Yesterday

In Martin’s fifth YA novel, the author pairs a solid romance and an SF premise with mixed results. It’s 1985, and Freya and her family have recently moved to Canada. On Freya’s first day at a new school, the high school sophomore wakes up feeling like her memories of her recent life in New Zealand and the death of her father are somehow artificial. She makes a few friends at school, but is entranced by a gorgeous boy, Garren, certain that she knows him. Garren doesn’t remember Freya, but after she confronts him, they realize that odd coincidences tie them together; exploring these connections leads to threats that bring them closer. A gratuitous prologue undercuts any potential surprise over Freya’s origins for readers, and Martin (My Beating Teenage Heart) further weakens the story with a chapter-long infodump. It’s unfortunate, as there’s a good deal of charm in Freya and Garren’s relationship and the fleshed-out supporting cast (particularly Freya’s mother and her classmates), as well as some well-written action sequences (and one intensely erotic scene) late in the book. Ages 14–up. Agent: Stephanie Thwaites, Curtis Brown. (Sept.)