become stronger with the continuation of the series.
3.1
Freya Kallas as my fist subject. She was the most disappointing. How do I explain? She was... simple... dull... confused, but lifeless. Throughout the book, I feel nothing but confusion and... dimness... Yes, I understand the reader is supposed to be confused along with Freya, but there are so many other emotions the author could have developed. The few that are in here are dropped like a bomb without growing at all, and you can't get excited about it in advance.
Freya wasn't developed well at all... I don't know if she's brave or spontaneous or curious or clever. It seems all those feeling and thoughts and everything else was muffled and diluded.
It makes her character... unfulfilling.
3.2
Probably the second most important character was Garren. To be honest, his personality was somewhat more apparent. He's protective of his mother, frightened from the chaos, and determined enough to figure something out. A bit more could have been done, definitely. In all honesty, I'm not sure a character's personality could ever be overly grown, but I can see the author knew more firmly how he wanted this person to act and feel.
3.3
Everyone else, like Mrs. Kallas, and the two friends Freya gets upon entering school, are... not especially important. Thus, they are less developed. Even so, I can see a lot of what they stand for and feel for. I think what the author had a problem with for Freya, was that he didn't really know what he wanted to do with her, how to make her feel. Hence it all became muddled.
4.
I have to bring aforehand an example of a book which I was particularly impressed with: Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'brien. This book is written so exceptionally well, that any doubts I may have had about the storyline were quenched after a few chapters, and I was absorbed by the story.
You may have guessed, topic number four is about how Yesterday was written. A lot of the elements I've mentioned ahead of this relate, since they all work together for the same cause.
A. Storyline should be clear.
B. Vocabulary usage should be varietous
C. Characters should be interesting.
However, there's also a... style... in which an author writes that fits him, and him only, and is apparent. Take Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy. If I had to describe the style in one word, I would call it witty. Some other book would be The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke, which I would say is daring.
Yesterday is... I don't know... Dark? Strange? Befuddling?
It's hard to say because it doesn't have something going for it. It's depressing and dull, sometimes unbelievable.
To address these three renounces, I'll take a section for each.
4.1
Depressing.
In the first chapter, it's just scary, exciting, and horrifying. After that, the reader has a sneaking suspicion what has happened, but Freya is at a loss. She convinces herself some of the time that she's just upset about a happening, but sort of knows it's something else.
Hard to say... Sort of, she's confused, afraid, and doesn't know what to do. She's alone and does stupid things sometimes to try to distract herself.
After she sees Garren, there's nothing else she can think of until they're in action. Then, everyone is after them, there's hardly any hope, and neither of them know what to do half the time.
This doesn't pose for any kind of upbeat, or even sometimes happy, book.
4.2
Dull.
This could also be stated as "unoriginal."
Ok, they're not synonyms, but in the this case, they coincide frequently.
She goes to school. She comes home. She watches tv. So many Vague impressions that barely get the thought across.
Let me put it this way: imagine glass. Flat, smooth, yes, but that's not the important part. Close your eyes and think of what glass smells like... Is there anything? Anything at all? No, not really.
On the other hand, thing of a tangerine or an orange. You take a whiff..., and wow... Your mind erupts with the sharp and fragrant aroma. It's fantastic!
The tangerine is Birthmarked or Skulduggery Pleasant or some other book.
The glass is Yesterday.
4.3
Occasionally unbelieveable.
I'm afraid I just have to give an example from the donkey's mouth, if you'll pardon the expression.
*SPOILER ALERT*
When Garren and Freya have met up with their grandfather, and then they are running from the black vehicle, they burst into someone's house. This someone is a blind woman, and rather than calling the police or turning them in when the bad guys come to investigate at her door, she hides them. Why? Because she had some trouble with the police in the past...
Really?
They just *happen* to let themselves into the one house in which there's a person who has had trouble with the police in the past and is willing to hide away possible criminals? Not only that, but she gives them money and tickets. It's just... seriously?
I'm sorry, but there's no way that could happen. Robots in the future? Fine. This? No. Because it doesn't make any sensible or magical sense.
*SPOILER OVER*
4.4
There are two other subjects I must mention concerning the way Yesterday was written. The first, is punctuation. Some author's overload a story with periods and fragments. Unfortunately, Yesterday is just the opposite. Every other sentence is a run-on lacking a comma, period, or semicolon.
Without these necessary structural parts of any piece of writing, the reader becomes confused by what's being said, and sometimes has to skip over sentences without understanding their meaning.
This, of course, bodes ill for any struggling novel.
4.5
Lastly, I must say this is also a conglomeration of the other things that have been spoken on. This is how Yesterday, after that first chapter, suddenly becomes slow and disappointing. It started with a sugar rush but failed to keep the theme going. Hardly anything happens until, oh, about 150 pages into the story. After that, it gathers up it's strength slowly to push on and becomes a bit more exciting, true, but not as exciting as could be hoped for.
5.
I suppose, to sum it all up, I was... dismayed with Yesterday. Personally, I wouldn't suggest it to anybody, as there are many far better novels out there in my opinion, and I'm going to try to sell it to a used bookstore to get some of my money back...
