Yesterday Is History

by Kosoko Jackson

One of PopSugar's Best New YA Novels of 2021A Buzzfeed Top LGBTQ+ YA BookA Lambda Literary YA Book

An epic, heartfelt romance about a boy torn between two loves, one in his present … and one in the past. A story of Black queer history, love, loss, and learning to stay in the moment before it passes you by.

Weeks ago, Andre Cobb received a much-needed liver transplant.
He's ready for his life to finally begin, until one night, when he passes out and wakes up somewhere totally unexpected…in 1969, where he connects with a magnetic boy named Michael.
And then, just as suddenly as he arrived, he slips back to present-day Boston, where the family of his donor is waiting to explain that his new liver came with a side effect—the ability to time travel. And they've tasked their youngest son, Blake, with teaching Andre how to use his unexpected new gift.
Andre splits his time bouncing between the past and future. Between Michael and Blake. Michael is everything Andre wishes he could be, and Blake, still reeling from the death of his brother, Andre's donor, keeps him at arm's length despite their obvious attraction to each other.
Torn between two boys, one in the past and one in the present, Andre has to figure out where he belongs—and more importantly who he wants to be—before the consequences of jumping in time catch up to him and change his future for good.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, LGBT, Time Travel, Science Fiction, Queer, Contemporary

324 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2021

About the author

Born and raised in the DC Metro Area, Kosoko Jackson has worked in non-profit communications for the past four years. His debut, YESTERDAY IS HISTORY, comes out 2021 by SourcebooksFire.

Reviews

[Kosoko Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

YESTERDAY IS HISTORY was written because I wanted to write a book where a black boy is seen as a love interest. I wanted to explore things not often seen by black and queer authors - love triangles, adventures, coming of age stories that don't feature black pain. This is a story, about a boy who goes on a fantastic adventure, and finds himself along the way. He happens to be black, happens to be gay, and happen to have...an extra ability.

Told from the POV of an African American queer boy, who thinks he knows his place in the world, but quickly realizes he doesn't (and that scares him), I hope this book appeals to those looking for their home, those who found it, and those not even sure what they need...

I hope, in some way, this book gives you something, in these horrible times, you need to keep fighting. I know writing it, YESTERDAY IS HISTORY did that for me.

More details soon.

[Kai Spellmeier]

A gay love triangle across time. Sounds amazing, right? And yet I can't help but feel disappointed in this book.

I love the premise and I love the cover design but I didn't fall in love with any of the characters. I liked the main character okay and I liked that he was still trying to figure out who he was and what he wanted from the future. But I think that's the problem here, the book doesn't really know what it wants either. It's a love story, kind of, and a time travel story, kind of, but it gives me strong Get Out vibes even though it doesn't go there at all. I wasn't convinced by the romance aspect because neither character that Andre fell for was all that...likeable. Maybe it was the dialogue - always smart and sassy and sarcastic - but the dynamic felt off, especially with Michael, the guy back in 1969. And when we meet him again a few years later, he suddenly feels like two completely different characters. Blake, the boy from 2021, I eventually warmed up to but in the beginning all that sassy, flirty dialogue stood in the way of any real connection between them.

I expected more from the time travel aspect too. Because whenever Andre travelled he only ever did so to visit his love interest. There was no exploring the actual past. No visiting historical events or places and that's a huge missed opportunity for me. There were some rules to time-travelling but that concept could've been much more polished. I'm also sitting here wondering why Andre never warned his historical lover about HIV and AIDS. Sure, maybe you're not allowed to spoil the future but a "Michael I need you to use condoms because they will literally save your life" should've done the trick. I guess what I'm saying is I needed this book to be longer so the romance could've been built up better and the time travel aspect would have received more page time.

Find more of my books on Instagram

[CW ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my full review at my blog, The Quiet Pond.

Ever read a book that just... burrows into your heart and makes a home there? Yesterday is History is that book for me. I adored this book; it made me ache and yearn and feel hope.

- Follows Andre, a Black teen and a cancer survivor, who inherits the ability to time travel after receiving a liver transplant. When he falls into the 1960’s, he meets a boy, and later feels torn between a love from the past and a new and unexpected one in the present.
- I love everything about this book; the stunning and memorable characters, the beautiful story, the time travel, and even the complex queer romance, which culminates into a fantastic love triangle.
- I love the questions that this book asks: Is there a time for love? Does love have a ‘chance’? Can love extend and exist, independent of the confines of time and space?
- If you love stories with time travel but also with 'rules', then I think this is the book you've been waiting for.
- I don't know, after I finished this book, I just cried. I can't even adequately describe how this book made me feel - but in a good way.

