I understand I’m not the intended audience, but I cared not one iota about these characters. The story moved a bit erratic, and the Dad acted like a child. I don’t think I meshed with the art style either.

+1 for the focus on Black music, especially from the 70’s.

[rating from enjoyment] ( )

The idea is pretty cool (time travel via jukebox) and I like the inclusivity (bi-racial character, one with hearing loss), but I also just wanted more from the characters, more show-don't-tell. ( )

Really didn't go into enough history or context of the music for me. I didn't get a good sense of time and place and didn't feel like I learned much about the music at all, which was what attracted me to the book. ( )

Beautifully illustrated (such lush panels! Such bright colors!) but not as good as it could have been. Quibbles range from the minor (some of the famous people aren't photorealistic [I wouldn't have recognized Janelle Monae if I wasn't already familiar with that album]) to the major (Naz's coming out storyline feels unconnected to everything else; I had no idea Naz was ~3 years older than Shahi because she neither acts nor looks like it; the time travel is very loosey-goosey: I like that their skin color didn't give them any trouble in the past, but that's just unrealistic. And there's no way the black people from the 30's didn't think Shahi was refusing their food because she was racist..

Overall, this book is a lot of fun and I think middle schoolers will like it. ( )