If you're thinking about reading this book... Well, take a moment to reconsider and check out some other books first.
Yours truly,
Skyril
1.
Alright, first and foremost, I suppose it's partially my fault for assuming the book and style would be different than it actually is. I believed the books would be mostly set in the future, or at least have a bunch of robots walking around. I get it now, that I was mistaken, and that's not the author's fault. Although I Would have appreciated a somewhat more detailed synopsis, but that's not the point.
2.
After that, I'd like to say that something I find extremely irritating is a load of swearing in a book. Being a Christian, I don't like any, period. But when there's so much of it, especially the hard stuff, it makes me feel like there's a lot lacking in the area of vocabulary. Take Divergent by Veronica Roth as an example, and you'll find no swearing. It's an excellent book, well-known, and well-liked, and the need for swearing can obviously be disolved when you look at this book.
2.1
There are an excessive amount of words in the English language, and a multitude that could easily replace swearing. This book is not made for children, and yet the vocabulary is abundantly simple, and the swearing, in itself, is abundant.
2.2
Another thing I didn't appreciate when it comes to the swearing, is the fact that there was either none, or very little in the first hundred pages. I felt as though the author drew his readers in, and, when they were least expecting it, pounced on them with a bag full of it.
2.3
To sum up, if the author Had to have swearing in his book at all, limit it considerably, and use it sparingly, rather than dropping it in buckets.
3.
The characters. This is one thing that is extremely important, and if it's done well, it's obvious. When it's not done well, it seems to be less apparent, and a lot of people don't even notice until they happen to read a book where it Is obvious. In my opinion, most of the characters weren't developed very well. To give another example, let me point out a book called Bloody Jack by L. A. Meyer. This is a book where you discover the main characters' personalities right away, and not only that, but they grow and become stronger with the continuation of the series.
3.1
Freya Kallas as my fist subject. She was the most disappointing. How do I explain? She was... simple... dull... confused, but lifeless. Throughout the book, I feel nothing but confusion and... dimness... Yes, I understand the reader is supposed to be confused along with Freya, but there are so many other emotions the author could have developed. The few that are in here are dropped like a bomb without growing at all, and you can't get excited about it in advance.
Freya wasn't developed well at all... I don't know if she's brave or spontaneous or curious or clever. It seems all those feeling and thoughts and everything else was muffled and diluded.
It makes her character... unfulfilling.
3.2
Probably the second most important character was Garren. To be honest, his personality was somewhat more apparent. He's protective of his mother, frightened from the chaos, and determined enough to figure something out. A bit more could have been done, definitely. In all honesty, I'm not sure a character's personality could ever be overly grown, but I can see the author knew more firmly how he wanted this person to act and feel.
3.3
Everyone else, like Mrs. Kallas, and the two friends Freya gets upon entering school, are... not especially important. Thus, they are less developed. Even so, I can see a lot of what they stand for and feel for. I think what the author had a problem with for Freya, was that he didn't really know what he wanted to do with her, how to make her feel. Hence it all became muddled.
4.
I have to bring aforehand an example of a book which I was particularly impressed with: Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'brien. This book is written so exceptionally well, that any doubts I may have had about the storyline were quenched after a few chapters, and I was absorbed by the story.
You may have guessed, topic number four is about how Yesterday was written. A lot of the elements I've mentioned ahead of this relate, since they all work together for the same cause.
A. Storyline should be clear.
B. Vocabulary usage should be varietous
C. Characters should be interesting.
However, there's also a... style... in which an author writes that fits him, and him only, and is apparent. Take Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy. If I had to describe the style in one word, I would call it witty. Some other book would be The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke, which I would say is daring.
Yesterday is... I don't know... Dark? Strange? Befuddling?
It's hard to say because it doesn't have something going for it. It's depressing and dull, sometimes unbelievable.
To address these three renounces, I'll take a section for each.
4.1
Depressing.
In the first chapter, it's just scary, exciting, and horrifying. After that, the reader has a sneaking suspicion what has happened, but Freya is at a loss. She convinces herself some of the time that she's just upset about a happening, but sort of knows it's something else.
Hard to say... Sort of, she's confused, afraid, and doesn't know what to do. She's alone and does stupid things sometimes to try to distract herself.
After she sees Garren, there's nothing else she can think of until they're in action. Then, everyone is after them, there's hardly any hope, and neither of them know what to do half the time.
This doesn't pose for any kind of upbeat, or even sometimes happy, book.
4.2
Dull.
This could also be stated as "unoriginal."
Ok, they're not synonyms, but in the this case, they coincide frequently.
She goes to school. She comes home. She watches tv. So many Vague impressions that barely get the thought across.
Let me put it this way: imagine glass. Flat, smooth, yes, but that's not the important part. Close your eyes and think of what glass smells like... Is there anything? Anything at all? No, not really.
On the other hand, thing of a tangerine or an orange. You take a whiff..., and wow... Your mind erupts with the sharp and fragrant aroma. It's fantastic!
The tangerine is Birthmarked or Skulduggery Pleasant or some other book.
