This was a truly unique book with lovable characters. I really enjoyed the friendships. The have vs the have nots is always something I like to analyze in books. Thanks netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

There was a lot going on in this book, but I did enjoy it overall - even though it is not my usual type of read. The premise of the book was quite interesting, being time travel - so that was a selling point for me. For me, the pacing was a little all over the place, times it was great, other parts skipped over and some areas were so. I'd love more consistency there, but still, the ending wasn't as impactful as I would have liked.

This was a cute idea with a promising plot. I think younger readers will enjoy the coming of age, teen issues, and teen romance a bit more than me. While it was engaging at times, it kind of became background noise for me, and I lost interest. While I love the time traveling idea to fix small problems, it wasn't enough to keep me reading. Still, there will definitely be an audience for this YA book.
3⭐️
As always, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to have an advanced ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars

Back with more TIME TRAVEL. This book has some great ideas and creative metaphors for wealth and class disparity and racism, and I was ready for a gut punch of an ending. Unfortunately, it didn't QUITE stick the landing as hard as I wanted. There was so much I loved about this, but the things I didn't really rubbed me the wrong way for some reason. 

We're following Kady, a teen girl living in the small town of Streelight. Kady is one of the "have-nots" and goes to public school, not part of the elite private school in crowd---but her boyfriend Nik is. He's part of a club full of old money and big names that runs the town, called the IV Boys. The IV Boys don't approve of Kady or her relationship with Nik. We also get the POV of Aaron, another IV Boy, but the only Black student at the private school, who doesn't quite fit in or understand how seriously everyone in Streetlight takes the social hierarchy and traditions. 
While Nik is away starting college, Aaron looks out for Kady, and the two become close friends, despite a rumor about the nature of their relationship. But then, at a Halloween festival, Kady wins a game and her prize is a bag of magical, time-traveling candies, that come with their own set of rules. 

I loved the small-town setting here, and ancient traditions and secrets are always fun. I did like the reveal and the allegories present here, a lot of it was very timely. I also liked Kady and her friend group a lot, and Aaron as well. But oh my GOD I hated Nik for not standing up to his friends or sticking up for Kady, which then made me annoyed with Kady for not dumping him. I think the reader is meant to be shipping Kady and Aaron, but Kady's with her boyfriend for the entire book, so I was not rooting for her to cheat, just to get the heck away from them all. I ended up a little disappointed there wasn't more detail in the time travel portions, we'd mostly get told "Kady repeated the day 5 times" or something and not actually witness it, which took the fun out of the novelty at times. The epilogue was a bit of a downer for me, despite the realistic message behind it. Overall this is a very interesting and smart premise with more weight behind it than you might think, and also includes a healthy dose of teen drama. Thanks to Penguin Teen and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I wish I liked this a lot more than I did. It set up a great story with the candies and how they move in time. I hate that the movement through time only lasts a year and you can only do it from Halloween to Halloween. I also hate that we didn't know our main character was an unreliable main character. She knew all about the candies from the get go, but made it seem like this was all new to her? And then finding out that everyone else knew about the candy and they use it whenever they want... well not everyone just the IV boys and their families? I don't think this was all spelled out in the way that the author wanted. This novel left me confused and wanting more about the IV's than the relationship that this was surrounding. To a boy that didn't even matter. The author spent too much time on the BS, unfortunately.

This is an interesting one for me to review, because there were two things really going on: the magic and the tension between two groups of people in one town, combined into an attempt at dark academia. I think the latter part worked incredibly well - Kady's independence but also love for someone from a different group from her is an interesting story to follow. However, I found the IV boys so incredibly silly in their obsession with the local area. I have experience with both the small-town "elites" and the actual coastal elites, and neither of them feel quite right. It's hard to put my finger on exactly. I think there was so much potential for an incredible story, so I'm excited to read more from Charlene Thomas, but this didn't totally hit.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book challenging to get into. I think there were too many storylines that felt as though they weren't connected. I was also a bit irritated by Kady and how dependent she was on her boyfriend. I thought the premise of the book was quite interesting. I have not been too interested in time travel, of being able to go back/bend time, but this author made it interesting.

I can't decide how I feel about this book. On one end, it was a great story telling - easy to read, mysterious, with a bit of teenage angst and a romance trope. But at the same time it didn't feel like there was enough stakes in this story for me to make it such a big deal. I felt like the feelings over the candies was a bit exagerated, as it didn't show how using them was bad. In the end, all we got is that we're holding people hostage, keeping them repeating loops, not letting time slip by, but it's not true, is it? And I felt like the boys needed a bigger "bad thing" for it to be so so important. Maybe killing or stealing, or gambling, something. It felt like that part was maybe hinted at, but never confirmed nor denied. The whole anticipation of finding out about candies just died. It didn't have that explosive confrontation. It was more about people and the relationships, and who chooses who or why they choose to act one way or another. Which was good, but I wanted more drama, per se.

