How to Survive 1985

Royals #2

by Tegan Bennett Daylight

When four friends find themselves thrown back in time to 1985, how will they handle being teens in their parents’ era? And will they ever get back to the future?

It takes Shannon a while to work out what’s happened. She went into the cinema in 2025 and came back out … in 1985? Somehow she’s travelled forty years back in time.

But this isn’t the first time something strange has happened to Shannon and her group of friends. Is there a chance that whatever mysterious forces brought them together a year ago have sent them back to the 80s with her? To find her friends, she’ll have to navigate a world with no smartphones, no internet, and – worst of all – no bubble tea.

As the group tries to find a way back to the future, some friendships are strained while others blossom into something more. Can they stay together – and stay friends – long enough to survive 1985?

In another warm, wise and life-affirming story, Tegan Bennett Daylight takes her beloved cast of characters from her debut YA novel Royals on a fresh adventure, to discover something about their roots and how far their generation has come. 

Genres: Young Adult, Novels, Time Travel

Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2025

About the author

Tegan Bennett Daylight is a fiction writer, teacher and critic. She is the author of three novels and a collection of short stories, Six Bedrooms, which was shortlisted for the 2016 Stella Award, the ALS Gold Medal and the Steele Rudd Award. She lives in the Blue Mountains with her husband and two children.

Reviews

[rosie (jason todd's version) · Rating 2 out of 5]

(⭐2)

oh dear...

🎧ྀི 1. Characters
There weren't any outstanding issues with any of the characters. They were all kinda flat and didn't have any outlasting impression on me. The only one I actually liked was James, until he pulled out a vape 😔

Also, the way the characters were portrayed was such a stereotypical Gen Z characterisation, and I really didn't like that. It was sort of embarrassing - what do you mean the rest of the world sees us like that...? 😶 I just kept rolling my eyes over and over at what they were saying. Could barely live without their phones. And honestly the Gen Z lingo was so unnecessary 😭 if I wanted to hear someone say 'like' at least 5 times in a sentence, I'd make a voice recording of myself speaking.

𖤓𓏲⚘. 2. Plot
The plot was so... nothing? Literally nothing happened other than the fact that they travelled through time. And that sounds super cool, which in theory, it really was, but the execution was so lackluster. I finished the book kinda just sitting there like "well, what now?"

So many questions were left unanswered, and we didn't even get to see how the actions of our 'Royals' affected the present day. And it felt like absolutely nothing happened? The whole world was kind of just moving around them. I also felt like I was missing crucial context - which I was! There is apparently a book that takes place before this. I only found out through the constant references to it in this one. It was honestly a little irritating. If I wanted to hear so much about the first book, I'd have read that instead.

✧˖°📷 ༘ ⋆ 3. Final Thoughts
I'm very glad that the Australian representation wasn't all that bad. I liked how Sydney was described. I've only been once, but I felt like I was back there with the descriptions in the text.

How to Survive 1985 definitely reads way younger than YA. I'd have eaten this up when I still liked middle grade content. It was sadly really shallow and surface level for me.

I'm really sad I didn't like this one. I feel like I've been mean, so I'm sorry if any of this seems harsh, but I was really intrigued by the premise and it sounded super cool! The execution was just sadly not it.

✦ pre-read:
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for reaching out to me and granting me a free e-arc in exchange for my review! Can't wait to see how this one goes as it's set in Australia!<3 How to Survive 1985 releases on the 30th of April 2025 !

[The Book Squirrel · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Sequel" to Royals.

It should be illegal to abuse paper and the trees it came from by publishing this.