The glass is Yesterday.
4.3
Occasionally unbelieveable.
I'm afraid I just have to give an example from the donkey's mouth, if you'll pardon the expression.
*SPOILER ALERT*
When Garren and Freya have met up with their grandfather, and then they are running from the black vehicle, they burst into someone's house. This someone is a blind woman, and rather than calling the police or turning them in when the bad guys come to investigate at her door, she hides them. Why? Because she had some trouble with the police in the past...
Really?
They just *happen* to let themselves into the one house in which there's a person who has had trouble with the police in the past and is willing to hide away possible criminals? Not only that, but she gives them money and tickets. It's just... seriously?
I'm sorry, but there's no way that could happen. Robots in the future? Fine. This? No. Because it doesn't make any sensible or magical sense.
*SPOILER OVER*
4.4
There are two other subjects I must mention concerning the way Yesterday was written. The first, is punctuation. Some author's overload a story with periods and fragments. Unfortunately, Yesterday is just the opposite. Every other sentence is a run-on lacking a comma, period, or semicolon.
Without these necessary structural parts of any piece of writing, the reader becomes confused by what's being said, and sometimes has to skip over sentences without understanding their meaning.
This, of course, bodes ill for any struggling novel.
4.5
Lastly, I must say this is also a conglomeration of the other things that have been spoken on. This is how Yesterday, after that first chapter, suddenly becomes slow and disappointing. It started with a sugar rush but failed to keep the theme going. Hardly anything happens until, oh, about 150 pages into the story. After that, it gathers up it's strength slowly to push on and becomes a bit more exciting, true, but not as exciting as could be hoped for.
5.
I suppose, to sum it all up, I was... dismayed with Yesterday. Personally, I wouldn't suggest it to anybody, as there are many far better novels out there in my opinion, and I'm going to try to sell it to a used bookstore to get some of my money back...
If you're thinking about reading this book... Well, take a moment to reconsider and check out some other books first.
Yours truly,
Skyril
September 3, 2012
Originally posted on www.yareads.com, Reviewed by Nichole
THEN: The formation of the UNA, the high threat of eco-terrorism, the mammoth rates of unemployment and subsequent escape into a world of virtual reality are things any student can read about in their 21st century textbooks and part of the normal background noise to Freya Kallas’s life. Until that world starts to crumble.
NOW: It’s 1985. Freya Kallas has just moved across the world and into a new life. On the outside, she fits in at her new high school, but Freya feels nothing but removed. Her mother blames it on the grief over her father’s death, but how does that explain the headaches and why do her memories feel so foggy? When Freya lays eyes on Garren Lowe, she can’t get him out of her head. She’s sure that she knows him, despite his insistence that they’ve never met. As Freya follows her instincts and pushes towards hidden truths, the two of them unveil a strange and dangerous world where their days may be numbered. Unsure who to trust, Freya and Garren go on the run from powerful forces determined to tear them apart and keep them from discovering the truth about their shared pasts (and futures), her visions, and the time and place they really came from.Yesterday will appeal to fans of James Dashner’s The Maze Runner, Veronica Roth’s Divergent, Amy Ryan’s Glow, Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Ally Condie’s Matched.
Let’s start out in the year 2063. The world is facing mass extinction. Animals that existed before, such as Killer Whales and Tigers, no longer exist. When a child is sent to their room a force field can appear in their doorway, keeping them from ever leaving. It’s unheard of to travel. Before, it was common to travel by planes or trains to exotic countries. Now, the threat of terrorism is too great to allow that luxury. Life in 2063 is much different that we experience here in 2012.
Now let’s backtrack to the year 1985. Freya Kallas and her family have just moved from New Zealand to Canada. She’s now enrolled in school, and she is making new friends. There’s only one problem: something seems to be wrong with Freya’s memories. Oh, she has memories, but they seem to be photo stills lodged in her brain. When she tries to think about her old best friends favorite band or her time with her dad at the lake, she draws a blank. Freya also finds herself suffering from intense headaches, something she cannot remember suffering from before her move to Canada.
On a school field trip, Freya notices a boy that immediately catches her attention. Yes, he’s hot, which is something Freya does not overlook, but there seems to be something else about him, something familiar. Freya just cannot shake the feeling that she knows this boy. After confronting said boy (whose name happens to be Garren), and being treated like a psychotic freak, Freya is even more determined to figure out what is going on. She knows that she has met Garren before. She knows that Garren was somehow, sometime, a part of her life. She knows that something is going on with her memory. But what is it? Follow Freya and Garren on their rollercoaster ride of an adventure, and join Freya as she unravels the mysteries of her mind.
I am a huge fan of Dystopia books. I enjoy being placed into different worlds, times, cultures, anything that is out of the norm. When I received Yesterday I was really excited to read about both the future and the past. I haven’t read too much about time travel, and it was something that I was really interested in. I thought it was really cool how the book took place in two different times and places. I wish that there would have been a little more time dedicated to the future, as I found that environment really cool. What was funny was that I kept forgetting that the book took place in 1985. I kept it replacing with 2012, and then I would get really confused about some of the music and television shows that they were listening to and watching because, well, they were very popular in the 1980′s and 1990′s.
