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Retro
What starts off as a light-hearted competition to live without modern technology for a year turns into a fight for survival in this unputdownable young adult thriller by New York Times bestselling author Jarrod Shusterman and debut author Sofía Lapuente.
It was never meant to happen this way.
Things were never supposed to get this out of hand.
After a cyberbullying incident at her school goes viral, Luna Iglesias finds herself at the heart of a brewing controversy. When the social media company Limbo—who are also implicated in the scandal—sweeps in with an offer that sounds like an opportunity to turn over a new leaf and receive a scholarship to the college of her dreams, she’s happy to jump on the new trend. It’s called the Retro Challenge, where contestants live without modern technology, wear vintage clothes, party as if the future weren’t already written, and fall in love as if they were living in a movie.
At first, the challenge is fun. But then things get dangerous. Kids start disappearing, including Luna’s friends. There are voices in the woods. Bloodred markings on the trees. And Luna increasingly begins to wonder if all these strange happenings are connected with the Retro Challenge.
Secrets. Lies. Betrayal. The weight of her family on her shoulders. There’s so much on the line for Luna, not to mention she’s falling in love with the last guy she expected. Unless she can figure out the truth behind who’s sabotaging the challenge, the next person to disappear may be Luna herself.
It was never meant to happen this way.
Things were never supposed to get this out of hand.
After a cyberbullying incident at her school goes viral, Luna Iglesias finds herself at the heart of a brewing controversy. When the social media company Limbo—who are also implicated in the scandal—sweeps in with an offer that sounds like an opportunity to turn over a new leaf and receive a scholarship to the college of her dreams, she’s happy to jump on the new trend. It’s called the Retro Challenge, where contestants live without modern technology, wear vintage clothes, party as if the future weren’t already written, and fall in love as if they were living in a movie.
At first, the challenge is fun. But then things get dangerous. Kids start disappearing, including Luna’s friends. There are voices in the woods. Bloodred markings on the trees. And Luna increasingly begins to wonder if all these strange happenings are connected with the Retro Challenge.
Secrets. Lies. Betrayal. The weight of her family on her shoulders. There’s so much on the line for Luna, not to mention she’s falling in love with the last guy she expected. Unless she can figure out the truth behind who’s sabotaging the challenge, the next person to disappear may be Luna herself.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 24, 2023
50 people are currently reading
5456 people want to read
About the author
Sofía Lapuente
2 books91 followersSofía Lapuente is an author, screenwriter, and avid world traveler who immigrated from Spain to the United States to realize her dream of storytelling. Since then, she has received a master’s degree in fine arts at UCLA, worked as a producer and casting director on an Emmy nominated show, and received coauthor credits in Gleanings, the fourth installment of the bestselling Arc of a Scythe trilogy, with her partner, Jarrod. Their upcoming novel is a fun thriller called RETRO. Together, the couple writes and produces film and television under their production company Dos Lobos Entertainment. They can be found on Instagram @sofiandjarrod and TikTok @sofiandjarrod
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 274 reviews
January 12, 2023
Hi Everyone! This is the coauthor of RETRO just saying thank you SO SO SO MUCH for all of your kind and honest reviews :) Here is a link to the Spotify playlist (which will be a QR in the hardcopy) so you may listen along while you read!
Click here
We really hope you are all enjoying our story!
Warmest!!!! - Jarrod (& Sofi) <3
Click here
We really hope you are all enjoying our story!
Warmest!!!! - Jarrod (& Sofi) <3
February 25, 2023
A wild ride was my first instant reaction at the end of the story. I listened to the audiobook majority of the time. I loved the narrator's voice especially when she speaks for Luna's mom and all of the Spanish sentences. This story followed Luna. She's friends with Samantha for 10 years until they went shopping together one day and Samantha pulled an unexpected stunt and left Luna in trouble. Luna was upset so she posted a video on Limbo, a social media network, to embarrass Samantha. It got spiraling out of hand when others shared and re-shared the video multiple times. Samantha dealt with the cyber bullying by attempting to take her own life. A share on social media became an attack. Forwarded a few pages and the CEO of Limbo proposed a challenge to the high school students and classmates of Luna. To go through the rest of the school year without having a phone. Since the phone is what put a fellow classmate in the hospital. It's hard because Luna also need her phone to stay in touch with her overprotective mom. Each chapter started with a hit song from back in the day like Livin' La Viva Loca and This Is How We Do It..
There were some twists and turns in the story later on. Whoever accepted the challenge was going Retro and whoever didn't was mostly the popular crew in the school who ran their life as an influencer. I liked how the popular group tried to trick Luna into using the phone but she caught herself and resisted. Since there wasn't a phone to play, they kept themselves busy with saving Luna's mom's job and dealing with teen stuffs. One thing I didn't like so much was the romance. It's almost enemies to lover but it happened fast. I'm surprised at Luna who never had a boyfriend before to not hesitate at all when she took off her clothes for the first guy that showed interest in her. Luna wasn't so bright at solving mysteries when her friends started disappearing or when there were weird noises started happening.
A good diverse set of characters with different insecurities and secrets. A good friendship story. A good mother-daughter relationship. One friend who's gay. Another friend who goes both ways. Romance was a quick mention and neither slow burn nor explicit.
Thank you SimonTeen and Simon Audio for the gifted copy to read, listen, and review!
There were some twists and turns in the story later on. Whoever accepted the challenge was going Retro and whoever didn't was mostly the popular crew in the school who ran their life as an influencer. I liked how the popular group tried to trick Luna into using the phone but she caught herself and resisted. Since there wasn't a phone to play, they kept themselves busy with saving Luna's mom's job and dealing with teen stuffs. One thing I didn't like so much was the romance. It's almost enemies to lover but it happened fast. I'm surprised at Luna who never had a boyfriend before to not hesitate at all when she took off her clothes for the first guy that showed interest in her. Luna wasn't so bright at solving mysteries when her friends started disappearing or when there were weird noises started happening.
A good diverse set of characters with different insecurities and secrets. A good friendship story. A good mother-daughter relationship. One friend who's gay. Another friend who goes both ways. Romance was a quick mention and neither slow burn nor explicit.
Thank you SimonTeen and Simon Audio for the gifted copy to read, listen, and review!
November 7, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
My Selling Pitch:
Do you want to read a cheesy book that really straddles Middle Grade and YA? Are you obsessed with Tiktok? Do you like a book that will beat you over the head with pop culture references and platitudes but can’t string together a plot?
Pre-reading:
A stunning cover. Get on my bookshelf.
Thick of it:
I hate this book immediately.
It's always weirdly disorienting to my narcissistic ass when book characters have my name.
It is deeply offensive to compare school shooting victims to victims of social media bullying. Phone clicks are not gunshots. Bullying can be stopped and worked through. Shot is dead.
Doctors “doing their hardest” 👀
This book is so Tiktok heavy it’s going to date itself nearly instantaneously.
She’s afraid of showering.
This book is why people hate “snowflake liberal millennials.”
So much pick-me emo energy.
You’re allowed to wear crop tops to school? (Apparently yes.)
A heart proportional to boobs-what?!?
This book is so cringe. Not in a good way at all.
Yeah, because no one has multiple phones.
Who signed this child’s permission slip to get a massive chest tattoo? (Lol extra no one.)
Tinder has an age requirement. These are children. They can’t be on there.
Wow, glitter. How scary.
Don’t drag Smash Mouth into this. They’ve suffered enough.
What…what does pasta have to do with airplanes?
I think working with kids makes you a mandated reporter.
The metaphors in this book make me want to die. In the bad way, not in the funny haha way.
That’s right, no opinionated girls.
Red is not the best skittles flavor. Def purple, blue, or pink.
I fully googled Daft Punk like that’s not old, but 22 years 🙃
Idk if talking about high schoolers on pornhub is exactly kosher.
Why were you in the school at night though?
This mouse and lion quote makes no sense.
Leave Smash Mouth out of this omg.
BTK anyone?
This socks line is the only quip I’ve enjoyed this whole book.
YA continues to fixate on Harry Potter. Yawn.
I…I also enjoy the blanket quip. Sue me.
Are they gonna make Vince have an eating disorder or? (yes.)
Your vagina isn’t the part that pees.
Not a Furby omg. Things of nightmares.
The way all of us girls are fixated on corsets as the sexiest tops. But also she’s a baby. No corsets.
I put eyeliner on without opening my mouth.
I don’t know who Miranda is. (I still don’t.)
Cauliflower is delicious.
