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Shine Until Tomorrow
Social misfit Mari Caldwell desperately wants to get on with her life. If only she could get there faster—specifically to Yale—and leave behind all the things that make her anxious: driving a car, crossing bridges, her peers, her parents’ divorce. Mari only feels at ease behind the lens of her vintage Leica. Her camera keeps the world—and the people in it—at a safe distance.
When Mari comes across an old scrapbook of her mother’s, she discovers her white collar parents were once blue denim hippies. She ends up fighting with her mother and storming out. She pedals her bicycle into a downpour, swerves to avoid an oncoming jeep, and flies smack into a tree. Mari climbs into an abandoned VW van bearing the ghost of a psychedelic paint job, and passes out.
The next morning, Mari wakes up to the sound of music. A young couple wander through the glen like hippie gypsies, playing recorder and tambourine. Mari accepts their offer of a ride into San Francisco. But something is wrong; Mari can’t quite figure out what. The skyline, her father’s address, the music on the radio. Everything is slightly off. Except Jimmy, the driver of the van. There’s something about him that calms her inner chatter. Only after she says good-bye to the merry band and runs headlong into a war protest does Mari being to realize: it is June, 1967.
In the epicenter of the Summer of Love, Mari makes friends with the would-be rock band, meets the grandfather she never knew, and falls in love. In spite of herself, Mari discovers that love changes everything. It even changes her.
A fun and touching novel about the people who raise us, the times that define us, and the stumbling blocks on our way to being a grown-up, Shine Until Tomorrow tells the story of a girl obsessed with the future who must visit the past to learn to live in the present.
When Mari comes across an old scrapbook of her mother’s, she discovers her white collar parents were once blue denim hippies. She ends up fighting with her mother and storming out. She pedals her bicycle into a downpour, swerves to avoid an oncoming jeep, and flies smack into a tree. Mari climbs into an abandoned VW van bearing the ghost of a psychedelic paint job, and passes out.
The next morning, Mari wakes up to the sound of music. A young couple wander through the glen like hippie gypsies, playing recorder and tambourine. Mari accepts their offer of a ride into San Francisco. But something is wrong; Mari can’t quite figure out what. The skyline, her father’s address, the music on the radio. Everything is slightly off. Except Jimmy, the driver of the van. There’s something about him that calms her inner chatter. Only after she says good-bye to the merry band and runs headlong into a war protest does Mari being to realize: it is June, 1967.
In the epicenter of the Summer of Love, Mari makes friends with the would-be rock band, meets the grandfather she never knew, and falls in love. In spite of herself, Mari discovers that love changes everything. It even changes her.
A fun and touching novel about the people who raise us, the times that define us, and the stumbling blocks on our way to being a grown-up, Shine Until Tomorrow tells the story of a girl obsessed with the future who must visit the past to learn to live in the present.
252 pages, Hardcover
First published December 8, 2020
About the author
Carla Malden
9 books13 followersCarla Malden grew up in Los Angeles, California. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from U.C.L.A. with a Bachelor of Arts in English and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society for her academic achievement. She worked extensively in the film business, both in production and development.
With her husband, filmmaker Laurence Starkman, she wrote twelve feature screenplays; they also served as rewrite guns-for-hire. The team of Malden & Starkman wrote and produced the short romantic comedy Whit & Charm, which screened at eight major film festivals, including The Hamptons, and won several awards. They also wrote and created a series of Cine Golden Eagle Award-winning Art History films produced in association with The Detroit Institute of Art and The National Gallery.
Along with her father, Academy Award-winning actor Karl Malden, Carla co-authored his critically acclaimed memoir, When Do I Start?, published by Simon & Schuster. "
With her husband, filmmaker Laurence Starkman, she wrote twelve feature screenplays; they also served as rewrite guns-for-hire. The team of Malden & Starkman wrote and produced the short romantic comedy Whit & Charm, which screened at eight major film festivals, including The Hamptons, and won several awards. They also wrote and created a series of Cine Golden Eagle Award-winning Art History films produced in association with The Detroit Institute of Art and The National Gallery.
Along with her father, Academy Award-winning actor Karl Malden, Carla co-authored his critically acclaimed memoir, When Do I Start?, published by Simon & Schuster. "
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 19, 2021
Sometimes a cute contemporary story is just what one needs to get lost into. I enjoy them from time to time in between fantasy reads, especially the short and sweet kind with a cute romance. SHINE UNTIL TOMORROW is definitely that kind of story, but with a twist: we have time travel!
The story follows high school student Mari. She doesn’t have many friends, her parents are divorced and Mari is determined to escape the unraveling of her personal life by pouring her energy into schoolwork and the prospect of college. After a fight with her mother, Mari has an accident that gives her life an unexpected twist: she finds herself back in time to 1967, where she meets a colorful cast of characters and where the majority of the story is set. This trip back in time changes Mari, but to find out how...you’ll have to read the book!