This is the story:
I've been transported back to the 1980s! Everyone is white and racist. (note: she's big on such assertions with not one iota of "showing". It's all "telling", clearly based only on what these 2020 teens have been "told", and not at all based on anything actually factual about the 80s).
I'll go see my past-mum, currently a teenager, and tell her all about me because I've obs never seen Back to the Future.
Everyone in the 80s is racist! And homophobic! They don't even know about Acknowledgement or Welcome.
I miss bubble tea.
Hi past-mum! I'm your future daughter. You're a polluter for putting tea leaves down the sink. People in the 80s are responsible for climate change and pollution!
I miss bubble tea.
Racists! Homophobes! Polluters!
Bubble tea.
Here, past-mum! Let me show you photos on my phone about your future.
Hi other friends from 2024/5 who have also been transported back to the 80s.
We all agree 80s people are racist homophobes.
Let's go to a party! The gay guy is the one to get d*ck .
Everyone is homophobic in the 80s (note: a case-in-point to my note above. We're shown that the gay guy gets laid and no one bats an eye, but we're still "told" - over and over and over - that everyone in the 80s is a homophobe).
Bubble tea.
Look at me! I'm a white girl but my time-travelling friends are black, gay, in a wheelchair, have two gay dads, and [list several neurodiversities] Look at how accepting of differences I am! Aren't I just so amazing? I'm woke and just to show you how amazing I am, I have a crush on the guy with [insert "diversity/neurodiversity" label].
Everyone in the 80s is white and racist!
Everyone is a homophobe!
Bubble tea.
(time travelling friend) I'll paint a mural to show everyone in the 80s how racist they are. It's a certain flag, of course, because everyone in the 80s is racist, and I'm not!
80s people are homophobic. And abelist. And responsible for climate change.
And, in case I haven't mentioned it - racist.
(time travelling friend) Here, random 80s girl. Have my vape because vaping is awesome and I've never seen Back to the Future either.
Racism! Homophobia! Abelism! (note: no real examples of such beyond vague references to street curbs, just the characters saying the words to each other and the reader).
Bubble tea.
Yay, I've time travelled back to my present.
The end.

[Tien · Rating 2 out of 5]

100% cover crush! And also, title crush, actually... I was still a child in 1985 tbh but the title made me want to dive into this book and reminisce about the 80s. Unfortunately, didn't quite do that for me as I didn't actually grow up in Australia but there were some things (for example cassette tapes & walkman which as you can see I still have!) that were fun reminders.

Before I started reading this book (which I requested as I thought it was stand alone), I found out that it is actually a sequel and being me, I had to read book 1 first. It turns out to be quite an unnecessary exercise as it was mostly explained in this book even if we are missing 2 characters from the first book. In this book, however, they weren't all quite together to start with and already had that bond of friendship which is the highlight of this novel.

While it was quite fun "walking" around Sydney streets in the 80s, once again (as per book 1), I felt that this book is trying very hard to 'educate' on certain things and I didn't enjoy that teacher-y voice. It was a sad time with no bubble tea but as a mother who continues to try to get her kids off their screens, it was annoying that the characters keep checking their phones despite no reception and no battery; it was just twice or thrice! 

Was it the good ole days? No... it was just a different time and we all have to learn to live where we exist.

My thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia for ecopy of book via NetGalley

[hannah! (lowkey gone) · Rating 3 out of 5]

i loved royals. like so so so much. so when i found this in dymocks i sent way too many excited texts to my sister and almost screamed in the store. so obviously i had high hopes for this one, right?

this book made me sad. i couldnt wait to reunite with the gang, and see how they grew after their mall experience. that was my first disappointment. jordan and tiannah DID NOT EVEN SHOW UP. they were mentioned like twice but i NEEEEEEEEDED their energy in the group and to see how they found 1985 and what they got up to (as well as some romance).

my next disappointment was the romance. james and shannon could be something amazing, and nothing really happened. so i was sad. like after the crumbs in royals, io thought they would be fully dating or something in the next book, but they basically just smelt eachother and farted the whole time they were alone? idk it was weird. and i love james, but like vaping? really? my boy wouldnt do that. and his whole family arc was ok, but i wanted more depth!!! i wanted more vibes!!! i wanted cutie james from royals!!!!!!!!