So much privilege in this book.
I actually did know that fact about the silver screen, but I forget where I learned it. Maybe a podcast or another one of these random reads.
I did not know about the cow fat.
Why would you just not find out who it is?
Honestly, I don’t remember who Ruby is. (Lowkey still don’t.)
Why does every character with anxiety need to be told that they’re brave or a superhero for dealing with it by their love interests? It’s not brave to function. It’s do or die, and the universe does not care which one you pick.
No, sorry hold on. How do you just move on from dead animals in a clearing in the woods? Like, call the police or an animal control officer to get rid of them. Also what the fuck.
Teenagers talking about role-playing in bed makes me uncomfy.
No, take the Tesla, you idiot.
This girl put stinky eggs in her pocket.
This man just fake-proposed with a donut.
“As a woman”-absolutely not.
Hooking up during a house party while you’re being filmed-no.
If she’s getting texts, then you have her location.
Also, for all the platitudes and fucking life messages this book supposedly has, little miffed that they didn’t talk condoms or birth control.
The setting for this scene reminds me of the junkyard in Life is Strange.
Friends do not tell each other everything.
Yeah, I don’t think your mother would be cool giving a ride to the girl who posted the video that made her daughter kill herself.
It would literally be illegal to handcuff underage children together and make them share bathrooms. HR.
An artichoke bouquet.
How would you have not seen that before now? It’s been like a week.
Oh my god, not the Clinton reference.
You know, I will say this book is fully committed to the cringe. It never lets up.
That doesn’t rhyme.
There’s no way they should be allowed to have gold diggers as their mascot.
They literally told you they were gonna record everything. You signed contracts without lawyers.
Why would these grown adults care that she’s blowing a whistle? That doesn’t stop anyone. Oh my god, I hate this book.
I still don’t understand what this company is trying to accomplish with a few teenagers. Nothing makes sense lol.
I’m sure the mall has a massive insurance policy and will be fine. (It is.)
It’s not his fault what his parents do for a living. This is idiotic.
Syntonizing is a brand new word to me.
The world would not give a single shit. Just walk out the door.
Anyway, here’s Wonderwall.
Are we not supposed to know Fineman was Andy? Lowkey, I have no recollection of Fineman ever being mentioned-I just assumed he was the one with the company. I can’t keep track of people in this book.
Post-reading:
This book is a hot mess of pop culture references. The narrative voice skews so young, I would almost classify this as Middle Grade if it weren’t for the references to sex. Let’s be real, the competition and “villain” make zero sense. Doesn’t even really try to. So if you take out that whisper of a plot, you really just have an author listing off damaged high schooler stereotypes. And for what? There are no real stakes or drama to it. Everyone has a tragic backstory. This is fiction. We done been knew. And when your characters only act to tick diversity boxes, it becomes impossible to remember or keep track of them so there’s no real emotional weight to anything. It comes off as preachy, and insensitive, and like a fat wad of tokenism. Representation isn’t a list. Characters have to be bigger than their backstories. It reads like every other fake woke book, and is just annoying, and I’m truly not sure who the intended audience for this book is. Current high schoolers? Will not give a shit. My age-twenty somethings? Already way too old. Middle schoolers? Probably a smidge inappropriate. It almost reads like 13 Reasons Why fanfiction. This book exists outside of money, and law enforcement, and real-world consequences, and that feels a bit irresponsible when you’re addressing suicide, and drug use, and eating disorders.
Who should read this:
Immature readers obsessed with Tiktok or books with pop culture references
Do I want to reread this:
No
Similar books:
* Nice Try, Jane Sinner by Lianne Oelke-what should be the standard for snarky high school narrator competes in a competition.
* Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson-quirky characters with a nonsensical plot
* Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon-cringe narrator and heavy on pop culture references.
* Crush in the Cascades by Lisa S. Gayle-weird reality show rom-com
* Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett-quirky ya rom-com
My Selling Pitch:
Do you want to read a cheesy book that really straddles Middle Grade and YA? Are you obsessed with Tiktok? Do you like a book that will beat you over the head with pop culture references and platitudes but can’t string together a plot?
Pre-reading:
A stunning cover. Get on my bookshelf.
Thick of it:
I hate this book immediately.
It's always weirdly disorienting to my narcissistic ass when book characters have my name.
It is deeply offensive to compare school shooting victims to victims of social media bullying. Phone clicks are not gunshots. Bullying can be stopped and worked through. Shot is dead.
Doctors “doing their hardest” 👀
This book is so Tiktok heavy it’s going to date itself nearly instantaneously.
She’s afraid of showering.
This book is why people hate “snowflake liberal millennials.”
So much pick-me emo energy.
You’re allowed to wear crop tops to school? (Apparently yes.)
A heart proportional to boobs-what?!?
This book is so cringe. Not in a good way at all.
Yeah, because no one has multiple phones.
Who signed this child’s permission slip to get a massive chest tattoo? (Lol extra no one.)
Tinder has an age requirement. These are children. They can’t be on there.
Wow, glitter. How scary.
Don’t drag Smash Mouth into this. They’ve suffered enough.
What…what does pasta have to do with airplanes?
I think working with kids makes you a mandated reporter.
The metaphors in this book make me want to die. In the bad way, not in the funny haha way.
That’s right, no opinionated girls.
Red is not the best skittles flavor. Def purple, blue, or pink.
I fully googled Daft Punk like that’s not old, but 22 years 🙃
Idk if talking about high schoolers on pornhub is exactly kosher.
Why were you in the school at night though?
This mouse and lion quote makes no sense.
Leave Smash Mouth out of this omg.
BTK anyone?
This socks line is the only quip I’ve enjoyed this whole book.
YA continues to fixate on Harry Potter. Yawn.
I…I also enjoy the blanket quip. Sue me.
Are they gonna make Vince have an eating disorder or? (yes.)
Your vagina isn’t the part that pees.
Not a Furby omg. Things of nightmares.
The way all of us girls are fixated on corsets as the sexiest tops. But also she’s a baby. No corsets.
I put eyeliner on without opening my mouth.
I don’t know who Miranda is. (I still don’t.)
Cauliflower is delicious.
So much privilege in this book.
I actually did know that fact about the silver screen, but I forget where I learned it. Maybe a podcast or another one of these random reads.
I did not know about the cow fat.
Why would you just not find out who it is?
Honestly, I don’t remember who Ruby is. (Lowkey still don’t.)
Why does every character with anxiety need to be told that they’re brave or a superhero for dealing with it by their love interests? It’s not brave to function. It’s do or die, and the universe does not care which one you pick.
No, sorry hold on. How do you just move on from dead animals in a clearing in the woods? Like, call the police or an animal control officer to get rid of them. Also what the fuck.
Teenagers talking about role-playing in bed makes me uncomfy.
No, take the Tesla, you idiot.
This girl put stinky eggs in her pocket.
This man just fake-proposed with a donut.
“As a woman”-absolutely not.
Hooking up during a house party while you’re being filmed-no.
If she’s getting texts, then you have her location.
Also, for all the platitudes and fucking life messages this book supposedly has, little miffed that they didn’t talk condoms or birth control.
The setting for this scene reminds me of the junkyard in Life is Strange.
Friends do not tell each other everything.
Yeah, I don’t think your mother would be cool giving a ride to the girl who posted the video that made her daughter kill herself.
It would literally be illegal to handcuff underage children together and make them share bathrooms. HR.
An artichoke bouquet.
How would you have not seen that before now? It’s been like a week.
Oh my god, not the Clinton reference.
You know, I will say this book is fully committed to the cringe. It never lets up.
That doesn’t rhyme.
There’s no way they should be allowed to have gold diggers as their mascot.
They literally told you they were gonna record everything. You signed contracts without lawyers.
Why would these grown adults care that she’s blowing a whistle? That doesn’t stop anyone. Oh my god, I hate this book.
I still don’t understand what this company is trying to accomplish with a few teenagers. Nothing makes sense lol.
I’m sure the mall has a massive insurance policy and will be fine. (It is.)
It’s not his fault what his parents do for a living. This is idiotic.
Syntonizing is a brand new word to me.
The world would not give a single shit. Just walk out the door.
Anyway, here’s Wonderwall.
Are we not supposed to know Fineman was Andy? Lowkey, I have no recollection of Fineman ever being mentioned-I just assumed he was the one with the company. I can’t keep track of people in this book.