I was a big fan of Freya. It was fun to watch her character grow throughout the entire book. I also really enjoyed all of the emotions that she made me feel. I felt sympathy for her when she was trying to distance herself from others at school. I cringed when she followed Garren home and acted like a total nutcase. And I was cheering her on for being so brave throughout most of the book. My only complaint about Freya was that I kept forgetting that she was an older teenager. She actually came across as a bit younger, but that didn’t change my feelings for her at all.
The teen romance was really sweet. After having a thing for Garren in the future, I thought that it was appropriate that she got the guy in the past. The best part, though, was that they didn’t automatically jump into their relationship, if that’s what you want to call it. It wasn’t one of those cases where they looked at eachother and automatically went “Oh my God, you are my soulmate! We are going to be hooked throughout this entire book, starting from page 1!” No. It took Garren quite awhile to think that Freya shouldn’t be in a mental institution. It was hilarious watching how cautious he was around her. I really enjoyed watching their relationship progress.
Really, my only complaint is that I wish there would have been a little more action in the book. There was a biiiig chunk of the book that was just about them running and trying to survive. Don’t get me wrong, I still really enjoyed those parts, I just wish that a little more action would have happened. I am really excited to read the next book, and I HOPE that we get to see more of the future.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to everyone, especially to fans of Dystopia books. It was a great read, and I am looking forward to read more from C.K. Kelly Martin.
Pages: 368
Publication Date: September 25, 2012
Publisher: Random House
Rating: : 4
Teaser Quote: “And you probably didn’t picture running for your life.” I say. “Living by candlelight and wearing someone else’s clothes.”
THEN: The formation of the UNA, the high threat of eco-terrorism, the mammoth rates of unemployment and subsequent escape into a world of virtual reality are things any student can read about in their 21st century textbooks and part of the normal background noise to Freya Kallas’s life. Until that world starts to crumble.
NOW: It’s 1985. Freya Kallas has just moved across the world and into a new life. On the outside, she fits in at her new high school, but Freya feels nothing but removed. Her mother blames it on the grief over her father’s death, but how does that explain the headaches and why do her memories feel so foggy? When Freya lays eyes on Garren Lowe, she can’t get him out of her head. She’s sure that she knows him, despite his insistence that they’ve never met. As Freya follows her instincts and pushes towards hidden truths, the two of them unveil a strange and dangerous world where their days may be numbered. Unsure who to trust, Freya and Garren go on the run from powerful forces determined to tear them apart and keep them from discovering the truth about their shared pasts (and futures), her visions, and the time and place they really came from.Yesterday will appeal to fans of James Dashner’s The Maze Runner, Veronica Roth’s Divergent, Amy Ryan’s Glow, Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Ally Condie’s Matched.
Let’s start out in the year 2063. The world is facing mass extinction. Animals that existed before, such as Killer Whales and Tigers, no longer exist. When a child is sent to their room a force field can appear in their doorway, keeping them from ever leaving. It’s unheard of to travel. Before, it was common to travel by planes or trains to exotic countries. Now, the threat of terrorism is too great to allow that luxury. Life in 2063 is much different that we experience here in 2012.
Now let’s backtrack to the year 1985. Freya Kallas and her family have just moved from New Zealand to Canada. She’s now enrolled in school, and she is making new friends. There’s only one problem: something seems to be wrong with Freya’s memories. Oh, she has memories, but they seem to be photo stills lodged in her brain. When she tries to think about her old best friends favorite band or her time with her dad at the lake, she draws a blank. Freya also finds herself suffering from intense headaches, something she cannot remember suffering from before her move to Canada.
On a school field trip, Freya notices a boy that immediately catches her attention. Yes, he’s hot, which is something Freya does not overlook, but there seems to be something else about him, something familiar. Freya just cannot shake the feeling that she knows this boy. After confronting said boy (whose name happens to be Garren), and being treated like a psychotic freak, Freya is even more determined to figure out what is going on. She knows that she has met Garren before. She knows that Garren was somehow, sometime, a part of her life. She knows that something is going on with her memory. But what is it? Follow Freya and Garren on their rollercoaster ride of an adventure, and join Freya as she unravels the mysteries of her mind.
I am a huge fan of Dystopia books. I enjoy being placed into different worlds, times, cultures, anything that is out of the norm. When I received Yesterday I was really excited to read about both the future and the past. I haven’t read too much about time travel, and it was something that I was really interested in. I thought it was really cool how the book took place in two different times and places. I wish that there would have been a little more time dedicated to the future, as I found that environment really cool. What was funny was that I kept forgetting that the book took place in 1985. I kept it replacing with 2012, and then I would get really confused about some of the music and television shows that they were listening to and watching because, well, they were very popular in the 1980′s and 1990′s.
I was a big fan of Freya. It was fun to watch her character grow throughout the entire book. I also really enjoyed all of the emotions that she made me feel. I felt sympathy for her when she was trying to distance herself from others at school. I cringed when she followed Garren home and acted like a total nutcase. And I was cheering her on for being so brave throughout most of the book. My only complaint about Freya was that I kept forgetting that she was an older teenager. She actually came across as a bit younger, but that didn’t change my feelings for her at all.