Shine Until Tomorrow was exactly the kind of story that I would love to see in a movie. The light tone makes for a fun atmosphere, but though this is a very easy and light read, it’s also filled with meaningful lessons for Mari and the reader. The events of the story unfold in a few days, but they were enough to make me fall in love with the characters. Naturally, being me, I was especially invested in the blooming romance between Mari and Jimmy, the leader of the hippie wannabe band she encounters in the past. Jimmy had all the characteristics of the perfect book boyfriend: he’s positive, he’s kind and he’s generous. Though the romance is a bit on the insta-love side, I didn’t mind because I loved the banter and chemistry between him and Mari and how she learned to loosen up and live life not just through the lens of her camera, but in the moment, in the short time they spent together.
This book had all the feels, from the happy ones to the funny ones to the ones that make your eyes glisten with tears. I definitely recommend it to all lovers of contemporary reads and fun romances. Also, time travel. Who doesn’t love that?
Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of the book to review.
The story follows high school student Mari. She doesn’t have many friends, her parents are divorced and Mari is determined to escape the unraveling of her personal life by pouring her energy into schoolwork and the prospect of college. After a fight with her mother, Mari has an accident that gives her life an unexpected twist: she finds herself back in time to 1967, where she meets a colorful cast of characters and where the majority of the story is set. This trip back in time changes Mari, but to find out how...you’ll have to read the book!
Shine Until Tomorrow was exactly the kind of story that I would love to see in a movie. The light tone makes for a fun atmosphere, but though this is a very easy and light read, it’s also filled with meaningful lessons for Mari and the reader. The events of the story unfold in a few days, but they were enough to make me fall in love with the characters. Naturally, being me, I was especially invested in the blooming romance between Mari and Jimmy, the leader of the hippie wannabe band she encounters in the past. Jimmy had all the characteristics of the perfect book boyfriend: he’s positive, he’s kind and he’s generous. Though the romance is a bit on the insta-love side, I didn’t mind because I loved the banter and chemistry between him and Mari and how she learned to loosen up and live life not just through the lens of her camera, but in the moment, in the short time they spent together.
This book had all the feels, from the happy ones to the funny ones to the ones that make your eyes glisten with tears. I definitely recommend it to all lovers of contemporary reads and fun romances. Also, time travel. Who doesn’t love that?
Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of the book to review.
February 6, 2021
people = 6, pace = 7, originality = 9, world building = 9, enjoyment = 7, relationships = 5, style = 7 (3.5 stars)
Thank you to Rare Bird Lit and Carla Malden for providing me with this eARC tin exchange for an honest review (not paid). Please note that this is an unbiased and honest review with my true thoughts.
This book is made for people whose souls yearn for the sixties music scene. Mari Caldwell is our protagonist, a teenage girl bent on getting all A+ grades until a freak accident sends her back in time to 1967. Here she falls in with a soon to be big band and falls out of her old mindset, of always focusing on the future. I managed to cotton on to a lot of the references but wouldn't be surprised if a true sixties lover was able to pick up on more, this is a book really written for you.
I really enjoyed being thrown into the 60s with love protests, an atmosphere of freedom, and just a generally uplifting vibe. I found myself being carried through this brief week of an era like I was floating on clouds (using all those cliche 60 images I find myself thinking of haha). As you will have noticed from my rating breakdown though, the pace wasn't all there for me though. The first 50 pages felt jumpy as the main character and the introduction felt laid out like a list i.e. this is her, this is what she does, this is her mum, this is what SHE does. So I must admit it was a tad hard to get through, but then around pg 60 hit and I read the rest in one sitting! So really a small blip in comparison to the whole book but I had to take it into consideration.
I also enjoyed following Mari as she realised that her way of thinking pre-time-warp wasn't sustainable. Life isn't all about the grades and I really like that this is a message Malden promotes to the Young Adult audience. As a teacher myself I see many students base their worth off of an educational system rather than their own self evaluation. The other characters were a bit lacking as they seemed to only have one defining trait (e.g. told the same joke, was jealous, drummed). The relationships were also quick burn between the characters. I can understand why, considering Mari only goes back in time for a few days, but I would've liked more of a reason for her to fall in love rather than physical attraction.
Overall, a solid book! Once I got into it I thoroughly enjoyed myself and feel like I have experienced a snippet of the 60's for myself. Definitely recommend if you are into music and/or the 60's or just generally would like a relatable MC who comes to some realisations about what really matters. I can see myself picking up some of Malden's other books in the future!!
triggers: divorce
Thank you to Rare Bird Lit and Carla Malden for providing me with this eARC tin exchange for an honest review (not paid). Please note that this is an unbiased and honest review with my true thoughts.
This book is made for people whose souls yearn for the sixties music scene. Mari Caldwell is our protagonist, a teenage girl bent on getting all A+ grades until a freak accident sends her back in time to 1967. Here she falls in with a soon to be big band and falls out of her old mindset, of always focusing on the future. I managed to cotton on to a lot of the references but wouldn't be surprised if a true sixties lover was able to pick up on more, this is a book really written for you.