Post-reading:
This book is a hot mess of pop culture references. The narrative voice skews so young, I would almost classify this as Middle Grade if it weren’t for the references to sex. Let’s be real, the competition and “villain” make zero sense. Doesn’t even really try to. So if you take out that whisper of a plot, you really just have an author listing off damaged high schooler stereotypes. And for what? There are no real stakes or drama to it. Everyone has a tragic backstory. This is fiction. We done been knew. And when your characters only act to tick diversity boxes, it becomes impossible to remember or keep track of them so there’s no real emotional weight to anything. It comes off as preachy, and insensitive, and like a fat wad of tokenism. Representation isn’t a list. Characters have to be bigger than their backstories. It reads like every other fake woke book, and is just annoying, and I’m truly not sure who the intended audience for this book is. Current high schoolers? Will not give a shit. My age-twenty somethings? Already way too old. Middle schoolers? Probably a smidge inappropriate. It almost reads like 13 Reasons Why fanfiction. This book exists outside of money, and law enforcement, and real-world consequences, and that feels a bit irresponsible when you’re addressing suicide, and drug use, and eating disorders.
Who should read this:
Immature readers obsessed with Tiktok or books with pop culture references
Do I want to reread this:
No
Similar books:
* Nice Try, Jane Sinner by Lianne Oelke-what should be the standard for snarky high school narrator competes in a competition.
* Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson-quirky characters with a nonsensical plot
* Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon-cringe narrator and heavy on pop culture references.
* Crush in the Cascades by Lisa S. Gayle-weird reality show rom-com
* Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett-quirky ya rom-com
October 19, 2022
An enormous thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, and of course Sofia Lapuente and Jarrod Shusterman for providing me with an eARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.
This was the perfect YA thriller, especially with the given modern age. I was sucked into this book so quickly and absolutely had to figure out how everything played out. It had this undercurrent of uncertainty to it and I loved that, it was such a great read for October.
I loved Luna, absolutely adored her and her friends- the perfect group for the challenges that arose. I loved how much the characters grew through the challenge and learned what was truly important to them. That LIVING your life is so much better than being stuck behind a screen. It's a lesson I think a lot of the younger generations need some reminding of.
This book was great and I absolutely cannot wait to have a physical copy in my hands. Cheers to Sofia and Jarrod on their first novel together- can't wait to see what they do next!
This was the perfect YA thriller, especially with the given modern age. I was sucked into this book so quickly and absolutely had to figure out how everything played out. It had this undercurrent of uncertainty to it and I loved that, it was such a great read for October.
I loved Luna, absolutely adored her and her friends- the perfect group for the challenges that arose. I loved how much the characters grew through the challenge and learned what was truly important to them. That LIVING your life is so much better than being stuck behind a screen. It's a lesson I think a lot of the younger generations need some reminding of.
This book was great and I absolutely cannot wait to have a physical copy in my hands. Cheers to Sofia and Jarrod on their first novel together- can't wait to see what they do next!
Want to read
March 17, 2021March 17, 2021: Entering a competition that's "offering reward money to anyone who can successfully live without modern technology for a year"? And everything turns sinister when the classmates start disappearing? This thriller is going to be too good.
November 19, 2022
I really like the premise of this book - a challenge to live without technology that turns into a bit of a thriller? Yes please! However, the plot was a bit of a mess and the challenge made absolutely zero sense. I was so confused by the time we reached the real mystery and drama that I wasn't actually interested in it.
Everything about this reads like adults trying to write teenagers without ever meeting one. It was very cringey, and meant there wasn't a single character that I was even remotely interested in. Unfortunately, the whole book was a swing and a miss for me!
Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.
Everything about this reads like adults trying to write teenagers without ever meeting one. It was very cringey, and meant there wasn't a single character that I was even remotely interested in. Unfortunately, the whole book was a swing and a miss for me!
Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.
February 13, 2025
4 stars
this was an amazing ya thriller, with a perfect blend of mystery and intrigue, romance, and the importance of friendship. there was a lot of humor in this book (some more mature but still leaning on the pg-13 side). luna’s wit and banter cracked me up. also, i love luna and her friends, and i really hope the authors collaborate again to write a sequel/spin-off.
many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for sending me an e-arc of this novel!
this was an amazing ya thriller, with a perfect blend of mystery and intrigue, romance, and the importance of friendship. there was a lot of humor in this book (some more mature but still leaning on the pg-13 side). luna’s wit and banter cracked me up. also, i love luna and her friends, and i really hope the authors collaborate again to write a sequel/spin-off.
many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for sending me an e-arc of this novel!
January 26, 2023
Have you ever read a book and thought, "well that was stupid...?" This is that book for me.
Honestly, starting out, my interest was piqued because I thought it had a good introduction and the chapter ending with Samantha swallowing so many pills was eerie in a really good way. I thought "Cool, if this is how the rest of the book goes, I'm in."
That is not how the rest of the book went.
It became dumber and dumber as it went on... a tech company named Limbo, which is essentially a generic prescription of TikTok, decides to implement a "retro challenge" for anyone who wants to give up technology with the winner receiving a scholarship to college as their way of taking a stance against bullying on social media. Yes, a social media company is looking to reward students who don't use social media.... make it make sense.
Throughout this shoddy plot, we have a popular heartthrob with anger issues (Axel), a vengeful ex-girlfriend who should seriously be arrested for putting people's lives in danger (Jade), an angry side character with no purpose (Vince), and a Latina mom who's about to be deported if she loses her job (currrrveball). As the volunteer Retros start disappearing, the remaining Retros try to figure out who is against them.
Isn't it obvious? Yes. Does this obviousness make the point of this plot any clearer? No.
I'm gonna stop writing now. I feel like I just read a stupid book that wasted my time. The end.
Honestly, starting out, my interest was piqued because I thought it had a good introduction and the chapter ending with Samantha swallowing so many pills was eerie in a really good way. I thought "Cool, if this is how the rest of the book goes, I'm in."
That is not how the rest of the book went.
It became dumber and dumber as it went on... a tech company named Limbo, which is essentially a generic prescription of TikTok, decides to implement a "retro challenge" for anyone who wants to give up technology with the winner receiving a scholarship to college as their way of taking a stance against bullying on social media. Yes, a social media company is looking to reward students who don't use social media.... make it make sense.
Throughout this shoddy plot, we have a popular heartthrob with anger issues (Axel), a vengeful ex-girlfriend who should seriously be arrested for putting people's lives in danger (Jade), an angry side character with no purpose (Vince), and a Latina mom who's about to be deported if she loses her job (currrrveball). As the volunteer Retros start disappearing, the remaining Retros try to figure out who is against them.
Isn't it obvious? Yes. Does this obviousness make the point of this plot any clearer? No.
I'm gonna stop writing now. I feel like I just read a stupid book that wasted my time. The end.
November 27, 2022
Retro is one of those books that you can pick up and read in one sitting losing track of time and surroundings as you are immersed in the thrilling nature of this young adult entry.
The story follows Luna Iglesias, a high school aged protagonist who finds herself at the center of a major social media scandal on the application, Limbo. Looking for resolution to her mistake, Luna reaches out to Limbo who shows up at El Dorado High School with an opportunity for students to “Go Retro” and live a full school year without modern technology for a chance at a full-ride scholarship to the college of the student’s choice. Sounds great, right?!
What Luna and her Retro Challenge friends soon realize is how technologically inflicted their lives truly are as they take on the challenges of Limbo in hopes of fulfilling dreams that may not have been realized before they took on the challenge. What makes the novel even more intense is the fact that retros are going missing and Luna and her friends must act quickly or they, too, may disappear.
One of the major strengths of this book is the inclusion of diverse characters living within the shadows of modern technology and social media. There were many times when a character would stop and reflect on how their interactions are affected by their “followers” or “friends” leaving readers asking how influenced their own lives are by applications like Limbo. Many characters realize that their past plays a pivotal role in their future as their own mistakes must be actualized and reconciled before they can move forward with their own lives. This provides a realistic aspect to the novel and the decisions that have to be made affect the characters in a way that may provide solace for some readers of the book.
By the end of the novel, Luna and the cast of retros must band together to figure out who is taking them out one-by-one which provides a sense of camaraderie pulling in elements of teenager lifestyles and actions. The overarching plot of the story takes a dark turn not dissimilar to many young adult thrillers published and teenage-viewed television series’ released in the past few years. With this comes several scenarios that may be difficult to some readers of the novel especially those who have battled with mental illness, body dysmorphia, abuse, isolation, and other forms of trauma in their life.