Content warning: death of loved one, multiple mentions & discussions of cancer

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

am i heartless? i don't know. this was a super cool concept but was very poorly executed. too much telling and little to no showing; frankly, the writing was just not very good. i kept wondering while reading, "do i not like this because it's a YA and i have grown out of the YA genre?" but that's not giving enough credit to YA. YA isn't inherently immature writing, or lacking in nuance. also, supremely fucked up that michael developed an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and other drugs because andre said he was going to leave him -- one, that's just a bad plot device, and two, a piss poor representation of a substance use disorder. or was it a substance use disorder? because the next day michael was able to just ~decide~ that after 3 years of drinking and using some sort of drugs, he was going to stop and Live His Life and Be Happy. like, what the fuck? AND, just baseline, michael and andre knew each other for what, like 3 days total? i know time passed for michael differently, but they were physically together for like 3 days. and 3 days is enough to love someone...? the pacing and progression of both romantic relationships was just super fucking off. terrible characterization. no clue why anybody liked each other. AND AND, did I miss something? WHY WAS ANDRE CHOSEN?? i feel like every time this conversation came up, something happened to divert the plot, as a weird way of adding suspense? or something? it didn't work. and i am we never even got an answer. really, all around, just very immature and unrefined writing that made for a mess of a book.

[Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥]

Okay, why the heck is no one talking about this??
Because OMG this sounds like the perfect recipe for A.W.E.S.O.M.E.N.E.S.S!!!

- time travel
- two timelines: 1969 and the present
- 1 MC & two boys as a possible love interest (m/m) – one magnetic the other guarded (guess that’s makes for some intriguing love triangle and I’m always down for those!)
- grief and loss rep
- self-discovery rep
- diversity!!!

And if that wasn’t already enough it plays in Boston! One of my fave cities!

I don’t know about you, but I’M. SOLD!!!

[charlotte, · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Make me your tether,” he says. “Think of me when you go, think of me when you want to return. I’ll be here for you. I’ll be there with you. I’ll make sure you come back in once piece. I promise.”

On my blog.

Rep: Black gay mc, gay lis, Black side characters

CWs: discussions of cancer

Galley provided by publisher

You know those books that you’re reading and enjoying, and then some way through you’re hit with the realisation that it’s going to make you cry? That is Yesterday is History.

The book opens a few months after Andre’s successful liver transplant, for which he was, surprisingly and luckily, selected from far down the waitlist. When the parents of the donor get in touch with him asking to meet, he agrees, expecting them to merely want to meet him. Instead, he is thrust into a world of time travel, an ability he now has, thanks to the liver transplant.

First and foremost, I had a whole lot of fun reading this book (up until the point it made me almost cry, but I guess that was still fun of a sort). I was completely absorbed from page one and pretty much didn’t put the book down until I’d finished.

What really drove that fun, though, was the characters, namely Andre’s relationships with Blake and Michael. You want to keep reading to find out why Andre has these abilities, sure, but you also want to keep reading to see where the semi-love triangle goes (I say ‘semi’, because it’s pretty clear what the ultimate outcome is going to be). For me, it was particularly how the relationship between Blake and Andre developed, but also (perversely maybe), how the (comparative) tragedy of Michael and Andre unfolded.

This is, really, a book about loss, in amongst its hopefulness. The reason Andre gets a liver transplant, and the associated abilities, is because of another family’s loss. And while they want to help him, he and they are still having to navigate that loss. Later on, it becomes a more personal story of loss for Andre (that sounds a little ominous, but I promise it’s not). And I loved just how the book juggled telling a story of loss and grief, and telling a story of hope too.

Despite all this, there were a couple of things I was less keen on. The setup seems a little bit forced, for me, but obviously that’s a preference thing. It worked, it just didn’t work smoothly. And then there were a couple of times when I was told things I’d rather had been shown, such as Andre ignoring Isobel, skipping school, the development of his relationship with Blake from not liking each other to being friends (which wasn’t a killer, but I really would have liked to see that). None of these things completely ruined my enjoyment of the book, of course, but I was always aware that I might have liked it even more.

So, if you were at all on the fence about reading this one, let this review convince you to pick it up because I can promise you won’t regret it.

[Creya Casale | cc.shelflove · Rating 5 out of 5]

This love triangle broke my heart and I need to give Andre a hug! Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was absolutely incredible. During Andre’s battle with hepatocellular carcinoma, he finally gets the call that his perfect liver match has been found. After he receives the transplant, strange things happen.... and Andre suddenly wakes up in 1969. Yes... his liver gave him the ability to TIME TRAVEL.

While in 1969, he meets a fabulous boy named Michael. Flash forward to 2021, and he meets another lovely boy named Blake. Who is Andre’s true love?? Can he truly form a relationship with Michael? If he chooses Blake, is he simply taking the easy way out?

I was so invested in this love triangle and I truly wanted the best for Andre. I will likely be purchasing a print copy for my collection. The writing style was also so light and made for a quick read. This would make an excellent film.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because Starlahreads was raving about it and I was excited to see my Hoopla had the audiobook. This one is about a boy named Andre who just received a liver transplant. With his transplant, though, comes the ability to time travel and Andre finds himself traveling back to the 1960s and meeting a boy who lives in the house Andre currently lives with his family. The two start falling for each other, but Andre is trying to understand where his powers come from as he starts to also fall for someone from his current time. As a love triangle, this was cute, but I do think more development needed to happen with both romances. I feel like we didn't get enough time with Andre and his two love interests to actually believe he was falling for both of them. I did love the whole time traveling aspect of this book and how Andre was learning about how he came about those powers and how to control them. This was definitely a unique story and I really loved all of the characters involved, I just wanted a little bit more development of the romances.

