ONCE UPON A KISS

Back to the Future meets The Breakfast Club for Generation Z.

It’s 1986, and 16-year-old Zoe Brenner isn’t one of the cool kids, but as long as she’s got her best friend, Jonah, John Hughes movies, and New Wave music, she just might survive Castle Heights High. But when Zoe accidentally chokes on a Fun Dip stick and wakes up 30 years in the future, she’s in for a more difficult ride. Beverly Hills circa 2016 is a whole lot different than it was in the ’80s, and it’s going to take some time for Zoe to adjust to Googling, tweeting, and blogging. But technology is just the tip of the iceberg. In this parallel universe, Zoe is the most popular girl in school, and a slightly more muscular Jonah has a new best friend. Though rapid-fire references to pop culture, antique and modern, can be a distraction, it’s a mostly undemanding read, following Zoe as she tries to use her newfound popularity for good and win back her best friend. There are no surprises here. The plot is predictable, as Palmer sticks to the tried-and-true best friend–turned–love interest formula. But Zoe’s frothy first-person narration should keep the pages turning.

While the road may be well-trodden, readers are still in for a breezy, enjoyable ride