Luna is a lovable protagonist, and I feel that readers will adventure through this book with care for her, her family, and her friends. There are times when I could not stop reading because I needed to know what was going to happen next as well as times I needed to pause and take in what just happened to reflect on how it translates for teenagers living in modern society. There are intense situations that reflect some of the challenges that young adults face in the modern world and the story does not always reconcile these moments with the reader/subject. References to a suicide attempt, intimacy between characters, and underaged drinking/drug use would make me careful about recommending this book to just anyone.
Overall, I enjoyed Retro and am grateful for Sofía Lapuente and Jarrod Shusterman for writing a novel that challenges the culture of modern teenagers. As I was telling my wife, this book reads like it was written for a young adult audience as well as a 30-something audience with the awesome playlist, 90s-00s references, and connections to trends in fashion and media. Retro is a thrilling adventure that will leave you reflecting on your own life choices with social media and technology. Maybe we should all “Go Retro!” for a little while at least.
My Rating: 4.5 / 5 Stars
Thank you to Simon and Schuster as well as NetGalley for advanced reader copies of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story follows Luna Iglesias, a high school aged protagonist who finds herself at the center of a major social media scandal on the application, Limbo. Looking for resolution to her mistake, Luna reaches out to Limbo who shows up at El Dorado High School with an opportunity for students to “Go Retro” and live a full school year without modern technology for a chance at a full-ride scholarship to the college of the student’s choice. Sounds great, right?!
What Luna and her Retro Challenge friends soon realize is how technologically inflicted their lives truly are as they take on the challenges of Limbo in hopes of fulfilling dreams that may not have been realized before they took on the challenge. What makes the novel even more intense is the fact that retros are going missing and Luna and her friends must act quickly or they, too, may disappear.
One of the major strengths of this book is the inclusion of diverse characters living within the shadows of modern technology and social media. There were many times when a character would stop and reflect on how their interactions are affected by their “followers” or “friends” leaving readers asking how influenced their own lives are by applications like Limbo. Many characters realize that their past plays a pivotal role in their future as their own mistakes must be actualized and reconciled before they can move forward with their own lives. This provides a realistic aspect to the novel and the decisions that have to be made affect the characters in a way that may provide solace for some readers of the book.
By the end of the novel, Luna and the cast of retros must band together to figure out who is taking them out one-by-one which provides a sense of camaraderie pulling in elements of teenager lifestyles and actions. The overarching plot of the story takes a dark turn not dissimilar to many young adult thrillers published and teenage-viewed television series’ released in the past few years. With this comes several scenarios that may be difficult to some readers of the novel especially those who have battled with mental illness, body dysmorphia, abuse, isolation, and other forms of trauma in their life.
Luna is a lovable protagonist, and I feel that readers will adventure through this book with care for her, her family, and her friends. There are times when I could not stop reading because I needed to know what was going to happen next as well as times I needed to pause and take in what just happened to reflect on how it translates for teenagers living in modern society. There are intense situations that reflect some of the challenges that young adults face in the modern world and the story does not always reconcile these moments with the reader/subject. References to a suicide attempt, intimacy between characters, and underaged drinking/drug use would make me careful about recommending this book to just anyone.
Overall, I enjoyed Retro and am grateful for Sofía Lapuente and Jarrod Shusterman for writing a novel that challenges the culture of modern teenagers. As I was telling my wife, this book reads like it was written for a young adult audience as well as a 30-something audience with the awesome playlist, 90s-00s references, and connections to trends in fashion and media. Retro is a thrilling adventure that will leave you reflecting on your own life choices with social media and technology. Maybe we should all “Go Retro!” for a little while at least.
My Rating: 4.5 / 5 Stars
Thank you to Simon and Schuster as well as NetGalley for advanced reader copies of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2023
I had so much excitement for this and it ended up being so disappointing. I'm just going to list all of my issues because it isn't even worth writing a coherent review for.
1) The format with the story being "paused" every few chapters is awkward and unnecessary.
2) The weirdly violent way contestants who fail get treated.
3) In one chapter she absolutely despises the popular guy and in the next she's ready to give him a chance. Literally a few pages after talking about how much she dislikes him she immediately starts blushing at the thought of him having a crush on her.
4) AWFUL sassy-gay-black-bff trope whose actual dialogue is "I'm nobody's gay sidekick!" without a lick of irony.
5) The characters are underdeveloped and cringey.
6) Every time Luna references a line in Spanish (because she's Latina, which, actually YAY) it's followed by a "which means this" explanation.
7) Plot points are introduced and resolved within a few paragraphs or dropped completely.
8) Every few chapters end with really heavy handed messaging about "[being popular] wasn't about being cool, it was about being accepted without judgement," "This was what our society really needed," "We're worth a lot more than our data," and "using social media for mind control." The messaging throughout the entire book was so clunky and heavy handed.
9) YA isn't always the most realistic genre, but the workarounds they had to go through to make this plot make sense are just ridiculous.
10) People who were literally dangerous and shtty to the main characters are also people Luna claims to "love all the way to heaven and back' even though they never actually apologize or make up with her and just give her a ~look~ once.
11) NOBODY WOULD IGNORE THAT MANY MISSING KIDS WHO WERE ALL PART OF THE SAME PROJECT!
TLDR: A messy plot with messy writing. Skip it.
1) The format with the story being "paused" every few chapters is awkward and unnecessary.
2) The weirdly violent way contestants who fail get treated.
3) In one chapter she absolutely despises the popular guy and in the next she's ready to give him a chance. Literally a few pages after talking about how much she dislikes him she immediately starts blushing at the thought of him having a crush on her.
4) AWFUL sassy-gay-black-bff trope whose actual dialogue is "I'm nobody's gay sidekick!" without a lick of irony.
5) The characters are underdeveloped and cringey.
6) Every time Luna references a line in Spanish (because she's Latina, which, actually YAY) it's followed by a "which means this" explanation.
7) Plot points are introduced and resolved within a few paragraphs or dropped completely.
8) Every few chapters end with really heavy handed messaging about "[being popular] wasn't about being cool, it was about being accepted without judgement," "This was what our society really needed," "We're worth a lot more than our data," and "using social media for mind control." The messaging throughout the entire book was so clunky and heavy handed.
9) YA isn't always the most realistic genre, but the workarounds they had to go through to make this plot make sense are just ridiculous.
10) People who were literally dangerous and shtty to the main characters are also people Luna claims to "love all the way to heaven and back' even though they never actually apologize or make up with her and just give her a ~look~ once.
11) NOBODY WOULD IGNORE THAT MANY MISSING KIDS WHO WERE ALL PART OF THE SAME PROJECT!
TLDR: A messy plot with messy writing. Skip it.
January 18, 2023
well that certainly was a book.
October 24, 2022
My passion for reading began in middle school with the discovery of all things young adult. From there I have expanded to adult fiction, non-fiction, horror, etc but young adult will ALWAYS be a guilty pleasure.
My life has been interesting lately to say the least and reading Retro over the past two weeks has been an actual breath of fresh air.
I related to all of the characters in so many ways but especially Luna (not only because that’s also the name of my kitten) but because she is strong and fearless even when everything was crashing down around her. I’ve always kept to myself and my small group of friends, never felt the need to step out of my comfort zone but watching Lunas story unfold gives me immense courage to step out of mine in more ways then one.
Turning the pages had me laughing, crying, singing the lyrics to the songs that headed each chapter and I couldn’t have picked a better book to read at this time in my life. Lunas playlist in more ways than one is also my playlist and even though she’s a fictional character I know that if she were real she’d definitely be best friend material just based on her song choices.
So with all that being said, if you’re someone who needs pick me up, who needs to smile, laugh, cry and sing while turning the pages this is absolutely for you and I promise you will love it.
My life has been interesting lately to say the least and reading Retro over the past two weeks has been an actual breath of fresh air.
I related to all of the characters in so many ways but especially Luna (not only because that’s also the name of my kitten) but because she is strong and fearless even when everything was crashing down around her. I’ve always kept to myself and my small group of friends, never felt the need to step out of my comfort zone but watching Lunas story unfold gives me immense courage to step out of mine in more ways then one.
Turning the pages had me laughing, crying, singing the lyrics to the songs that headed each chapter and I couldn’t have picked a better book to read at this time in my life. Lunas playlist in more ways than one is also my playlist and even though she’s a fictional character I know that if she were real she’d definitely be best friend material just based on her song choices.