[Melissa F. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm going to hate leaving this review, but...

This book had a fantastic premise. A teenager gets a liver transplant, and with it, the ability to time travel like the donor had? YES PLEASE! Unfortunately, it was...rather poorly executed.

For one thing, the book needed at least double the length to make the emotional connections the author was going for. I couldn't buy a single second of either relationship because they seemed to come out of the blue, and not even in an instalove way, more like a "Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy..." way. Even if I ignore (for example) Michael's easy acceptance about where (and when) Andre comes from, we're supposed to believe these characters have an intense emotional connection after like a couple hours, and it's just...so unrealistic.

Speaking of unrealistic, my god, the plot holes and inconsistencies could drive a person mad. There didn't seem to have been much research that went into the time period Andre was traveling to beyond basic high school history lessons. And beyond even that, the amount of times the plot or the rules of time travel were contradicted was staggering.

And please, please don't get me started on the idea that Blake's brother died and when his liver was going to be donated, his parents took the time to research FORTY-SIX files to figure out who was going to get it first. I swear you could hear the record-scratch sound my brain did. (Livers, if you don't know, are only viable for maybe 12 hours on ice. Even if you factor in one of the characters being able to time travel to make up some of that difference, um, let's not forget her SON had JUST DIED.)

And finally, there's the love triangle. The bad kind of love triangle. Made worse - so infinitely, horrendously worse - by the way the ending played out. Like "I'd love you and I'd stay with you but I can't so I guess I'll go for option number 2 instead oh well" worse.

Anyway, I just. Really wanted to like this. And absolutely could not.

[Marieke (mariekes_mesmerizing_books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A four-star rating it would be. In my opinion, this book is a little rushed and should be longer, at least fifty pages or so. But my thumb just tapped five beautiful ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, and I don’t think I’m able to change that. Because I adored this story!! It’s sweet, vibrant, and stunning, and I loved Dre, Michael, and Blake so, so much!

Yesterday is History is incredibly easily readable, and I didn’t want to stop. As a kid, I hated first-person/present tense writing. Then, as an adult, I did a 180-degree turn. Nowadays, it’s my most favorite. And guess what the writing style of this story is? Yes! So, I kept reading well after bedtime and was rushing my work because I wanted to get back to my ereader. I read during breakfast and lunch, didn’t want to watch Netflix in the evening. I just wanted to read. Fortunately (because of my work 😂), I finished it within one and a half-day!

Like I said above, this story should have been longer and less rushed. After I read one-third of the book, I was like, OMG, I just started reading, this is going too fast! And at the same time, I was absorbed in the story. There’s so much happening between the lines, and if you’re a fast reader like me, you tend not to see what happens and just read on and on because the writing is so flawless and the story so easily accessible. So, although this book can feel rushed, don’t rush it yourself!

I especially loved the last quarter of the story. All those feelings that could be read between the lines suddenly came to the surface. My chest tightened while reading the last two pages. I really, really love to read more of Kosoko Jackson. And is it weird that I’m curious about his first book? The one that has never been published for known reasons? I love that he mentions it in his acknowledgments by the way! Like he says: Yesterday is history, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn from it, am I right? You’re absolutely right, Kosoko!

[Anniek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally I do my best to read books critically, but with this one I was mostly "no thoughts, head empty, vibes only". I did enjoy this for the most part, mainly because I really like contemporary books with a time travelling element. But I really wanted a little more from this - I found it lacked some substance.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing "simple" about this book. It can be best described as a contemporary love story...a novel of time travel...and a story about a young gay black man at the center of a fairly unconventional love triangle. I'm not a fan of books that are described as sci-fi or time travel...but then, some books just aren't done proper justice on a list of themes, subjects, or genres, and Yesterday is History is certainly one of them. I had read Jackson's book I'm So (Not) Over You last month and absolutely loved it...so I was expecting nothing less from this one. The "Big Questions" are well discussed and answered in this fairly short book. It tackles the otherworldly question of time travel.... but more importantly the very real-world issues of equality yet leaves room for the mundane. A teenager who's working on finding his way in life without disappointing his parents...a family struggling with a serious illness and recovery...and a couple of boys who have no experience with romance and aren't necessarily looking for one...but fate has other plans for them whether they like it or not. This book was absolutely incredible

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Yesterday Is History was such a fun book to dive into. Sometimes time travel and I don't really get along but this book was just really enjoyable. I liked getting to know Andre, Michael and Blake. Even though this was a love triangle, and I'm not a huge fan of those, these three somehow made it cute. I think the whole time different probably made it more enjoyable to me but it also made it super hard to figure out who to ship Andre with.

I honestly wasn't expecting to feel so many emotions while listening to this one. Trust me, they came and I was so sad. Of course Andre has to make some tough decisions when certain things come his way and I just kind of sat back and watched it all happen. I had comments and opinions, sure, but I just didn't know how to handle it.

In the end, I loved Andre and seeing his personal journey through love.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm, okay, so let’s see… seeing this is blurbed as a YA novel about a Black teenager discovering he has the ability to time travel after a live saving liver transplant and described as a novel about letting go of the past, staying in the future and figuring out who you want to be in the future, this was boring as fuck. Expletives are necessary because there is no other way to describe what it felt like reading a novel so utterly bland, I FORGOT I was reading it, like I genuinely forgot to log it as “currently reading”.

