Cover image from Goodreads.com
Darby is annoyed with New York and suddenly unemployed. On the cusp of his thirtieth birthday and unsure of what to do with his life, he decides to move back to his hometown of Oak Falls, Illinois to help his mom move out of his childhood home and into a new condo. Once at Oak Falls, he visits the beloved bookstore he worked at as a teen. He steps inside to see everything is exactly the same, from the hand-lettered signs to the musty smell of books. Most shocking is the teen behind the counter, who looks exactly like he did back in 2009, some sixteen years ago.
Faced with the opportunity to change his present by talking to his past self, he’s got to figure out how to talk to his younger self before this connection vanishes forever.
The novel had me at time travel. I love the idea of being able to visit my younger self and maybe even help my past self realize some things that would definitely help my present self, just like Darby. I liked the transitions from past to present and how Darby’s entire focus was on trying to connect with his past self without seeming creepy or weird.
The theme was connection, broken or strong, between people. Darby has the chance to repair the relationship between him and his best friend from high school, a breakup that mystified Darby until nearly the end of the novel.
Another theme is acceptance. Darby is trans and having the opportunity to see how his hometown accepts him for who he is right now was well done. While New York might have a stronger LGBTQ+ community, there was one in Oak Falls as well. Eventually, Darby needs to make a choice: stay in Oak Falls or move back to New York where he’s carved out a life.
Overall, this novel was sweet and endearing. Darby is believable and so is time travelling by stepping through the door of a bookstore.
Should Be Writing 