This story was "meh" for me. The writing was okay, and the characters were distinctly drawn. However, I struggled to stay engaged, particularly through the middle part of the book, though the pace was a bit too slow, in general. The dialogue felt a bit forced, and there were phrases used that I haven't heard anyone say in some time. Having the time travel linked to the candy was very strange, and I just couldn't quite go along with it. I did like the small-town vibe of the story.

This book is a delightful autumn gem! It weaves together cozy vibes, intriguing mysteries, and a touch of creepiness that perfectly matches the season. If you’re drawn to tales of time travel, secret societies, and the enchanting quirks of small towns, this story will transport you to another world. Its nostalgic charm wraps around you like a warm scarf, making it a must-read for fall. Dive in—you won’t regret it!

4 stars / This review will be posted on BookwormishMe.com & goodreads.com today.


For centuries, man has tried to control time. Relive the good days. Change the bad. Stop time from moving forward. In Streetlight, there are powerful families that apparently do have the power to control time. When a teenage girl named Kady stumbles across this ability, she just wants to use it to have her time with her boyfriend Nik last longer.

Nik is one of the IV boys, a secret society at the elite private school Iverson. In Streetlight Kady describes them as the have-lots, while on her side of town are the have-nots. Normally the two do not intermingle. Kady and Nik have crossed those lines. Still, Nik keeps her at arm’s length from IV. He refuses to take her to the annual ball, attended by the have-lots and their select guest list. Kady is blatantly unwelcome.

Then there is Aaron. Nik’s IV brother, and Kady’s friend. Aaron tries to keep Kady from abuse by the IV boys, but there is only so much he can do. When Kady stumbles upon the truth of what is really happening in Streetlight, Aaron might be the only thing that can save her.

Truly creative novel about being a teen, not belonging, even when it’s the town you’ve grown up in. Of power and the abuse of power by those who have more. It’s so well written and engaging. Kady is a hero and anti-hero all in one, but when presented with her ultimate choice, will she choose the good or the power?

I really enjoyed this one. Twists and turns and self-reflection abound. It’s wild.

Title:  Streetlight People
Author:  Charlene Thomas  
Genre:  YA       
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

For most, Streetlight is a dot on the map you pass on your way to somewhere else. But if you live there, you’re either a Have-Not, like Kady, or a Have-Lot like her boyfriend, Nik, who also happens to be a member of the exclusive social club, The IV Boys.

Known for their powerful families and the coveted ball they host for a selective guest list, The IV Boys have always refused to accept Kady regardless of how much Nik loves her. All the Boys except for Aaron, who didn’t grow up in Streetlight and is one of the few who knows that life—real life—exists outside of it. But his stepmom has the kind of wealth and power even IV Boys can’t resist.

With Nik at college, Aaron stands by Kady’s side. But all Kady really wants is Nik, and when a chance encounter on Halloween hands her the power to twist and hold time, she doesn’t hesitate. Now she can keep Nik close for as long as she wants.

While Kady tries to relive her best moments with Nik, the IV Boys have her in their sights. A rumor’s spreading that Kady and Aaron are much more than friends—and not even twisting time is enough to defend against the power that the Boys were born with.

The more Kady changes the clock, the more dizzying reality becomes, until she stumbles upon a truth darker than anything she could have imagined. Streetlight is filled with monsters—and maybe she’s always been one, too.

This book. Part of me was like, “What is happening here?” All of me was completely engrossed in the story and finding out what the heck was going on! I loved Kady and her friends—they were so much fun, and their friendship felt authentic and was something I wanted to be a part of.

I actually liked Nik, too, for the most part. I enjoyed the parts of his and Kady’s relationship that we saw, and I understood her happiness—and her frustration. Streetlight itself gave me the creeps—that whole small-town, everybody-in-your-business thing is not for me—but it felt real. I highly recommend this read!

Charlene Thomas is from Maryland. Streetlight People is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Penguin Group in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog post live 11/5.)

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy

Streetlight People by Charlene Thomas is a captivating exploration of friendships, dreams, and the complexities of growing up. As a reader, I found myself drawn to the authentic characters and the raw emotional depth woven into their stories. Thomas's ability to capture the bittersweet transitions of adolescence made this book both relatable and deeply moving.