I vaguely remember buying this for a bargain second hand, very likely because I was looking for books penned by Black men other than James Baldwin. YA isn’t my usual genre but the premise of time travel got me. No matter how old I am, novels about characters with the ability to time travel will, unfortunately, always lure me in like a worm does a fish. Blubb, blubb. 🐠🐠

Now for a book that combines time travel with a romantic subplot – or two, as I should say, since its primary plot point revolves around Andre not knowing whether to choose the hot white guy from 1970s Boston or the hot white guy from current day 2020s Boston – the novel is so uninterested in half of its own setup, it literally couldn’t care less whether Andre actually time travelled or not.

Does he visit the Pyramids of Gizeh? No. Does he go to 1985’s Live Aid? No. Does he travel to see the Aztecs? The Vikings? The assassination of JFK? No, no, and no. All the cool shit you expect a novel that introduces time travel to its readers to do is void and missing from this. The Magic Treehouse series would never let me down like this.

You know what Andre does with his time travel abilities? Continuously visit the hot white guy (let’s call him Michael) from 1970s Boston who he’s mysteriously tethered to. Michael wears leather jackets (~oooooooooooh~), smokes (~ooooooooooooh~), has shaggy dark hair (~ooooooooooh~), doesn’t get along with his parents (aww, sad) and wants to be a journalist (~oooooooooooh~). Michael is your prototypical teenage love interest of any 2010 rom-com ever. That’s it. That’s all Andre does with his ability. Visit Michael, drink alcohol with him, listen to music, and make out. BOOOOORRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGG. Why the fuck introduce time travel in the first place if all you’re gonna do is abuse the trope to introduce a love interest? Why bother?

Alas, the impossible choice Andre is faced with comes about not only through falling in love with a guy from the 70s, who, in the present, is not only old as shit but may not even be alive, who knows, but through simultaneously falling for the brother of the guy whose liver he’s now living with! I know! We’re talking full on telenovela! This guy (let’s call him Blake) – also hot and white (but ginger and rich) – is tasked by his mother to teach Andre the ways of time traveling because hold up, they’re a family of time travellers! 😳 Naturally, this doesn’t come about easy to Blake since he now has to spend time with a random dude who is alive while his brother is not!! 😩 This makes him sad and angry! 😡Causing him to lash out! 🫨

But even the premise of one-on-one time travel lessons the novel manages to turn into mindless pap because, as it turns out, Blake is the only one in his family who can’t time travel, so the lessons turn into nothing but Blake stating some rules, Andre travelling to see Michael, travelling back, and unwillingly falling in love with Blake. Talk about mind-numbing.

There are some things here and there, like the novel being set after the BLM movement, with explicit mentions of the protests, Andre’s parents’ dynamic and their worry for their son, Andre having trouble with his grades and graduating because he missed so much school because of his cancer treatments, that feel real and are well-communicated. Teenagers and kids of Andre’s age will have no trouble seeing parts of themselves in him.

As much as the novel doesn’t concern itself with time travel beyond using it as a plot device to introduce a love triangle* situation, it isn’t concerned with coming-out angst, either. Andre is fully out to his social environment, which frees up space used for, well, nothing particularly interesting or worthwhile, but at least we weren’t saddled with a coming-out plot on top of all that.

Lastly, I get that introducing two love interests from vastly different social and economic backgrounds, both laden with personal trauma, makes for character dynamics that, in theory, should be interesting to read about, but I thought they were barely explored. The author does a good job highlighting the tension and awkwardness that comes with two white boys having to be reminded constantly of their privileges afforded to them because of their skin colour and how their (non-)awareness influences their relationship with Andre, but Blake’s economic background as the child of one of the city’s richest families is left largely unexplored.

Wish I could have enjoyed this more, wish I could have rated this higher, wish the novel was better. If anyone out there has any recommendations regarding novels featuring Black characters who can time travel, hit me up.

*I know it's not a proper love triangle since for a triangle all three sides have to... blah blah, I know, but as false as the term is, it has stuck.

🎬 Instead of reading this, watch that: See You Yesterday (2019)

[⛅ Sunny (sunnysidereviews) ⛅ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars!

What initially drew me into reading Yesterday Is History was the plot. I was looking for a book that would make me 💫feel something💫, and I’m happy to say that it delivered! This debut novel is the heart-wrenching and emotional read I needed. I was ecstatic to find that the time travel concept wasn’t confusing either!

Unfortunately though, the main character Andre was a bit insufferable. What really annoyed me was how everyone, including himself, kept on saying that he was a ‘smart boy.’ It was repeated way too many times. Aside from that, I liked that Andre was a bit selfish as it made him seem more human. I’m glad that cancer was also represented as simply a part of Andre’s identity, and not his whole entire personality. People are more than just their medical situations, so I think the author handled it very well.