The teen romance was really sweet. After having a thing for Garren in the future, I thought that it was appropriate that she got the guy in the past. The best part, though, was that they didn’t automatically jump into their relationship, if that’s what you want to call it. It wasn’t one of those cases where they looked at eachother and automatically went “Oh my God, you are my soulmate! We are going to be hooked throughout this entire book, starting from page 1!” No. It took Garren quite awhile to think that Freya shouldn’t be in a mental institution. It was hilarious watching how cautious he was around her. I really enjoyed watching their relationship progress.
Really, my only complaint is that I wish there would have been a little more action in the book. There was a biiiig chunk of the book that was just about them running and trying to survive. Don’t get me wrong, I still really enjoyed those parts, I just wish that a little more action would have happened. I am really excited to read the next book, and I HOPE that we get to see more of the future.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to everyone, especially to fans of Dystopia books. It was a great read, and I am looking forward to read more from C.K. Kelly Martin.
Pages: 368
Publication Date: September 25, 2012
Publisher: Random House
Rating: : 4
Teaser Quote: “And you probably didn’t picture running for your life.” I say. “Living by candlelight and wearing someone else’s clothes.”
May 7, 2020
First, there was climate change which was ignored. Then Canada joined the US to make one country. Then robots were created which caused massive unemployment. The eco-terrorists unleashed a pandemic which infected people with zombie-like cravings. Add to this Freya and Garrin who have been exiled to 1985 and have no memory of life in the future. This started out with a bang but quickly fizzled to a whisper. There were parts of it which seemed to be just a display of 1985 pop culture - names of bands, Cabbage Patch Kids, TV programs, etc. The ending was a little confusing with the Grandfather Paradox staring the reader in the face. I notice there is a sequel but I'll give it a pass.
January 31, 2015
I loved this book and am doing a giveaway this Wed (10-10-12). Check my blog between Oct. 10-20, 2012 for details.
REVIEW: Once again, I am so thankful to be an SLJ book reviewer. SLJ introduces me to new books that I might not choose to read on my own. The Goodreads rating on Yesterday is currently pretty low (3.41 average for 110 ratings), and I put off reading it for a couple of weeks because of that low rating. I found the publisher's summary confusing, which did not make me want to read the book. With my deadline looming, I finally jumped in. I went into it unenthusiastically and with very low expectations, but...
There was a George Orwell quote on the very first page (a great start since I absolutely ADORE Mr. Orwell), and...
It reminded me of Rachel Ward's Num8ers trilogy (I LOVED Num8ers), and...
I am SO GLAD I read this! I loved the unique storyline, the run-for-your-life action, the emotionally-cautious romance, the twist at the end. Yesterday is very different from other dystopias flooding the YA market these days. While it starts out in the year 2063, most of the book takes place in 1985. It is a slow-building page-turner; while some parts are more for explanation (particularly the part where Freya remembers her past), these parts are necessary to the story and give insight to why Freya and Garren are being chased. I love how the reader gets answers only as Freya gets them. Freya's confusion is the reader's confusion, and that works very well for this book.
The ending comes to a nice stopping point, but it leaves all kinds of loose ends for the sure-to-come sequel. I loved all the 80s music and cultural references, and it is nice remembering a time when we weren't all so "connected" every second of the day.
As for the low Goodreads rating, I have no explanation for that since I do not read other reviews until after I write my own. My guess is that Yesterday is going to appeal most to fans of Rachel Ward's Num8ers trilogy. The ratings for Num8ers is quite low also (as of today, it has the exact same 3.41 rating as Yesterday), but Num8ers is still one of my favorite YA books of all time. The books do have some similarities (female protag with special powers, a boy and girl on the run, a glimpse into the future, a really cool twist at the end), so if you liked Num8ers, I bet you'll like Yesterday as well. Despite the similarities, the storylines are very different.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Maybe not for everyone, but I absolutely loved it. Features excellent Year 2063 world-building, realistically tentative romance, and lots of 80s music references!
STATUS IN MY LIBRARY: We don't have it, and sadly, sexual content and frequent profanity make it too way mature for middle school. That's really too bad because I know I could easily sell this storyline to my students.
READALIKES: Transcendence (Omololu); Ruby Red (Gier); Num8ers (Ward)
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 5/5
Creativity: 5/5
Characters: 4/5
Engrossing: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Appeal to teens: 5/5
Appropriate length to tell the story: 5/5
CONTENT:
Language: medium-high; includes a multiple f*** and sh**
Sexuality: high; two scenes with intense body exploration--neither leads to intercourse, but both are described in detail (two references to a "hard on", naked kissing and touching); thinking and talking about sex (the only reason they don't have sex is fear of pregnancy); virtual reality sex (not described in detail); parental infidelity
Violence: medium; some deaths (not described in detail), slavery, gun violence, armed robbery, virus leads to rabid behavior in humans (one scene where a teen gets "bitten into")
Drugs/Alcohol: mild-medium; teens drink and smoke cigarettes at a party, talk of 60s psychedelic drug use (magic mushrooms, marijuana)
September 11, 2012
Yesterday is a world where the future is the past, and the past is the future. Kind of confusing, isn’t it? To be honest, I couldn’t quite get the idea the first time I read the synopsis. But it was interesting enough to make me want to read it. I got the idea of time-travelling but what’s with the whole interchanging thing anyway?
