Sounds of Yesterday

by Jacob Hubbard, Monet Nyree Panza (illustrator), Doan Trang (illustrator)

". . . When I take the time to listen to the sounds of yesterday, they make me remember the promises of tomorrow . . ."

For five years, Rob and Ana have been inseparable. They both have overcome career challenges, achieved emotional stability, and survived a global pandemic. Their future seems bright.

That is, until Ana abruptly ends their relationship. Rob's routine-driven world is shattered, reopening traumas and insecurities he thought were long put to rest. As he obsesses over what might have gone wrong and struggles for healing and self-acceptance, his memories put him on an imagined stage where he teeters between the habit of meeting outside expectations, and the pain of ripping masks away to reveal his true self.

Sounds of Yesterday dives into the complex interplay between love and loss on the autism spectrum, unpacking the diverse ways empathy and emotional agency interconnect inside a neurodivergent world.

416 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 19, 2024

About the author

Jacob Hubbard is a neurodivergent writer and college writing teacher based in San Diego, CA. With a Bachelors in English and a Masters in Rhetoric, Jacob has cultivated a love of writing in all its forms, being drawn to stories about very real human experiences, even if they are rooted in the fantastical.

As an advocate for the neurodiversity movement, Jacob has made neurodiversity an important theme in his writing and teaching to help spread awareness of neurodivergence within in a neurotypical world. When he is not writing or teaching, Jacob loves hiking, traveling, browsing his local indie bookstore, and playing video games like Elden Ring and Dark Souls.

Go to www.jacobhubbardauthor.com to learn more.

Reviews

[Ivan]

Autism representation in a way I haven't seen before.

So I have read plenty of books with Autism representation and enjoyed most of them. One issue that I have with some though is that my Autism is usually a bit more disabling than most characters in books. In my experience most books have Autistic characters showing level 1 Autism. In the Netherlands we don't use levels so personally I'm not diagnosed with a level, but with me living in a 24/7 care institute for managing my Autism I would say I'm somewhere around level 2. I haven't found any kind of person like me on that regard in books before. Most Autistic protagonists live on their own if they're adults and manage their daily life without needing to speak social workers daily. They don't have meltdowns that need professional intervention else they don't go away. And that's okay, those Autistic people definitely exist and deserve their representation too. But representation with someone like me I haven't seen before I read this book.

This book, is one big exception and made me feel incredibility seen. The main character of this book has self destructive stims. Stims they can't hold back even if they try. And I don't do those myself anymore, I very much used to in my childhood. Seeing that on page, humanized in a way that makes it just a part of Autism and not something infantalizing, made me feel at home in this book from the start.
One thing in the Autism representation that also really stood out to me is that you can read the character getting stuck on mental things. I struggle with this the most myself in my daily life, that I just don't understand things, even with multiple explanations by brain can't grasp it. But also getting stuck on thoughts and spiraling from there was something that very much happened in the book. These scenes were both beautiful and painful to read. It was like a big mirror in front of me that made me understand myself better from an outward perspective which was nice, but also a big confrontation with my own limits. It was good, but definitely hard as well.

Outside of the Autism representation the book is very much about moving on from a relationship that ended. I read a lot of romance books where the whole plot is basically the opposite, so for a change seeing the aftermath when things don't work out was beautiful in it's own way. Breaking up with your partner is messy and can leave you unmoored for a long while and this book showed all sides of that struggle. The main character was living his own life but kept relating everything back to their partner and just wasn't able to mentally move on. Seeing him slowly work through his feelings made me look back on my own breakups and how I might not have handled those all the best. And to be honest in the book it also isn't handled the best, this stuff is messy. But following this journey was an amazing read.

Concluding this book was a refreshing read with Autism representation in a way I really needed.


Rating: 4.75 stars rounded up.
I received an eARC from Netgalley and this was my honest review.

[Heather Bixby]

2.5 ⭐️ rounded up

The novel follows the story of Rob and Ana’s relationship over the course of five years. While the story isn’t told in chronologically order, the novel flows well and isn’t confusing.

While I enjoyed reading about a neurodivergent relationship, the writing was not very descriptive and I was not super engaged in the story. The author did mention in the acknowledgments that he wrote the book as a kind of journal for himself and I feel like that checks out. It feels more like a reflection on a relationship than a love story for others to read. I think I would have needed more details in places and stronger and less repetitive descriptions in order for me to have enjoyed this story.