What made this novel so incredibly gut punching was Andre’s relationship with the love interests. There was one love interest in each timeline. One in 1969; Arthur, and one in the present day; Blake. The main character’s relationship with Blake felt extremely rushed and sudden. It came out of nowhere. The one in 1969 felt too insta-love for my liking, but I was anticipating it, so their relationship wasn’t surprising. Furthermore, I enjoyed reading about Andre’s relationship with his parents, and with Blake’s parents. There was something so genuine about it. In addition, his relationship with his best friend Isabel felt forced and unnecessary. She barely had a role in the story. Considering that Isabel is his best friend, it felt odd that she had little to no presence.

The dialogue in Yesterday Is History sometimes felt unrealistic. It was very picture perfect, and was too formal. Luckily, there were some moments where I pondered what was said, which was nice.

The writing was simple to understand, which I was very grateful for considering that this is a science fiction novel. Sadly, it felt bland at times. I really wanted to this book to be emotional because it seemed like that type of book, but it just wasn’t. (But I guess that’s more on me then the book.)

I must admit, I was planning on giving Yesterday Is History 3 stars. But my oh my this was such an addicting read! I could not put it down. If you’re trying to get out of a slump, I highly recommend this novel. Overall, it was very enjoyable. If you like science fiction, or are wanting to get into it, this might just be the book for you.

---Overall Rating---

Age Rating: 15 and up

TW: Use of alcohol

Final Rating: 8.5/10 or 4.25 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐

More reviews like this on http://sunnysidereviews.wordpress.com/ !

[Marci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yesterday is History tells the tale of Andre Cobb. Andre needs a new liver due to having a form of cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma. After getting his liver transplant, Andre faces quite a large side effect...the ability to time travel! Through thoughtful and poignant first person narration, Kosoko Jackson made me feel as though I jumped into the deep end of a swimming pool and finally came up for air by the end of the book. By this I mean I was blissfully unaware of everything around me, the concept of time did not exist, I felt like I was submerged in an entire new world and my entire face was wet. Tears, man. So. Many. Tears. It is a masterful art to make both of the love interests involved in a love triangle so compelling and lovable with a hefty portion of “You both are so wonderful for different reasons!!!!! I’m torn!!!” Andre meets Michael on his first time hop to 1969 because Michael and he share a house. Andre lives in said house 52 years in the future. They have an instant connection that defies the rules set in place, that quite literally defies space and time; and Andre fights to preserve this blossoming love. In 2021 we have Andre’s time travel tutor, Blake. Blake is the son of Greg and Claire McIntyre. They are a family of time travelers. His brother, Dave was killed in December 2020 and Andre was gifted his brother’s liver. Blake and Andre’s connection is one that grew due to time spent together where Blake taught Andre the art of time travel. I felt like I was a side character in the story, like I was hopping through time alongside Andre and his journey wouldn’t be complete without me beside him and vice versa. So I’ll say with glassy eyes and tear stained cheeks, I feel so deeply satisfied with this ending and this beautiful story I got the pleasure to read. I want to push this into the hands of every reader with a knowing smile like I’m a wise and all knowing grandmother. Go for it. Your love for this book will defy space and time.

[It's Jess✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a book can make you cry - it's a good book!


SPOILERS
I really have no critique besides that I wish the story was longer. I truly understood and felt the love Michael and Andre had. The relationship between Blake and Andre felt a little rush, especially because we only saw them arguing and skipped over the 10 months of them bonding. I wish I could have seen more moments so I could enjoy their love story. I'll accept that Andre's future is just beginning and that his life is full of hope and opportunity now. But, I honestly love Michael more! There I said it!!!

Pros:
Andre dealing with cancer is a serious topic and I like how we didn't pity him or that he didn't magically fix everything. I think this will be a powerful story for those dealing with disease - I have a physical disability so I'm also speaking from personal experience.
Plus we STAN QUEER LOVE!!! Oh my god! I can't tell you how much I hate stories where there's only one love interest who's a douchebag and they fall in love at the end, like there aren't anymore options! The fact that Andre had two loves is REALLY meaningful to see! Yes it might be hard to find someone you can trust with your love but there is someone out there!
For a moment I did feel like this was a white savior moment swooping in to give him a liver and magically ability BUT what I think is cool is that Andre earned it. That they wouldn't have choose him if they didn't think he was a good person, so I enjoyed how this book talked about merit and privilege.

(I do think the only only other con I have is that his best friend didn't feel important to the story and I wish she was flushed out more.)

REALLY ENJOYED!
Highly recommend!!

[Shannon Miz · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

Goodness, this book was fabulous! The premise alone sounded phenomenal to me, I love a time travel story, and I was eager to see how the author would weave it into a liver transplant. And it was magical. The story captured me from the very first page and never let go. This is one of those books that when I was not able to be reading it, I'd think about reading it. I shall try to do it justice with my review, but you really should just go read it for yourselves.

►Andre was incredibly likable and empathetic. Oh I just wanted to hug him! I mean, he's obviously been through it, having a liver transplant as a teen. And now he found out that a side effect is that he now hops to 1969 on the reg? Yeah, that is a lot. And Andre has flaws, of course, but he also goes through so much growth during the book.