Overall a very unique time travel book for YA. I enjoyed it, just can't say I loved it. Would definitely pick another book by this author, because the writing style is superb.

I really enjoyed the concept of this books, especially the magical time traveling bit of it all. The overall vibes of the book were great and the secret-club nature of the IV Boys was so well-done. The pacing felt a bit all over the place, but I can appreciate that it might have been related to the nature of the constant time traveling and resetting that was happening. I really enjoyed the diverse cast of characters, but found that due to the pacing I had some difficulty truly getting into this story. Due to the writing, the characters, and the sheer creativity of this concept, I think a lot of people will really enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

This novel was a new spin on the "secret society" trope, blending it together with time travel.

While I did appreciate the fresh take and much of the story, overall there were a couple of issues that kept me from fully enjoying this novel. The first is the time travel itself. Time travel is inherently difficult to pull off, and for me, there were too many gaps in the logic of the way time travel worked in this story. I also had trouble with both narrators. Both narrators present as believable and honest, but around the 75% percent mark, we learn that both have been lying to the reader. To me, this felt very dishonest, especially as both points of view were in first person and there was no reason for either narrator to have lied in the ways they did. It made me feel cheated by the story.

I also felt a bit cheated by the ending, which didn't really wrap up most of the story threads.

Overall, while there was potential in this novel, it didn't quite land for me.

4.5 stars rounded up

This is not a fast-paced book. It takes its time in slowly building up the characters, the relationships, and what is going on in this strange and sharply divided small town with secrets. Kady has lived her whole life in Streetlight, and it's a small town that most people know nothing about. But there are clear lines between the wealthy and mostly white kids who go to Iverson prep, and everyone else. Kady is Black from a working class family, but her boyfriend goes to Iverson and is part of an exclusive social club known as the IV's.

For years she's dealt with being ignored or subtly slighted by the rest of the IV boys because she loves Nik. But now, he's in college while she's still a senior and there are nasty rumors being spread about her. She wants him to bring her as a date to the mysterious IV Ball and finally prove that she's something lasting in his life, but he has always refused. The social pressure ratchets up, and things start to get strange...

I don't want to spoil things but while I think the pacing could have been a little bit faster, I really liked this book. It's dealing with race, class, and microaggressions in a small town called "a little bit Twin Peaks" which feels apt. Things get weird, but at its heart this is a book about relationships, privilege, and the things people will do or put up with to have or keep power. Really great novel. I received a copy of this book for review via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I mostly enjoyed this book but I found the main character's choices frustrating and towards the end I felt that although it wasn't a case of unreliable narrator, it came very close to falling into this category.

There were some lovely character developments and interactions and the reading experience would be greatly improved with more of this and less of the toxic relationships and deceptions.

What if during a Halloween fair, you could win a game and the prize is not one but 67 new chances to go back in time? This is a creative take on time-traveling second chances with paranormal themes. A creative small-town tale with horror, tension, and social issues we are used to fighting back. There is also a relationship focus.

Rated 3.5 really.

First off...DISCLAIMER: this title was up for grabs on NetGalley (in the Read Now section). Thanks to Penguin Random House/Dutton Books for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.

This was a clever book that managed to keep its secrets well until it was time to disclose them. Told in the dual perspective of Black teens Kady (a girl from the disadvantaged side of Streetlight) and Aaron (her boyfriend's best pal, born outside of town but part of the "in" crowd due to his stepmother's connections), Streetlight People has a lot to say about privilege/elitism - and to an extent, racism - by way of a quirky story about the ability to bend time to relive (or erase) your best (or worst) moments. Kady and Aaron's points of view are very distinct, and if you pay attention, their peculiarities will give you some clues about what's on going on (which I mostly wasn't able to interpretate, if not in retrospect)...but you still won't be ready for the big reveal. I have to say that Aaron's narration worked better for me, while I was a bit annoyed by Kady's dependency from her boyfriend and her putting up with his toxic loyalty to the "in" clique, though it will probably ring true with readers in the right demographic, or who have done the same in their teens. Ultimately, Streetlight People is a fresh, provocative twist on the time-travel trope (by way of magic/magical realism, as opposed to sci-fi) coupled with a strong coming-of-age theme, tackling social inequality, and with a focus on friendship vs. "exclusive clubs". The ending doesn't come in a pretty bow, but regardless, you won't be at loss for answers.

A teen angst story with a time-travel twist. Rich people not accepting not rich people. An overly attached girl who cannot exits outside of the light of her boyfriend. People willing to time travel to both escape reality and the chance to grow and basically just to mess with people. It was interesting, but I wasn’t its audience.