i did still give this 3 stars, bc like usual, the description of everything is top notch, i love how tegan writes! all the scenes in sydney were so beautiful and i could almost imagine the places while reading. i also liked the side arc with julia, shannons mum, and i loved how the 'let people from the past know things about the present' trope was handled. the music was also AMAZING, both the 80s tunes and the present shoutouts. we had chappell roan, the cure, tainted love, and karma chameleon. bangers fr.

also shoutout to the handling of climate change as bad news. the climate change thing did feel a lil bit forced by the end but it had a good message and i enjoyed the awareness they brought. also, nothing is better than reading a book where 'donald trump' and 'the invasion of palestine' are raised as 'the bad news of today'. coz its fucking true.

overall, i had super high standards and this just didnt meet them. i will read it again and it will probably grow on me, but in the meantime i will reread royals to see my comfort characters again <3

OH AND I LOVED THE OUTSIDERS REFERENCE AT THE START IT PUT LIKE 5 YEARS ON TO MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Diana · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a major disappointment. The book never really evoked the feeling of the eighties and I found myself bored and considered abandoning the book. The book wasted a lot of time going over the prequel. The idea had so much potential but did not deliver. Would not recommend.

[Fleeno · Rating 2 out of 5]

How to survive 1985 finds the characters from Royals suddenly transported back to 1985 six months after being stuck in a shopping centre, suspended in time. Once again the story follows Shannon as she leaves the movie theatre and upon realising she is 40 years in the past she sets out to find her mother and her friends.
The nostalgia factor was high with this one as Shannon and her friends contemplate all the things which have changed - for better and worse. Things are cheaper, people are less suspicious but more racist, there's less single use plastics but less focus on the environment. I enjoyed the descriptions of Sydney and how the harbour has changed. Even though this was the second novel with the same characters they felt flatter. Two don't even make an appearance, they all appear and disappear at different times, there's a lot of discussion about the environment but no thought seems to go into how or why they ended up in the past. The ending is also abrupt and there didnt feel like much of a resolution. It's a shame because it's very readable and the author has some unique ideas but the character development let's it down.

[Felicity · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book after reading a review that had me intrigued. But some thoughts...

I think reading the first book about these characters might have been better.

It is a YA novel, but I wonder if those of us who remember 1985 might be a better target audience, which would mean a bit more of a plot and more character development. As a YA novel, it probably needs that anyway.

I loved the meeting of Mother and daughter. I mean, what would you say to your Mum as a teenager?

My Goodreads star rating... ***

My Goodreads scale:
* waste of time
**filled in time
***good
****excellent
*****absolutely amazing

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this was a beautiful book encapsulating the places we come from and the people that helps us grow up to be the person we are. It's fast-paced, and I did quite enjoy the main character's openness to learning more about her mother outside of her role as a mother.

I didn't quite gel with the whole 'tell your mum everything about the future you guys share' but whateveeerrr I can see why that was the case.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!!

[✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰Janeane ✰ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copy received via Netgalley for an honest review

I hadn't read the first book in this series, so I was missing a little bit about how things happened with the people involved

As someone who grew up in the 70s and 80s, it was interesting to think how today's teenagers would survive in the 80s. I mean, we did just fine at the time, and I sometimes think it was a much simpler and nicer time in a lot of ways.

But man I think of how some of our 2020s technology would have been great.

I do like how Shannon and the others deal with the conundrum of "what if I do something now that will affect the future" - but then they went and did things and I was WTH are you doing?

I liked the vibe of Newtown in the 80s and it felt like the author has done a bit of research of the area a the time. I liked the mentions of suburbs around where grew up too.

It was good, however it also felt a bit young for me. I know it is aimed at the YA market, so that is not the books fault.

I may go back and read Royals sometime in the future.

