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Get Back, Imagine...Saving John Lennon
Imagine going back in time and befriending The Beatles at the height of their fame. Imagine seeing “the boys” interact onstage and off, hanging out with them in the dance clubs of London, visiting John & Paul at Paul’s house across from Abbey Road Studios.
Imagine all the questions they’d ask when they learn you’re from the future – questions about how music is recorded, whether their music will last, if anyone will people remember The Beatles. And then John Lennon asks the biggest question of them all – “What will become of me?”
That last question sets 17-year-old Lenny Funk off on the adventure of his young life with a goal that seems impossible – to stop John Lennon’s assassin, Mark David Chapman!
Lenny Funk is able to time travel thanks in part to his grandfather’s old iPod Nano which is loaded with classic music from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Together with new friend Yoko (yes, she’s named after that Yoko), Lenny “time slips” backwards to a world he thought he’d missed where he meets some of his musical heroes, including the Beatles, Jim Morrison and James Taylor, among others.
Lenny must make some difficult and heart-breaking decisions. Should he change the course of history or not? And what are the consequences if he does? Would John reunite with Paul? Would he remain married to Yoko and, if not, who would be his next wife?
The year 2015 marks what would have been John Lennon’s 75th birthday and also the 35th year since his murder.
Imagine all the questions they’d ask when they learn you’re from the future – questions about how music is recorded, whether their music will last, if anyone will people remember The Beatles. And then John Lennon asks the biggest question of them all – “What will become of me?”
That last question sets 17-year-old Lenny Funk off on the adventure of his young life with a goal that seems impossible – to stop John Lennon’s assassin, Mark David Chapman!
Lenny Funk is able to time travel thanks in part to his grandfather’s old iPod Nano which is loaded with classic music from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Together with new friend Yoko (yes, she’s named after that Yoko), Lenny “time slips” backwards to a world he thought he’d missed where he meets some of his musical heroes, including the Beatles, Jim Morrison and James Taylor, among others.
Lenny must make some difficult and heart-breaking decisions. Should he change the course of history or not? And what are the consequences if he does? Would John reunite with Paul? Would he remain married to Yoko and, if not, who would be his next wife?
The year 2015 marks what would have been John Lennon’s 75th birthday and also the 35th year since his murder.
- GenresYoung AdultTime Travel
268 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2015
370 people want to read
About the author
Donovan Day
2 books12 followersTrying to break in to this writing business and doing the best I can.
I hope you'll check out my first novel, a young adult time travel adventure featuring a 17 year old lovesick kid who falls for a girl named Yoko (no, not THAT Yoko).
Now writing erotic short fiction.
Thank you.
Donovan
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 8, 2015
Get Back is an imaginative time travel story with a large focus on the Beatles.
17 year old Lenny suddenly has the ability to time travel to points in time that have to do with music from the 60's and 70's. He has to wrestle with current time issues as well as whether he should try to change anything in the past. He ends up spending a lot of time with the Beatles and struggling with the issue of John's assassination.
It was entertaining to watch Lenny spend time with The Beatles throughout their history. We get to know their personalities and meet with Yoko.
We also get up close with people like Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Carly Simon, and James Taylor.
However, Lenny's almost encyclopedic knowledge of music from that era was not credible to me. This became a distraction for me as I read. He knew dates of Beatles album releases, he recognized the Beatles manager on sight (his name and years involved with the Beatles), when they were on Ed Sullivan, etc.
He knew all about Eric Clapton, the name of the cemetery where Jim Morrison is buried, and the years that Carly Simon and James Taylor were married. I think that if the main character had been a Gen X'er that grew up with parents spouting this information, it might have been more believable. Alternately, if Lenny was a huge fan of the music, but stumbled along without knowing all the small trivia, I would have liked it better.
The other thing that didn't seem plausible to me was that Lenny kept saying that the musicians in their 20's looked "like babies". I can see someone in their 30's or 40's thinking that they looked so young, but teenagers just don't see the world this way. These musicians in their 20's are older than Lenny. Even if he's used to seeing them as older adults, he wouldn't refer to them as "babies". It would have felt more true to character if he said, "I can't believe how young they look" instead.
The last issue I had was with a character he met and spent a several hours with in the past. He later meets her in current time and she immediately knows who he is. She doesn't just think he looks like someone she met once. She just believes it's him, still a child, without him first explaining that he time travels. Most people would initially think it's a child of the person they met.
Those things aside, Get Back was an entertaining read that is probably best for middle graders or Boomers that will appreciate the nostalgia.
Thank you Netgalley and Park Slope Publishing for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
17 year old Lenny suddenly has the ability to time travel to points in time that have to do with music from the 60's and 70's. He has to wrestle with current time issues as well as whether he should try to change anything in the past. He ends up spending a lot of time with the Beatles and struggling with the issue of John's assassination.
It was entertaining to watch Lenny spend time with The Beatles throughout their history. We get to know their personalities and meet with Yoko.
We also get up close with people like Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Carly Simon, and James Taylor.
However, Lenny's almost encyclopedic knowledge of music from that era was not credible to me. This became a distraction for me as I read. He knew dates of Beatles album releases, he recognized the Beatles manager on sight (his name and years involved with the Beatles), when they were on Ed Sullivan, etc.
He knew all about Eric Clapton, the name of the cemetery where Jim Morrison is buried, and the years that Carly Simon and James Taylor were married. I think that if the main character had been a Gen X'er that grew up with parents spouting this information, it might have been more believable. Alternately, if Lenny was a huge fan of the music, but stumbled along without knowing all the small trivia, I would have liked it better.