►Yes, it's a time travel book, but it's more an Andre book. Time travelling certainly shapes Andre, there's no doubt. Michael, the young man he meets from his house forty plus years prior shapes who he will become. Seeing the way the LGBT+ community was treated back then obviously has a huge impact. But the thing is, at its core, this story is Andre's, not just time travel, or his transplant, or his identities. It's all of that mixed together, to form this wonderful young man who is navigating coming of age and figuring out what he wants and who he wants to be and it is lovely.

►The emotions, they are strong! I laughed, I cried, I cried a little more, I smiled. I felt so connected to the characters and the story that it was genuinely difficult to close the book and be done. That is a rarity for me lately, and Yesterday is History gave me that gift.

►Huge focus on all facets of Andre's life- his family, his friends, his interests and future, and yes, his romantic relationships. The thing I loved is that the author was able to make each aspect of Andre's life fully fleshed out. So the reader was obviously interested in who Andre will choose to be with, but also what career path he'll choose, how he and his family will cope with all the changes, what his friends are thinking about this, how the heck time travel will fit into his busy schedule. It was all important, because it was all part of Andre's story.

►It's so incredibly thought provoking. This is a bit of spoiler territory, so I won't go beyond that, but I will promise you that more times than not, you'll be asking yourself exactly what you'd do if you found yourself in Andre's situation. Which frankly, makes his story all the more relatable.

Bottom Line: Yesterday is History is such a lovely gem of a book with one of my favorite main characters in a long time. I fell in love with Andre's journey, and I've no doubt that you will too.

[Sheena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yesterday Is History is a short read with romance and time travel. It also discusses cancer, racism, and LGBTQ without making it the sole focus of the book. I loved that Jackson made a gay black boy the main love interest in the middle of a love triangle because that is so rare. It wasn’t really a love triangle because it’s kind of obvious who Andre is more drawn to and Thank God for that since I don’t like love triangles.

There are some inconsistencies that made the story a little confusing but I wouldn’t say it ruined it. Some of it doesn’t make sense but it didn’t bug me that much. It’s a cute and heartwarming story overall but not necessarily something that I will remember forever. I think it could’ve benefited from being a little longer with more explanation as well.

Thanks so much to Dreamscape media for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[Lex’s Library · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise was of this was SO COOL, but it unfortunately fell flat…

[REVIEW]

DISCLAIMER: When writing a negative review, it is never my intention to sound like I don’t think ANYONE should read a book I rated one or two stars. If I discouraged you, I might be taking away your chance from discovering your newest favorite book. Therefore, please don’t let my review TOTALLY deter you from reading Yesterday Is History. This is just a collection of my thoughts and opinions of the book. This is me saying, “I didn’t like Yesterday Is History and here’s why.” I’m not saying, “I didn’t like Yesterday Is History, and here’s why you shouldn’t like it/read it.”

(On that note, I am aware some people need to read others’ thoughts and opinions to help them to decide whether or not to buy/read a book. If this review does help you, and that’s what you needed, that’s fine! However, don’t just take my word for it. Look at what others are saying, and decide from there.)

*Trigger/content warnings in this book for alcoholism, cancer (mentioned), death/loss of a loved one, familial estrangement, grief, homophobia, and racism*

I was excited to read this because the premise sounded SO COOL. A boy being able to time travel after receiving a transplant? A queer love triangle with a boy from the past and a boy from the present? Okay, I’m listening…

Unfortunately, I found myself underwhelmed for most of the book. From the romances, to the time traveling, everything felt underdeveloped. I think if this had been longer, everything could’ve been fleshed out more.

MY THOUGHTS ON…

WHAT I LIKED:

•Andre was a wonderful protagonist to read about! He was easy to like and I never found myself getting annoyed with him (not even in the love triangle!). Andre’s heart was always in the right place, and he never stopped trying to do the right thing. If Kosoko Jackson ever decided to write a sequel, I would read it for Andre!

•I’ll talk more about my disappointment with the execution of the time traveling concept. However, I will give credit where credit is due—I REALLY did like the premise, and the idea of Andre being a time traveler because of his transplant. It was such an interesting concept, and the whole conflict with Andre tearing himself apart because he was time traveling also had me intrigued. I just wished these had been explored and fleshed out more.

MY CRITIQUES:

•I didn’t understand how Blake’s parents were able to research FORTY-SIX people in need of a liver before they chose Andre to donate their son’s liver to. How long could that have taken??? One reviewer, Melissa, even states that livers “are only viable for maybe 12 hours on ice.” So how could researching 46 people in that short amount of time be possible???

•A lot of the side characters felt underdeveloped. I kind of wish there’d been more focus on these characters rather than Blake and Michael. It would’ve been so interesting to see how Andre keeping secrets affected his relationships with his parents and best friend, and maybe even see Andre time travel with Blake’s parents.

•The time traveling also wasn’t as developed as it could’ve been. When Andre first started training to time travel, I was SO excited to see all the places and time periods he’d travel to. Unfortunately, the only time he’d mention actually time traveling was to visit Michael. There was a passing comment about him visiting Titanic, but emphasis on PASSING. And even when Andre WOULD go back in time to visit Michael, he’d hardly talk about where he was, what was going on at the time, what was in style when it came to music, fashion, etc.

