This book read a little too young for me, it felt like a young ya or middle grade. The overall premise was interesting but overall it just fell short for me.

Shannon wasn't expecting it, even though it's happened before. As she emerges from a movie theatre, she realises something is wrong. Different. The buildings that were there as she went in, are changed when she comes out. It's only a stranger trying to help her confused state & telling her it's 1985, that she understands.

She's still in Sydney though. She knows her family home hasn't changed since her grandparents lived there - so that's where she goes. But her phone doesn't work, so no texting, messaging or paying for anything. She bumbles her way 'home' to find her 16 year old mum.

Shannon has experienced something phenomenal like this before. Last time it happened she was with others, and she wonders and hopes they are somewhere in 1985 Sydney with her. Looking for them is important, and then trying to work out how to get home is next.

This novel, although it can be read on its own - would be much better if the author's previous novel Royals is read first.

How to Survive 1985 attracted me because of nostalgia, and a trip down memory lane was fun. What interested me the most is the ability of the characters to be in a time when things were worse for LGBTQ+, Indigenous people & non whites and can see for themselves the changes that are to come. They are frustrated that it seems to take so long to change, and the desire to warn people of the oncoming climate change and causes of cancer is great.

I will seek out Royals as I enjoyed the writing of How to Survive 1985 - but the plot didn't wow me.

(⭐2)

oh dear...

🎧ྀི 1. Characters
There weren't any outstanding issues with any of the characters. They were all kinda flat and didn't have any outlasting impression on me. The only one I actually liked was James, until he pulled out a vape 😔

Also, the way the characters were portrayed was such a stereotypical Gen Z characterisation, and I really didn't like that. It was sort of embarrassing - what do you mean the rest of the world sees us like that...? 😶 I just kept rolling my eyes over and over at what they were saying. Could barely live without their phones. And honestly the Gen Z lingo was so unnecessary 😭 if I wanted to hear someone say 'like' at least 5 times in a sentence, I'd make a voice recording of myself speaking.

𖤓𓏲⚘. 2. Plot
The plot was so... nothing? Literally nothing happened other than the fact that they travelled through time. And that sounds super cool, which in theory, it really was, but the execution was so lackluster. I finished the book kinda just sitting there like "well, what now?"

So many questions were left unanswered, and we didn't even get to see how the actions of our 'Royals' affected the present day. And it felt like absolutely nothing happened? The whole world was kind of just moving around them. I also felt like I was missing crucial context - which I was! There is apparently a book that takes place before this. I only found out through the constant references to it in this one. It was honestly a little irritating. If I wanted to hear so much about the first book, I'd have read that instead.

✧˖°📷 ༘ ⋆ 3. Final Thoughts
I'm very glad that the Australian representation wasn't all that bad. I liked how Sydney was described. I've only been once, but I felt like I was back there with the descriptions in the text.

How to Survive 1985 definitely reads way younger than YA. I'd have eaten this up when I still liked middle grade content. It was sadly really shallow and surface level for me.

I'm really sad I didn't like this one. I feel like I've been mean, so I'm sorry if any of this seems harsh, but I was really intrigued by the premise and it sounded super cool! The execution was just sadly not it.

✦ pre-read:
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for reaching out to me and granting me a free e-arc in exchange for my review! Can't wait to see how this one goes as it's set in Australia!<3 How to Survive 1985 releases on the 30th of April 2025 !

I hadn't read the first book in this series, so I was missing a little bit about how things happened with the people involved

As someone who grew up in the 70s and 80s, it was interesting to think how today's teenagers would survive in the 80s. I mean, we did just fine at the time, and I sometimes think it was a much simpler and nicer time in a lot of ways.

But man I think of how some of our 2020s technology would have been great.

I do like how Shannon and the others deal with the conundrum of "what if I do something now that will affect the future" - but then they went and did things and I was WTH are you doing?

I liked the vibe of Newtown in the 80s and it felt like the author has done a bit of research of the area a the time. I liked the mentions of suburbs around where grew up too.

It was good, however it also felt a bit young for me. I know it is aimed at the YA market, so that is not the books fault.

I may go back and read Royals sometime in the future.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for letting me read this as an ARC in exchange for my honest review

I really enjoyed this book, it was a really light and fun read and definitely appropriate for YA and even younger audiences.

