Happy Friday bookworms! Today I'm excited to be reviewing Retro by Sofía Lapuente and Jarrod Shusterman! Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You don't want to miss this book when it comes out January 24th! Content warnings
Attempted suicide, bullying, anxiety, animal death, death of a parent (mentioned), body dysmorphia (mentioned), blood, drugging, forced confinement Retro follows Luna, who is at the heart of a controversy after a cyberbullying incident at her school goes viral. But then a social media company named Limbo (the one involved in the scandal) offer her an opportunity to participate in the Retro Challenge. A challenge where contestants live without modern technology for the chance to win a scholarship to the college of their dreams. Except things start to get dangerous fast, with missing friends and voices in the woods, Luna begins to wonder if Limbo has a more sinister plot at play.
First off, let's take a moment to appreciate this stunning cover! One aspect about this book that I thought was really unique is that all of the chapters have songs associated with them! From songs like "These Boots Are Made For Walkin" by Nancy Sinatra to "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC, this book featured so many classic older songs. What's even more exciting was that the authors made a playlist compiling all the songs together which you can find using a QR code! As I read through the book, I listened to the songs that matched each chapter. Sofía and Jarrod did a great job of picking songs that matched the vibe of the chapters and what the characters were going through, it created an immersive reading experience! The overall plot/storyline of Retro was a lot of fun to read about. On one hand we have an exciting competition and social experiment where teens give up technology, but on the other hand we slowly start to see more sinister things occur. I love a good competition in a book, and this one felt like a refreshing take on the trope. I enjoyed seeing how Luna and her friends adapted to the challenge, using old fashioned landlines, typewriters, and more. However, I would have also liked to see more of the elimination challenges that were mentioned, in order to get even more of a competitive vibe. The flowing and easy to read writing style made for a fast read. I just had to know what would happen next! I thought that the dystopian aspects of the book were perfectly balanced and added some ominous vibes to the story. But I found some of the plot twists to be a little unbelievable. Speaking of the writing, it was very cohesive and I never would have guessed that it was written by two people. Luna was definitely my favourite character, but I also loved her ragtag group of friends! They're all so different from one another but in the end they made a great team. What I enjoyed the most was seeing them each grow and develop over the course of the book. The small town setting was perfect for this! I really enjoyed the take on technology and how it can be harmful to us, especially when it's being used for selfish interests, but also how it can be used to bring people together. All in all I had a great experience reading this book! I definitely recommend it to fans of mysterious contemporaries who are looking for a dystopian twist! I gave this book 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. That's all for my review of Retro by Sofía Lapuente and Jarrod Shusterman! I hope you enjoyed it! If you had to give up your phone for a week, which apps would you miss the most? Let me know in the comments below!
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AuthorPaige is a bookstagrammer and blogger who loves all things bookish. From fantasy to mystery she can’t get enough! She’s always ready to recommend you a book and she can talk about her favourites all day. When she’s not reading, you can find her watching Marvel movies, playing video games, and taking bookstagram photos. Visit her on Instagram and Twitter for more updates. CategoriesArchives
April 2024
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