•The love triangle was, unsurprisingly, forced and frustrating to read about. And that’s unfortunate, considering that I actually think this could’ve been a very well-written love triangle. Andre having to choose between a boy from the past and a boy from the present? That definitely sound intriguing! I thought the stakes would get higher as Andre spent more time with Michael, making it harder and harder for him to want to stay in the present. But then Blake would show him everything he’d miss about the present, and Andre would find himself falling in love with him.

However, we hardly got any conflict. What lacked was the pros and cons of Andre choosing one boy over the other. There only seemed to be cons when it came to choosing Michael, and yet somehow I still couldn’t root for Andre and Blake’s relationship.

•Going off of that, neither of the romances were developed enough. Andre and Michael’s relationship was practically insta love, I didn’t believe in their romance for a second. And Andre and Blake kept giving me whiplash from going back and forth between hating each other, to checking each other out, to hating each other again, and then back to flirting and falling in love. While I believed in Andre and Blake’s romance a little more, it wasn’t by much.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This wasn’t terrible, but I did feel like there needed to be…MORE. More buildup, more consistent pacing, more development with romances, you name it. That said, I do plan on reading more of Jackson’s books. I recommend this if you’re looking for a book with a wonderful protagonist, queer rep, and time travel.

MELISSA’S REVIEW:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[eli ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the premise of "Yesterday Is History", but it fell a little short for me. They said that the time traveling is genetic, which is fine, but then both of the parents can do it? I didn't know if they were inbred or what, because it sounded like it said that there was only one family that could do it, and then it changed a couple of times throughout. The main characters get angry about random things, that to me, don't make sense why they would be mad in the first place. I really enjoyed the writing and even though Andre annoyed me at times, I did like all the characters. Overall, I did still think it was a cute story just some things didn't add up to me. Maybe I'll try and read this again, but I'm not sure.

[Ms. B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time travel + a love triangle = Yesterday is History = (fun) x (entertaining) x (logical)

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've wanted to read a Kosoko Jackson book for quite a while, and upon seeing the cover of his 2021 release "Yesterday is History" and reading the synopsis, I immediately put in a request for the book on NetGalley, and I was absolutely thrilled to be approved for an e-ARC copy of the book from SourceBooksFire, in exchange for an honest review.

"Yesterday is History" tells the story of Andre Cobb, a teenage cancer patient who receives a liver transplant, and with it, the unexpected gift of being able to travel back in time.

Without warning, Andre finds himself transported from 2021 back to 1969, where he meets Michael, who lives in the same house as Andre lives in the future, and the two of them begin to bond. But, as quickly as he arrived, Andre returns to the present where Blake, the brother of Andre's donor, has been assigned to teach him how to use his new gift.

Eventually, Andre finds himself torn between the past and the present, between Michael and Blake, and it's up to him to figure out where he belongs and who he wants to be.

This book was absolutely brilliant, and beautiful! The story is unlike anything I've ever read before, and it pulled me in almost instantly. It was very compulsively readable, and I grew to love Andre and his relationships with both Michael and Blake. The last 5-10 percent of the book in particular was incredibly emotional, and at the end, I was bawling my eyes out.

Kosoko Jackson's writing was easy and approachable, and he was able to alternate between the two timelines of the novel very effectively! I expected to enjoy this book, but having finished it, I can say that it exceeded any possible expectations I had. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK and I definitely recommend it!

"Yesterday is History" is scheduled for publication on February 2, 2021 from SourceBooksFire and if the idea of a contemporary sci-fi book with LGBTQ+ themes appeals as much to you as it did to me, you will definitely want to add this to your shelf!

Special thanks to Kosoko Jackson, SourceBooksFire and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book early!

[Jonathan David Pope · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars (rounded to 4)

A time travelling love story featuring a Black queer protagonist, count me in. I honestly think Yesterday is History was a pretty good story. I enjoyed reading about Dre hopping between the past and the present, grappling with these budding relationship with both Michael and Blake. What I will say is, I don’t think Blake was a good match for Dre. He was disrespectful on many occasions (they fell out multiple times over the course of this novel) and he kind of crushed any hopes that Dre could be with Michael (which, though realistic, was pretty rude). You pretty much could see that the only real connection he had with Blake was physical. And Jackson was definitely trying to make him more of the sarcastic-brooding-bad-boy love interest. If I’m being very nit-picky, I will say that Kosoko Jackson’s decision to make Dre fall in love with two white men, 5 decades apart was…interesting. This felt like a missed opportunity to show Black love, and portray Black folks during that time period. To that point there wasn’t much historical information added to provide context of life as a queer person during the late 60’s-early 70’s, and absolutely none on life as a Black queer person during that time. Stonewall was mentioned in passing, and it was said that the Civil Rights Movement had happened, however, more information could have given this book a little more depth. It was very surface-level. A little too simple. But, I moved passed that to just see the story as it was. It was fast-paced enough to keep me pretty hooked, and though some of the topics were a bit heavy (loss of a sibling, grief, and cancer), it felt light enough to not have you sobbing and feeling hopeless afterward. I would say that it’s a solid YA debut.

[Laurence · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and unfortunately I didn’t love this as much as I’d hoped.