A YA dark academia book that is part Twin Peaks, part Black Mirror.
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Streetlight is a tiny town in the middle of nowhere that has a big secret. Kady is a part of the Have-Not group of townies while her boyfriend of three years, Nik, is not only a Have, he’s part of the private school’s exclusive secret society named the IV Boys. Nik’s IV little brother, Aaron, is helping watch over Kady while Nik is away at college, but on Halloween everything changes when Kady is given a chance to control time at her whim. All Kady wants to do is be with Nik so she starts bending time to her will, creating chaos in her wake because Kady is realizing her big secret is nothing compared to Streetlight’s.
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What a completely original novel by @charlenethomasbooks This one will have me thinking about it for a while. I loved the writing, time jumps and POV switching. The vibes were very autumn and I actually want to reread it knowing what I know now having finished it. I can’t wait for this one to release on November 5!

CW: racism, classism, smoking, drinking, drug abuse, torture, body horror, blood, hazing

an interesting, uniquely written take on time travel, all in a small town with cozy fall vibes and a huge race and social class divide. charlene thomas's writing is so good- she writes with respect and care for her characters and the level of detail she conjures makes this stand out from most YA i've read. the pacing is slow and the plot drags a bit- several conflicts the characters have repeat themselves over and over. i also would've liked more relationship building between kady and nik to feel more connected to her feelings about him need to belong with the IV boys. however, the last third of the book flies by- as soon as we start getting some explanation for things, the book gets infinitely more interesting and i am still thinking about the last handful of scenes. charlene thomas is a must read author for me, her writing elevates any genre.

Streetlight People by Charlene Thomas is a mesmerizing blend of mystery and small-town vibes. I was drawn to the cast of flawed characters, and into a world with an intriguing power dynamic. Thomas is a master of atmospheric prose, the twist kept me locked in and reveal of he secrets made it all worth the wait.

The cover of Streetlight People immediately caught my eye. I really liked the color scheme. It fits the story really well. The story is really unique and I really enjoyed the time travel aspect of it. The characters were well written. Overall, this short book was amazing, and I enjoyed it a lot. If you like small town mystery with a unique twist, you should definitely read this book

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'll post my review closer to the publication date.

Wow, this was crazy! Small town thrillers with unreliable narrators and twists and turns that took me completely off guard, I am officially wholly obsessed with this author. Thank god this isn't a debut or her last one lined up, because I need more of this writing style! The pacing was 10/10, and I really just have to sit here for a while to process everything.

3.75/5 ⭐️
This was definitely an interesting read. I think it was good. However, I think it could’ve been better if it got rid of the whole time travel candy thing. It was like too many cooks in the kitchen. And I think it would’ve been a stronger story if it directed more of that space on the whole small town social class race thing. Like that whole dynamics was so fascinating and it could’ve meant so much more. I wish it made that the focal point of the story. Like the time travel thing was interesting. Though very confusing. And honestly, didn’t add anything to the story. I think it could’ve, maybe? If it was developed more and made the entire plot, removing it from this social class story. If it used the candies as a metaphor for something else. Plus like she mostly traveled for her boyfriend who was kind of mid and did not have as much chemistry with as she did with Aaron.
Overall, it was enjoyable. However, I wish it did more. And I think it could’ve if it split the ideas into two separate stories.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for Young Readers for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

This book has an amazing concept, and I think that some people are going to enjoy it. However, for me I feel like it missed the mark in a few areas. My biggest issue was how much I struggled staying engaged, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stay focused on the story. The concept of the time travel taking place because of candy just didn’t sit right with me, it felt like something different and I couldn’t get on board. The pacing was also very slow and methodical, which was hard because as I said, I kept losing focus.

The small-town vibes on this book though were top notch. I loved this part of the book.

3 stars

The concept is great, and folks who are interested in a relatively novel take on time travel in YA will enjoy the way that particular motif evolves.