[Brydee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I was not a fan of How to Survive 1985. I disliked the author’s writing style, which I felt came across as quite childlike. I’m not sure if this is because the book is aimed at a young adult audience or if it’s simply the author’s style. I found the language to be quite simple and a bit all over the place.

In terms of the actual plot and storyline, I didn’t connect with that either. It felt as if there was no context for the story, and throughout the book, I was left with more questions than answers. We meet Shannon, a teenager who somehow finds herself transported back to 1985. Why 1985? I don’t know. How did she actually get there? I don’t know. Why was she transferred, and what’s special about this character? I couldn’t tell you that either. As the novel progresses, we learn that a group of teenagers and a baby are also transported and stuck in 1985. Readers who are familiar with the first book in the series will know that this is the group from the first novel, Royals. I was unaware that there was a first book in this series, so perhaps that’s why I was left with so many questions.

I would have liked more context in this book. The author has come up with a crafty and unique storyline, but in my opinion, it’s lacking in detail. I wasn’t overly impressed with the characters either. However, I did appreciate that they wanted to make the best of their situation and do good with their circumstances. Since these characters also feature in the first book, they already had established relationships, giving the story a "found family" vibe, which is always lovely to read about. It’s great to see characters come together despite having nothing in common and still get along.

I also felt that nothing much happened in the plot of this book. Yes, the characters somehow time-traveled and got stuck in 1985, but what else actually occurred? I don’t want to critique the plot in too much detail because that would spoil the story. It’s a very short read.

This book is definitely aimed at a younger audience, and perhaps a much younger version of myself would have enjoyed it more.

Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster Australia, NetGalley, and the author for gifting me an advanced copy of this book to read and review in anticipation of its release. Check out @brydzandherbooks for more bookish content and reviews.

[Kate Larkindale · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this author's first book, Royals a few years back and quite enjoyed it. So when Netgalley offered me the opportunity to read this in advance of publication, I jumped.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this one so much.

In Royals, a group of kids were trapped in a shopping mall while the world went on without them outside. They were there for several weeks and had time to develop relationships, have fights, and work out how to get back into the real world before the mall destroyed them.

In this book, the same characters find themselves transported to 1985 for some reason. They're not together in their own time, so one by one they arrive in the past and somehow manage to find each other. Some stay for the full length of the book, others vanish back to 2025 quite quickly without really seeming to have any real reason to be there.

This book happens over only two or three days, not really enough time for the characters to even get properly familiar with the strange new world they find themselves in. And in the time they're there, nothing particularly challenging happens to them. Even finding their way back to their own time doesn't seem difficult - it just happened when they went to the place they arrived at the right time.

This felt a little unfinished to me. It was super short and not a lot actually happened. I was suprised when I realized I'd hit the end already because it didn't feel like enough had happened for it to be a whole book.

Which is a shame, because I enjoyed the earlier book with this characters. And there's so much possibility with a time travel story where kids get to hang out with their parents at the same age. There are so many more interesting aspects of the 1980s this book could have explored through the lens of someone from 2025.

So, I was actually disappointed by this one.

[Jennyfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two years ago a group of teenagers were trapped in a time loop within shopping centre until they learned to turn down materialism and hyper consumerism. They dubbed themselves the Royals (book 1 in the series) and their bond endured after they escaped back to the "now" - where no time had passed.

Now Shannon, James, Akira, Grace and Juno find themselves whisked back in time 40 years, to 1985. Why are they there? What are they expected to do this time? Do they try to change the world? How can a handful of teenagers change the past so they have a future to go back to? What happens if they step on a butterfly?

The story is told from Shannon's perspective, and there are some astute observations about how the world has changed in 40 years, for both better and worse. Shannon's first instinct is to find her 16-yo mum, who takes the whole time travelling daughter from the future bit in her stride, unlike James' teenage mum whose response is more realistic.

This is a very 2025 novel. There are many many many references to current events, from global politics to ongoing wars, the climate situation and so on, along with observations about the changing demographics of Sydney.