Freya, the protagonist, is swept into the year the 1985 [with no memory of the life she had in 2036]. She remembers travelling from Australia to Canada after her father died, but why do all her memories seem hazy? It’s as if she didn’t really feel them happen, but they’re all there inside her head? Still, life went on for Freya, she gets strange dreams and headaches from time to time though. Then she meets Garren, a guy she distinctly remembers to have met and hung out with. Garren feels otherwise, and thinks Freya’s a freak. That is until they came across puzzling pieces in their lives, and they start to question it all. Suddenly Freya and Garren are on the run – from what? Well, they have yet to figure it out...
Freya is a likeable character, relatable even in the beginning – but over time you don’t see much from her anymore, probably with all the confusing things she’s going through, you don’t expect to see some other side of her.
I was expecting to see some action by the time Freya and Garren were on the run, but I didn’t get that much. There was more running than fighting, and these two seem to have gotten off easy during their dire moments: gun shot that wasn’t that bad; hiding out and squatting in a house filled with food; getting money from people who can’t tell them the truth but are willing to help them financially. Seriously, compared to other protagonists from other books, they’re on the less dramatic side of things. That’s kind of hard to empathize with sometimes.
Yesterday is one of those books that started out incredibly awesome but didn’t get anywhere further than I hoped it would. I was completely absorbed over the first half of the book, and I was really loving it. The element of surprise and mystery was very endearing, and I couldn’t wait to see how it would go.
But there is such a thing as TOO MUCH suspense. By the time the author went out to put the pieces together, my patience had already grown thin. I understand the idea of building up all the questions but when the answers finally came through it came out overwhelming. Too much talk coming into one short scene, and the explanations over how they ended up in 1985 just came out confusing; maybe if it was given in bits and pieces, then and now it would’ve eased me into what kind of time travelling element I’d be seeing. With the way it was put out there in just one go – well, not all the details made sense.
*Thank you, Random House and NetGalley for the copy of Yesterday.
For more of my reviews, please visit my blog:
The Blair Book Project @ www.theblairbookproject.blogspot.com
Freya, the protagonist, is swept into the year the 1985 [with no memory of the life she had in 2036]. She remembers travelling from Australia to Canada after her father died, but why do all her memories seem hazy? It’s as if she didn’t really feel them happen, but they’re all there inside her head? Still, life went on for Freya, she gets strange dreams and headaches from time to time though. Then she meets Garren, a guy she distinctly remembers to have met and hung out with. Garren feels otherwise, and thinks Freya’s a freak. That is until they came across puzzling pieces in their lives, and they start to question it all. Suddenly Freya and Garren are on the run – from what? Well, they have yet to figure it out...
Freya is a likeable character, relatable even in the beginning – but over time you don’t see much from her anymore, probably with all the confusing things she’s going through, you don’t expect to see some other side of her.
I was expecting to see some action by the time Freya and Garren were on the run, but I didn’t get that much. There was more running than fighting, and these two seem to have gotten off easy during their dire moments: gun shot that wasn’t that bad; hiding out and squatting in a house filled with food; getting money from people who can’t tell them the truth but are willing to help them financially. Seriously, compared to other protagonists from other books, they’re on the less dramatic side of things. That’s kind of hard to empathize with sometimes.
Yesterday is one of those books that started out incredibly awesome but didn’t get anywhere further than I hoped it would. I was completely absorbed over the first half of the book, and I was really loving it. The element of surprise and mystery was very endearing, and I couldn’t wait to see how it would go.
But there is such a thing as TOO MUCH suspense. By the time the author went out to put the pieces together, my patience had already grown thin. I understand the idea of building up all the questions but when the answers finally came through it came out overwhelming. Too much talk coming into one short scene, and the explanations over how they ended up in 1985 just came out confusing; maybe if it was given in bits and pieces, then and now it would’ve eased me into what kind of time travelling element I’d be seeing. With the way it was put out there in just one go – well, not all the details made sense.
*Thank you, Random House and NetGalley for the copy of Yesterday.
For more of my reviews, please visit my blog:
The Blair Book Project @ www.theblairbookproject.blogspot.com
July 7, 2013
I'm going to do this review a little differently by saying at the beginning that I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would, based on it's Goodreads rating. Currently it sits at 3.34 average which actually surprises me quite a bit, because it's one more the more unique YA dystopians than I've read in a long time.
Yesterday is almost split into two parts, beginning with Freya trying to find her place in a new school with a vaguely unsettled, disconnected feeling. Whilst I enjoyed this part of the book, it was the second half, when Freya finds out more about who she really is that I liked far more, and it had all the things I like about YA dystopians - a plot that's different to the normal, a romance that doesn't get off to the best start and it could have worked pretty well as a stand alone (don't worry series lovers, apparently it is not!).