The other thing that didn't seem plausible to me was that Lenny kept saying that the musicians in their 20's looked "like babies". I can see someone in their 30's or 40's thinking that they looked so young, but teenagers just don't see the world this way. These musicians in their 20's are older than Lenny. Even if he's used to seeing them as older adults, he wouldn't refer to them as "babies". It would have felt more true to character if he said, "I can't believe how young they look" instead.
The last issue I had was with a character he met and spent a several hours with in the past. He later meets her in current time and she immediately knows who he is. She doesn't just think he looks like someone she met once. She just believes it's him, still a child, without him first explaining that he time travels. Most people would initially think it's a child of the person they met.
Those things aside, Get Back was an entertaining read that is probably best for middle graders or Boomers that will appreciate the nostalgia.
Thank you Netgalley and Park Slope Publishing for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2015
I have to say that this book really intrigued me. I’m not a big Beatles fan, but I do love their song and find them fascinating. This book is the tale of a modern teenager who finds himself able to go back in time to certain eras according to what music he is listening to. I loved that concept! I was eating it up. I thought it was a bit predictable from the beginning until the ending – it completely took me by surprise, which I always really enjoy in a book when I don’t see it coming! A criticism I have for this book though is that there wasn’t enough – I wanted more detail, landscape, thoughts, just more character development. I loved the concept and the story and I just wished there was more. I definitely recommend this book if you love music, if you love the Beatles or fancy a book about some time-travelling.
*Get Back was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review – all opinions are my own.*
*Get Back was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review – all opinions are my own.*
December 6, 2015
Lenny Funk (given name: Lennon) is able to time travel thanks in part to his grandfather’s old iPod Nano which is loaded with classic music from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Together with new friend Yoko (yes, she’s named after that Yoko), Lenny “time slips” backwards to a world he thought he’d missed where he meets some of his musical heroes, including the Beatles, Jim Morrison and James Taylor, among others. Lenny must make some difficult and heart-breaking decisions. Should he change the course of history or not? And what are the consequences if he does? Would John reunite with Paul? Would he remain married to Yoko and, if not, who would be his next wife?
Time travel books are my weaknesses, so despite not being a Beatles fan, I gave this book a go. The story is pretty simplistic - Lenny can suddenly time travel using songs to direct it, and he meets these music legends and interacts with them, but when he finds out he can actually change the future, his dilemma is whether to save John Lennon from assassination. Along for the ride is Yoko, whose late grandmother used to be in the Beatles circles, and so she wants to meet her. On the basis of adventure, it's fun - who wouldn't like to meet their idols or be at their concerts? There is also the fact that that era seems more nicer than the current one (I, however, disagree on that point).
While the idea was marvelous, I couldn't feel the same about the execution. As far as writing goes, it is descriptive, but dry. The characters are flat, and mostly devoid of personality. At the start, they don't even question the possibility of time travel. Like the girl he meets for the first travel - she is able to remember him after all these years, and doesn't even think it might be a kid of the guy or something. Lenny's Yoko is a that-hot-girl-who-came-on-adventure-with-me cliche. She doesn't contribute much to the plot other than a possible kidnapping case against Lenny. The time travel, itself, wasn't explained that clearly - how he was able to take people, how he was using the song and reaching some place that the song was played at, not when it was recorded. Also, it felt so lucky that they just happened to be so good at Beatles trivia?
So, while any Beatles fan would probably find this a treat, I was more indifferent about it. Probably if it had been written better, I would have enjoyed it more.
Received a free galley from Park Slope Publishing via Netgalley; this does not influence my opinions or the review.
Time travel books are my weaknesses, so despite not being a Beatles fan, I gave this book a go. The story is pretty simplistic - Lenny can suddenly time travel using songs to direct it, and he meets these music legends and interacts with them, but when he finds out he can actually change the future, his dilemma is whether to save John Lennon from assassination. Along for the ride is Yoko, whose late grandmother used to be in the Beatles circles, and so she wants to meet her. On the basis of adventure, it's fun - who wouldn't like to meet their idols or be at their concerts? There is also the fact that that era seems more nicer than the current one (I, however, disagree on that point).
While the idea was marvelous, I couldn't feel the same about the execution. As far as writing goes, it is descriptive, but dry. The characters are flat, and mostly devoid of personality. At the start, they don't even question the possibility of time travel. Like the girl he meets for the first travel - she is able to remember him after all these years, and doesn't even think it might be a kid of the guy or something. Lenny's Yoko is a that-hot-girl-who-came-on-adventure-with-me cliche. She doesn't contribute much to the plot other than a possible kidnapping case against Lenny. The time travel, itself, wasn't explained that clearly - how he was able to take people, how he was using the song and reaching some place that the song was played at, not when it was recorded. Also, it felt so lucky that they just happened to be so good at Beatles trivia?
So, while any Beatles fan would probably find this a treat, I was more indifferent about it. Probably if it had been written better, I would have enjoyed it more.
Received a free galley from Park Slope Publishing via Netgalley; this does not influence my opinions or the review.
November 12, 2015
This is a fun book about two teenagers who travel back in time to meet the Beatles. It's all light-hearted until John asks about his future and the teens set off on the adventure of a lifetime to stop John's murder.
A fascinating glimpse into what might have happened had John lived. Would he have gotten back together with Paul? Stayed with Yoko? Divorced her? And, if so, who might he have married?
Lenny (named after John Lennon) and his girlfriend Yoko are delightful guides back to the past. I think you'll enjoy it.
A fascinating glimpse into what might have happened had John lived. Would he have gotten back together with Paul? Stayed with Yoko? Divorced her? And, if so, who might he have married?