I really enjoyed being thrown into the 60s with love protests, an atmosphere of freedom, and just a generally uplifting vibe. I found myself being carried through this brief week of an era like I was floating on clouds (using all those cliche 60 images I find myself thinking of haha). As you will have noticed from my rating breakdown though, the pace wasn't all there for me though. The first 50 pages felt jumpy as the main character and the introduction felt laid out like a list i.e. this is her, this is what she does, this is her mum, this is what SHE does. So I must admit it was a tad hard to get through, but then around pg 60 hit and I read the rest in one sitting! So really a small blip in comparison to the whole book but I had to take it into consideration.
I also enjoyed following Mari as she realised that her way of thinking pre-time-warp wasn't sustainable. Life isn't all about the grades and I really like that this is a message Malden promotes to the Young Adult audience. As a teacher myself I see many students base their worth off of an educational system rather than their own self evaluation. The other characters were a bit lacking as they seemed to only have one defining trait (e.g. told the same joke, was jealous, drummed). The relationships were also quick burn between the characters. I can understand why, considering Mari only goes back in time for a few days, but I would've liked more of a reason for her to fall in love rather than physical attraction.
Overall, a solid book! Once I got into it I thoroughly enjoyed myself and feel like I have experienced a snippet of the 60's for myself. Definitely recommend if you are into music and/or the 60's or just generally would like a relatable MC who comes to some realisations about what really matters. I can see myself picking up some of Malden's other books in the future!!
triggers: divorce
January 18, 2021
Actual Rating: 4.5
If I had to describe this book in a few words, I’d use “pleasantly surprising”. I had such a fun time reading this that I was sad when it was over. I might have also shed a tear during the epilogue, but I won’t go into too many details because my aim here is not to spoil.
Let me start by saying that I have the worst memory when it comes to synopses. By the time I actually start reading the book, I have most likely forgotten what the book is about except for very abstract elements, which is what happened with this book. I don’t mind. It makes reading that much more interesting because I’m mostly going in blind. The experience for this book was very entertaining.
Shine Until Tomorrow begins like your classic high school drama. Nerdy student with not many friends and a No Nonsense attitude who has her eye fixed on the prize: getting to college. Besides that, Mari’s personal life is spiraling out of control. Her parents are divorced, she can’t really stand her mother’s boyfriend and her father is able to make less and less time for her between his work and his new girlfriend. Following an argument with her mother, Mari runs out of the house and has a very Freaky Friday-like accident that drags her back to 1967.
Time travel? Yes, please!
The majority of the book is set in 1967, though the events take place in a short span of days. Nevertheless, the author does an amazing job at setting the atmosphere and having you connect to the characters. Mari meets a group of young people—a band, no less—who very much embrace the hippie life. Every characters leave an impression, but the one who stands out the most is Jimmy, the band’s leader. Jimmy’s positive attitude, kindness and generosity make him impossible not to love. Mari agrees, because she does fall for him. The short time she gets to spend with Jimmy and the rest of the band changes Mari for the better. She learns to say what she means, to live life and not just stand by and watch it happen through her camera’s lens. To think of more than just the next objective and let herself love. The scenes with Jimmy were my favorites. Their banter is fun and sweet, and everything was all the more dramatic by the knowledge that Mari would have to eventually return to her time.
I recommend this to anyone, especially contemporary readers, who want a quick read and a sweet story. Shine Until Tomorrow is a story that touched me deeply, and it will stay with me for a long time.
If I had to describe this book in a few words, I’d use “pleasantly surprising”. I had such a fun time reading this that I was sad when it was over. I might have also shed a tear during the epilogue, but I won’t go into too many details because my aim here is not to spoil.
Let me start by saying that I have the worst memory when it comes to synopses. By the time I actually start reading the book, I have most likely forgotten what the book is about except for very abstract elements, which is what happened with this book. I don’t mind. It makes reading that much more interesting because I’m mostly going in blind. The experience for this book was very entertaining.
Shine Until Tomorrow begins like your classic high school drama. Nerdy student with not many friends and a No Nonsense attitude who has her eye fixed on the prize: getting to college. Besides that, Mari’s personal life is spiraling out of control. Her parents are divorced, she can’t really stand her mother’s boyfriend and her father is able to make less and less time for her between his work and his new girlfriend. Following an argument with her mother, Mari runs out of the house and has a very Freaky Friday-like accident that drags her back to 1967.
Time travel? Yes, please!
The majority of the book is set in 1967, though the events take place in a short span of days. Nevertheless, the author does an amazing job at setting the atmosphere and having you connect to the characters. Mari meets a group of young people—a band, no less—who very much embrace the hippie life. Every characters leave an impression, but the one who stands out the most is Jimmy, the band’s leader. Jimmy’s positive attitude, kindness and generosity make him impossible not to love. Mari agrees, because she does fall for him. The short time she gets to spend with Jimmy and the rest of the band changes Mari for the better. She learns to say what she means, to live life and not just stand by and watch it happen through her camera’s lens. To think of more than just the next objective and let herself love. The scenes with Jimmy were my favorites. Their banter is fun and sweet, and everything was all the more dramatic by the knowledge that Mari would have to eventually return to her time.
I recommend this to anyone, especially contemporary readers, who want a quick read and a sweet story. Shine Until Tomorrow is a story that touched me deeply, and it will stay with me for a long time.
