Your rating:
A little bit Twin Peaks, a little bit Black Mirror, Streetlight People is a story of growing up in—and out of—a small town with a huge secret. 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.
Publication Year: 2024
No posts yet
Kick off the convo with a theory, question, musing, or update
Your rating:
~~Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC!~~
I just don't get it.
Not the story itself, because the themes about classism are starkly clear, especially with how the time travel candies metaphorically represent the imaginary lines the rich draw to distinguish themselves from the not-rich. I got all that, but what I don't understand is all the hype the blurbs and reviews gave this book. If anything, I found this book very boring.
Kady using the candies just to relive moments with her boyfriend got old so fast to me. I dunno if it's because I've never been in a fully committed romantic relationship, but the thought of reliving specific moments, even when I loved those moments, over and over sounds tedious to me. I have, like, 10 separate characters/runs in my BG3, and I'm quick to skip a lot of scenes because I've played through them so much already. I just struggled to fully connect to Kady's motives, making it a hard read for me.
Aaron didn't do it for me til the last bit of the book. I thought it was interesting that there was a POV of a rich boy outsider who could give insight into the IV boys where Kady couldn't, and I thought that was the sole purpose of his chapters til the twist was revealed. I'm not gonna say what it is, but, man, did it make me feel stupid for not figuring out. I was half paying attention due to boredom, so that's probably why I missed the clues leading up to it. I still wished it didn't take about ninety percent of the book to get there.
The writing is fine, I guess. A lot of it was repetitive - Kady wanting validation and kissing her boyfriend, the IV boys being rich assholes and spreading the rumor, small town things like carnivals and festivals, etc. - there wasn't really much to keep me engaged in the plot. Kady also had a group of friends that I didn't care about either, one of whom was a guy who got a boyfriend (Wooo, gay rights)
I dunno, all I can really say is that this book wasn't for me. Judging by the reviews and praise this book has gotten, I'm sure it'll have its audience once it officially releases in November, but you definitely won't find me amongst them.
0
© 2024 Pagebound