Though I appreciate the sentiment and enjoyed the writing overall, I had a hard time staying engaged. Kady is an interesting character, but between the candy (I struggled a bit to get beyond elements of this), the unlikeable ancillary characters, and my inability to get a certain song out of my head the entire time I was reading this AND every time I saw the title, I felt more distracted by details that weren't working for me than gripped by those that were.

I think there's an audience that will really enjoy the straightforward discussion of a potentially complex topic, and I will give this author another try, but this one just didn't work as well for me as I'd have liked.

I really liked the idea of this story. The writing was fine and the characters seemed pretty well thought out. However, the story line felt a little stagnant. The ending was pretty good but I struggled a bit to get through the middle. Also, a lot of the language used, to try to sound young and trendy, fell horribly flat as most of it is no longer used by anyone. Overall, the book was okay but not one I'd recommend.

First of all, can we start with the Title...this is the first thing that caught my eye! This book had very scifi vibes, we will def be getting for our library!

The premise for this book is interesting, once the plot picks up and you see what's going on. I was really interested to know what was going to happen next for much of it, and had a few late nights trying to fly through it faster than my brain would let me. It doesn't follow a basic, cookie-cutter formula like so many books these days, so that was refreshing; I'm not a formula/ trope person.
There's one part in particular that I LOVED, toward the last quarter of the book. Not the whole scene, but just one part described a group sort of making a "tic toc" sound; this sounds crazy to enjoy, but it gave off really atmospheric vibes. Imagining that playing out, the sight and the sound, was really enthralling. I'd love to see that done in a movie or in real life, just as it's described in the book.
I liked the story, but didn't love it. I never cared much for any of the characters, especially the main character, and was confused why she seemed to have a better relationship with everyone except the boy she's supposed to be madly in love with. There's also this weird focus on trying to make the town feel like it's nOt LiKe OtHeR tOwNs, trying to give it a mysterious atmosphere, or at least that's how I read it. That aspect didn't fit with what was actually happening, so it felt out of place to me.
So a few pieces of the writing style weren't for me, personally, but I think this is a worthwhile read for most paranormal and/ or YA readers.

Title: An Insignificant Case
Author: Charlene Thomas
Genre: YA/Teen
Publisher: Penguin Group/Penguin Young Readers Group-Dutton Books for Young Readers
Pub Date: November 5, 2024
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 320


Story is about growing up in—and out of—a small town with a huge secret and features Kady, Nic and ‘The IV Boys.

When Nik heads off to college, Kady wishes they could be together. On Halloween Kady discovers she can ‘hold time’ that way she can keep Nik close as long as she wants.

Hmmm- What would you do if you had the ability to manipulate time?

I know am not the target audience for this but as a High School Guidance Counselor I love to read YA stories. It pleases me when I can recommend a book as well just talk about books and encouraging reading for fun. Plus I love stories about time travel.

Want to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group/Penguin Young Readers Group-Dutton Books for Young Readers for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 5, 2024.

*Streetlight People* by Charlene Thomas is a captivating blend of small-town charm and mind-bending twists that keep readers hooked from start to finish. Set in the nostalgic town of Streetlight, the story follows Kady, her boyfriend Nik, a member of the exclusive IV Boys gang brightens a "Have-Not". When Nik leaves for college, Kady turns to her friend Aaron for comfort, but her longing for Nik and the magic of their past is rekindled through a series of time-traveling candies.

Thomas excels in creating a vivid, immersive world filled with familiar small-town activities like carnivals and drive-ins, layered with a subtle eerie undertone. The characters are well-developed, with their idiosyncrasies and flaws making them relatable and engaging. The unique concept of the magical candies and their impact on Kady’s life adds a fresh twist to the time-travel genre.

While the pacing is steady and the writing beautifully descriptive without being overwhelming, some plot elements remain ambiguous, leaving readers with lingering questions, especially about the book’s conclusion. Despite a few gaps and unresolved threads, the story’s emotional depth and intriguing plot make it a compelling read. The book’s blend of cozy nostalgia and mind-bending mystery ensures that it’s hard to put down, and it’s clear that Thomas has crafted a story that fans will eagerly discuss and dissect.

This is the perfect read for fall! It's cozy, mysterious, and a little creepy. If you like time travel, secret societies, and small town vibes, check this one out! It's such a good story!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.