The whole premise of the story is a teenager who has cancer and gets a liver transplant that just happens to give him the ability to time travel; that seems cool right? Right. The problem is...the time travel aspect of the story felt like nothing more than a method to push the plot forward. There was nothing exciting about it, Andre (the main character) only uses it to go back in time to visit a teenage boy he met.

Which leads me onto my next issue, the romances. Andre is in the middle of a love triangle between the boy he meets in 1969 and the boy he meets in his current time in 2021. That alone was enough to interest me in reading this story, but unfortunately, both of the romances fell flat. Michael (the boy from 1969) seems to be the better fit for Andre, in my opinion, but obviously (MILD SPOILER) you know that things will not work out for them in the end because Michael is living in 1969 (END OF SPOILER). Blake (The boy from 2021) comes off as very volatile for most of the story and I found it very hard to root for their relationship to work out.

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this was great! It had so much emotion, was sweet and sad and well written. The pacing is good and I couldn't get enough of Andre, Michael, and Blake. Be prepared to shed a few tears when you check this one out!

Andre is recovering from a life saving liver transplant when he discovers that he's inherited the ability to time travel. He journeys back to 1969 and meets Michael and they immediately click. I loved their relationship and it made it so difficult because how could they possibly be together when they're separated by forty years? In the present, Andre is connecting with Blake who's brother gave Andre the liver. Blake is cute and still grieving and having Andre seems to help him heal. Now I'm torn between the two love interests.

There was really only one way for this to play out, though it hurt my heart. Even though one relationship couldn't work out, Andre learned a lot about love and being true to yourself. The story was so good and the narrator for the audiobook did a fantastic job!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the copy

[Vinícius Sgorla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me fez dar algumas risadas e também chorei horrores nas últimas páginas. Apesar de entender mais ou menos o trajeto que o enredo iria tomar quando todos os personagens foram apresentados, alguns twists e a conexão que tive com o triângulo amoroso (que, pasmem, é MUITO bem feito!) deu toda uma dinâmica nova que trouxe uma sensação gostosa lendo. Amei demais!

[Hester · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was definitely one of the best contemporaries I've read this year!! I loved the entire plot honestly, it really dragged me in for the full ride. Normally I'm very against love triangles, I never enjoy them, but this time? Oof, it was done so so well. Really loved this!

[Kit (Metaphors and Moonlight) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Review:
This was cute, bittersweet, a tiny bit heartbreaking, and touching all at once, and it almost made me cry.

This is one of those "teens with teen problems but also magic/powers" books, though this one was heavier on the powers (time travel) and mostly focused on that and romance, though it did touch upon some teen struggles like graduating and pressure from parents about college and careers. It also touched upon a lot of heavier topics without getting too heavy, including cancer and problems with the US medical system (since Andre, the MC, had cancer and got a transplant), racism (since Andre was Black), grief (since Andre got to know the family of the boy whose liver he got), and alcoholism/drug use (since one love interest used them to deal with his struggles at one point).

There was time travel that didn't get too into paradoxical or complicated stuff. Not everything was super explained, but it didn't really need to be.

Where I think this book shined was in the cute but also bittersweet, messy, and sometimes heartbreaking romance (love triangles always are) and the touching story. The premise is that Andre starts traveling to 1969 where he falls for a boy named Michael, while in the present he starts falling for his donor's brother, Blake. I think the relationships could've been explored a bit more and been given a bit more depth, but I felt for all three characters---because of their feelings for each other and how it impacted them, but also for other reasons, like Blake grieving his brother and Michael being kicked out for being gay. And, without spoilers, I loved how the romance was kind of messy, because sometimes that's how life is. Feelings are messy and imperfect, and this is a kind of thing I rarely find in books, especially YA.

(Ok, spoiler talk for a moment: *SPOILER* Andre told Michael he'd stay with him if he could, which means Andre probably wouldn't have ended up with Blake if he could've been with Michael, which maybe isn't the perfectly romantic ending some people want from a book (or maybe I'm just reading too much into something a teen said in an emotional situation), but, as I said, sometimes life and feelings and relationships are just imperfect like that. And I don't believe in soulmates, I think there are people we are compatible with and develop a closer relationship with over time, and just because there could be others out there, it doesn't make what you have with the person you're with any less meaningful. Over time, there will be a chance for things to develop more and deeper between Andre and Blake. But Andre and Michael loved each other at one point and left an important impact on each other that will always remain, even after they move on from the feelings. It was cool to see a book, in my interpretation, acknowledge all of that. *END SPOILER*)

The audiobook narration by Ron Butler was great for Andre's character and sounded natural, but my one complaint is that it was hard to tell who was talking sometimes. Michael at least had a Boston accent, but even with that it could still be hard to tell.

Overall a sweet story that made me tear up numerous times and that I really enjoyed!

*Rating: 4 Stars // Read Date: 2021 // Format: Audiobook*

Recommended For:
Anyone who likes YA, time travel, stories that deal with heavy topics without getting too heavy, feelings that are realistically messy, and romance that's bittersweet but ultimately touching and cute.

Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not expect that to make me cry thats for sure. This story had such a way of drawing me in and it was such a ride to go through. I really enjoyed this one and it made me cryyyy. 4.25 stars 😭.