I was a little unsure how I felt about Freya in the beginning, but by the end of the book she had gone through so much, with so much courage, that I found it impossible NOT to like her. I really liked her relationship with Garren and that it grew over the course of the story, rather than falling into the insta-love trap. Their relationship is rather intense, but their shared experiences understandably bond them together.
There is a rather large info-dump at the halfway point, but I didn't mind it because it was the only way that the book could have retained its individualism, and it made for fascinating and horrifying reading. There are also parts of the story that I found a little confusing, but as the story progressed more and more of those confusing points were clarified.
Not everything falls easily into place, and not all the questions are answered, but I actually liked that - it left a lot more to the imagination and really had me guessing in the first half, and I wasn't disappointed in the second half either. The pacing is pretty consistent, and I read this in one sitting because I just HAD to find out what happened next.
With a writing style that felt incredibly comfortable and was so easy to lose myself in, Yesterday is a book that I wish I had read sooner, rather than being put off by the opinions of other readers. It just goes to show that you should always read a book for yourself and make your own judgements.
Read more of my reviews at The Aussie Zombie
Yesterday is almost split into two parts, beginning with Freya trying to find her place in a new school with a vaguely unsettled, disconnected feeling. Whilst I enjoyed this part of the book, it was the second half, when Freya finds out more about who she really is that I liked far more, and it had all the things I like about YA dystopians - a plot that's different to the normal, a romance that doesn't get off to the best start and it could have worked pretty well as a stand alone (don't worry series lovers, apparently it is not!).
I was a little unsure how I felt about Freya in the beginning, but by the end of the book she had gone through so much, with so much courage, that I found it impossible NOT to like her. I really liked her relationship with Garren and that it grew over the course of the story, rather than falling into the insta-love trap. Their relationship is rather intense, but their shared experiences understandably bond them together.
There is a rather large info-dump at the halfway point, but I didn't mind it because it was the only way that the book could have retained its individualism, and it made for fascinating and horrifying reading. There are also parts of the story that I found a little confusing, but as the story progressed more and more of those confusing points were clarified.
Not everything falls easily into place, and not all the questions are answered, but I actually liked that - it left a lot more to the imagination and really had me guessing in the first half, and I wasn't disappointed in the second half either. The pacing is pretty consistent, and I read this in one sitting because I just HAD to find out what happened next.
With a writing style that felt incredibly comfortable and was so easy to lose myself in, Yesterday is a book that I wish I had read sooner, rather than being put off by the opinions of other readers. It just goes to show that you should always read a book for yourself and make your own judgements.
Read more of my reviews at The Aussie Zombie
September 9, 2012
I found the opening of this book a little confusing, but gradually everything fell into place and I really began to enjoy the tale. Once I was captured, the book was a real page turner, with plenty of action and suspense to hold my attention.
Freya is a great character - likeable yet flawed - and her interaction with Garren was subtle and believable, offering some realism in the wake of all the 'insta-love' stories doing the rounds at the moment. Excellent characterisation and you really did get the sense of Freya growing and changing as the story progressed.
Once the story got going, the pacing was good with well written tension-action sequences. My only reservation (aside from my minor confusion at the start) was that the time travel explanation towards the end felt a little 'shoved in' and heavy. I would have liked to have seen that explained as less of an info dump and more as a development in the story.
But overall this is a great, entertaining story and should appeal to fans of YA dystopia and time travel fiction - definitely worth checking out.
I received this book as a free e-book ARC via NetGalley.
Freya is a great character - likeable yet flawed - and her interaction with Garren was subtle and believable, offering some realism in the wake of all the 'insta-love' stories doing the rounds at the moment. Excellent characterisation and you really did get the sense of Freya growing and changing as the story progressed.
Once the story got going, the pacing was good with well written tension-action sequences. My only reservation (aside from my minor confusion at the start) was that the time travel explanation towards the end felt a little 'shoved in' and heavy. I would have liked to have seen that explained as less of an info dump and more as a development in the story.
But overall this is a great, entertaining story and should appeal to fans of YA dystopia and time travel fiction - definitely worth checking out.
I received this book as a free e-book ARC via NetGalley.
January 27, 2014
I went into this book rather blind, not knowing what to expect but I'm pleased to say that I did enjoy it. The entire concept of the book I found intensely interesting and I couldn't help but wonder what like is going to be like in 78 years and how what we're doing right now is going to affect it. I love books about time travel and this book definitely took a unique spin on the idea. I really enjoyed the world that C.K. Kelly Martin created and the dynamics of it. However, there were a few chapters that just felt like information overload and a lot to take in, though it was very interesting to think about. The book was generally well paced and had it's moments of action though I found that there were a lot of moments that seemed to build too much anticipation for what actually happens. C.K. Kelly Martin is a Canadian like myself so I love the chance to support my fellow Canadians. Furthermore, I found it intriguing to be reading about a book based in my home province of Ontario and actually know and be able to picture the setting in my mind. All and all I enjoyed the novel and I look forward to picking up the next book to see how the story continues.