Lenny (named after John Lennon) and his girlfriend Yoko are delightful guides back to the past. I think you'll enjoy it.
November 7, 2015
DNF
I was really excited about reading this book. To begin with I am a huge Beatles fan, but more than that, I loved the cover and the pitch for this book. Very well done on this account.
However, despite struggling with it (for 33 pages) I decided to give it a miss. The story has potential. A brilliant premise that promised so much, yet even in the first few pages it became clear that this was never going to deliver. Where did it go wrong? I didn't believe it. Not just the explanation for the time travel, all of it. The characters felt one dimensional, the dialogue was flat......I just didn't believe it. The biggest issue with the story is that it is to telly. The writer dumps in loads of back story (rather than sprinkling it). However, more than this the writing just tells me without revealing it. He was hot for Yoko. I get it. But rather than tell me she was hot the writer needed to show me. How did his body react when he was in his presence? Sometimes the dialogue dominates the prose. I felt like I was reading a play script Inject some emotion into the dialogue. What are the characters doing while they speak and how do these actions suggest how they feel? This aside (and while I still think the premise is awesome), I am almost 40, the daughter of parents from the Beatles generation. I get it. I'm not convinced that it is going to resonate with the current YA audience. As a secondary teacher I know this audience well and to be honest (and to my horror) many of this generation are like "Beatles who?". Of course some educated teens are well aware but most are oblivious (with a few getting excited about their parent's old cds from the 80's and 90's.....like I did with my Dad's records from the 60's and 70's). I think I've made my point.
This book is 25 years too late.
My recommendation? It needs a really big rewrite to inject more flair into the telling of the story (only make sure that showing dominates over the telling). This had the potential to be a great book.....the jury is out though as to whether it is ever going to work with contemporary YA readers. I wish you all the best.
I was really excited about reading this book. To begin with I am a huge Beatles fan, but more than that, I loved the cover and the pitch for this book. Very well done on this account.
However, despite struggling with it (for 33 pages) I decided to give it a miss. The story has potential. A brilliant premise that promised so much, yet even in the first few pages it became clear that this was never going to deliver. Where did it go wrong? I didn't believe it. Not just the explanation for the time travel, all of it. The characters felt one dimensional, the dialogue was flat......I just didn't believe it. The biggest issue with the story is that it is to telly. The writer dumps in loads of back story (rather than sprinkling it). However, more than this the writing just tells me without revealing it. He was hot for Yoko. I get it. But rather than tell me she was hot the writer needed to show me. How did his body react when he was in his presence? Sometimes the dialogue dominates the prose. I felt like I was reading a play script Inject some emotion into the dialogue. What are the characters doing while they speak and how do these actions suggest how they feel? This aside (and while I still think the premise is awesome), I am almost 40, the daughter of parents from the Beatles generation. I get it. I'm not convinced that it is going to resonate with the current YA audience. As a secondary teacher I know this audience well and to be honest (and to my horror) many of this generation are like "Beatles who?". Of course some educated teens are well aware but most are oblivious (with a few getting excited about their parent's old cds from the 80's and 90's.....like I did with my Dad's records from the 60's and 70's). I think I've made my point.
This book is 25 years too late.
My recommendation? It needs a really big rewrite to inject more flair into the telling of the story (only make sure that showing dominates over the telling). This had the potential to be a great book.....the jury is out though as to whether it is ever going to work with contemporary YA readers. I wish you all the best.
January 8, 2016
While I’m reading this book the first thought that came to me is the movie of “Back to the Future”. There’s a similarities between this two. Right from the start I never got bored and it’s a page turner. Actually you can finish this within a day or two because it’s not too long. Fun, Cute, and a whole lot of Adventure, that’s how I describe this book.
It’s about Lenny Funk loves music he loves the classics and his favorite band is the Beatles. He actually plays a guitar. And when the accident happened to him and the iPod thing this whole experience bring us a whole lot of fun ride. This is a fan fiction and you know what, I actually searched on the internet about what happened on James Taylor and the Beatles and Jim Morrison because I honestly don’t have any idea about them ( okay sorry guys. I knowww.) The other characters are great too, such as his Grandpa and his husband , ( yes, he’s grandpa is gay.) Yoko ( she met her on the subway while Lenny plays a song there ), Daisy who actually is from the past and Lenny met her when he’s with James Taylor and Carly Simon. Then Lenny met Daisy in the year 2015. And last but not the least Doctor Robert, he’s Lenny’s Doctor who also happens acquainted the Beatles.
I really enjoyed reading this because it’s a time travel though I’m not a fan of artists that are mentioned here like the Beatles. My feelings here were bittersweet because it’s fun to travel back in time and you see your idol and they know you and you got bond with them. This book wants to tell us that we can’t change the past because when we change the past there’s a consequences whether it’s good or bad. We take the risks and we should appreciate the time with our loved ones and be wise in our decisions. Just like Lenny advice on Lennon “ Appreciate your time. Every moment.”
And I recommended this to everyone who loves the Beatles and loves fan fiction, and time travel.
It’s about Lenny Funk loves music he loves the classics and his favorite band is the Beatles. He actually plays a guitar. And when the accident happened to him and the iPod thing this whole experience bring us a whole lot of fun ride. This is a fan fiction and you know what, I actually searched on the internet about what happened on James Taylor and the Beatles and Jim Morrison because I honestly don’t have any idea about them ( okay sorry guys. I knowww.) The other characters are great too, such as his Grandpa and his husband , ( yes, he’s grandpa is gay.) Yoko ( she met her on the subway while Lenny plays a song there ), Daisy who actually is from the past and Lenny met her when he’s with James Taylor and Carly Simon. Then Lenny met Daisy in the year 2015. And last but not the least Doctor Robert, he’s Lenny’s Doctor who also happens acquainted the Beatles.