So with all that being said, if you’re someone who needs pick me up, who needs to smile, laugh, cry and sing while turning the pages this is absolutely for you and I promise you will love it.
April 4, 2024
Als sich Luna von ihrer vermeintlich besten Freundin Samantha aufs Übelste verraten fühlt, möchte sie nur noch eines – ihrer Freundin genauso weh tun und so lädt sie ein peinliches Video von ihr auf Limbo hoch. Über Nacht geht das Video viral und obwohl Luna noch versucht den Schaden zu begrenzen, entsteht dadurch eine furchtbare Kettenreaktion. Um ihr schlechtes Gewissen etwas zu besänftigen, meldet sich Luna daraufhin bei der RETRO Challenge an – ein Jahr lang keine moderne Technologie wie Smartphones, Internet und vor allem kein Social Media. Anfangs findet Luna ihr neues Leben sehr befreiend und sie findet sich schnell in der analogen Welt ein. Doch mit der Zeit beobachtet Luna seltsame Vorkommnisse und muss befürchten, dass jemand hinter den Teilnehmern der Challenge her ist…
Ich lese nicht mehr oft neue Jugendbücher, doch der Name Shusterman weckt dann doch immer meine Neugier. Meist verbergen sich dahinter Geschichten, die in einer Welt spielen, die von unser mehr oder weniger stark abweicht, manchmal auch mit apokalyptischem Charakter. Auf jeden Fall immer eine Story gespickt mit einer interessanten Grundidee und so dachte ich auch bei „RETRO“, dass hier bestimmt eine innovative Geschichte auf uns wartet.
Da wir uns in einem Jugendbuch befinden, war mir klar, dass die Charaktere auch mit den typischen Problemen von Heranwachsenden zu kämpfen haben. Den interessanten Spin der Geschichte macht jedoch das Thema des Umgangs mit Social Media und auch der generellen Nutzung von modernen Gerätschaften aus. Wie sehr sind wir von moderner Technologie abhängig und bringt diese überhaupt immer nur Vorteile mit sich?
Unsere Hauptprotagonistin Luna stellt schnell fest, dass man auf viele Dinge sehr leicht verzichten kann, während andere dann doch schon sehr nützlich waren. Doch gerade das Thema Social Media zieht sehr weite Kreise im Buch. Einerseits wie abhängig manche Menschen von deren Nutzung werden können und eben auch die analoge Seite, dass ein Verzicht auf solche Netzwerke eine große Befreiung sein kann und das reale soziale Leben davon profitieren kann.
Ich mochte die Prämisse des Buches und auch die Botschaft, die vermutlich vermittelt werden sollte, bin jedoch von der Umsetzung leider nicht ganz überzeugt. Insgesamt war RETRO ein ganz schön wilder Ritt durch sämtliches Klischees, die man so von der TikTok Generation annehmen könnte. Die Charaktere verhalten sich sehr schwarz/weiß und vorhersehbar. Die Story entwickelte sich in eine seltsame Richtung und möchte irgendwie auf Press zu viel Kritik anbringen, die sich viel zu oft auf Klischees stützt und eben nicht ganze Generationen betreffen.
Insgesamt fand ich also die Idee wirklich interessant, bin aber über die Umsetzung gestolpert. Wer nicht TikTok affin ist, wird vermutlich so gar nichts mit dem Buch anfangen können. Positiv war der leichte Schreibstil und dass man so recht schnell durch die Story kam. Man kann sich außerdem nebenbei die extra angelegte Playlist zum Buch anhören, zu finden ist diese auf Spotify, YouTube und iTunes. Ich werd mich in Zukunft vielleicht doch lieber an die dystopischen Bücher aus dem Hause Shusterman halten.
Ich lese nicht mehr oft neue Jugendbücher, doch der Name Shusterman weckt dann doch immer meine Neugier. Meist verbergen sich dahinter Geschichten, die in einer Welt spielen, die von unser mehr oder weniger stark abweicht, manchmal auch mit apokalyptischem Charakter. Auf jeden Fall immer eine Story gespickt mit einer interessanten Grundidee und so dachte ich auch bei „RETRO“, dass hier bestimmt eine innovative Geschichte auf uns wartet.
Da wir uns in einem Jugendbuch befinden, war mir klar, dass die Charaktere auch mit den typischen Problemen von Heranwachsenden zu kämpfen haben. Den interessanten Spin der Geschichte macht jedoch das Thema des Umgangs mit Social Media und auch der generellen Nutzung von modernen Gerätschaften aus. Wie sehr sind wir von moderner Technologie abhängig und bringt diese überhaupt immer nur Vorteile mit sich?
Unsere Hauptprotagonistin Luna stellt schnell fest, dass man auf viele Dinge sehr leicht verzichten kann, während andere dann doch schon sehr nützlich waren. Doch gerade das Thema Social Media zieht sehr weite Kreise im Buch. Einerseits wie abhängig manche Menschen von deren Nutzung werden können und eben auch die analoge Seite, dass ein Verzicht auf solche Netzwerke eine große Befreiung sein kann und das reale soziale Leben davon profitieren kann.
Ich mochte die Prämisse des Buches und auch die Botschaft, die vermutlich vermittelt werden sollte, bin jedoch von der Umsetzung leider nicht ganz überzeugt. Insgesamt war RETRO ein ganz schön wilder Ritt durch sämtliches Klischees, die man so von der TikTok Generation annehmen könnte. Die Charaktere verhalten sich sehr schwarz/weiß und vorhersehbar. Die Story entwickelte sich in eine seltsame Richtung und möchte irgendwie auf Press zu viel Kritik anbringen, die sich viel zu oft auf Klischees stützt und eben nicht ganze Generationen betreffen.
Insgesamt fand ich also die Idee wirklich interessant, bin aber über die Umsetzung gestolpert. Wer nicht TikTok affin ist, wird vermutlich so gar nichts mit dem Buch anfangen können. Positiv war der leichte Schreibstil und dass man so recht schnell durch die Story kam. Man kann sich außerdem nebenbei die extra angelegte Playlist zum Buch anhören, zu finden ist diese auf Spotify, YouTube und iTunes. Ich werd mich in Zukunft vielleicht doch lieber an die dystopischen Bücher aus dem Hause Shusterman halten.
January 19, 2023
“They say the best movie villains are the ones who think they're the good guys. Real life is a lot like that. You're so worried about being the hero of your own story that you don't even stop to realize you might be writing someone else's tragedy.”
1 Sentence Summary: When Luna enters a competition to live without modern technology for a year in order to win a scholarship, at first it’s all fun and games, but soon things turn sinister as her classmates start disappearing and she no longer knows whom she can trust.
My Thoughts: This was an interesting concept—it’s kind of like a YA version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but more of a thriller mixed with if TikTok went wrong. My main problem with it was that it just wasn’t super developed, and the first half was a bit slow. It had potential but didn’t quite live up to it. The characters were interesting but got pretty cardboard cut-out stereotypes at times. Honestly, I didn’t really care that much about what happened to them. This book didn’t make me invested in the story.
I did enjoy how every chapter title was a different song and the book made up a playlist! I also liked how it explored the effects of social media. Overall, it wasn’t bad, but wasn’t great either.
Recommend to: People interested in the darker side of social media explored in a YA thriller novel.
(Warnings: swearing; attempted suicide; bullying/cyberbullying; implied sexual content; kidnapping)
***
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review
November 26, 2022
I found this novel very entertaining, I loved the pop culture references, the call backs to Luna's cultural background, and overall how alive the world and characters felt. I also thought making each chapter title a song name was super fun, I saw some of my personal favorites in there. In stories that have more modern settings I generally am put off by the ways characters behave. In Retro though, they felt like more natural and real. The setting was beautifully crafted, I found real enjoyment and heartbreak out of some of the settings.
The characters were loveable, not because they were fantastic people, but because they had personalities that made me laugh and appreciate them. This absolutely had thriller elements, from not knowing what would come next to wondering what's happening and why. The layer of suspension on top of a seemingly fun environment created a kind of "Riverdale" story if the later seasons had never been made. In some moments that felt more on the cliche side, I chalked it up to them being teenagers therefore it didn’t really bother me. The plot twists were interesting. I wasn’t thinking too much about them as I read, but after they all came to light it did make sense. Overall, I would for sure recommend this read!
