Though it had a slow start, The First State of Being expertly dives into the way anxiety and identity profoundly affect teens and tweens in any decade, any century. Entrada Kelly is magnificent at viewing the world through a child's lens and creates characters authentic to the time period. Give to tweens and their grown-ups, who would likely identify with the nostalgia of the Y2K phenomenon.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

The beautiful prose we've come to expect from Kelly. Explores themes of family, trust, forgiveness, and grief. Recommend without reservation.

I've yet to read anything by Erin Entrada Kelly that I don't love. She is so good at storytelling and character development, and creating a core group of kids who are real and can carry the story. Even the sci-fi element of time travel in this book didn't feel heavy and just wove itself into the story in a way that made the reader feel like Ridge was just a regular kid. I loved how it included snippets of what was happening with Ridge's family in the future as well as news articles about the state of the world. I will also admit that I didn't see the twist coming at the end. The only thing that prevented me from giving it 5 stars was that I wanted one more check-in with Ridge at the end. Otherwise, I loved it.

Several weeks have passed since I read this book, and here is what sticks with me: Ridge time travels to the 1990's. He struggles to get back to his own time. I remember other details, but not why they were important. Michael's new shoes, the scent of Giby's shampoo, feeding cats, a building super who dies, Ridge's holodrip, the book that Ridge carried in his pocket. I enjoyed this book while I was reading it, but it didn't "stick." I am always looking for a book that will change me or make me grow or give me a new way of looking at the world. For me, The First State of Being didn't rise to that level.

The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly is unlike any book I have ever read. It's difficult to review the book without giving away spoilers that are important to the experience of reading the story. I will do my best! The story is set in multiple times, both in the past (1999) and in the future. Kelly seamlessly takes the reader from the characters in the past to the future where their stories intertwine. The mysterious teenager who appears one day in the apartment complex of neighbors, 12 year old Michael and his 15 year old babysitter, Gibby, changes their lives forever. The reader is right alongside Michale and Gibby as their minds are flooded with questions: Who is he and why is he there all alone? What is he wearing and how can Michael and Gibby keep him from getting kicked out by their complex manager?

As the story unfolds, readers dive into the personal lives of the main characters. Themes of friendship, crushes, family and trust abound in this story. It would be fitting for a book club since there is so much to discuss with other readers. I would definitely add this book to my school library and gift it to the middle grade readers in my life.

Brilliantly written book about a boy in the past (the book takes place in 1999), a boy from far in the future, and an underestimated girl. Michael Rosario is 12 and carrying more than the weight of the world on his young shoulders. His single mom works 3 jobs while Michael reluctantly shoplifts canned food to add to his Y2K stockpile and worries about his future - both Y2K and middle school. His only friends are the apartment's maintenance man and his 15-year-old babysitter Gibby, who Michael has a crush on, but Michael is not as alone as he thinks.
When Ridge suddenly appears and says he is from the future, Michael and Gibby are suspicious, but are willing to take Ridge to the one place he came back in time to see - a shopping mall.
While there are certainly some laughs in this story, it is also suspenseful, poignant, mysterious, meaningful, and thought-provoking. The characters stayed with me long after I put the book down.
I love Erin Entrada Kelly's storytelling - everything happens for a reason, and I loved the way she tied certain plot points together. This book is unique, intriguing, emotional, and deserving of high praise.

Wow - this book has me reminiscing! 1999 was a pivotal year in my life. Graduation, travel, first teaching job, heartbreak. Thanks for taking me back while I read about Michael, Gibby and Ridge!

"I took every breath."

It’s August 1999 and twelve-year-old Michael is preparing for the looming Y2K crisis that’s just around the corner by keeping a small stockpile under his bed. His mom, nor his babysitter, Gibby, seem to be as worried. When a disoriented teenage boy appears out of nowhere, Michael’s life is turned around.

It turns out, the disoriented boy is named Ridge, and he’s the world’s first time traveler. As Gibby shows Ridge around the 1999s lifestyle - microwaves, basketballs, and the mall - Michael discovers their new friend has a book that outlines the events of the next twenty years. Michael wants - no, actually, he needs to get his hands on that book to find out the fate of the world in the next few months. But, how far is he willing to go to get it?