I definitely think neurodivergent stories need to be told and can appreciate the obstacles that a neurodivergent person may experience that I do not, but I just didn’t enjoy this story as much as I was hoping to.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Celestial Seaside Publishing for an advanced copy of this novel.

[Esslie]

I am quite conflicted by this book and very happy that it exists. While I enjoyed the way the story was told, the plot was monotonous and I kept waiting for some dramatic climax that never happened. But by the end of it I realised that what the book captured so well is, well, life. There's not always some big dramatic reveal and plot twist (like Ana being an international super-spy, as I initially thought), catharsis and closure isn't always accompanied by fireworks and absolute life-changing epiphanies, and there is no such thing as the right time or the wrong time.
I struggled with the non-linear structure of the book at first, but then easily fell into subsequent chapters with harp sounds ringing in my ears. I enjoyed the way Rob envisioned his internal struggle - it made me think of, was it a Shakespeare quote? "The world is a stage and I am but an actor in it." (Do fact check me!) - and it gave me greater insight into how different everyone's internal dialogue must be! I was definitely challenged by some characters and their behaviours and views, but I identified with Ana quite strongly, and I think there is a lot to learn about people in this book.
It was an interesting read, to say the least, and I hope we get to see what more Jacob Hubbard has to offer.

Thank you very much to Jacob Hubbard and Celestial Seaside Publishing for this ARC for my honest review!

[Amy Neill]

This book is a bit unique, and therefore may be difficult for the reader to get into without some background. Sounds of Yesterday is not a typical Romance - in a couple of ways.
First of all, and most important, the main character is a neurodivergent young man, who also serves as narrator. In this light, this is a brilliant insight into the neurodivergent mind - how they perceive and process their world. By reading this book, I feel I have better insight and understanding of this population. Even knowing this going in, I was sometimes distracted by what comes across as choppy writing. Stick with it; you'll get used to it the more you become invested in the story. In fact, I came to see that the writing style was very well done. The author himself explains that his purpose is to "amplify neurodivergent voices". For this, I am grateful. Isn't this why we read? To expand our horizons, and to understand other lives beyond ourselves?
Secondly, this is not the formulaic love story we usually read. It is the aftermath of a breakup. The author helps us to deeply feel the loss and the grief our main character is feeling as he is trying to process the breakup as best he can.
One heartwarming message that stood out to me was the community and support system surrounding the main character, and how he benefits from this. This is something we all desire - to have "our people" to lift us up.
I would be remiss if I did not mention how much I enjoyed the many musical references the author adds - songs which brought our main character calm and comfort. The author even includes a Playlist for us at the end. (Thanks for that!)
Kudos to author Jacob Hubbard for this important read. I am grateful to NetGalley for the advance read.

[Becca]

This is a really interesting book - and I've really struggled at trying to figure out how to rate it. I've also struggled with what to say.

I can say that without a doubt, I am beyond glad and grateful that this book exists. It made me think in a way that most books do not, and it gave me a different perspective on a lot of things in my own life.

The back and forth between yesterday and today initially felt a bit odd, but as the chapters filled with memories, combined with the present day continued to pass I found myself really resonating with how the book was written. The language is a bit monotone, but I think that it was meant to be that way - it makes the reading a bit moodier, and realistic. I love the insight into the neurodivergent mind - the accumulation and buildup of the love, the longing, the heartbreak, and life - it all flows into that, it's just a story about life.

I loved the use of music within this story - the comfort that brought to me was rather startling but it worked out so very well. I also adore the playlist at the end!

I'm really grateful for this one - and I am truly grateful for Jacob Hubbard and his beautiful writing and impressive debut novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jacob Hubbard, and Celestial Seaside Publishing for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Paul]

For five years, Rob and Ana were inseparable, facing life’s ups and downs together—career struggles, personal growth, even a pandemic. But when Ana suddenly ends their relationship, Rob’s world falls apart. As he reflects on what went wrong, he’s torn between trying to meet others’ expectations and finally embracing his true self. His journey toward healing and self-acceptance is both heartbreaking and hopeful.

Sounds of Yesterday is a warm and insightful story about love, loss, and navigating life as a neurodivergent person. Jacob’s writing is raw and honest, offering a heartfelt portrayal of both neurodivergent and neurotypical experiences. Rob’s perspective feels so real and relatable, especially if you’ve ever struggled with identity or relationships.

This unique novel left a lasting impression on me, especially in how it invites readers to better understand a world they might not fully know.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celestial Seaside Publishing for the chance to read this touching story!

