Yesterday by C.K. Kelly Martin

Synopsis: 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 toward 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.

 

Review: Unfortunately, now that you have read the synopsis, you have a pretty good idea of what is going on in this novel. Freya spends the first third of the novel questioning her headaches and faulty memories. Freya might not be sure of what is going on, but her readers are. The synopsis and prologue give away what Freya spends so much of the novel trying to figure out. We know that Freya belongs in 2063, not 1985, but like Freya, we do not know exactly why she is in 1985. This keeps the first third of the novel from being dry.

 

After that first third of the novel, we finally learn—with Freya—why she is in a different time than she should be. This revelation comes in the form of an info-dump that spans several chapters. Needless to say, it was disappointing. I was fascinated by the world that Martin creates in 2063, but I wish it had been described in a different manner.

 

Throughout the rest of the novel, Freya and Garren do nothing but run. They know more than they are supposed to, so they have no choice but to run in order to keep their memories. All of this running could have been boring, but Martin keeps it interesting. Freya and Garren are confronted with so many different obstacles, one of which is their feelings for each other.

 

My favorite part of this novel is the relationship Freya and Garren have. So many relationships in young adult novels happen way too easily; this is not the case with Freya and Garren’s. I thought it was such a nice touch that Freya has a crush on Garren in 2063. Also, I was shocked at how deep her feelings for him are during one of the scenes at the end of the novel. And way to go Freya for being the one to kiss first. On multiple occasions. I am definitely not the kind of girl who kisses first, and I love reading about girls who are in the hopes that characters like Freya will inspire girls like me to be more confident.

 

C. K. Kelly Martin has created one of the most unique settings I’ve seen in a dystopian novel and filled it with characters I hope to learn more about. If Martin writes a sequel to Yesterday, I will definitely read it.

 

REVIEWED BY: STEPHANIE