Having been a similar age to the characters of this book in 1999 - I loved the nostalgia. I loved when Ridge was so excited to go to the mall and eat a Hot Pocket. It was endearing that Michael was nervous about Y2K because we all know how that ended. It's just a testament to the fact that one day, this will all be in the past, and we (or others) may look back on this time fondly. I liked the time travel aspect and also the ending as it circled back around to the beginning.

Erin Entrada Kelly has written another wonder book. Students who enjoy time travel and friendship stories will enjoy this story.

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.
Ramon de Ocampo does an excellent job of narrating the audiobook. The scene changes between past and future are clear, and each character's personality is brought to life through his expert voicing. Really well done.

Entrada Kelly's fast-paced science fiction novel takes readers on a time-traveling adventure set against the backdrop of 1999. Twelve-year-old Michael Rosario, preoccupied with anxieties surrounding the Y2K bug, encounters Ridge, a charismatic teen with a mysterious past. As their unlikely friendship unfolds, Michael finds himself yearning for Ridge's confidence and social ease.
Kelly skillfully weaves in details evocative of the late 90s, creating a layer of nostalgia for readers who lived through that era. The narrative cleverly alternates between the present and future, building suspense and propelling the story forward.
This engaging novel is a recommended addition to school and public libraries, particularly for readers in upper elementary and middle school. It offers a captivating blend of science fiction, coming-of-age themes, and a touch of historical context, capturing the anxieties and spirit of a unique moment in time.

I am writing the review for this book based on the title, and not the audiobook as the audiobook I was provided for preview was narrated by AI and is not a proper representation of the final audiobook recorded and released for the title.

I thought the book was very strong and a fun exploration of Sci/Fi, Historical Fiction, and a coming of age story. It is representative of Erin Entrada Kelly and will be appreciated by fans of other Kelly books as well as kids who enjoy slightly slower-paced atmospheric mysteries.

The transitions back and forth through time as were a bit hard to listen to through the AI audio, and I do hope they are better brought to life by a voice actor in the final published version of the title. However the plot and characters were engaging and it was a very interesting addition to the time travel cannon.

Thank you to Net Galley for the chance to preview this title.

This was my first ever Erin Entrada Kelly book, and I LOVED it! (I definitely plan on reading more by the author.)

What I loved:
- Character diversity: Erin Entrada Kelly created an amazing cast of characters who were tremendously diverse in race, socioeconomic status, home stability, and mental health.
- This book very much felt like a tribute to Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me (one of my all-time favorite middle grade novels), and I loved that so much.
- I enjoyed the book right off the bat, but the last third of the book truly hooked me. I adored the resolution and the way everything came together in the end.
- The 90s references: I have no doubt that my middle school students will enjoy this one, but as a millennial teacher, I LOVED the late 90s references (esp. the slang language and band tees).

Thank you so much to NetGalley for my advanced listener copy!

The First State of Being transported me back to the nervousness of the Y2K experience. Combining that along with someone from the future who could help ease your anxiety if they would just answer your questions. Michael is growing up faster than he wants, trying to look after his mom, deal with his romantic feelings for his babysitter and how to get his hands on this book of knowledge.. I really enjoyed the storyline and the relationship between each of the characters. It didn't take long to build up to the action and start the journey. I feel that students will be shocked to learn about how people acted about the year 2000 but the feelings of feeling unsettled and a bit desperate to do whatever it takes for your loved ones will resonate with many.

I've come to expect that any book Erin Entrada Kelly writes is going to be thought-provoking and creative, and The First State of Being did not disappoint. It made me think of When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, with the science fiction tie-in and unexpected twists and turns. One big difference, though, is that you know who the time traveler is from the beginning, but there are still some plot points that I didn't see coming right away.

One thing I loved is the way that Kelly addresses the main character's anxiety. I wondered for most of the book what the first state of being was referring to in the title. When Ridge explains it to Michael, a lightbulb went off in my head, too. I hope that is the case for tweens and teens reading this book. Anxiety is such an epidemic right now, and looking at it from a different perspective might be very helpful. Also, the referrences to Y2K took me back to a time in our history that was very uncertain. I'm not sure that many middle grade students these days even know what Y2K was, so I love that she set this book in 1999. All of the references to 90's fashion, bands, leisure activities, etc. might also open up discussions about this time period between students and the adults in their lives.

The audio I listened to was AI generated, which was explained clearly at the beginning. While it wasn't the best voice to listen to, it wasn't horrible, either, and I still enjoyed the audio. I might have to listen to the final version, too, just so I can hear it read by a professional narrator. I have the feeling if I listen to it or read it again, I'll pick up on things I didn't catch the first time, there was so much going on.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook!

Set in 1999, Michael is stockpiling and worrying about Y2K when he meets a mysterious boy, Ridge, from the future. Michael tries to get Ridge to tell him about the future and Ridge tries to get Michael to teach him all about 1999.
I loved the 90's settings and the Y2K scare, but found myself wishing for more of Michael's story and less of Ridge's. Ridge's character is great and I did find myself more concerned with him at the end, but Michael was the center of my attention.

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 loved this audiobook and can't wait to read the physical copy! I enjoyed the sci-fi storyline and all of the 90s/00s pop culture references! Felt very nostalgic to me!

Audiobook Review - The story was interesting and unique. Definitely a first purchase where middle grade science fiction is popular. Unfortunately, this title was not clearly marked as a voice galley. Had I know I wouldn't have requested it. While the automated voice made it difficult to really get into the book I can't deny that the story was creative and well written.

