While traveling through time, teen scientist Charley Morton has met Leonardo da Vinci, explored the Renaissance, and even been tried for witchcraft. Now, on her most daring adventure yet, she sets her eyes on journeying back in time to 17thcentury to meet her “shero”, Émilie du Châtelet. After receiving a distress call from a fellow time traveler, Carolina, Charley is determined to make her way back to medieval Paris in order to rescue her friend and meet her STEM idol. In order to make the journey, she recruits Billy, her best friend and partner in time travel, and Beth, a fashion-obsessed classmate. Will Charley be able to save Carolina without endangering herself in the process?
REVIEW
Find Me In the Time Before by Robin Stevens Payes, owes a lot of its appeal to its unique writing style. Among other YA novels, the book is set apart by Charley’s narrative voice in her use of slang and cultural references. Whether she’s explaining how Émilie du Châtelet’s commentary of Newton’s Principia revolutionized physics or who she plans to go to homecoming with, Charley effortlessly incorporates mentions of popular memes, uses texting abbreviations, and remains clear and relatable. As a scientist and historian, Charley’s voice is a blend of subtle references to both modern and ancient works. The book references Shakespeare’s plays, Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, and The Thinker by Rodin, making Charley’s adventures just as engaging as they are educational. Much like Percy Jackson in The Lightning Thief, a sarcastic and whip-smart narrator sets this book apart as a teen novel.
Despite the net historical accuracy of the novel, there are quite a few moments that stretch disbelief in Find Me In the Time Before. For example, Charley’s time travel is enabled by an AI assistant that her best friend and computer enthusiast Billy manages to program in just a few weeks. Similarly, despite being stranded in time, Charley is able to receive text messages from her friends, often at key moments in the plot. These moments are easily glossed over, but still take away from the overall authenticity of the book. However, the novel remains mostly accurate, with the dialogue of historical characters, such as Voltaire, made up of famous quotes that fit seamlessly into the conversation.
RECOMMENDATION
In conclusion, Find Me In the Time Before is an engaging book for teens, featuring an absorbing protagonist and incorporating many historically important characters and topics. Charley’s witty comments and endless curiosity help drive the book forward, while the varied characters she meets while journeying through time, including Émilie du Châtelet and Voltaire, will inspire teens to tackle history with a new zeal. Additionally, the book is the latest in the Edge of Yesterday quartet, each of which features Charley’s latest adventure through time. With a passion for learning and a witty remark at the ready, Charley’s adventures make for perfect reading material for reluctant teen readers.
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