This is such a bold exploration of power, privilege, and the unspoken divisions that run deep within society, especially in small towns. Kady learns the true cost of power through her entanglement with the influential IV Boys. These boys, protected by family legacy and wealth, embody the rigid social structure of Streetlight—a town where some people have everything and others have nothing.

The way Charlene Thomas intertwines Kady’s obsession with time manipulation and her desperate love for Nik highlights how intoxicating power can be, especially when it feels just out of reach. Kady’s journey from passive to someone who dares to alter reality and take her own power is deeply compelling. The supernatural elements, especially the time travel, create a compelling metaphor for how far some people will go to maintain control.

The atmosphere here is dense with unease, and the small-town vibe is unsettlingly realistic. The fast pacing, rising dread, and that perfect, ambiguous ending pack a punch. This book doesn’t just tell a story; it’s a powerful commentary on race, privilege, and complicity that feels all too relevant today. Highly recommended for anyone looking for an intense, thought-provoking read that uplifts Black voices in a genre-bending tale of dark secrets and even darker truths.

Thanks so much to TBR and Beyond Tours and the author for the complimentary copy and the opportunity to read and review. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

Streetlight People by Charlene Thomas is a riveting story, exploring power dynamics, addiction, and morality in a story that is one of the most brilliant time travel stories I’ve read. As the author begins the narrative, the story seems simple, about a girl whose boyfriend has gone away to college and who isn’t truly accepted by his friends. But as Charlene Thomas slowly unpeels the layers of the narrative, the reader sees just how complex the novel truly is.
Kady is a compelling character and when she receives the candies, the relationship dynamics between her, Aaron and Nik slowly shift. We also see the deepening of the harassment by the other IV boys and how much of an outsider she has remained in Nik’s world. There are subtle shifts of power and how the rich view those who aren’t in their world. Aaron’s point of view adds to the layers of the story and the travel in time adds an additional element to the abuses of the rich. What is truly brilliant is the twists in the story and the reality of the town.
If you like a riveting story with time travel elements and mystery, this story is for you. The relationship dynamics and the power imbalances are brilliantly written with an ending that will blow you away. I loved Kady, her friends and Aaron as we see how different they are from the IV boys, including Nik.

STREETLIGHT PEOPLE by Charlene Thomas is a compulsively readable, speculative teen contemporary novel. Perhaps it was the nefarious atmosphere of the town of Streetlight. Or the desire to know the secret hidden from the “have nots” by the “have lots.” Maybe I just wanted to see Kady get out from under the gaslighting influence of her boyfriend, Nik. Probably all these factors combined had me flipping pages and driving to the book’s conclusion.

I’m afraid to say much more, because the fun of Streetlight People relies on the mystery and suspense.

Share this book with a teen reader who enjoys:
*Twisty plots
*Secret societies
*Time loops
*Cheering for the underdog

This is one of the best books I've read ALL YEAR!

Charlene Thomas has left all of my flabbers, gasted. Streetlight People is a masterpiece and it deserves all the accolades. For fans of stories that play with time and surreal settings, this book is a speculative journey with a twisty ending!

Kady and Aaron both navigate a world of privilege, greed, and power they were never meant to have access to. And while time spins on, trying to right itself, it spins these characters with it. But the twists....the twists were twisting.

This book is a speculative triumph about time, who has more of if, what we do with it, and how far we're willing to go to hold on to what we love most. If you loved The Raven Cycle, or (deep cut) The Covenant, dark academia vibes (vibes only), time travel, and all around enjoyable stories, you should pick up a copy of Streetlight People!

I love blended genre books! Charlene Thomas excels at merging mystery, dark academia, fantasy, and romance with supernatural elements, creating a truly atmospheric read. Kady, our FMC, wins a carnival game, and her prize—“candies”—allows her to time travel. Soon, she uncovers secrets that unravel the mysteries of this small town.

In this story, Thomas thoughtfully explores the dynamics of power, class, deep-rooted wealth, and privilege between the “have-nots” and “have-alot.“ But she also emphasizes the importance of friendships and their potential to influence and uplift individuals - I loved Kady and Aaron!

I loved the audio format! All three narrators brought the story to life. Sandra Okuboyejo captured Kady's flawed bravery, Christopher Ian Grant highlighted the essence of friendship through Aaron’s POV, and Dominic Hoffman delivered a soulful narration as the TimeKeeper. Truly a fantastic experience!

I can't help but shout out the title - Streetlight People!! If you're a true 80s music fan, you know exactly where that iconic line comes from! And let me tell you, my girl, Kady, plays it on repeat throughout the story!