I really enjoyed reading this because it’s a time travel though I’m not a fan of artists that are mentioned here like the Beatles. My feelings here were bittersweet because it’s fun to travel back in time and you see your idol and they know you and you got bond with them. This book wants to tell us that we can’t change the past because when we change the past there’s a consequences whether it’s good or bad. We take the risks and we should appreciate the time with our loved ones and be wise in our decisions. Just like Lenny advice on Lennon “ Appreciate your time. Every moment.”
And I recommended this to everyone who loves the Beatles and loves fan fiction, and time travel.
November 11, 2015
The reviews for this book are all over the place so I decided to check it out for myself. Here's what I think: it's a fun, fast-paced book into a world I only wish existed, a world where I could go back in time and visit with the Beatles and maybe, just maybe, stop tragic events from happening. As nearly everyone says, this novel is a FUN READ. Is it literature? Nope but so what? I've read so many many literary novels where there is no plot. It is refreshing to read one that is full of plot and fun characters.
To recap briefly, Lenny the teenager meets the girl of his most recent dreams, a girl named Yoko and together they travel to the '60s to meet the Beatles via an iPod supplied by Lenny's grandfather (who is gay and BTW, this book is filled with DIVERSITY...having gay and Asian characters and that's a point in its favor). The two teens hang out with the Beatles but Yoko has an ulterior motive -- she wants to meet her grandmother who died when she was young. The grandmother was a backup singer with a lot of '60s groups and knew the Beatles personally.
The plot all comes together in the end and you'll find yourself whipping through the pages as I did. If you want a fun read and a page-turner, this one's for you. If you want to read high literature, then probably not but not all books need to be one thing. Enjoy!!! That's my advice lovelies.
To recap briefly, Lenny the teenager meets the girl of his most recent dreams, a girl named Yoko and together they travel to the '60s to meet the Beatles via an iPod supplied by Lenny's grandfather (who is gay and BTW, this book is filled with DIVERSITY...having gay and Asian characters and that's a point in its favor). The two teens hang out with the Beatles but Yoko has an ulterior motive -- she wants to meet her grandmother who died when she was young. The grandmother was a backup singer with a lot of '60s groups and knew the Beatles personally.
The plot all comes together in the end and you'll find yourself whipping through the pages as I did. If you want a fun read and a page-turner, this one's for you. If you want to read high literature, then probably not but not all books need to be one thing. Enjoy!!! That's my advice lovelies.
November 26, 2015
When Lenny busked in the New York City subways, he meets a singer named Yoko. At their debut performance, Lenny gets into a fight with a heckler and suffers a brain injury. Lenny's injury and a magic iPod from his grandpa give Lenny supernatural powers. When Lenny listens to a song he travels to an event that connects to that song. True to their namesakes, Lenny and Yoko love the Beatles and visit the Beatles at important points in Beatles history. Further, many other classic rock stars make cameos including a memorable appearance by Jim Morrison.
This book has a great deal of charm. All of the characters including the Beatles have charisma and likability. The 1960s Beatles are especially entertaining as they try to figure out Lenny's smartphone and iPod. Also, the book incorporates a lot of classic rock knowledge. Perceptive Beatles fans will notice many similarities between Lenny's and John Lennon's youth.
Time travel stories do not always make sense and this one does not either. The characters, however, readily accept the possibility of time travel with a magic iPod. Readers should do the same. Furthermore, the end with its small personal change with big consequences seems very similar to Back to the Future. These issues, however, take nothing away from this fun book. Recommend this book to older tweens and teens who love music.
This book has a great deal of charm. All of the characters including the Beatles have charisma and likability. The 1960s Beatles are especially entertaining as they try to figure out Lenny's smartphone and iPod. Also, the book incorporates a lot of classic rock knowledge. Perceptive Beatles fans will notice many similarities between Lenny's and John Lennon's youth.
Time travel stories do not always make sense and this one does not either. The characters, however, readily accept the possibility of time travel with a magic iPod. Readers should do the same. Furthermore, the end with its small personal change with big consequences seems very similar to Back to the Future. These issues, however, take nothing away from this fun book. Recommend this book to older tweens and teens who love music.
December 31, 2015
This time traveling tale was a fun read! The Beatles were so popular back then and now with their music streaming on the internet for all to hear, this book comes at the perfect time for teens. The author did a wonderful job at keeping the culture of the past and future together in one funny book. The author does a fabulous job of getting the personalities of the Beatles.
Lenny travels back in time with a girl name Yoko to meet the Beatles. But Yoko has ulterior motives! The plot comes together at the end with a satisfying conclusion. A fun story with fast pace humor and a great setting. I couldn't put it down until the end!
Lenny travels back in time with a girl name Yoko to meet the Beatles. But Yoko has ulterior motives! The plot comes together at the end with a satisfying conclusion. A fun story with fast pace humor and a great setting. I couldn't put it down until the end!
March 16, 2016
Although this is technically a YA book and has teens as the main characters, I think the publishers would be better off marketing this to adults my generation and older who enjoy classic rock, especially the Beatles. Some teens may like classic rock, but I think that is a narrower fan base for teens today. My 72 year old mother grew up in Liverpool and saw the Beatles play at the Cavern Club back then. This book was a fun read for me, as it gave me a taste of the excitement of those days. I told mom about this book and she is already placing her hold on it!