The characters were loveable, not because they were fantastic people, but because they had personalities that made me laugh and appreciate them. This absolutely had thriller elements, from not knowing what would come next to wondering what's happening and why. The layer of suspension on top of a seemingly fun environment created a kind of "Riverdale" story if the later seasons had never been made. In some moments that felt more on the cliche side, I chalked it up to them being teenagers therefore it didn’t really bother me. The plot twists were interesting. I wasn’t thinking too much about them as I read, but after they all came to light it did make sense. Overall, I would for sure recommend this read!
November 23, 2022
I LOVED THIS BOOK! The Hispanic representation in this story is SO needed. It was fast paced. Tons of heart. Plot rich and had a fun, colorful cast of characters! For any of you who didn’t connect with the characters, I just ask that you please look outside your own cultural perspective.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 8, 2024
4.5 stars
What a perfect read for a reading slump! This book was engaging, fast-paced, and quite witty. It is one of those books that is predictable and has some plot holes but is fun and entertaining regardless.
What a perfect read for a reading slump! This book was engaging, fast-paced, and quite witty. It is one of those books that is predictable and has some plot holes but is fun and entertaining regardless.
June 4, 2023
Barely believable. I enjoyed a few things. It's a weird mix match between middle grade, young adult, and adult. Too many adult jokes and innuendos for my liking. I wasn't expecting them. I think this book should be upper YA or new adult/adult. The cover and internal monologue of the protagonist might have you think she's 12-14. She's actually 17. It would've been way better if the characters were legally adults due to the situations they find themselves in.
Some stuff wasn't believable how come these minors got to sign contracts with TikTok (Limbo in the book)? Wouldn't the parents have to sign for them? And then the minors get kidnapped and are property of Limbo... Major crimes. They vandalized the headquarters of such a big company while livestreaming, aren't there consequences for them/their parents? The consequence was getting full scholarships to prestigious universities.
The book makes pretty adult jokes or innuendos like this one. They are vandalizing Limbo's headquarters. Leading a revolution or whatever. It's a serious moment. They are about to burn their servers when this exchange happens:
"I smile darkly. 'Up until this point, we were never out of the system. We were below it. But today we're going to come out on top.'
'Yeah, on top is my favorite position!' Mimi says."
Ewww. Anyway. Can't forget this gem: "And just the idea made me so nervous my vagina wanted to go to the bathroom every hour." You don't go pee through your vagina wtf. One of the co-authors is a woman so this left me scratching my head.
I know this review might be harsh. I still liked the writing style. Some moments were funny without innuendos or cringe. I just didn't like some of the content presented and the fact that a lot of it was not believable. This is a debut novel by Sofia Lapuente. It's not Jarrod Shusterman's first novel. It's their first together. I will still be checking out future books by this duo.
Some stuff wasn't believable how come these minors got to sign contracts with TikTok (Limbo in the book)? Wouldn't the parents have to sign for them? And then the minors get kidnapped and are property of Limbo... Major crimes. They vandalized the headquarters of such a big company while livestreaming, aren't there consequences for them/their parents? The consequence was getting full scholarships to prestigious universities.
The book makes pretty adult jokes or innuendos like this one. They are vandalizing Limbo's headquarters. Leading a revolution or whatever. It's a serious moment. They are about to burn their servers when this exchange happens:
"I smile darkly. 'Up until this point, we were never out of the system. We were below it. But today we're going to come out on top.'
'Yeah, on top is my favorite position!' Mimi says."
Ewww. Anyway. Can't forget this gem: "And just the idea made me so nervous my vagina wanted to go to the bathroom every hour." You don't go pee through your vagina wtf. One of the co-authors is a woman so this left me scratching my head.
I know this review might be harsh. I still liked the writing style. Some moments were funny without innuendos or cringe. I just didn't like some of the content presented and the fact that a lot of it was not believable. This is a debut novel by Sofia Lapuente. It's not Jarrod Shusterman's first novel. It's their first together. I will still be checking out future books by this duo.
January 4, 2023
High schooler Luna enters a competition from social media giant Limbo to go without modern technology for an entire school year. If they make it they will win a scholarship to the college of their choice. Everyone is offered this opportunity after a bullying incident at El Dorado High. The ones who accept all have their reasons for doing it. A challenge like that is not easy for anyone let alone social media obsessed teenagers. But going without phones and TV won't be the only problems they have. After students go missing it's clear something is not right.
Retro is described as a young adult thriller. I would say the book feels very young and usual fans of young adult might have a hard time relating. Of course the characters are teenagers but they act very young for their age.
The story opens with "now" and it's clear something major has happened. Then we go back to just before everything starts with a few check ins to the present along the way. This seems like a great set up for a thriller. You know something is coming. So I kept reading. Retro is a fast read but I couldn't help feeling that I was reading to find out if something was going to happen rather than what was going to happen.
I liked the premise of the plot but I wanted to see more of how the characters dealt with going without technology. Many times the story moved forward in time by either quite a bit or an indeterminate amount of time. So I would go back thinking I had skipped something.
I didn't find the reveal shocking or realistic. I have a hard time thinking of Retro as a thriller. I appreciate the message of the book but it doesn't feel high stakes or new to me. It might make a good movie which I felt many times while reading.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read. All opinions are my own.
Retro is described as a young adult thriller. I would say the book feels very young and usual fans of young adult might have a hard time relating. Of course the characters are teenagers but they act very young for their age.
The story opens with "now" and it's clear something major has happened. Then we go back to just before everything starts with a few check ins to the present along the way. This seems like a great set up for a thriller. You know something is coming. So I kept reading. Retro is a fast read but I couldn't help feeling that I was reading to find out if something was going to happen rather than what was going to happen.
I liked the premise of the plot but I wanted to see more of how the characters dealt with going without technology. Many times the story moved forward in time by either quite a bit or an indeterminate amount of time. So I would go back thinking I had skipped something.
I didn't find the reveal shocking or realistic. I have a hard time thinking of Retro as a thriller. I appreciate the message of the book but it doesn't feel high stakes or new to me. It might make a good movie which I felt many times while reading.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read. All opinions are my own.
Read
August 19, 2024This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2023 and I’m so incredibly happy that I got to read an early copy! Thank you, Simon and Schuster, for mailing me an arc.
I’m very conflicted with this book. It’s a fun, fast paced YA novel that really fits our current situation, but I also worry it will date itself very quickly. I think this is for a very specific age and audience. It’s one that I’m starting to outgrow a little.
It had a lot of good messages. The writing shows a lot of potential. There were plot twists that blew me away. All of that was good!
I didn’t like the foreshadowing at the end of chapters. It felt a bit juvenile at times. I also thought the plot lost itself a little at times…focusing on things that didn’t feel important.
I’m excited for more from these two authors. They are such lovely people and I enjoy watching their writing lives on Instagram. (Definitely go follow them @sofiandjarrod) I think that this book will be loved by a younger teen audience and I will be recommending it to quite a few people.
Great job! Looking forward to more!
I’m very conflicted with this book. It’s a fun, fast paced YA novel that really fits our current situation, but I also worry it will date itself very quickly. I think this is for a very specific age and audience. It’s one that I’m starting to outgrow a little.
It had a lot of good messages. The writing shows a lot of potential. There were plot twists that blew me away. All of that was good!
I didn’t like the foreshadowing at the end of chapters. It felt a bit juvenile at times. I also thought the plot lost itself a little at times…focusing on things that didn’t feel important.
I’m excited for more from these two authors. They are such lovely people and I enjoy watching their writing lives on Instagram. (Definitely go follow them @sofiandjarrod) I think that this book will be loved by a younger teen audience and I will be recommending it to quite a few people.
Great job! Looking forward to more!
August 20, 2023
i have mixed feelings about this book. the premise was very interesting and i liked each of the characters. however, everything was a bit convoluted and the dialogue was clunky at times. the pacing was hard to follow at times. i liked the ending, but overall i thought this was an okay book
2.5/5 stars
2.5/5 stars
April 4, 2023
3.5 rating actually. And it would be a 4 if it had been more my sort of style of book. But it was fun and I definitely recommend!!
The authors have described this as a "guilty pleasure read" and I think that is a very accurate description. It was a lot of fun to read, there were a lot of mini mysteries in addition to the main one and while many were predictable not all of them were, and usually they had some twist I didn't expect.
My favorite part of this was how relatable the characters were, especially Luna because it's in her POV. I felt so called out so many times and I loved it.
I also greatly appreciated the countless obscure descriptions, read it and you'll know what I mean lol.
