Stuck in the 70’s

Moving from slice-of-life fiction to the realm of magical realism, Garfinkle (Storky) breaks new ground with this lighthearted time-travel tale. Shay Saunders is in a Jacuzzi with her boyfriend when she is whisked back to 1978. She lands in the bathroom of Tyler Gray—Honors Society student, member of the backgammon club, early computer enthusiast—an archetypal nerd. Upon discovering the naked beauty in his tub, Tyler is less concerned about from where Shay came than he is at making sure she sticks around for a while. However, he becomes considerably less hospitable when Shay shakes up his conservative household with her modern ideas, turning Tyler’s little sister into a boy magnet and convincing his mother that her place is not necessarily in the kitchen. The clash between the teens’ different lifestyles and morals creates chaos at times, yet the conflicts effect some positive changes. From Shay, Tyler learns how to become popular and gains new insight into a brainy friend he has previously taken for granted. Living with the Grays, Shay experiences a type of warmth, attention and acceptance that was lacking in her other, more materialistic world. While offering a mix of slapstick comedy and poignant moments as the mismatched teens try to figure out how to get Shay “back to the future,” the book raises thought-provoking questions about whether teen relationships, attitudes and romance have evolved for better or for worse over time. Ages 12-up. (May)