I liked the premise of this one, but as with Royals, it felt like it missed the mark a little. The tale takes place over maybe 2 or three days, and there didn't seem to be the same sense of urgency and conflict that we saw in Royals, leaving the ending a bit flat. Were there any repercussions from their interfering with the past? Did they change anything? Or was their lesson to be less connected and more present (there was a lot of automatic checking of phones) ?

I give this a 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

~This is a NetGalley ARC. All opinions are my own~

[Lizp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was an average read. I haven’t read Royals.

It’s 2025. Four friends find themselves whisked back in time to 1985, by 40 years. How will they cope with being teens in that era?

There are some odd bits in the book. One character finds out her Nan is to get a damaging melanoma in the future but refrains from warning the Nan about the importance of taking care in the sun! She feels justified in her decision. There’s also a commentary about their not warning the 1980s people about Climate Change or Donald Trump, about COVID, or Ukraine or Palestine, or about rent prices going so crazy and many people in 2025 being unable to afford to buy houses.

Shannon goes to the cinema in 2025 and comes back out in 1985. Somehow she’s travelled forty years back in time to the past. Her three friends have also gone back in time to 1985. Things are very different in 1985 : music, fads, hairstyles especially. Shannon has to track down her friends without the benefit of smartphones or the internet.

The friends, when they do get together, face a strain in their relationships. Some become closer, others experience a fractious relationship.

The group of friends came together a year before. It’s not the first time something odd has happened to this group of friends.

They struggle to find a way back to the future. When they do get back to the future, friendships among them are different.

While this book didn’t really appeal to me that much, I will get a copy of Tegan’s short stories as I read that they were shortlisted for the Stella Prize and I have always loved short stories.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[whatbooknext · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shannon wasn't expecting it, even though it's happened before. As she emerges from a movie theatre, she realises something is wrong. Different. The buildings that were there as she went in, are changed when she comes out. It's only a stranger trying to help her confused state & telling her it's 1985, that she understands.

She's still in Sydney though. She knows her family home hasn't changed since her grandparents lived there - so that's where she goes. But her phone doesn't work, so no texting, messaging or paying for anything. She bumbles her way 'home' to find her 16 year old mum.

Shannon has experienced something phenomenal like this before. Last time it happened she was with others, and she wonders and hopes they are somewhere in 1985 Sydney with her. Looking for them is important, and then trying to work out how to get home is next.

This novel, although it can be read on its own - would be much better if the author's previous novel Royals is read first.

How to Survive 1985 attracted me because of nostalgia, and a trip down memory lane was fun. What interested me the most is the ability of the characters to be in a time when things were worse for LGBTQ+, Indigenous people & non whites and can see for themselves the changes that are to come. They are frustrated that it seems to take so long to change, and the desire to warn people of the oncoming climate change and causes of cancer is great.

I will seek out Royals as I enjoyed the writing of How to Survive 1985 - but the plot didn't wow me.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) for a free advance reader e-copy of this book, I am leaving this review voluntarily.

When 16 year old Shannon steps out of the cinema she notices something is not right. The cinema is gone, and everything looks slightly off. She soon discovers she’s in 1985, 40 years in the past. What’s a girl to do when sucked back in time? Find her mum of course!

What I liked: The first sentence; “When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the cinema…” had my “The Outsiders” loving heart beaming! What a brilliant nod to the perfect teenage book! Seriously Tegan gets a bonus star just for that! This was a fun book, it was a sequel, which I wasn’t aware of until I finished and just thought she’d done an amazing job of a back story, but it’s still enjoyable as a read alone. The first person narrative is simplistic but it adds to the believability that it’s a teenager telling the story. Some of the observations of differences between now and then were brilliant, and as someone who lived through the 80’s I certainly don’t miss the dog poo!

What didn’t work for me: The overall why of it all was a bit preachy but I guess there needed to be a point. Additionally the ending was a bit sudden, I like a reaction and wrap up to a story, not being left with questions.