Middle graders will, undoubtedly, be drawn to Entrada's latest work.
Family, friendship, and the unknown are just a few of the topics that are covered in this gripping book. Michael Rosario lives with his single mom, in an apartment complex along with Mr. Mosley, the protective maintenance man and Gibby, his babysitter. One day, Ridge appears, and turns out to be the world's first-time traveler. The journey begins.
What will especially appeal to readers will be the recounting of 1999 history and what was going on in the world then. Sci-fi and futurism readers will be caught up in what life was on earth and in Ridge's world.
It's an exciting book and keeps you on edge until the finish. What a finish it was!

Time travel is, I think, my favorite genre, if you can call it that. I love Erin Entrada Kelly and for her to do a time travel novel ups her credentials in my opinion. Thank you to @netgalley for this ALC. The audio was a synthesized voice recording so it didn't have all the inflection and voice changes that the final audiobook will have. I felt that took away from the story somewhat. However, the characters were rich and I loved the wrap up at the end. More time travel and more Erin Entrada Kelly!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The First State of Being is my first EEK, but unfortunately it didn’t really hit the mark for me. This may have been in part to the annoying automated voice narration. That being said, I listened to the whole book and nothing jumped out at me as being super impactful. The characters were nice, especially Michael who is super lovable. And I thought the 1990 setting was fun- I was a late 90s baby, but adults who grew up in the 90s will especially like that aspect. However kids today will not be able to relate to that. Also, I was a little confused by the audio transcript future scenes, and I think that young readers will be thrown by these too. These scenes were especially hard to listen to on audio.

The death of [spoiler] was sad, and Ridge’s philosophy of living “in the first state of being” was interesting, but I don’t feel that the author developed these plot points enough to really leave the reader with something to think about.

I will be trying other EEK books because I do like her writing style and she has some interesting looking stories out there.

I’d label this book in the genre of science fiction. The story is set in August 1999. Middle grade readers won’t understand the uncertainty of the world that year when computers would reset to 00 on midnight and there was nothing anyone coukd do to change the fact. We were all on alert to see what would happen at the stroke of midnight.

So you see the prospects were quite worrisome with thus potential Y2K disaster looming and Michael Rosario, is experiencing social anxiety over the possibility. Will technology will melt down on Jan. 1, 2000. Well we know the disaster didn’t happen. But 12 year old Michael doesn’t know that, and he’s stockpiling stolen canned goods for himself and his overworked single mother in case it does. You will truly like Michael. He is such a tender and caring person. But Michael’s anxiety is so keen it has isolated him from most kids his age.

Then on Michael’s 12th birthday he meets Ridge. Even newcomer Ridge notices his anxiety commenting to Michael, “You have a weighted mind.” Ridge, is different too. First, he is oddly dressed, and unclear of what day and year it is. He uses off phrases saying things like maxing and relaxing. The reason for Ridge’s oddness is that he is a time traveler from the year 2199. His curiosity of spatial teleportation and the module his scientist mother is developing has landed him in Delaware in 1999. The module wasn’t perfected p, still Ridge has taken a joyride. Will he be stuck in 1999?

Michael introduces Ridge to Gibby, his babysitter, with whom has a crush. In conversations with this strange new kid, he predicts the 1999 earthquake in Turkey. Then the disaster actually occurs leaving thousands upon thousands of people dead. When the news of the quake is broadcast, they seem to take Ridge a little more seriously. Michael and Gibby agree to help get him get back to the future, and his home. Ridge doesn’t know but the reader knows that his mother and brothers are furiously working to bring him home. In the meantime Ridge wants to visit a mall where he heard was a place teens gathered back in the day when malls existed. A place where people shop in real life, in real places is a foreign concept in Ridge’s time. Even though Michael pleads with Ridge to tell him what will happen with Y2K, he refuses stating it could alter altering the space-time continuum bringing disastrous results to the world. Whoa!

Ridge possessing wisdom gained from his experiences in the future, encourages Michael to occupy what he calls “the first state of being” and focus on the here and now, rather fixating on a future no one can control.

I must stop my review here as going any further will spoil the most interesting way Erin Entrada Kelly chose to conclude the book, even though I’m itching to reveal the results to you.
I highly recommend The First State if Being , but I suggest you either read the hard copy or wait until the book is read by a professional reader. The digital reader has the voice infections all wrong and was mostly flat.

Erin's books are always amazing, and so is The First State of Being! I love the time-traveling aspect and the relationships between the characters. It has a surprise ending that adds so much more to an already fantastic story too.

The First State of Being
by Erin Entrada Kelly
A good Young adult book. The story of time travel set not only in our own past but the past of the time traveler. The nostalgia of the 1990's is an interesting aspect. The idea of how it would be remembered as one of the pinnacles of our society. That it was a time that would be favored in history. The ideology of boy bands, and malls. The changes that happened after 2000's and the end of y2k, fear is an interesting point to set the story on. It shows how our society has nostalgia for eras pasted and how history changes how we see it. The idea of short versions of history only showing parts of history like many of the events we have written in the past.

I loved the references to the late 90’s. Blown away by the twist at the end! This book was well written, about time travel and likable characters!

Obviously it's hard to really love the narrator when it's a voice galley and A.I., although some are better than others. This one was mildly distracting. I did enjoy the story immensely, however, and loved Michael's character. I wanted to give him a hug all the time! I appreciated the 1999 setting and the fears of Y2K. It all came back to me as I was listening! I loved the time travel aspect of it, although the futuristic chapters were a little confusing and hard to follow. I can't imagine that they would be able to really hold middle graders' attention. I appreciated a main character who had anxiety and I think this is important for younger readers to read about and relate to.