Read
May 13, 2021What do you get when you combine THE WIZARD OF OZ with BACK TO THE FUTURE? You get a delightfully nostalgic romp. Allow Carla Malden to work her magic, cleverly juxtaposing cultural phenomena of the “sixties” with those of today.
My recommendation is to get this book, put on your favorite sixties playlist, and simply "Let It Be."
Read our full review here:
https://booktrib.com/2021/05/13/shine...
My recommendation is to get this book, put on your favorite sixties playlist, and simply "Let It Be."
Read our full review here:
https://booktrib.com/2021/05/13/shine...
January 15, 2021
Oh how I have enjoyed this story so much! It is just the perfect story with a time travelling twist. Mari Caldwell is a successful student at school in everything but photography. When her teacher gives her an incomplete and tells her to take a better portrait photo over the summer break, it’s the first in a string of things that go wrong for her. Later, having decided to go to a party with her friend, even though she doesn’t really want to, Mari searches her mother’s closet for a top to wear. But when she pulls down on a sleeve from the top shelf she brings down several boxes that were piled there, revealing some old sixties memorabilia of her mother’s. But soon her mum sees the mess and argues with Mari, causing Mari to storm out of the house, alone. Cycling while angry in the rain results in Mari having an accident, and finding herself badly hurt she decides to climb into the seat of a random vehicle she finds abandoned on the roadside, but when she wakes up things aren’t the same and it’s not a question of where she is but when.
I have really enjoyed this story so much that I just couldn’t put it down the moment I started reading! Mari is a character I instantly liked (reminding me a bit of myself as a teenager) as she’s a little awkward socially, rambling too much when she doesn’t know what to say to people, but also having a deep passion for photography. The story begins with Mari narrating a terryfing recurring dream she has about driving before moving on to show us a bit of her teen life. Mari isn’t one of the popular girls at school but she has her best friend and her love of photography to keep her happy, which is a big part of the story. Once she gets home we find out more about her home life and it isn’t all that great with her parents who are divorced having little time for her. It’s anger at this that triggers Mari to storm out of her home after arguing with her mum, and once she has an accident she wakes up to what seems like the past, with hippie people coming to her aid.
I love how this story unfolds, Mari’s argument with her mum and what she finds at the house prior to her storming out give a hint to the world Mari soon finds herself in and I love how she isn’t convinced, at first, that she really has gone back in time to the 1960s. Her first encounter with Sam and Jennifer was very funny and I love the way that modern things like her mobile phone were explained with Sam assuming it was all something to do with the government. The exchange between the three is good and funny and I was soon really enjoying her encounter with the others who were all picked up in the van, especially the driver Jimmy.
There are some very funny moments in the story with both Mari’s awkwardness, often rambling far too much to the point that nobody understands her, and lots of other funny things which made me laugh including the explanation of the paint colours for the house, and Mari’s exchanges with various characters especially when she mentions coming from the future! Most of the story focuses on Mari and the band she meets. Sam and Jimmy are two members of a band and it’s this band who are trying to become a success that most of the story is focused on. All of the charcters felt well developed to me and I love how different they all are, even Nina.
Mari eventually ends up getting to know what can only be described as the hippier part of the sixties. I do like how a lot of this was portrayed, focusing mostly on the positive aspects of the this hippie era but still making a point of showing some of the darker sides of it too. I cannot say for sure whether this is what the sixties in San Francisco was really like, but something about it just felt so right and it kept me constantly interested in reading on! I like the relationship that develops between Mari and Jimmy and what ends up happening. Later when it’s clear things have to go a certain way, I like the way this was done and resolved, and I like the maturity with which Mari seems to have grown into.
Despite the fun time travelling tale, this book is also clearly a coming-of-age novel and a good one in my opinion compared to some I’ve read. How Mari copes and grows throughout the story is nice to see, and even though there is the fun aspect of travelling backwards in time and all the funny things that can happen with that, it’s also a story about Mari growing from a girl who used to feel awkward socially, a little angry at life and used to use a certain way of talking with sarcasm to not get close to people, to a girl who becomes more mature, self-assured, and also more confident in her photography, and in her family life, in a way she wasn’t before. I really like the way this story finishes and it just felt good from start to finish.
There are quite a few fun twists in the book, especially towards the end when we find out several things that are linked back to something we saw earlier in the book like the vinyl and pictures that Mari finds at the start. I like how these things suddenly dawned on me and I have to say I gasped a few times as it was brilliantly done and clearly surprised me! Unfortunately there a couple of time-travelling inconsistencies I spotted to do with what ultimately happens with the camera and also with the bus in the early part of the story, but these don’t detract from the story and you’d probably only think about them if you’re a bit of a time-travelling sci-fi geek like me! (I seriously love to debate time-travel in all books and films! 🤪) 🙂
The ending is good and satisfying and I love what happens with Mari in the epilogue too which made the whole story and Mari’s journey feel like it ended perfectly. The book has a few uses of the f and s swear words but not very often and there’s nothing else that I’d consider difficult or offensive to read. This really is a story I have loved reading and I’m so glad I read it despite seeing some negative reviews when I first was offered the chance. ‘Shine Until Tomorrow’ is the perfect time travelling story and I just love how the 1960s are represented and how positive most aspects of the story are. There are some moments that a touch predictable, such as what happens with Royce and the overall way all the characters ended up, but there were so many moments I wasn’t expecting too and I just loved how this story was so compelling and left me feeling so happy when I finished reading it!