Final thoughts: An entertaining book about friendships and time travel.

Who would enjoy reading this: Fans of YA fiction.

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

How to Survive 1985 was a fun and easy read with a really cool concept. The idea of teens going back in time to 1985 was interesting, and even though I wasn’t alive then, it felt like the author did a good job bringing that era to life. It was fun seeing how a modern teenager would handle living in a time with no phones or modern technology

The time travel was simple and made sense for a younger audience. I liked the idea that once they returned to their own time, the people in the past forgot them. That made things less complicated. But I do wish the book explained the rules of time travel more. Since I didn’t read the first book, I felt like I was missing a bit of context.

One moment that stood out to me was when Shannon’s mother asked her to share more about herself, and she couldn’t. It felt like a missed chance for Shannon to grow and really get to know her mum. I wanted more from their relationship by the end.

While I did enjoy the story, some parts felt a bit slow, and the plot didn’t always hold my attention. A few scenes could have had more depth or meaning.

Still, the writing was clear and easy to follow, and I really liked the message about how the future is becoming more crowded and damaging to the planet. That theme stayed with me after I finished. Overall, it’s a good YA read with an enjoyable mix of fun and thoughtful moments.

[Ingrid Nightshade · Rating 1 out of 5]

I need a sequal to this book called: how to survive the BIGGEST reading slump after this book, because there was zero plot, zero chapter titles, and the characters were flatter then a slab of concrete. looking at this book cover gives me war flashbacks for the worst reading week of my life. I want to sue everyone in the acknowledgements (apart from Simon and Schuster) who thought that THIS was a good idea. How can someone be that dumb? to the point at which she wrote this. The sheer amount of spelling mistakes in this point were abnormal, so abnormal that the spelling and grammar belong in the backrooms. I can't even GIVE you a spoiler because I don't even KNOW what happened at the end (I did read it), but nothing happened?? This girl was the most unlikeable character in the world, mainly because she told her mom EVERYTHING because this bitch has clearly never watched back to the future and all she talked about was bubble tea. I want to lock all the characters up in a asylum and save juliette because WHAT ACTUALLY WAS THIS BOOK?

[Sharon J · Rating 3 out of 5]

How To Survive 1985 by Teagan Bennet Daylight is a time travel story where our main character Shannon goes back in time from 2025 to 1985, giving her the opportunity to meet and spend time with her mother as a teenager. This isn’t the first time a strange time experience has happened to her with a small group of other people and once again they all appear in 1985.

An interesting story with comparisons between the two period being a significant focus.

Well developed characters and storyline. An easy and enjoyable read.


This review is based on a complimentary copy from Simon & Schuster Australia via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#HowToSurvive1985 #NetGalley

[Belle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is suited for a younger YA audience.

First off, I'm so glad the author did research on the Newtown/Sydney area of the 80s. Everything appears to be factual, including things like the park, cemetary and the cinema not existing then. So that is great.

The story itself wasn't as fun as I was expecting though. Traveling back to the 80s should have been a blaaaast but I found myself definitely wanting more.

This book is also VERY short, so there's not much time for bonding with the characters and such. This can be read as a standalone but past events are constantly mentioned. The first story sounds like it was a bit more interesting.

[Sylvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot sounded interesting with a teenage girl ending up back in Sydney 1985 when her parents would have been teenagers themselves and had to try and get to her present day timeline while trying to find her friends along the way without the use of mobile phones etc.

I didn't realise the author wrote another book that mentioned the characters in these book and a bit more of the time travel story.

This book was very YA. I loved the references to the 1980s because I would love to go back to that time again but sadly this book didn't have a proper plot, properly explain the reason for the time travel. There wasn't any purpose to why they were there which was a shame. 2.5/5

[Stacey Broadbent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I read Royals when it came out and found it to be an interesting premise, and I wanted to see how this one would compare.
Sadly, it fell a little flat for me. While it was nice to see the characters back again, I didn’t feel like it really went anywhere. There didn’t appear to be a reason for them going back in time and it ended rather abruptly. I was hoping to find out whether their actions with Sunflower had made any difference.
I think the author has great ideas but perhaps needs to have a clearer goal for the characters as the readers kind of end up wondering what the point was.