I will say There was a lot of build up to several reveals and maybe it's because I'm used to darker reads that It was never as bad as I expected. See spoiler section below for more on this—>
It's a bit cheesy for my personal taste, but that's not a bad thing by any means and I highly recommend it!!! There’s great representation, little bit of action, Kilo (fav character I love him lol), romance, mystery, drama, really just a little bit of everything!!
It’s a fun, cheesy, guilty pleasure book by all means and long as you acknowledge that going in and don’t expect it to be super super deep or super dark or super in depth than it’s really a lot of fun!
Spoilers below!!!!!!!
Weeeee spoilersssss are you ready???
If you haven’t finished the book plz stop now
Ok ok. Here we go.
So I said I was disappointed by a few things. I kinda expected the whole Limbo thing to be darker. Also the end where they could have left if they wanted felt weird, like just sign the papers, leave, then go to the police. Like breaking a contract isn’t the end of the world if you know. You have freedom. And Limbo was in the wrong and with Darnell’s mom they would have been fine.
Also there was soooooo much hunting to Luna to stay away from Axel and idk I guess anger issues was kind of a let down for me cuz it didn’t seem as big as what was hinted it. I’m also a sucker for trauma and there just wasn’t like a ton which I get cuz it’s not fantasy it’s more realistic-sh YA but still. The foreshadowing was a bit overkill I think.
Oh and Luna being mad that his parents were trying to buy the mall like she’s usually pretty reasonable and she can excuse anger issues but not something that literally has nothing to do with him. Girl it’s his parents not you!!!
That and Darnell getting into his relationship like I thought maybe he was holding some huge secret and it was so out of character but I guess he’s just bad a keeping secrets?? Also everyone saw it coming lol. Again not that that’s a bad thing but I mean the characters in this instance.
Andy bring nice threw me off cuz I despised him the whole book lol but good job on the plot twist!!!!
Ok ok. I know a lot of people will disagree. But I don’t think the sex scene was necessary. Especially cuz this reads almost as a middle school level book. And then there’s that and it wasn’t super detailed bit stilllllllll. They barely started dating mannnn. In addition to that the party scene was odd cuz Luna was like I usually find myself at those classic high school parties but this one was dIfFeReNt and then it proceeded to be a classic high school party scene. Other than them all being decked out as Retros it was literally just a classic party scene.
I absolutely loved what the authors did with Vince I thought that was rlly cool!!
The authors have described this as a "guilty pleasure read" and I think that is a very accurate description. It was a lot of fun to read, there were a lot of mini mysteries in addition to the main one and while many were predictable not all of them were, and usually they had some twist I didn't expect.
My favorite part of this was how relatable the characters were, especially Luna because it's in her POV. I felt so called out so many times and I loved it.
I also greatly appreciated the countless obscure descriptions, read it and you'll know what I mean lol.
I will say There was a lot of build up to several reveals and maybe it's because I'm used to darker reads that It was never as bad as I expected. See spoiler section below for more on this—>
It's a bit cheesy for my personal taste, but that's not a bad thing by any means and I highly recommend it!!! There’s great representation, little bit of action, Kilo (fav character I love him lol), romance, mystery, drama, really just a little bit of everything!!
It’s a fun, cheesy, guilty pleasure book by all means and long as you acknowledge that going in and don’t expect it to be super super deep or super dark or super in depth than it’s really a lot of fun!
Spoilers below!!!!!!!
Weeeee spoilersssss are you ready???
If you haven’t finished the book plz stop now
Ok ok. Here we go.
So I said I was disappointed by a few things. I kinda expected the whole Limbo thing to be darker. Also the end where they could have left if they wanted felt weird, like just sign the papers, leave, then go to the police. Like breaking a contract isn’t the end of the world if you know. You have freedom. And Limbo was in the wrong and with Darnell’s mom they would have been fine.
Also there was soooooo much hunting to Luna to stay away from Axel and idk I guess anger issues was kind of a let down for me cuz it didn’t seem as big as what was hinted it. I’m also a sucker for trauma and there just wasn’t like a ton which I get cuz it’s not fantasy it’s more realistic-sh YA but still. The foreshadowing was a bit overkill I think.
Oh and Luna being mad that his parents were trying to buy the mall like she’s usually pretty reasonable and she can excuse anger issues but not something that literally has nothing to do with him. Girl it’s his parents not you!!!
That and Darnell getting into his relationship like I thought maybe he was holding some huge secret and it was so out of character but I guess he’s just bad a keeping secrets?? Also everyone saw it coming lol. Again not that that’s a bad thing but I mean the characters in this instance.
Andy bring nice threw me off cuz I despised him the whole book lol but good job on the plot twist!!!!
Ok ok. I know a lot of people will disagree. But I don’t think the sex scene was necessary. Especially cuz this reads almost as a middle school level book. And then there’s that and it wasn’t super detailed bit stilllllllll. They barely started dating mannnn. In addition to that the party scene was odd cuz Luna was like I usually find myself at those classic high school parties but this one was dIfFeReNt and then it proceeded to be a classic high school party scene. Other than them all being decked out as Retros it was literally just a classic party scene.
I absolutely loved what the authors did with Vince I thought that was rlly cool!!
January 17, 2023
As a teacher, this book makes my head want to explode. PA announcements about the contest? Camera crews in the school? Building a lounge for a reality TV show in the school? (who lost their classroom for that?) An adult announcing to the world that a teenager had been viewing a dirty website? TV guards manhandling kids AT SCHOOL?
Also, I've had kids who've been banned from technology at school. That means the teacher has to write an entire different curriculum for those students. Since there were initially fifty kids in the competition, that means the teachers were spending a lot of extra hours creating and grading special assignments for just one or two kids in their class. Imagine their joy.
The authors act like being online is a new phenomena, but I first went online in 1990, and by the mid nineties, you could easily load any website that didn't have a lot of videos. Cheap cell phones were also a thing at the time as well. 2000 era technology would not eliminate someone from going online with an old laptop.
Luna is Hispanic and we keep hearing about her immigrant parents and the 'old country,' but we're never told what country that is until they casually mention a Mexico City neighborhood around page 140. Personally, my money was on Equatorial Guinea. I hate the 'all Spanish speakers are Mexicans' trope.
'Dude, someone cut my brake lines. Bogus. Let's get a burger.'
The kids know this super secret retro restaurant that no one has heard of because it doesn't appear on google searches. But it's at the mall.
Interesting concept, but highly unrealistic, at least from a teacher's point of view.
(I received a free ARC from the publisher)
Also, I've had kids who've been banned from technology at school. That means the teacher has to write an entire different curriculum for those students. Since there were initially fifty kids in the competition, that means the teachers were spending a lot of extra hours creating and grading special assignments for just one or two kids in their class. Imagine their joy.
The authors act like being online is a new phenomena, but I first went online in 1990, and by the mid nineties, you could easily load any website that didn't have a lot of videos. Cheap cell phones were also a thing at the time as well. 2000 era technology would not eliminate someone from going online with an old laptop.
Luna is Hispanic and we keep hearing about her immigrant parents and the 'old country,' but we're never told what country that is until they casually mention a Mexico City neighborhood around page 140. Personally, my money was on Equatorial Guinea. I hate the 'all Spanish speakers are Mexicans' trope.
'Dude, someone cut my brake lines. Bogus. Let's get a burger.'
The kids know this super secret retro restaurant that no one has heard of because it doesn't appear on google searches. But it's at the mall.
Interesting concept, but highly unrealistic, at least from a teacher's point of view.
(I received a free ARC from the publisher)
February 17, 2023
On a scale of Lame AF to Holy Flaming Balls this is awesome this fell in the middle of meh. It had an intriguing concept but poor execution. I know when reading we're supposed to have a level of suspension of disbelief but there were too many issues that kept me from doing that. Between the idea that technology was completely absent during the 90s (a typewriter? Common on, we have computer labs in the 90s), to educators and parents being ok with a slew of cameramen prowling the hallways, to someone cutting a student brakes with no real emotional impact from said student was completely unbelievable. I also took issue with the cheap shot at foreshadowing at the end. There could have been a better alternative to excite on a possible second follow-up novel.
That being said the story wasn't completely terrible. There were certainly creepy moments in the novel like Andy our Limbo Mascot popping up at the most random times with crept keeper vague warnings and cryptic notes sprayed out on lockers this novel definitely had its moment. I also appreciated how the authors showed how Social Media is weaponized as a tool for cyberbullying and the lasting effects it can have.
I think this novel could have gone better if they choose the 80's instead of the '90s, separated the Retro students in detached classrooms for fewer disruptions, and show a little more emotional intelligence it could have shone a little better as a whole. Solid 3 stars.