November 14, 2015
To me this book is well written but written for a small audience - one of teens who love music from the 60's and one of baby boomer adults who read young adult books. It's a fun book about time travel but many teens will not get the 1960's pop cultural references - which make up so much of the book. After being hit on the head, Lenny is able to travel through time (with the help of a iPod). He travels back and meets several 1960's music icons and alters the course of history more than once.
December 19, 2015
Time travel Beatles fan fiction that captures the interior narrative voice of a modern teenage boy as well as the characters of the Beatles.
February 4, 2016
Note: There may be a few Beatles-related puns and song references cleverly placed throughout this review.
In my life, I've read a number of books about time travel, and Get Back is pretty different from the rest. I've always been a fan of the Beatles, especially in the past months, and when I saw this book on NetGalley, I couldn't help but place a request. Yes, I wasn't sure what to expect, since I've seen varied opinions on this book, but my Beatles obsession got the better of me. I finished this book over the course of one day.
Imagine...a world in which listening to a song by the Beatles could take you back to the past and enable you to change history. After a fight that results in a head injury, Lennon "Lenny" Funk has this ability. Along with his friend Yoko (yes, named after that Yoko) and 2 other characters, he travels back into time and meets a number of musicians, including Jim Morrison, Carly Simon, and, yes, the Beatles.
The concept of this book was interesting, well-crafted, and creative. Through this book, I learned a lot more about 60's and 70's music in general, and I frequently wished I were in Lenny's shoes. I mean, meeting the Beatles? Seeing them record and perform live? Um, #GOALS right there. Donovan Day did a great job writing the characters of the various musicians, especially John Lennon--their dialogue and actions were realistic and believable.
However, though I liked the musicians as characters, the fictional characters did not appeal to me. I didn't have much interest in the main character or his love interest; they were annoying and a bit flat. The only character I really did enjoy other than the musicians was probably Daisy. And what even happened to her, anyway?
Having that said, another reason I didn't give this one a 5-star rating was the fact that some ties were left unsolved. I mean, what happened to Daisy after she traveled to be with Jim Morrison? Did he remember her? Reject her? Fall in love with her? As hard as it would have been to write this in, I would have liked to know about what happened. Also, did Lenny ever get his guitar back? AND THE INSTA LOVE was ever-present. I feel like the romantic portion of this book was severely lacking. Honestly, the book would still have done well if the romance had just not been added in the first place.
Besides these flaws, though, this book was pretty interesting. Maybe if certain characters and aspects of the plot had been more developed, I would have given Get Back a higher rating.
In my life, I've read a number of books about time travel, and Get Back is pretty different from the rest. I've always been a fan of the Beatles, especially in the past months, and when I saw this book on NetGalley, I couldn't help but place a request. Yes, I wasn't sure what to expect, since I've seen varied opinions on this book, but my Beatles obsession got the better of me. I finished this book over the course of one day.
Imagine...a world in which listening to a song by the Beatles could take you back to the past and enable you to change history. After a fight that results in a head injury, Lennon "Lenny" Funk has this ability. Along with his friend Yoko (yes, named after that Yoko) and 2 other characters, he travels back into time and meets a number of musicians, including Jim Morrison, Carly Simon, and, yes, the Beatles.
The concept of this book was interesting, well-crafted, and creative. Through this book, I learned a lot more about 60's and 70's music in general, and I frequently wished I were in Lenny's shoes. I mean, meeting the Beatles? Seeing them record and perform live? Um, #GOALS right there. Donovan Day did a great job writing the characters of the various musicians, especially John Lennon--their dialogue and actions were realistic and believable.
However, though I liked the musicians as characters, the fictional characters did not appeal to me. I didn't have much interest in the main character or his love interest; they were annoying and a bit flat. The only character I really did enjoy other than the musicians was probably Daisy. And what even happened to her, anyway?
Having that said, another reason I didn't give this one a 5-star rating was the fact that some ties were left unsolved. I mean, what happened to Daisy after she traveled to be with Jim Morrison? Did he remember her? Reject her? Fall in love with her? As hard as it would have been to write this in, I would have liked to know about what happened. Also, did Lenny ever get his guitar back? AND THE INSTA LOVE was ever-present. I feel like the romantic portion of this book was severely lacking. Honestly, the book would still have done well if the romance had just not been added in the first place.
Besides these flaws, though, this book was pretty interesting. Maybe if certain characters and aspects of the plot had been more developed, I would have given Get Back a higher rating.
September 7, 2016
No tengo costumbre de leer autores nuevos, a menos que su obra venga muy recomendada. Sin embargo esta vez no pude evitar la tentación: Los Beatles,Viaje en el Tiempo, trama similar a la obra de Stephen King, y con un precio de regalo en Kindle ... irresistible.
Como indica el título, trata de un adolescente que toca la guitarra en el metro de Nueva York, y que conoce una joven cuya abuela fue corista de los Beatles. Cuando un accidente le da la habilidad de viajar en el tiempo comienza a experimentar con los alcances de este poder.
Aunque la novela tiene todos los defectos propios de la obra de un novato, no cabe duda de que está bien estructurada, tiene un buen ritmo y buena recreación de personajes.