The idea of time travel in a story is one I have always loved and although I’ve read some reviews complaining that the characters don’t seem like real teenagers, to me Mari reminded me of myself as a teen, and because of that this book has been the perfect read for me and one I know I’ll want to re-read again! Maybe it’s because I feel a connection to the socially awkward Mari, or maybe because I love the thought of travelling to the past and the general mood of the sixties, or maybe it’s just the fact that there are some great twists in the story especially near the ending, but something about this story just made it so perfect for me and it’s one that I’d recommend to anyone who loves a story that features time travel and focuses on the more positive aspects of the hippie 1960s.
-Thanks to the publisher and the Busby Group for a free copy for review.
I have really enjoyed this story so much that I just couldn’t put it down the moment I started reading! Mari is a character I instantly liked (reminding me a bit of myself as a teenager) as she’s a little awkward socially, rambling too much when she doesn’t know what to say to people, but also having a deep passion for photography. The story begins with Mari narrating a terryfing recurring dream she has about driving before moving on to show us a bit of her teen life. Mari isn’t one of the popular girls at school but she has her best friend and her love of photography to keep her happy, which is a big part of the story. Once she gets home we find out more about her home life and it isn’t all that great with her parents who are divorced having little time for her. It’s anger at this that triggers Mari to storm out of her home after arguing with her mum, and once she has an accident she wakes up to what seems like the past, with hippie people coming to her aid.
I love how this story unfolds, Mari’s argument with her mum and what she finds at the house prior to her storming out give a hint to the world Mari soon finds herself in and I love how she isn’t convinced, at first, that she really has gone back in time to the 1960s. Her first encounter with Sam and Jennifer was very funny and I love the way that modern things like her mobile phone were explained with Sam assuming it was all something to do with the government. The exchange between the three is good and funny and I was soon really enjoying her encounter with the others who were all picked up in the van, especially the driver Jimmy.
There are some very funny moments in the story with both Mari’s awkwardness, often rambling far too much to the point that nobody understands her, and lots of other funny things which made me laugh including the explanation of the paint colours for the house, and Mari’s exchanges with various characters especially when she mentions coming from the future! Most of the story focuses on Mari and the band she meets. Sam and Jimmy are two members of a band and it’s this band who are trying to become a success that most of the story is focused on. All of the charcters felt well developed to me and I love how different they all are, even Nina.
Mari eventually ends up getting to know what can only be described as the hippier part of the sixties. I do like how a lot of this was portrayed, focusing mostly on the positive aspects of the this hippie era but still making a point of showing some of the darker sides of it too. I cannot say for sure whether this is what the sixties in San Francisco was really like, but something about it just felt so right and it kept me constantly interested in reading on! I like the relationship that develops between Mari and Jimmy and what ends up happening. Later when it’s clear things have to go a certain way, I like the way this was done and resolved, and I like the maturity with which Mari seems to have grown into.
Despite the fun time travelling tale, this book is also clearly a coming-of-age novel and a good one in my opinion compared to some I’ve read. How Mari copes and grows throughout the story is nice to see, and even though there is the fun aspect of travelling backwards in time and all the funny things that can happen with that, it’s also a story about Mari growing from a girl who used to feel awkward socially, a little angry at life and used to use a certain way of talking with sarcasm to not get close to people, to a girl who becomes more mature, self-assured, and also more confident in her photography, and in her family life, in a way she wasn’t before. I really like the way this story finishes and it just felt good from start to finish.
There are quite a few fun twists in the book, especially towards the end when we find out several things that are linked back to something we saw earlier in the book like the vinyl and pictures that Mari finds at the start. I like how these things suddenly dawned on me and I have to say I gasped a few times as it was brilliantly done and clearly surprised me! Unfortunately there a couple of time-travelling inconsistencies I spotted to do with what ultimately happens with the camera and also with the bus in the early part of the story, but these don’t detract from the story and you’d probably only think about them if you’re a bit of a time-travelling sci-fi geek like me! (I seriously love to debate time-travel in all books and films! 🤪) 🙂
The ending is good and satisfying and I love what happens with Mari in the epilogue too which made the whole story and Mari’s journey feel like it ended perfectly. The book has a few uses of the f and s swear words but not very often and there’s nothing else that I’d consider difficult or offensive to read. This really is a story I have loved reading and I’m so glad I read it despite seeing some negative reviews when I first was offered the chance. ‘Shine Until Tomorrow’ is the perfect time travelling story and I just love how the 1960s are represented and how positive most aspects of the story are. There are some moments that a touch predictable, such as what happens with Royce and the overall way all the characters ended up, but there were so many moments I wasn’t expecting too and I just loved how this story was so compelling and left me feeling so happy when I finished reading it!