September 14, 2017
Amazing!! LOVED this read OMG. This was such a fun story. I can't wait to read book 2. There is so much I love about this story...it's so much fun to read a book by a Canadian author who is referencing all the places you've been and lived and well this was just so much fun.
I had no idea what this story was about because I don't read the "teasers", but damn was I surprised. Mostly I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this and the unique twists and turns. Garren and Freya are perfect in their roles and their relationship was pretty interesting...I can't say that I felt a real chemistry between them...it felt mostly one sided on Freya's part...but when they did suddenly develop into more than friends...it moved quickly and I felt caught up in their whirlwind romance. That one moment at the end...blew my mind...you'll know what I mean...when you get there. Freya...wow...she really loves Garren to do what she did. Wow. Cool story! Thanks Kelly :D:D
I had no idea what this story was about because I don't read the "teasers", but damn was I surprised. Mostly I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this and the unique twists and turns. Garren and Freya are perfect in their roles and their relationship was pretty interesting...I can't say that I felt a real chemistry between them...it felt mostly one sided on Freya's part...but when they did suddenly develop into more than friends...it moved quickly and I felt caught up in their whirlwind romance. That one moment at the end...blew my mind...you'll know what I mean...when you get there. Freya...wow...she really loves Garren to do what she did. Wow. Cool story! Thanks Kelly :D:D
May 15, 2013
AMAZING. This book is one of the most thought provoking books I've ever read and I loved it. I can relate to Freya in the way that she hates her new school. I went through this when I transferred school districts and had a terrible first year when I didn't know where I fit in. I would definitely recommend this to people who enjoy a mind-bending, scientific, mildly romantic book. One thing I noticed was that a lot of the story had to deal with flashbacks. Freya often who flashback to the future (or her past) and this would cause twists to the story. The entire plot of this story is interesting because you sort of start in the middle of it and continue forward while discovering the previous events. Thought-provokingly readable and definitely a must-read.
September 3, 2016
Not a big fan of this one to be honest. It started with so much promise. I enjoyed the setting and the 80s references a lot, but the point at which the main character "remembers" things drove me crazy. Chapters of revelations...and revelations...and revelations...almost like a list, made me daydream. As if by magic, all of the confusion was gone, and I found myself not caring anymore. It is kind of like how I feel in a fantasy novel, when the author uses one spell to "magically" solve a story problem. I do not enjoy that, and this revelation happens just like that. I was hoping I would enjoy a book that took place in 80s Canada more, but this one just didn't do it for me.
September 29, 2012
I was scouting for a new YA novel when I stumbled on Yesterday by C.K. Kelly Martin. I had heard good things about her novels and the book cover was amazing. When I read the publisher’s blurb about Yesterday’s concept, it sounded so original that I knew I had to get a copy. If you like sci-fi or dystopian, futuristic novels, check out my review. And for you romance fans, there’s even a romantic thread. As with a lot of this genre, it may be a YA novel but it’s going to appeal to a wide range of ages.
January 24, 2013
This is now one of my favorite books of all time. C. K. Kelly Martin wowed me with all of the descriptions of the world created from 1985 to 2063. All of the new technology we imagine having was there, plus more!
Convincing Garren to come with her, Freya had premonitions to determine the correct path. It's a whirlwind trying to keep up with all the happenings.
When things, finally, spark between Freya and Garren, my heart soars because I'm a sucker for a good romance. ;)
I highly recommend this book for everyone because it's so freakin' amazing!!!
Convincing Garren to come with her, Freya had premonitions to determine the correct path. It's a whirlwind trying to keep up with all the happenings.
When things, finally, spark between Freya and Garren, my heart soars because I'm a sucker for a good romance. ;)
I highly recommend this book for everyone because it's so freakin' amazing!!!
December 17, 2015
I thought for sure there was going to have to be a sequel to Yesterday until the final of many plot twists. And boy, was it a good one. The characters and setting and premise were just too jam-packed with detail for me to feel like it would just... end there.
But it did, and it did really really well. The constant whirlwind of action came to such a satisfying close I couldn't believe it was over so perfectly.
This was an amazing book and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants something fast-paced and thrilling while still remaining heartfelt and human.
But it did, and it did really really well. The constant whirlwind of action came to such a satisfying close I couldn't believe it was over so perfectly.
This was an amazing book and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants something fast-paced and thrilling while still remaining heartfelt and human.
October 4, 2012
Not my favorite book by one of my favorite authors. However, this is more of a "Sarah" issue than an issue with the book itself--I'm not a fan of sci-fi-ish things, nor am I a fan of the 1980s (I remember the 80s, that decade sucked). I do, however, really appreciate that the last two of CK Kelly Martin's novels have been departures from her usual fare, because I love it when authors experiment with different genres.
March 17, 2015
I like this book due to it having a distinctly Canadian setting. I also thought it was interesting that they thought to time travel back to 1985. It was nice to see some of the technology mentioned that I grew up with and what not. Overall I liked it.
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