Oh to remember the Y2K crisis. I was seven and in all honesty, my memories don’t attach to computers crashing, but the world itself crumbling down?? I was probably overthinking it with the complete limited amount of knowledge I was given. My parents and my aunt and uncle weren’t concerned about it, so I just went with it.

This was cute and a fun introduction to the late 90’s for middle grade readers - and brings up the discussion of Y2K as well. It also gave plenty of shout outs to Millennials. I also enjoyed the twist(s) at the end - of course, not going to give them away.

I can see adults liking this just as much as kids because of the pop culture references and such. Again, this would probably open the discussion for kids to ask about the late 90s, early 2000s - especially Y2K and computer culture back in the day.

*Thank you Greenwillow Books and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Another solid Erin Entrada Kelly offering set in the days of Y2K. The nostalgia factor will definitely appeal to millennial readers but current children will also find a lot to love in this heartfelt coming of age story. Emotional without being heavy handed with just enough sci-fi to keep it quirky!

Ready for a time travel/historical fiction book? Let's go back in time to 1999!
Was I the best version of myself today? this is a question Michael ask himself everyday. Michael is living in Delaware in the summer of 1999. The fears of Y2K are looming and Michael feels like he must prepare for the worse case scenario. One day Michael and his babysitter, Gabby, come across a teen who seems a bit out of place, his clothes are strange, and he claims he is from 200 years into the future. How did it get here? A sibling argument. Ridge just had to prove his brother wrong and ends up using the time machine his mother has been working on to prove a point. Now in the 1999s he wants to see a few things before he decides to go back, but time travel is complicated and the machine that brought him here is no longer working properly. Could Ridge be stuck in 1999 forever? Will Ridge tell Michael what happens with Y2K? Read this fun middle grade read from award winning author Erin Entrada Kelly. 3.5 Stars

As a fan of Erin Entrada Kelly's other books, I really wanted to like this one. I love the idea that readers today are asked to consider that they are living through historical moments whose significance may only be understood in the far future. However, it felt like all the references to 1999 were for adults not children. I can't see any of my students enjoying this book.

Absolutely beautiful and heartwarming story. The characters are relatable and loveable. Appreciated the realism in the anxiety depictions. The time travel added an element of fun, but it's really the amazing characters that make this one something you need to pick up.

The First State of Being has an interesting premise -- it's just before Y2K and Michael Rosario is super anxious about the impending crisis (he just knows things won't go well). At the same time, he and his babysitter meet a boy who claims to be from the future. I enjoyed this book but not as much as Erin Entrada Kelly's previous works. I'm not sure it will appeal to students.

I listened to the audiobook with the actual narrator (not voice galley) and enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this book! This book centers around a storyline of time travel but mixed in between the pages are stories about love, love of family, love of friends and living “your one precious life”. It’s a thought-provoking and engaging read.

2.5 stars, rounding down to 2. Interesting premise, but somehow, the execution never really worked for me. I can see others liking this, but it was only just okay for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts about it.

It’s not always easy to live in the moment, something Michael Rosario knows all too well. But when his delicate world is disrupted by a visitor from the future, he soon realizes that everything he thought was important might not be what really matters. This book was full of heart and life lessons, and will make a fantastic addition to any classroom library!

Stunning book with fascinating time travel science and endearing characters. Michael's fear and shyness are relatable, and it is wonderful to see him triumph in the end. Loved the interaction between Michael, Gibby, and Ridge, and there are great adult characters with Michael's mom and Mr. Mosley. The transcripts from 2199 are a neat way to convey a futuristic tone while also showing the increasing panic of Ridge's family. Great sci-fi book with a lot of heart.

Michael, the main character of the First State of Being, worries a lot-about his mom, who works three jobs to make ends meet, about his baby sitter, Gibby, who he has a crush on, about Y2K. It's a lot. Then one day, a kid shows up in his apartment complex claiming to be a time traveler and Michael and Gibby have to figure out how to get him back to his own time. This a fun read with interesting characters and terrific 1999 cultural references. I think kids are going to love this one!

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would! The characters were interesting and very relatable. Every kid thinks that they can't make a difference in the world but by just living they can find their way and this book proves that!