Pages and Presents: This Time Will Be Different
This book is a history teacher’s dream.
That’s not example the opening line I’d use if I was hyping this book for it’s intended teenaged audience. Luckily, I have options.
This book is an anthem for those who believe in revenge and fighting for good causes.
This book is for those who reluctantly believe in flower magic and quiet love.
This book does not provide healthy coping advice for dealing with mean girls whom your best friend is in love with.
Misa Sugiura’s This Time Will Be Different features seventeen year old CJ, who is happy to work in her aunt’s flower shop and avoid her mom’s BIG PLANS for her future. But:
the flower shop is losing money (important historical backstory: Her grandfather was forced to sell the shop for pennies before the family was interned during WWII)
her best friend wants to date Brynn (important historical backstory: Brynn outed the best friend in middle school, unbeknownst to best friend)
there is a guy…(there is an spoiler-y backstory. Also, the guy is part of a history club so he’s full of delightful stories)
CJ’s mom works for Mr. McAllister (important historical backstory: her school is named after his racist grandfather)
Basically, history confronts CJ at every turn. Personal history, family history, US history, SO MUCH HISTORY. Naturally, I gifted this book to a history teacher.
Since school hadn’t started yet and I had ample time on my hands, I did the thing where I wrap up presents that go with specific scenes in the book, which either makes for a delightful reading experience (if you like the book and like reading), a frustrating exercise (if you don’t like reading, but power through the book only to open up a present that you don’t even like), or simply a confusing frenzy (if you don’t even bother reading the book and are left wondering why someone would wrap up pinecones.
An explanation:
On page 10, CJ pulls on her favorite vintage Cap’t Crunch shirt, on page 42 she eats delicious pasta. On page 62, a quick explanation on how her grandparents were forced to sell their flower shop (along with everything else they owned) for pennies before being interned by the US government during WWII is given. Any book on internment would do here, ENEMY CHILD was the first book I spotted on the shelf (in retrospect, I should have given THE WAR OUTSIDE). On page 125, CJ and her luuuuuve interest sneak into a country club to steal pinecones for a floral arrangement. The scene involves rain, a ladder, a backpack stuck under a chain fence and some bumbling security guards. It’s hilarious and sweet and must be commemorated with pinecones. On page 136, there is a heated argument over Ruffles and Sun Chips. However, I couldn’t find any Sun Chips at the store (quarantine times and all that), so I got some pretzels and wrote a note to my reader about how I was being lazy. The history shirt is the best, of course. One of the guys in the book is president of the history club and always wears delightful shirts.
In short, I highly recommend the book. Even if you don’t like history.
