Jason Reynolds can do no wrong. This is a great YA novel that has surprising depth surrounding teen sex from the male perspective. I loved the timeline style stream of consciousness style.

This is a book all high schoolers who are on the verge of making a big life decision need to read. Reynolds' unique approach to telling this story in backwards increments builds a beautiful, memorable book that shows readers how it's all of life's moments--both the big and the small--that lead up to our most important choices.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book.

I always love Jason Reynolds writing- there is always a sense of lyricism, honesty, and humor.

Reynolds begins his story right before Neon's first time with his girlfriend, Aria - but he then takes us back through their relationship to learn how they got to this moment, how they fell in love, how they met, and how their families and friends interwove throughout their lives along the way. I truly appreciated the honesty and vulnerability of Neon. His parents and sister also give moments of advice that felt authentic (and awkward for Neon). It was a great portrayal of young emotions.

Great book that I really enjoyed, but as a teacher, this is a tough one to recommend because of the premise. I love reading Jason Reynolds and many of his books are some of my favorites to recommend for students, and that won't change, but this is one that I may just let them stumble upon. I'm not naive enough to think my kids aren't having sex, but it's not something I'm ready to acknowledge by recommending a book centered around it.

As much as I love Jason Reynolds, this one just didn’t do it for me, mostly because of the timing and plot line.

The story begins with two high school seniors, and their first time having sex. The story then flips back 24 seconds, 24 days, sometimes weeks, etc.

I appreciated the characters; they were authentic, coming across as definitely teenagers, something Jason does so well.

I just felt disconnected from the story - I think my brain doesn’t do backwards as well? But I do think this book will resonate deeply with high schoolers.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Aria and Neon’s first time is so adorable. The culmination of the use of the number 24 has you anticipating what happens in each time period. A great read for teenagers as they navigate the challenges of relationships in the digital ages.
Also refreshing to see the story told from a males perspective.

A first love and first time story from a teenage boy’s perspective. So many conversations and topics are addressed that teenagers should be having more honest and respectful conversations about with adults. But it’s addressed in a real and tasteful way.

Jason Reynolds simply doesn't miss. This is everything I want in a book for my school. This is a book for literally everyone and will stay with you for a long time after the last page.

I'm a big fan of Jason Reynolds and will read anything he writes. This one was ok, but not my favorite Jason book. This is a "love story" which I don't typically associate with Jason's writing. It was alright, told in reverse chronological order which was interesting and made me want to know what happened first (last?). It was overall alright. Loved the narrator.

Jason Reynolds’s knows how to write emotions. He captures what being a teenager is like without being cheesy. It was a great read. Definitely recommend.

Twenty Four Seconds from Now by Jason Reynolds is a coming-of-age story told in reverse stream-of-consciousness structure. It is a fine character study with a playful structure, moving backward in time from the moment before our narrator, Neon, has sex for the first time with his girlfriend of 24 months, with each step backward in time coming in 24s (seconds, minutes, hours, days, months) to the moment of their meet cute. It is a very sweet love story, actually a series of love stories encapsulated in this very short little novel. I enjoyed this quick read despite the number of awkward conversations (the diner scene!) matching the sweet and nostalgic love stories (even Spank's).
Note: This novel is not told in verse as some of his other work has been.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children's for this ARC!

In true Jason Reynolds style, comes a text about acknowledgment. Being who you are, making informed decisions and accepting responsibility for what you bring to the world. I enjoyed the ownership of being a voice in the world to be heard…, realizing that everyone deserves to be heard, acknowledged and represented.

Twenty-Four Seconds from Now... is a love story told in reverse with lovely snapshots of a young romance. Highly recommend for young adults!

I'm always excited for a new Jason Reynolds book and this one proved my anticipation right. I always want more YA books about feelings and romance from a boy's perspective, and this book provided that spades. It carried heavy issues that sometimes get swept under the rug with care and honesty.

This is just a fun teen boy romp about a guy getting ready to have sex with his girlfriend the first time and reflecting on their relationship. That’s all there is to it and I think teens will absolutely love it.

Neon is now in Aria’s bathroom having a breakdown. They are about to take their relationship to the next level … that is if he can get out of his head and back into her bedroom. Twenty-four minutes ago Neon was leaving work; twenty-four days ago Neon’s mom found her bra in his bedroom; twenty-four weeks ago …; twenty-four months ago ….

Twenty-Four Second From Now is a novel told in reverse. This book starts with now and slowly backs up to show the reader what was happening in Neon’s life to get him to that point. Reynolds did a wonderful job leading readers into the thoughts and actions of Neon and the people in his life. It was a little confusing at first, but once I understood what the story was trying to do, it was great. This is a short read that can be completed in one sitting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4.5/5 stars.

Look, Jason Reynolds can do no wrong. I was not, though, expecting to read a stream-of-consciousness memory of a teenage boy about to have his first time with his girlfriend. I also don't think I ever expected Jason Reynolds to write a novel that is literally about sex-positivity and healthy relationships. I want to recommend this book to my students, but also like....is it weird if I recommend this book to my students? The discussion of healthy relationships, sex advice, first times, etc., is SO good for young adults to read (and yes, I've done a whole research paper about this during my undergrad).

I also like the format of it, but it does take a second to get used to. You move BACK through the timeline of their relationship in the increments of 24 seconds, minutes, days, weeks, etc.

It was truly a beautiful, courageous novel.