The idea of time travel in a story is one I have always loved and although I’ve read some reviews complaining that the characters don’t seem like real teenagers, to me Mari reminded me of myself as a teen, and because of that this book has been the perfect read for me and one I know I’ll want to re-read again! Maybe it’s because I feel a connection to the socially awkward Mari, or maybe because I love the thought of travelling to the past and the general mood of the sixties, or maybe it’s just the fact that there are some great twists in the story especially near the ending, but something about this story just made it so perfect for me and it’s one that I’d recommend to anyone who loves a story that features time travel and focuses on the more positive aspects of the hippie 1960s.
-Thanks to the publisher and the Busby Group for a free copy for review.
January 31, 2021
This had everything I wanted from a book about traveling back in time, music and romance! Loved it!!
January 5, 2022
Uma nostalgia capaz de cruzar o “Feiticeiro de Oz” e “Regresso Ao Futuro”; foi isto que me conquistou!
Mari vive num conflito interno sobre o que quer seguir e/ou ser na vida, seja entre os seus estudos ou a sua fotografia.
Um acidente de bicicleta e ela viaja no tempo para 1967 onde conhece Jimmy, o líder de uma banda que é um espírito livre, querido e hippie. Mari apaixona-se por ele mas terá de enfrentar as consequências de um amor que não se passa no seu tempo actual ou na sua vida.
Ofereceram-me este livro e eu cheguei a esperar um livro sobre fotografia, simples mas bonito como a capa dá a atender mas que viagem minha gente!!
É completamente imprevisível e uma surpresa de história que me manteve entre sorrisos e choque.
Vivemos as emoções de Mari, sofremos com as incertezas porque todos nós já sofremos de dúvidas existenciais nalguma altura da nossa vida.
Leitura profunda, agradável e definitivamente algo bem diferente do que Carla Malden costuma escrever.
Mari vive num conflito interno sobre o que quer seguir e/ou ser na vida, seja entre os seus estudos ou a sua fotografia.
Um acidente de bicicleta e ela viaja no tempo para 1967 onde conhece Jimmy, o líder de uma banda que é um espírito livre, querido e hippie. Mari apaixona-se por ele mas terá de enfrentar as consequências de um amor que não se passa no seu tempo actual ou na sua vida.
Ofereceram-me este livro e eu cheguei a esperar um livro sobre fotografia, simples mas bonito como a capa dá a atender mas que viagem minha gente!!
É completamente imprevisível e uma surpresa de história que me manteve entre sorrisos e choque.
Vivemos as emoções de Mari, sofremos com as incertezas porque todos nós já sofremos de dúvidas existenciais nalguma altura da nossa vida.
Leitura profunda, agradável e definitivamente algo bem diferente do que Carla Malden costuma escrever.
August 12, 2020
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Shine Until Tomorrow.
Shine Until Tomorrow is a time travel book with a protagonist is way too okay with time travel, a love story that's formed over the course of a handful of conversations, and 2 separate decades that both somehow felt unrealistic.
So basically Mari and her mum fight a la Freak Friday and then Mari runs out of the house only to time travel to the 60s when her mother was a hippy. I feel like the main plot point in most accidental time travel stories is the character trying to get back to their own time but Mari is just crazy comfortable with time travel way too quickly. She goes from "I'm in the wrong time help!" to "I better try (and fail) to sound like I'm from this decade. Groovy, man." in a matter of moment. This book would have really really benefited from her spending more time in the past because it ends up rushing absolutely everything.
The premise makes it sound like she falls in love but she more just... makes out and maybe has sex? (I reread the chapter twice and couldn't figure out if sex happened or just almost happened but if it did, yikes. Mari says something about needing to use protection and love interest guy says he has some then Mari mentions that she should ask about AIDs, he gets offended because he thinks she means he needs sexual aids, and then they're like 'haha funny' as if the 60s somehow magically don't have STDs? Wack.).
The character speak also bugged me. I'm 18 and have never time travelled so unfortunately I can only speak to how unrealistic Mari and her modern friends speak, but it was really bad. I get some people use text speak outloud but Mari accidentally uses a lot of text acronyms I've never once heard anyone vocalize unless they were doing it ironically for the humour of her having to cover it with '60s speak'. The 60s speak was equally as cliche. Again, I didn't exist in the 60s. Maybe the author did. But I'm guessing she also exists in the modern day so considering the modern dialogue felt forced, I feel like there's a very good chance the 60s speak also was regardless of where or not she was writing based off of actual experiences in that decade.
Shine Until Tomorrow is a time travel book with a protagonist is way too okay with time travel, a love story that's formed over the course of a handful of conversations, and 2 separate decades that both somehow felt unrealistic.
So basically Mari and her mum fight a la Freak Friday and then Mari runs out of the house only to time travel to the 60s when her mother was a hippy. I feel like the main plot point in most accidental time travel stories is the character trying to get back to their own time but Mari is just crazy comfortable with time travel way too quickly. She goes from "I'm in the wrong time help!" to "I better try (and fail) to sound like I'm from this decade. Groovy, man." in a matter of moment. This book would have really really benefited from her spending more time in the past because it ends up rushing absolutely everything.
