July 15, 2021
Soul mates fight to be together over centuries. The pandemic brought unspeakable tragedy to Tamar and her family--her mother died, Tamar survived but now has a deteriorating lung condition, and her sister, Aabidah, was forced to make personal sacrifices in order to serve as family caretaker. Aabidah finally convinces Tamar to pursue her last option--cryogenics. As Tamar and her love, Fayard, spend their last minutes together before she sets off for the overseas cryogenics center, an explosion goes off at the airport, killing everyone but the two of them. They wake up in the hospital with no memory of who they were and what happened, but they recognize a deep connection with one another. As they struggle to remember their present life, they dream of the other lives they spent together. Time, space, and place are important pieces of the storytelling, and Miles expertly provides enough details about contemporary Columbia, South Carolina; Gao, Mali, in 1325; 1920s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Alpha 9, Lunar Base in 2260 to truly transport readers. The main characters are Black, and their identities are central to fully understanding each time period; historical details, such as information about the Pullman porters, add layers of depth. Tamar and Fay's relationships throughout the ages and the mystery behind how their story ends are revealed with a satisfying slow burn. This genre-bending novel is for the true romantics at heart. (discussion questions) (Fiction. 14-18)
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August 1, 2021
Gr 9 Up-Across millennia, in eras from distant past to far future, Tamar and Fayard always find each other. Although their lives in each time period are quite different, they are always romantically entangled. Whenever they meet, they feel something familiar and sometimes have dreams or visions of other lives, but complete memories rarely surface. The story winds through time, showing their lives in Mali in 1325; traveling from Philadelphia to North Carolina in 1924; in South Carolina, current day; and on a different planet in 2260. Sadly, no matter the time or place, Tamar and Fayard never get their happily ever after. After a dramatic incident in current day, they finally realize what is happening and that they now need to make a difficult decision. The narrative blend of romance, historical fiction, and speculative fiction works well, but the premise stumbles slightly in the execution. The multiple narratives don't weave together into a united whole. The section in one era seems completely independent from those in the other eras. It's only in the latter half that readers will begin to piece together that these protagonists are the same people who are trying, through time, to get their relationship right. Secondary characters appear in different forms in the various time periods, but don't add cohesiveness. Despite this, the story is engaging and the resolution is surprising and satisfying. All of the primary characters are Black with some diversity among the secondaries. VERDICT This inventive, genre-blending romance stretching across eras could benefit from more cohesion, but is ultimately appealing and enjoyable.-Carla Riemer, Berkeley, CA
Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
August 30, 2021
In what initially seems like just a contemporary story of star-crossed lovers, debut author Miles packs a genre-bending surprise as Black 17-year-olds Tamar and Fayard live many lives falling in love. In present-day Columbia, S.C., Fayard makes efforts to show devotion to “old soul” Tamar, whose lungs were weakened by the Covid-19 pandemic that took her mother. After a hospital stay, Tamar begins dreaming of various periods in which she is a different version of herself; each time, she meets, and falls for, Fayard. Soon, however, it becomes clear that Tamar has one chance left at survival: an international cryogenics center. When an explosion happens at the airport, though, the amnesiac duo must find their way back to one another. Via dual perspectives, Miles impressively fleshes out the alternate timelines, seamlessly transitioning between them while maintaining consistent characterizations. Ranging across historical moments in the 1300s and 1920s to the futuristic 2200s, this well-paced, multilayered mystery reinvigorates the fated-lovers trope while exploring the freedom and suffocation that a fierce, timeless love can bring. Ages 14–up. Agent: John Cusick, Folio Literary.