Initial reaction: I haven't decided on a final rating for this yet, but it's likely to be either a strong 4 star read or 4.5 stars. I enjoyed getting to know Neon and his relationship with Aria. This is told in an interesting, reverse order way that allows you to have glimpses of the relationship between the main two, their families and friends, and ultimately Neon and Aria coming together before they...um...do the thing. Neon has to navigate awkward conversations from each person in his life - parents, older sister, grandmother - about what to do when they get ready, and you get a glimpse into Aria's family as well as their friend group. I think there may be some reluctant teen readers who find the reverse order a little difficult to navigate, but it makes sense with not just the vibe of the narrative, but also you get to know the characters and they're fun to watch. The scenes in each section/chapter are strong on their own and give a complete picture by the end.

Poor Neon having that conversation with his Mama in the restaurant though, lol. That was the worst (best?) I've seen in terms of having that talk. (I'll explain in the full review.)

Full review:

Jason Reynolds' latest book "Twenty-Four Seconds from Now..." is a much needed perspective in the measure of coming of age stories about first times. I think this is one of the more widely noted narratives that tackles the subject of a first time experience for a Black boy in a way that was funny, sweet, and approachable. I absolutely loved this book for what it offers and the unique way it tells its story. Although I think my biggest critique may be that there may be some readers who love this reverse order stream of consciousness narrative and others who may struggle a little bit with it. Matter of preference and/or making sure the reader get themselves oriented with the timeline if they happen to put it down and have to reorient. But let me make the case for why I think it still sticks the landing with that piece of it and everything else the story has to offer.

Neon is a great character to get to know, strong voice from the jump even when you realize he's seconds away from the big moment of doing "it" with his girlfriend of two years. He starts the novel understandably nervous, in the bathroom before a picture of an ugly dog named Denzel Jeremy Washington. (How I eventually learned the dog got his name had me rolling with laughter.) You can tell early on how much Neon cares for Aria, how they met, what their relationship dynamic is like and how they're getting ready for the next big step. One reason I think the reverse order works is not just for the theme it follows - 24 seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, etc. It's also because it gives you brief glimpses - snapshots of these interactions that are pivotal to Neon and Aria's relationship. Snapshots into their families, preferences, friend groups, high school activities (Neon's in Yearbook with Aria working on a project, also helps his dad with a bingo job) - things that are part of their everyday and history. And you also see the honest, sometimes very blunt conversations where Neon gets advice leading up to the moment from his mother, father, sister, grandmother and friends. (And of course the dog's there.) The narrative is a short one, so the snapshot and sequencing theme work for it, but I do think there may be some readers who may have to reorient if they put the narrative back down, pick it back up, and figure where they are on the timeline per the chapters.

It leans well into a POV from a Black boy who really is trying his hardest to get things right before the big moment. The narrative's strength is its portrayal of the vulnerability, awkwardness, and empathy that Neon has. Neon's voice pops off the page with authenticity - Reynolds consistently does a great job with this in his narratives. The moments between Aria and Neon between are sweet and sincere. But there are also moments, like in the convo Neon has with his mama in the restaurant, where you feel for him in the middle of a really, REALLY awkward public situation. His mother finds one of her bras in Neon's room, and poor Neon has to explain he was trying to figure out how to properly unhook a bra. (Neon's sister Nat has the best answer for it, if I'm being honest. Y'all can find that out for yourself and it's really obvious once Neon hears it.) But the scene is awkward 'cause his mama actually brings the bra she found in his room, puts it on the table in the public restaurant. The poor server has to handle this awkward too. If that isn't gold standard Black rom-com coded, I don't know what to tell you. I felt bad for Neon, but I was also snort-laughing.

The ending is sweet and the pay off to the big moment is well earned, if a little quick to conclude. But I really liked "Twenty Four Seconds from Now: A Love Story" and think it sits well among Reynold's work for a YA audience, and anyone who enjoys teen rom-coms with memorable characters.

Overall score: 4/5 stars.

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher.

Have you connected with a character on a gut level? Do you feel like an author peeled back your skin to reveal their next character? That’s the type of read 24 Seconds is!

Neon is so relatable—wanting to not mess anything up on any level with his girlfriend and their first time.

The story unfolds in jumping back by increments of 24 — seconds, minutes, days, weeks, months. It’s a great telling of young love that wants to do it right.

Thank you to LibroFM for the Educator’s ALC audiobook of this title, as well as NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Books for a digital galley of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Jason Reynolds is a once in generation voice who I cannot get enough of. When I found out he wrote a YA romance, which was endorsed by the Queen - Judy Blume - I about fell off my chair to get on NetGalley.

I took this story in bites rather than inhaling it like I wanted to. I’m glad I did, because the story had time to simmer and I was able to reflect as I went.

Summary:

Neon is 24 seconds from doing *IT* with his first, and possibly only, love. He is panicking as we all do/did on this precipice, but as our hearts are already bleeding for Neon within the first pages as Reynolds introduces us to the boy we want our sons to become, the first love we want our children to experience. A boy so full of love and tenderness that we want his first to perfect. But, before we get to that, we get to step back 24 minutes, 24 hours, 24 days, and 24 months from “now” and get the full picture of this LOVE story.

My heart is full. I feel like I should reread this when I need to speak to my own children about their firsts, or maybe even read it with them if they would let me and not cringe to death.

This is a quick read if you prefer text, but the audiobook was lovely as well. I read this book in both formats and didn’t prefer one over the other.

This book is a future classic. Five stars. No notes.