The premise makes it sound like she falls in love but she more just... makes out and maybe has sex? (I reread the chapter twice and couldn't figure out if sex happened or just almost happened but if it did, yikes. Mari says something about needing to use protection and love interest guy says he has some then Mari mentions that she should ask about AIDs, he gets offended because he thinks she means he needs sexual aids, and then they're like 'haha funny' as if the 60s somehow magically don't have STDs? Wack.).
The character speak also bugged me. I'm 18 and have never time travelled so unfortunately I can only speak to how unrealistic Mari and her modern friends speak, but it was really bad. I get some people use text speak outloud but Mari accidentally uses a lot of text acronyms I've never once heard anyone vocalize unless they were doing it ironically for the humour of her having to cover it with '60s speak'. The 60s speak was equally as cliche. Again, I didn't exist in the 60s. Maybe the author did. But I'm guessing she also exists in the modern day so considering the modern dialogue felt forced, I feel like there's a very good chance the 60s speak also was regardless of where or not she was writing based off of actual experiences in that decade.
February 3, 2021
Reviewed for YA Books Central
Wow, this book didn’t turn out to be anything like I expected.
The story:
Tamara is a young overachiever who struggles to go with the flow or focus on anything beyond her Yale aspirations and her photography. A bike accidents sends her back in time to 1967 where she meets Jimmy, the lead singer of a band. Jimmy is sweet and optimistic and free loving, just like most hippies of the time. And Tamara falls completely in love with him. But it’s not her time or her life and she knows she needs to get back to both.
What I loved:
This book is surprising. You never know quite what’s going to happen. The people Tamara meets, the connections to her real life she finds in 1967, it’s such a well crafted story, it’s not possible to forget it. The author obviously did her research because she paints a world that’s so vivid and so historical accurate that it feels like you’re right there with Tamara.
There were several laugh out loud moments, and the cast of characters are a lot of fun.
What was just okay:
The ending was more bittersweet than happy but I’m not sure it could’ve been anything else. It also started rather slowly, but once the pace picked up, it didn’t let go.
Final Verdict: A story with depth, Shine Until Tomorrow features a great storyline, engaging writing, and characters you won’t want to let go of.
Wow, this book didn’t turn out to be anything like I expected.
The story:
Tamara is a young overachiever who struggles to go with the flow or focus on anything beyond her Yale aspirations and her photography. A bike accidents sends her back in time to 1967 where she meets Jimmy, the lead singer of a band. Jimmy is sweet and optimistic and free loving, just like most hippies of the time. And Tamara falls completely in love with him. But it’s not her time or her life and she knows she needs to get back to both.
What I loved:
This book is surprising. You never know quite what’s going to happen. The people Tamara meets, the connections to her real life she finds in 1967, it’s such a well crafted story, it’s not possible to forget it. The author obviously did her research because she paints a world that’s so vivid and so historical accurate that it feels like you’re right there with Tamara.
There were several laugh out loud moments, and the cast of characters are a lot of fun.
What was just okay:
The ending was more bittersweet than happy but I’m not sure it could’ve been anything else. It also started rather slowly, but once the pace picked up, it didn’t let go.
Final Verdict: A story with depth, Shine Until Tomorrow features a great storyline, engaging writing, and characters you won’t want to let go of.
July 7, 2021
I picked up this book because of the author’s name and wondered if she is related to actor Karl Malden. In reading the bio on the backflip, I discovered that yes, she is.
It’s a bit of a wild tale that I enjoyed reading. This is a Teen Fiction book so the main character is a teenager, Mari Caldwell, who feels like a misfit. Her parents are divorced, and she feels overlooked. A photo, a camera, an Incomplete in her photography class all play into the story which sends her back to 1967, and chance meetings with people that have some influence on her life.
I liked the way Ms. Malden maneuvers Mari through her journey back in time and how Mari comes to the realization of what has happened, but wants to find out why and then how to return to her present time.
We all dream- some think dreams are nonsense and some think dreams are necessary and inspiring.
It’s a bit of a wild tale that I enjoyed reading. This is a Teen Fiction book so the main character is a teenager, Mari Caldwell, who feels like a misfit. Her parents are divorced, and she feels overlooked. A photo, a camera, an Incomplete in her photography class all play into the story which sends her back to 1967, and chance meetings with people that have some influence on her life.
I liked the way Ms. Malden maneuvers Mari through her journey back in time and how Mari comes to the realization of what has happened, but wants to find out why and then how to return to her present time.
We all dream- some think dreams are nonsense and some think dreams are necessary and inspiring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2020
This one was out of this world and by out of this world I mean crazy!! This one just didn't work for me for a time travel book at all. It felt very off and way to down to earth. I ended up DNFing it around 20% it was just way to far fetched.
May 2, 2024
3.5 stars
December 11, 2024
« I flash a peace sign. And… Click… A tourist at the back of the bus snaps a photo of me… a hippie, apparently in my natural habitat. »
May 14, 2021
What do you get when you combine the Wizard of Oz with Back to the Future? You get a delightfully nostalgic romp in Shine Until Tomorrow (Rare Bird Books, 2020) by Carla Malden.
