I adored this! A love story told in reverse.
It was a heartwarming exploration of being a teenager - I enjoyed the dynamics of friendship and family and the life lessons each of them revealed, particularly around growing up and how you should treat people.

A sweet read, touching on the feelings/ emotions of taking a big step, Learning about yourself and coming into your own.

Neon and Aria are delightful! Jason did so well with his characters.

Although it was an enjoyable read there were times I didn’t feel engaged with it. But nonetheless definitely one you should try out.

The acknowledgements was so lovely! And yes black boys deserve love stories too 🥹❤️

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

In this YA fiction, we meet 17 year old Neon who is about to have his “first time” with his girlfriend, Aria.

I’m so sorry but this just felt like a ramble. I found it unrealistic and rushed. I really wanted to like this book but there wasn’t a lot of substance to it in my opinion.

I feel like we don’t get to really know any of the characters, even Neon, properly.

There was a hyper fixation on the digital yearbook… but for what?

Would a 17 year old boy *really* tell his family that he’s planning his first time?!

Maybe I really missed something… but this was definitely not for me :(

Published 8 October 2024. This is the book that I wish I had had to give to my students when I was teaching. A perfect antidote to the masculine toxicity that seems to be around so much these days, a book that tells boys that it is ok to show feelings, to care, to love and respect. Neon is 17 and the book starts when he and his girlfriend of two years, Aria, are planning to have sex for the first time. Neon is in the bathroom, full of nervousness knowing twenty-four seconds from now, he will open the doo and go to Aria. Then the story goes into reverse and we are twenty-four minutes earlier, twenty-four hours, twenty-four days etc etc. Each different time period explores Neon and Aria's relationship, how it has grown and developed. This is such a refreshing read - two young people surrounded by friends and family that they love and respect. Neon's family - his sister, his parents and grandparents are such warm characters who Neon can discuss things with openly - discussions about respect and consent. The shining light is the relationship between Neon and Aria, the feeling that they have for one another, the security that they feel within the relationship and how neither put the pressure on each other. This is such a refreshing read and in a time when boys get so much bad press, this is a book that boys need to read to let them know that having feelings is ok. Rounded up to 5*

I do find Jason Reynold’s books a bit hit or miss, thankfully this is a hit!

Told in flashbacks of blocks of 24 (24 seconds, 24 minutes, 24 hours, etc) the story takes us backwards from the moment main character Neon is about to have sex for the first time with his long term girlfriend. It is a sweet story with a likeable main character about something that is rarely touched on in teen fiction. Cleverly addressing current issues around some of the misconceptions young people may have about sex, fuelled by what they see on social media, Neon and his supporting cast of characters provide an engaging and humorous read.

Twenty-Four Seconds From Now reflects on the moments that have brought Neon and Aria together, leading to this special moment, in 24 seconds from now when they plan to lose their virginity. I thought that this was an interesting way to organise the story, each chapter moves between 24 seconds to 24 minutes, hours, days etc, starting with a nervousness Neon as he undresses; then flitting between the moment they meet, the joy of fried chicken, getting 'the talk' from his family and what their plans for the future are. It's sweet and realistic about the anxiety of having sex for the first time.

Young adult novels are not my typical genre however I figured I would give this one a go as the premise sounded very intriguing.

The book was very well written and I can see this relating to a lot of young people in similar situations to the main character, Well written and well told, I would recommend this to everyone.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for offering me an ARC!! I read this very quickly and loved it - I thought it was a clever structural choice and was so beautifully soft and human.

A huge thank you to @Netgalley and fora gifted copy of this lovely eBook to read and review - all thoughts are my own.

“The way I see it, to love me the way I love to be loved is true love”

Twenty Four Seconds from Now is a beautifully written romance novel narrated in reverse, starting with the OTP of Aria and Neon preparing to lose their virginity together, we then throughout the novel cycle back through different twenty four time periods (seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks and months) with a focus on each time period per chapter, the main plot exploring Neon's and Arias growth, and meetings, as well as their thought processes, and Neon's various conversations with family and friends regarding 'going all the way', consent and respect.

I absolutely loved Neon as a character, and his personality really did shine through, his family were written wonderfully and came across as supportive and respectful, this was such a refreshing story to read to include the healthy relationships of young adults, but not shying away from the hardships they felt. I loved just how respectful and caring Neon came across, plus I thought the fourth wall breaks were great with Neon’s *if this was a movie* monologue. Too many stories focus on the toxicity of young love, so it was really refreshing to see both Aria and Neon focus on one another's feelings, but also feel secure enough to share their fears and worries, I also love the fact that they did not put pressure on one another, ever decision they made was discussed and spoken about respectfully, and this is a fantastic inclusion with in a book.

I love Jason Reynolds and have read several of his works, and this being his first romance novel really did broaden his genre horizons, the poetry and books format stayed true to his writing style, and the book was engrossing and fast paced. This is a fantastically written novel, that is educational and supportive to young people and first relationships, it flows well and captivates its readers, whilst taking them on a lovely journey to witness a teenage relationship develop and grow, the epitome of high school sweethearts, and I am completely here for those, this is just a wonderfully great read all round

4.5

Thank you to Faber, Natgalley and the author for being invited to read this ARC. A sweet, enduring and brilliant book which captured me from beginning to end. I wanted to stay with Neon and learn more about his family; I loved his Mum and the captivating love story with Aria. A brilliant read and an important read to show all boys and men it is ok to show your love.