Some parts of the book I found could have been left out/weren't necessary (particularly around what had happened to the group before, but overall I had a great time reading this one - a short novel too which is great for an afternoon read!

This is such a great read! It's rare I find a book that is so easy to devour, and I finished far sooner than I expected to.

How to Survive 1985 is a sequel to her first book, Royals, but you truly don't need to have read it to catch up as there's a great recap done by the main character to loop the reader back in.

The main character, Shannon, goes back in time and has the opportunity to meet her mother as a teen. I appreciated the thought that went into how the characters dealt with losing technology and not having the amenities we're so used to in 2025.

Shannon makes a few crucial decisions about whether to change the past or not, and I feel it's wrapped up very well. I could really see a trend for how the plot leads the reader to consider their own impact on the world and the future. This was a really beautiful take on how time might change for the better if we just put more thought into our choices.

I definitely will look into more books by this author, and thank you to the publisher for this opportunity!

I really enjoyed this book and its diverse cast of characters. The concept of kids from 2025 navigating life in the 1980s was engaging. I particularly appreciated that the protagonist, Shannon, faced plenty of challenges—nothing came easily for her. There were moments when she had to rely solely on her own resourcefulness, while at other times, her friends were there to support her. It made for a compelling and realistic journey.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for granting me a free e-arc in exchange for my review!

I think this was a beautiful book encapsulating the places we come from and the people that helps us grow up to be the person we are. It's fast-paced, and I did quite enjoy the main character's openness to learning more about her mother outside of her role as a mother.

I didn't quite gel with the whole 'tell your mum everything about the future you guys share' but whateveeerrr I can see why that was the case.

Reflective and fun YA.

A short novel, taking us back to 1985 Sydney. This wasn’t what I was expecting at all, I thought I was up for “time travelling” back to being a teenager during this period, but more it was a 2025 teenager - Shannon, plus her friends - going back to almost being bystanders in the life of Shannon’s mum when she was their age.

Enjoyable and life affirming, a pleasant enough YA read.


Thanks to the publisher Simon and Schuster (Australia) for the ARC via email and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is suited for a younger YA audience.

First off, I'm so glad the author did research on the Newtown/Sydney area of the 80s. Everything appears to be factual, including things like the park, cemetary and the cinema not existing then. So that is great.

The story itself wasn't as fun as I was expecting though. Traveling back to the 80s should have been a blaaaast but I found myself definitely wanting more.

This book is also VERY short, so there's not much time for bonding with the characters and such. This can be read as a standalone but past events are constantly mentioned. The first story sounds like it was a bit more interesting.

I thought this was an average read. I haven’t read Royals.

It’s 2025. Four friends find themselves whisked back in time to 1985, by 40 years. How will they cope with being teens in that era?

There are some odd bits in the book. One character finds out her Nan is to get a damaging melanoma in the future but refrains from warning the Nan about the importance of taking care in the sun! She feels justified in her decision. There’s also a commentary about their not warning the 1980s people about Climate Change or Donald Trump, about COVID, or Ukraine or Palestine, or about rent prices going so crazy and many people in 2025 being unable to afford to buy houses.

Shannon goes to the cinema in 2025 and comes back out in 1985. Somehow she’s travelled forty years back in time to the past. Her three friends have also gone back in time to 1985. Things are very different in 1985 : music, fads, hairstyles especially. Shannon has to track down her friends without the benefit of smartphones or the internet.

The friends, when they do get together, face a strain in their relationships. Some become closer, others experience a fractious relationship.

The group of friends came together a year before. It’s not the first time something odd has happened to this group of friends.

They struggle to find a way back to the future. When they do get back to the future, friendships among them are different.

While this book didn’t really appeal to me that much, I will get a copy of Tegan’s short stories as I read that they were shortlisted for the Stella Prize and I have always loved short stories.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Found out about this through my email and the author I have read one other book previously by her. The premise sounded interesting and I love being able to read any book by an Australian author and one set in Sydney. Was pretty chuffed to have been accepted for an arc review. Love the comparisons between 1985 and 2025.

I loved this book. I grew up in the 1980s and the author has caught the vibe of the era really well. It’s an intriguing premise and the author is smart enough not to delve too deeply into the how and why of the time travel which occurs. Instead, they take the reader on a fascinating journey of reflection and self affirmation.