Through the eyes of Tamara Caldwell, a.k.a. Mari, and the lens of her vintage Leica camera, we behold a coming-of-age tale about a teenager so preoccupied with her future that she must travel back in time in order to accept her life today.
Unable to come to grips with her parent’s broken marriage and with her inability to fit in at school, Mari feels her current state of affairs is as incomplete as her grade in photography class.
To complicate matters further, she strategically avoids social situations, often hiding behind her smartness. She sets her sights on applying for early decision at Yale (one of “America’s Best”), where she expects to find her tribe.
When a bicycle accident throws her head over tea kettle into a thicket of trees, resulting in “an instant goose egg” on her skull, her dreams change abruptly. Initially, she’s rescued by a boy and a girl dressed in the kind of bohemian clothing that would be sold at a “Hare Krishna”-type store in San Francisco, not in Marin County where she lives with her mother.
Despite her gephyrophobia (fear of bridges, even the Golden Gate), her fear of driving, and her fear of relationships, especially those of the romantic kind, Mari joins this small group of hippies who have their own rock band dreams. Together with their lead guitarist, Jimmy, these new friends sweep her off in their VW van into 1967, the Summer of Love, where she’s forced to take risks she readily admits are not in her wheelhouse.
And from that moment on, dear reader, just go with the flow, let it all hang out, and allow Malden to work her magic.
Lucky for us, it takes a while for Mari to figure out that she’s been transported into another era. And so are we. Malden takes us back in time tapping into our experiences, cleverly juxtaposing cultural phenomena of the “sixties” with those of today. She saturates the pages with evocative references to well-known rock bands, memorable songs, and the Vietnam War. Reminiscent of Marty McFly’s out-of-context expressions in Back to the Future, when Mari exclaims, “Been There, Done That,” it’s misconstrued as a possible name for the band.
As the past becomes Mari’s present, and her future appears out of reach, Mari wonders if there’s something wrong with her. “I never thought much about what or who came before me.” And it is through Mari’s touchstone—the camera, which preserves memories—that she comes of age. “Memory’s a funny thing,” Mari reflects. “It’s all we really have of the past. But when I was in the past, it was all I had of the future.”
Certainly, this story could’ve been titled Yesterday, and it would’ve fit. But I bet you can’t say Shine Until Tomorrow without launching into song. And I bet Carla Malden knew that too. My recommendation is to get this book, put on your favorite sixties playlist, and simply Let It Be.
I received this book from the publisher through BookTrib.com for an honest review.
Through the eyes of Tamara Caldwell, a.k.a. Mari, and the lens of her vintage Leica camera, we behold a coming-of-age tale about a teenager so preoccupied with her future that she must travel back in time in order to accept her life today.
Unable to come to grips with her parent’s broken marriage and with her inability to fit in at school, Mari feels her current state of affairs is as incomplete as her grade in photography class.
To complicate matters further, she strategically avoids social situations, often hiding behind her smartness. She sets her sights on applying for early decision at Yale (one of “America’s Best”), where she expects to find her tribe.
When a bicycle accident throws her head over tea kettle into a thicket of trees, resulting in “an instant goose egg” on her skull, her dreams change abruptly. Initially, she’s rescued by a boy and a girl dressed in the kind of bohemian clothing that would be sold at a “Hare Krishna”-type store in San Francisco, not in Marin County where she lives with her mother.
Despite her gephyrophobia (fear of bridges, even the Golden Gate), her fear of driving, and her fear of relationships, especially those of the romantic kind, Mari joins this small group of hippies who have their own rock band dreams. Together with their lead guitarist, Jimmy, these new friends sweep her off in their VW van into 1967, the Summer of Love, where she’s forced to take risks she readily admits are not in her wheelhouse.
And from that moment on, dear reader, just go with the flow, let it all hang out, and allow Malden to work her magic.
Lucky for us, it takes a while for Mari to figure out that she’s been transported into another era. And so are we. Malden takes us back in time tapping into our experiences, cleverly juxtaposing cultural phenomena of the “sixties” with those of today. She saturates the pages with evocative references to well-known rock bands, memorable songs, and the Vietnam War. Reminiscent of Marty McFly’s out-of-context expressions in Back to the Future, when Mari exclaims, “Been There, Done That,” it’s misconstrued as a possible name for the band.
As the past becomes Mari’s present, and her future appears out of reach, Mari wonders if there’s something wrong with her. “I never thought much about what or who came before me.” And it is through Mari’s touchstone—the camera, which preserves memories—that she comes of age. “Memory’s a funny thing,” Mari reflects. “It’s all we really have of the past. But when I was in the past, it was all I had of the future.”
Certainly, this story could’ve been titled Yesterday, and it would’ve fit. But I bet you can’t say Shine Until Tomorrow without launching into song. And I bet Carla Malden knew that too. My recommendation is to get this book, put on your favorite sixties playlist, and simply Let It Be.
I received this book from the publisher through BookTrib.com for an honest review.
June 26, 2025
san francisco in the hippie days
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