[Lisa]

Well okay, read < read a quarter of it + skimmed the rest. The publisher left a note in NetGalley warning “…a neurodivergent narrator, making use of a non-linear narrative to depict this perspective. As a result, the writing style and approach of this book will be reflective of this point of view and you should not expect this book to follow neurotypical standards/norms when it comes to storytelling.” This shows up as a YA read, mostly a kid reflecting in great detail a five year relationship, with too many exclamation marks! The dialogue written as banter and humor was dry.

I could tell this was Hubbard’s first book before confirming it, and it’s a solid start on grief, mental health, and neurodivergent brains. I could have read this ten years ago and felt very seen!

I hung on for a while hoping for a plot twist, but there was none when I scanned through! I would have enjoyed this book more ten years ago!

[Tracy]

I was fascinated and drawn in by the characters in this book, mostly Rob. I'm the parent of a son who skims along the side of the spectrum, and I can see some of the thinking reflect things he might do. On the other hand, my cousin once said, "Aren't we all autistic?", and I know we have all had the same doubts about ourselves and relationships as Rob does. I wanted to be very purposeful in my review, because it goes to another website as well, and so I read the opinions of other people before writing. I still don't understand how lowly this book is scored! It is simple in it's language, but it reveals very complex feelings. I did not have a problem with the shifts in timeline, they were after all carefully indicated. I would also like to "know what happened", but often times in a relationship you never find out why someone left it. Sometimes the other person doesn't know! All in all, I liked it .

[AJ]

🥰🥲🥺
This book is so cute, for me it was a comfort book because it was so real. I could relate to so much!! I feel this book is truly a must read for everyone. This is about grif of a discontinued relationship that I feel is written perfectly. I loved all the mondaine references and how it was written as a journal because some events I remember that I did around the times like Marvel movies ext. I could see this in my head and it's very eye opening for those with depression, autism, and neurodivergent. The cover is amazing as well.
I was honored to get this book from a little free library with a matching bookmark. I am a psychotherapist and have already told my director of this book, he is very interested so I'm going to give him the book to read too.
While there were some heavy topics for some reason as I read I was always relaxed and felt comfort as I read. Guys read it!!!!

[Erin]

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC.
This was an interesting look at autistic main character and dating. I liked the seamless integration of internal dialogue, the depiction of stimming, the difficulties in masking, and navigating communication in relationships. I thought the writing was a little plain and more telling than showing. It was also very repetitive and could have used more editing. I was also uncomfortable with devoting the book to the author's ex as we don't know how she feels about being included in this way.

[Carol Werner Harris]

Sounds of Yesterday
by Jacob Hubbard
Pub Date: Nov 19 2024

Sounds of Yesterday is very unique and different than what I normally read. With that being said the book is about a post break up. It goes over loss and grief after a break up, the aftermath of a love story. It revolves around Rob and Ana’s relationship over the course of five years. I was shocked at the ending and a little confused. I do recommend this book as it is a good story.

Many thanks to #SoundsofYesterday #NetGalley and #CelestialSeasidePublishing for providing me with an E-ARC of this book.

[Star Gater]

Thank you Celestial Seaside Publishing for allowing me read and review Sounds of Yesterday on NetGalley.

Published: 11/19/24

Stars: DNF (2.5)

After reading more than 50% of the book I am throwing in the towel. I read and reread the synopsis and the story is not connecting.

This feels like a young teen wrote it. Yet there are situations where experience plays a role dispelling a young person's writing.

This may be one of those books that requires the perfect fit, and it wasn't me. I hope should you try your experience is better.

[Jaime]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Sounds of Yesterday by Jacob Hubbard.

I do love the representation of a neurodivergent person in a book. There are things that neurotypical people just don't understand or know what is going on. My daughter is a high functioning neurodivergent, and I do see quite a few of her reactions to things going on around her. This is a story of love and loss written in great detail.

[Sweetmusicwoman]

Thank you for the copy of this book from the publishers who sent me it through Net Galley to read and review. I found Rob to be a mixture of likeable and not at times. But that has more to do with me relating to him with my own autism than anything. I related to a lot of how he saw and dealt with the world. This was refreshing to read such a relatable book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. But my heart broke for Rob at times too. He deserved way better than what he got through relationships.

[Geneva Oleander]

This is a raw, honest neurodivergent story written by a neurodivergent author- which matters in the story and the delivery. It's real. It's a look a love through COVID, across cultural differences, and while struggling with PTSD, difficult family dynamics, and mental health struggles. It will rip your heart out at points. Huge props to Hubbard on this book. I can't wait for more.