[Karyn]

Reflective and fun YA.

A short novel, taking us back to 1985 Sydney. This wasn’t what I was expecting at all, I thought I was up for “time travelling” back to being a teenager during this period, but more it was a 2025 teenager - Shannon, plus her friends - going back to almost being bystanders in the life of Shannon’s mum when she was their age.

Enjoyable and life affirming, a pleasant enough YA read.


Thanks to the publisher Simon and Schuster (Australia) for the ARC via email and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[booklovingcat222 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and its diverse cast of characters. The concept of kids from 2025 navigating life in the 1980s was engaging. I particularly appreciated that the protagonist, Shannon, faced plenty of challenges—nothing came easily for her. There were moments when she had to rely solely on her own resourcefulness, while at other times, her friends were there to support her. It made for a compelling and realistic journey.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for granting me a free e-arc in exchange for my review!

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A follow-up to the Royals book I have previously read. It was hard to put down as there were limited chapters. I would have liked a recap about the previous characters as I forgot some things about them. I enjoyed learning about the 80's and the author was thorough describing it. The book is left open ended ready for the next book. It did get me thinking why the time travel occurs and left me with questions wanting to know more. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kats · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5
This was a delightful trip down nostalgia lane, viewing Sydney as it was in the 80s was a fun time. Choose Life was cool okay? Who doesn't miss mix tapes and walkmans and the easier vibes?

I had not read The Royals prior to this, and probably should have to know the characters. But it was an entertaining enough story, although I'd definitely keep this title in the Young Adult section. It was a fun rewind but as an Old Adult it obviously wasn't aimed to me. So if definitely recommend this for teens, and to ask their parents if they remember all these things.

[Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the premise of this novel, and I liked the early scenes when our protagonist is discovering the 80s. I particularly like the tension in the character meeting her mother when she was her age.

... Except the tension doesn't seem to result in any real conflict, nor does the premise. Ultimately, I feel the entire plot of the novel is just some teenagers hang out in the 80s for a bit and then they get sucked back to their current time period. There was a real lack of suspense and I struggled to read the novel.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Australia, and the author for the chance to read this book.

I had read the previous book and enjoyed it, so I decided to try this one. The concept of a timeslip is so intriguing and the sort of story I would have enjoyed as a teenager, so I think it's written well for the YA market.

It did feel a bit aimless at times and not quite a sequel to Royals, and I felt that the ending was quite abrupt. I still enjoyed the read, just not as much as the first book.

[Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was enjoying this book at the start; like it was cute meeting her mum and when (part of) the gang was reunited. But wdym that’s the end?? It just finished with so many unanswered questions??? Mostly Shannon and James?? Is James even alive?? And what abt her mum??

And don’t get me *like* started on *like* all the likes. Yes it was accurate of my generation but omg. And all of the characters have such sad backgrounds like is this how gen z is viewed??
I loved royals a few years ago and maybe I’ve outgrown it? I just feel like there wasn’t much depth in the book.

[Shirley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shannon gets transported back to 1985 and has to survive without the trappings of 2025. Amazingly it has happened before and more amazingly she works out where her mum Julia grew up and was able to go there. The book was a light read, but not the most exciting. I get the premise in that times have changed, but it was kept really light in a lot of ways.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

[Kerri Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

Netgallery read.
Parts of it were a bit corny but it was still interesting and paced well. Characters were a bit flat and superficially ‘modern’. I personally would have only given it two stars but I think my teenage students would enjoy it more than me. It will date though so won’t stand the test of time on a bookshelf.
Made me wish I had made time to read Royals when I had the Netgallery chance.