Hay muchas cosas que los puristas de las historias de viaje en el tiempo encontraríamos erroneas o mal planteadas, pero Day trata de darle coherencia a su universo y más o menos lo logra. Lo que más me molestó en lo personal fue que su personaje no tiene empacho en comentar que es un viajero en el tiempo, y ninguno de los personajes que se enteran se escandaliza por ello. Lo sentía falso (y en un par de circunstancias lo es), pero después de recapacitar quizá no sea tan descabellado en todos los casos: el viajero es un adolescente, así que no tiene que comportarse como aquellos viajeros científicos que se preocupan por las paradojas temporales y ese tipo de cosas (y aún así nuestro viajero sí se preocupa, pero como buen adolescente no puede evitar meter la pata). Y por otro lado, quizá la gente de verdad no haría gran alharaca si alguien dijese que viene del futuro. Lo tomarían por loco, le dejarían hablar o incluso le creerían, sin que eso significase el fin del mundo o llevarlo a un manicomio.
De manera que superando los defectos de la prosa (no tan mala), algunos huecos argumentales molestos, y un final demasiado complaciente, disfruté mucho del libro: me divirtió la historia, los giros de la trama y todos los detalles que giraban alrededor de los personajes famosos. Además de que la recreación del cuarteto de Liverpool se me hizo bastante atinada.
Para pasar un buen rato.
Como indica el título, trata de un adolescente que toca la guitarra en el metro de Nueva York, y que conoce una joven cuya abuela fue corista de los Beatles. Cuando un accidente le da la habilidad de viajar en el tiempo comienza a experimentar con los alcances de este poder.
Aunque la novela tiene todos los defectos propios de la obra de un novato, no cabe duda de que está bien estructurada, tiene un buen ritmo y buena recreación de personajes.
Hay muchas cosas que los puristas de las historias de viaje en el tiempo encontraríamos erroneas o mal planteadas, pero Day trata de darle coherencia a su universo y más o menos lo logra. Lo que más me molestó en lo personal fue que su personaje no tiene empacho en comentar que es un viajero en el tiempo, y ninguno de los personajes que se enteran se escandaliza por ello. Lo sentía falso (y en un par de circunstancias lo es), pero después de recapacitar quizá no sea tan descabellado en todos los casos: el viajero es un adolescente, así que no tiene que comportarse como aquellos viajeros científicos que se preocupan por las paradojas temporales y ese tipo de cosas (y aún así nuestro viajero sí se preocupa, pero como buen adolescente no puede evitar meter la pata). Y por otro lado, quizá la gente de verdad no haría gran alharaca si alguien dijese que viene del futuro. Lo tomarían por loco, le dejarían hablar o incluso le creerían, sin que eso significase el fin del mundo o llevarlo a un manicomio.
De manera que superando los defectos de la prosa (no tan mala), algunos huecos argumentales molestos, y un final demasiado complaciente, disfruté mucho del libro: me divirtió la historia, los giros de la trama y todos los detalles que giraban alrededor de los personajes famosos. Además de que la recreación del cuarteto de Liverpool se me hizo bastante atinada.
Para pasar un buen rato.
January 18, 2016
What would 2015 have looked like if John Lennon were still alive? Would fans be relishing the new music he was producing? What would the pop/rock landscape looked like? Had he not died on that night in 1980, would America have a different outlook on gun control? All of these questions are posed in Get Back, a time-traveling romp through the Swinging Sixties and more.
Lenny Funk plays guitar in the subway and he loves the classics—the Stones, Dylan, James Taylor and the Beatles. When he meets a lovely young lady who sings and happens to be named Yoko, Lenny falls hard for her. But once his guitar is liberated from him by a punk, he and Yoko go on an interesting journey due to Lenny's head injury.
Throughout the book, Lenny, Yoko and a cast of other characters from Lenny's life head back in time with him. Because of Yoko's connection to the Beatles through her grandmother Lily, meeting Lily and the Beatles is the first goal. But what else could they do with their time-traveling powers? Lily and Lenny decide that it may be possible to save John Lennon from his fate.
This is a solidly written book, though I think many superfans of the Beatles may not be interested in all of it. Some stereotypes are still present (Paul's bossy, Yoko's controlling), but those with only a casual knowledge of the band's legend would not pick up on that. It also covers a wide range of 20th century pop/rock music, so as a YA novel this is a great introduction for young readers to start discovering all of this great music. The time-traveling aspect is fun, though just as a personal opinion, time travel should be observation only—no meddling (though if Lenny and Yoko didn't meddle, there wouldn't have been much of a novel, would there?). Overall, casual and superfans should give it a chance—it's fun to imagine what you could do if you could travel back then.
Lenny Funk plays guitar in the subway and he loves the classics—the Stones, Dylan, James Taylor and the Beatles. When he meets a lovely young lady who sings and happens to be named Yoko, Lenny falls hard for her. But once his guitar is liberated from him by a punk, he and Yoko go on an interesting journey due to Lenny's head injury.
Throughout the book, Lenny, Yoko and a cast of other characters from Lenny's life head back in time with him. Because of Yoko's connection to the Beatles through her grandmother Lily, meeting Lily and the Beatles is the first goal. But what else could they do with their time-traveling powers? Lily and Lenny decide that it may be possible to save John Lennon from his fate.
This is a solidly written book, though I think many superfans of the Beatles may not be interested in all of it. Some stereotypes are still present (Paul's bossy, Yoko's controlling), but those with only a casual knowledge of the band's legend would not pick up on that. It also covers a wide range of 20th century pop/rock music, so as a YA novel this is a great introduction for young readers to start discovering all of this great music. The time-traveling aspect is fun, though just as a personal opinion, time travel should be observation only—no meddling (though if Lenny and Yoko didn't meddle, there wouldn't have been much of a novel, would there?). Overall, casual and superfans should give it a chance—it's fun to imagine what you could do if you could travel back then.