That being said the story wasn't completely terrible. There were certainly creepy moments in the novel like Andy our Limbo Mascot popping up at the most random times with crept keeper vague warnings and cryptic notes sprayed out on lockers this novel definitely had its moment. I also appreciated how the authors showed how Social Media is weaponized as a tool for cyberbullying and the lasting effects it can have.
I think this novel could have gone better if they choose the 80's instead of the '90s, separated the Retro students in detached classrooms for fewer disruptions, and show a little more emotional intelligence it could have shone a little better as a whole. Solid 3 stars.
November 15, 2022
Loved this book! The characters were fun and it was definitely Riverdale vibes for sure.
I was really hooked by the fast pacing and the writing style but the big twist at the end had me literally devouring the last 100 pages. Did not fail to impress!
Loved the playlist and listening along made the experience unique, for sure.
And I’d for sure give this to anyone of any age. Hands down.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Big shout out to Netgalley for this one. I am preordering this book asap so I also have it in my library!
I was really hooked by the fast pacing and the writing style but the big twist at the end had me literally devouring the last 100 pages. Did not fail to impress!
Loved the playlist and listening along made the experience unique, for sure.
And I’d for sure give this to anyone of any age. Hands down.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Big shout out to Netgalley for this one. I am preordering this book asap so I also have it in my library!
January 26, 2023
What. A. Ride.
Loved it!
Loved it!
July 10, 2023
As a fan of Jarrod Shusterman’s Dry, I knew I needed to read his newest release, Retro, which he co-authored with Sofia Lapuente. Retro was so much fun and I really enjoyed it.
The genres of the books couldn’t have been more different, as Retro is a fun YA light thriller. Dry is apocalyptic.
In Retro, after a major cyber bullying incident, the students of a high school senior class are offered a full ride scholarship if they can go a full year without any modern technology whatsover. They have to go retro, back to the 80’s, with old school landline phones, old boomboxes, tape cassettes, etc. No smart technology whatsoever, no cell phones, no texting, no smart TV’s, or smart anything actually. If they even look at a smart phone screen, they are eliminated from the contest.
As figured, most of the kids don’t even attempt the challenge. But the ones who do find each other and become each other’s ride or die.
The story is definitely a coming of age story and a little bit of a thriller. But mostly, it’s very thought provoking and fun.
Each chapter title is a the name of a very popular song from the 80’s, and without fail, I’d start humming or singing the song to my dogs’ delight. There’s even a playlist from the authors that you can download.
I decided to listen to this one on audiobook and Stacy Gonzalez was brilliant as narrator. Luna, the main character, is Latina, and Stacy was the perfect choice.
I can’t wait to see what this author duo comes up with next.
The genres of the books couldn’t have been more different, as Retro is a fun YA light thriller. Dry is apocalyptic.
In Retro, after a major cyber bullying incident, the students of a high school senior class are offered a full ride scholarship if they can go a full year without any modern technology whatsover. They have to go retro, back to the 80’s, with old school landline phones, old boomboxes, tape cassettes, etc. No smart technology whatsoever, no cell phones, no texting, no smart TV’s, or smart anything actually. If they even look at a smart phone screen, they are eliminated from the contest.
As figured, most of the kids don’t even attempt the challenge. But the ones who do find each other and become each other’s ride or die.
The story is definitely a coming of age story and a little bit of a thriller. But mostly, it’s very thought provoking and fun.
Each chapter title is a the name of a very popular song from the 80’s, and without fail, I’d start humming or singing the song to my dogs’ delight. There’s even a playlist from the authors that you can download.
I decided to listen to this one on audiobook and Stacy Gonzalez was brilliant as narrator. Luna, the main character, is Latina, and Stacy was the perfect choice.
I can’t wait to see what this author duo comes up with next.
February 15, 2023
I tried really hard to like this book. The premise sounded interesting, and as someone who grew up in the Eighties I was curious to see how kids of today would do with "coping" with the lack of all the technology. But before I knew it, this book went from a retro challenge to something else entirely -- it kind of gave me Hunger Games vibes, minus the arena and the deaths.
It was almost like this book started out as two different books that continued to fight against one another all the way through to the end. Major issues that teens deal with on a daily basis -- depression; anxiety; body dysmorphia; addiction to social media -- all of these were handled in what is best called a flippant way. At one point, when a character confesses to her mother that she was the one responsible for kicking off what eventually becomes a major cyberbullying attack, her mother just says, "Oh, I'm disappointed in you, but good job trying to make things better." What??
I did appreciate some of the funny writing, and I'm so glad the authors stayed away from the trope of a parent-teen struggle. But the absentee parent was still a tired cliche used over and over; in fact, none of the parents/adults seem to be present or even care much what's going on with the characters. This was okay when it came to the kids hanging out with each other, but when kids start going missing and no one seems to bat an eye...? It was too hard for me to swallow.
I wonder just what the authors were trying to say with this book. It wasn't clear what the main theme or idea behind it was supposed to be. It started out really fast and continued to zip along at what eventually becomes almost a breakneck pace.
In the end, this one wasn't for me.
It was almost like this book started out as two different books that continued to fight against one another all the way through to the end. Major issues that teens deal with on a daily basis -- depression; anxiety; body dysmorphia; addiction to social media -- all of these were handled in what is best called a flippant way. At one point, when a character confesses to her mother that she was the one responsible for kicking off what eventually becomes a major cyberbullying attack, her mother just says, "Oh, I'm disappointed in you, but good job trying to make things better." What??
I did appreciate some of the funny writing, and I'm so glad the authors stayed away from the trope of a parent-teen struggle. But the absentee parent was still a tired cliche used over and over; in fact, none of the parents/adults seem to be present or even care much what's going on with the characters. This was okay when it came to the kids hanging out with each other, but when kids start going missing and no one seems to bat an eye...? It was too hard for me to swallow.
I wonder just what the authors were trying to say with this book. It wasn't clear what the main theme or idea behind it was supposed to be. It started out really fast and continued to zip along at what eventually becomes almost a breakneck pace.
In the end, this one wasn't for me.
December 17, 2022
After Luna is involved with a cyberbullying event that went out of hand, she implores the social media app involved, Limbo, to change their ways. What happens instead is they announce they are sponsoring a Retro challenge where students agree to go technology free for a year with the chance to win a full ride. Luna knows this is her chance to achieve her dreams, so she immediately signs up. At first things seem great, but soon people start going missing and clearly something sinister is at play.
What I liked about this book: such a unique concept! The characters were great, especially Mimi, Darnell, and Kilo. The progression of events was also good - like the buildup with the events with Samantha all made sense leading up to the challenge.
What I didn't like about this book: one of the biggest problems I had reading this was that so many chapters ended on a dramatic cliffhanger in terms of language. Like "we didn't realize that something even worse was waiting around the corner." I understand trying to play up the drama, but it was so repetitive, it got cheesy and overplayed. I also feel like there was so much teasing of the end with the interludes from Luna that the actual captivity part felt rushed.
Overall, a unique concept that is a pretty good YA book. If you can get past the constant overt foreshadowing, then this will be even more enjoyable!
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
What I liked about this book: such a unique concept! The characters were great, especially Mimi, Darnell, and Kilo. The progression of events was also good - like the buildup with the events with Samantha all made sense leading up to the challenge.
What I didn't like about this book: one of the biggest problems I had reading this was that so many chapters ended on a dramatic cliffhanger in terms of language. Like "we didn't realize that something even worse was waiting around the corner." I understand trying to play up the drama, but it was so repetitive, it got cheesy and overplayed. I also feel like there was so much teasing of the end with the interludes from Luna that the actual captivity part felt rushed.
Overall, a unique concept that is a pretty good YA book. If you can get past the constant overt foreshadowing, then this will be even more enjoyable!
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 15, 2022
I hate to give this such a low rating, especially since I was lucky enough to get an ARC. I'm hoping a fair bit changes before publication, but I can't imagine since it's just a month away. The premise is cool, but the writing was ROUGH. I read random parts out loud to my husband and he couldn't believe how terrible it was. I work with teenagers and absolutely nothing about their speech was accurately portrayed in the book. There were so many characters and they weren't differentiated enough, so someone would be mentioned and I had no idea who it was. The story went off the rails near the end, and the love story came out of nowhere, and everything was just so weird. I struggled to finish it and would've stopped reading about 1/4 of the way in if I wasn't so excited to read it.
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