[MG]

3.5 stars rounded up.This was a very emotional, character-driven book. It was sadly realistic or realistically sad or both. Probably both. The autistic representation was refreshing in a way. The story as a whole was raw in a hard to read way. It wasn't a happy story, but it was ultimately hopeful.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

[Chris O'neill]

A unique novel by the author showcasing the complex life of a neuro divergent young man, I was glad to read it thru Netagalley and got a lot of insights on the life of a the main character as he deals with school, family, work and social life. Interesting read!

[Haney Hayes]

Readers who appreciate nuanced explorations of love, loss, and self-discovery, particularly those interested in stories that delve into the complexities of the autism spectrum and the human experience, will find a rich and stimulating companion.

[Pam]

Supposed to be about being autistic & relationships, but felt more of 2 whiny, self-centered people who shouldn’t have ever been in a relationship since they didn’t even really like each other to begin with. Felt like there was not much neurodivergence

[Nathaniel]

This was very enjoyable. It's a bit of a slice of life novel following an autistic man who's going through a breakup. We get flashbacks to the relationship. We watch it build, and we watch it fall apart. I really loved the characters. This felt like a very natural novel.

[Tammy Steeves]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

There is really minimal to no plot in this book. I'd rate it a 2.5 star read. Basically the book is just a lot of the main character's thinking. It was interesting in what it showed of an autistic person's though processes but the book just really wasn't for me.

[Vanessa Krauss]

A pining contemporary romance shrouded with the difficulties of mental health and neurodivergence. Sounds of Yesterday is a different and daring read, since its 1st person perspective is attached to Rob, who has level 1/high functioning autism spectrum disorder. In the writing of this story, it's clearly an own voices narrative as I can't imagine anyone who is neurotypical being able to pull the depth of disassociation and emotional turmoil that comes with being different yet trying to rationalize the romantic interludes of those around them.

In terms of the above, the story is both fantastic and fascinating, and is an enlightening read. Rob stumbles through relationships, through the average banality of it all, looking for triggers when there are none and missing the red flags when slapped in the face. Its detriment, however, is that it is in a journal format that runs much longer than necessary. Rather that go from crisis to crisis, it lingers on micro aggressions and tiny wins that drag the plot, bogged down in disassociative episodes that while serve the narrative become too much when viewed in entirety. While some might criticize the ending as middling and maybe without needed closure, this does speak as a contemporary novel first and romance second, which makes it true to its genre.

The book is well-written with impeccable clarity and skillful editing, and possibly one of the better examples of autism in its rawness while navigating everything from school, work, family, and relationships. If there is someone in your life you don't understand, read this, you'll gain some empathy.

[Luna]

First and foremost thank you for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was definitely very unique and different than what I normally read. It read like a diary. Real, raw and super personal. I think this is why many didn’t know how to review it. I didn’t mind it at all.

Not really a romance & it’s important to know that before going in. The main character is neurodivergent and he is the narrator of the book. It gives a beautiful look into how the mind of a neurodivergent individual works. & the writing reflects that which I thought was amazing.

Another reason this is not a romance is because this is post break up. It goes over loss and grief after a break up. So it’s like a love story but the aftermath.

I really enjoyed the community and support aspect of this book. It warmed my heart.

Overall, I liked it and am excited to see what else Jacob writes.

I implore you to go into this book with an open mind. It’s beautiful when a book can give you insight about how people different from you live their lives and process things and even more beautiful when it teaches you something.

[Thalia Lindauer]

I'm not going to lie this book was not for me. That being said... as someone who is nerodivergent I LOVED the raw honesty in the characters attitudes. I especially related with things that Ben said. I was shocked at the ending and confused. It was hard for me to follow back and forth between the past and present as well. It was nice to see the way Rob's mind worked. And this book had me feeling a whole spectrum of emotions. So if you are nerodivergent and love to feel all the feels give this book a read.

[Jamiesreadingspace]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5/5) Sounds of Yesterday by Jacob Hubbard is set to release November 19, 2024.
Thank you @netgalley and @celestialpublishing for the ARC!

This book was very cute and endearing. I loved that there was neurotypical characters present in the book.
It was interesting to see the main characters perspective on life.
I overall enjoyed this story, it was a quick read, and kept me entertained. The ending was unexpected, but that’s okay!

🏷️
#bookreview