June 20, 2016
I love a good time-travel book, and "Get Back" did not disappoint. Lenny is spending the summer with his grandpa and his grandpa's husband, both named Joe; while his mother is in Ohio tending to a sick family member. While performing on the subway with his guitar, he suffers some injuries that alters a few things in his brain. Between the injury and the gift of an ipod from Joe with some great music, Lenny quickly discovers his new talent. Lenny soon learns, that altering past events changes the present, and not in ways you may desire. Can he fix what he has done in time?
February 12, 2022
I love this story so much. It's fun seeing how changing one thing in the past rewrites history entirely. If you love music, especially the Beatles, you'll love this story filled with stories about them and their lives.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2022
Excellent…..
….except, I would have saved John AND Yoko.
I’ve thought about writing a book just like this a hundred times but I’m glad that Donovan did it as I don’t think I would be able to do it the same amount of justice.
Well done.
….except, I would have saved John AND Yoko.
I’ve thought about writing a book just like this a hundred times but I’m glad that Donovan did it as I don’t think I would be able to do it the same amount of justice.
Well done.
December 5, 2018
I love The Beatles. As a Liverpudlian – born and bred – I find books that are about the fab four to be really entertaining and I guess I find it titillating when my hometown is referenced. Alongside those reasons, I also thought the concept of Get Back by Donovan Day sounded interesting.
If you could go back in time and save someone, would you?
It is a question that people get asked but usually it is Hitler put as the subject of the question. Would you kill Hitler if you had the chance? Get Back is less dark that that, it is asking if you had the chance to save John Lennon, would you?
Most people would say, yeah sure, why not. It makes sense to do a good deed but like all classic time travel stories, by altering the present you create a ripple in the time space continuum that will impact on the real present day.
It is delicious time travel headache inducing science.
Either way, Get Back is a great story. I loved going back in time and seeing musicians that I know and love and sing along to and getting to imagine what they would be like on a more personal level was great.
What I loved most about Get Back is that Day did not make a cliché out of the fab four. The colloquial vernacular was great. As a scouser, I hate it when writers overwrite the way we speak. Day got the balance right.
Get Back by Donovan Day is available now.
If you could go back in time and save someone, would you?
It is a question that people get asked but usually it is Hitler put as the subject of the question. Would you kill Hitler if you had the chance? Get Back is less dark that that, it is asking if you had the chance to save John Lennon, would you?
Most people would say, yeah sure, why not. It makes sense to do a good deed but like all classic time travel stories, by altering the present you create a ripple in the time space continuum that will impact on the real present day.
It is delicious time travel headache inducing science.
Either way, Get Back is a great story. I loved going back in time and seeing musicians that I know and love and sing along to and getting to imagine what they would be like on a more personal level was great.
What I loved most about Get Back is that Day did not make a cliché out of the fab four. The colloquial vernacular was great. As a scouser, I hate it when writers overwrite the way we speak. Day got the balance right.
Get Back by Donovan Day is available now.
February 18, 2022
A short, fun, and immersive read about time travel back to 1960's to meet the Beatles and their crowd.
March 19, 2016
I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review, via NetGalley
Who doesn't love the Beatles? Even generations beyond, I believe teens know enough about the Beatles that they could enjoy a novel about time traveling to meet the Beatles. Certainly Glee believed that today's teens could get excited by oldies. So while it's a little surprising that Lenny and Yoko (the main character and love interest in Get Back) have such an encyclopedic knowledge of the oldies music scene, I forgave it because it was clear that they were both unusual teens in this respect. Of course, we don't meet any other teens really, except for guys who beat up Lenny, but let's assume that the other teens aren't going to have every detail of the Beatles' lives memorized.
The premise is a fun one for music and time travel fans. Lenny uses his ability to time-travel (as guided through music he's listening to) to go back and meet his music idols. It comes up as a possibility that he could change the future by saving some that met tragic deaths, and eventually (and I say eventually because it doesn't come up until the last quarter of the novel) he wonders if he could save John Lennon.
My biggest problems were suspension of disbelief (mine about everyone else's) and the writing. Starting with the former, it seems like every single person Lenny tells about his abilities believes him (except his family, so, okay, complete strangers will believe you but not the people who know you best). After it's been stated as a fact that Yoko looks very much like her grandmother, when Lenny meets up with a woman who he met in the past as a teenager, she knows immediately that it's him and doesn't even consider the idea that he could be the son of the boy she once met. This leads me to another suspension of disbelief on my part. Everybody had total recall on faces. Years could go by, and everyone remembered that guy they met one time. Oddly the only one who didn't recognize Lenny right away the 2nd time they meet was John Lennon, despite having a crazy interaction with him. That one should have been memorable, but it's the others who recognize Lenny right away. Things seem to fall in to place simply for the sake of the plot. It's super-easy for Lenny to lie his way to meet the Beatles (though he starts freaking out about how bad he is at lying later in the book), get into clubs, convince people he's meant to be where he is, and practically trip over other rock idols. Very wish fulfillment, Gary-Stu-ish. Even when the plot isn't going Lenny's way, it still feels convenient for the story. Lenny loses Yoko in the past for a short time, and even though from the perspective of the present, she's missing for less than 24 hours, police question him about it almost immediately the next morning. Same with Dr. Roberts (the doctor Lenny's grandfathers took him to after he sustains a concussion, who just happens to be studying this time-travel phenomenon), even though Yoko's back. He misses one day of work, and the police are after Lenny again. Yeah, not buying it.
From the beginning, the writing was throwing me out of the book. The dialogue felt fake and distant, though some of that could be that there was no action, description, or emotional reactions included with the dialogue. All of Lenny's backstory was given to us upfront, along with the history of his family. At the 10% mark, I didn't know if I was going to finish the book, after Yoko and Lenny questioned a heckler's sexual prowess amid awkward dialogue and then we got infodump after infodump about Lenny's grandfathers and about his troubled past (which we don't actually see and doesn't even get brought up when the police are questioning him about Yoko; so when it's sort of implied at the end by his family, I had to dive in the depths of my memory to remember it was part of his history). There are inconsistencies here and there that were distracting, like about what happens when Lenny time travels, or a letter given to Lenny at one point and the letter says it was written after he left (then how did he get it?!), and then just people being stupid that I think an editor should've pointed out (When you're accused of murdering a girl and you know exactly how to get to her simply by playing a song, why not go back and get her right away? You were JUST accused of being responsible for someone's disappearance when they stayed in the past, so you let another person do the exact same thing so you could be accused of the same thing again?)
Unfortunately, despite an intriguing premise, I just had difficulty connecting to the book because of awkward dialogue and suspension of disbelief.
Recommended for fans of: the Beatles, elementary time-travel, tripping over older music stars in their prime, easy-going conflict, iPods.
Who doesn't love the Beatles? Even generations beyond, I believe teens know enough about the Beatles that they could enjoy a novel about time traveling to meet the Beatles. Certainly Glee believed that today's teens could get excited by oldies. So while it's a little surprising that Lenny and Yoko (the main character and love interest in Get Back) have such an encyclopedic knowledge of the oldies music scene, I forgave it because it was clear that they were both unusual teens in this respect. Of course, we don't meet any other teens really, except for guys who beat up Lenny, but let's assume that the other teens aren't going to have every detail of the Beatles' lives memorized.
The premise is a fun one for music and time travel fans. Lenny uses his ability to time-travel (as guided through music he's listening to) to go back and meet his music idols. It comes up as a possibility that he could change the future by saving some that met tragic deaths, and eventually (and I say eventually because it doesn't come up until the last quarter of the novel) he wonders if he could save John Lennon.
My biggest problems were suspension of disbelief (mine about everyone else's) and the writing. Starting with the former, it seems like every single person Lenny tells about his abilities believes him (except his family, so, okay, complete strangers will believe you but not the people who know you best). After it's been stated as a fact that Yoko looks very much like her grandmother, when Lenny meets up with a woman who he met in the past as a teenager, she knows immediately that it's him and doesn't even consider the idea that he could be the son of the boy she once met. This leads me to another suspension of disbelief on my part. Everybody had total recall on faces. Years could go by, and everyone remembered that guy they met one time. Oddly the only one who didn't recognize Lenny right away the 2nd time they meet was John Lennon, despite having a crazy interaction with him. That one should have been memorable, but it's the others who recognize Lenny right away. Things seem to fall in to place simply for the sake of the plot. It's super-easy for Lenny to lie his way to meet the Beatles (though he starts freaking out about how bad he is at lying later in the book), get into clubs, convince people he's meant to be where he is, and practically trip over other rock idols. Very wish fulfillment, Gary-Stu-ish. Even when the plot isn't going Lenny's way, it still feels convenient for the story. Lenny loses Yoko in the past for a short time, and even though from the perspective of the present, she's missing for less than 24 hours, police question him about it almost immediately the next morning. Same with Dr. Roberts (the doctor Lenny's grandfathers took him to after he sustains a concussion, who just happens to be studying this time-travel phenomenon), even though Yoko's back. He misses one day of work, and the police are after Lenny again. Yeah, not buying it.
From the beginning, the writing was throwing me out of the book. The dialogue felt fake and distant, though some of that could be that there was no action, description, or emotional reactions included with the dialogue. All of Lenny's backstory was given to us upfront, along with the history of his family. At the 10% mark, I didn't know if I was going to finish the book, after Yoko and Lenny questioned a heckler's sexual prowess amid awkward dialogue and then we got infodump after infodump about Lenny's grandfathers and about his troubled past (which we don't actually see and doesn't even get brought up when the police are questioning him about Yoko; so when it's sort of implied at the end by his family, I had to dive in the depths of my memory to remember it was part of his history). There are inconsistencies here and there that were distracting, like about what happens when Lenny time travels, or a letter given to Lenny at one point and the letter says it was written after he left (then how did he get it?!), and then just people being stupid that I think an editor should've pointed out (When you're accused of murdering a girl and you know exactly how to get to her simply by playing a song, why not go back and get her right away? You were JUST accused of being responsible for someone's disappearance when they stayed in the past, so you let another person do the exact same thing so you could be accused of the same thing again?)
Unfortunately, despite an intriguing premise, I just had difficulty connecting to the book because of awkward dialogue and suspension of disbelief.
Recommended for fans of: the Beatles, elementary time-travel, tripping over older music stars in their prime, easy-going conflict, iPods.
January 7, 2016
I got this book as a review copy. I have to say I loved it. I am a bit of a Beatles freak so all the added trivia and musical knowledge was great. I also loved the time travel aspect. The story was well developed, creative, and original. This would be fun to read with the family. It would give a younger generation a chance to be introduced to The Beatles.
December 25, 2015
I could not get past page 53. It was as though I went back in time to my 12-year-old self and said, "throw out everything you know about writing and time travel, which is almost nothing, and write a time travel book. Oh, and forget about logic and consistency as well."
Read
March 14, 2018DNF at 30% this book was super dude bro like, and read like bad time travel fan fiction. I have too many books to read for NetGalley to waste any more time reading this.
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