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A review by keysmashhh
Spin Me Right Round by David Valdes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Relationships: 4/5
World-Building: 5/5
Genre: 5/5
Plot: Perfect pacing, not too much set-up (but enough to understand what Luis is leaving behind in the present - so we are attached) and the ending was short but sweet. The book had a really nice flow to it and I felt it was just the right length. However, the plot was driven forward by sub-plots to which they weren't given much attention (like the teacher-student relationship which absolutely deserved to be recognized as more problematic than it was addressed) and there were some rushed realisations/events. I think the murder attempt (?) was an important inclusion but I'm not sure why I just have mixed feelings about it.
Character: Luis was a great MC, likeable but not too perfect, he had faults and insecurities but he was defiantly built to be the main character. I liked the comparisons between his 2020 friends and his 1980s friends and generally, I found each character interesting. Some I felt ran a little bland and could have done with a little bit more exposition (the friend who was sleeping with the teacher was interesting but her big moment maybe wasn't as definitive as it could have been) and I would have KILLED for a bit more time given to Luis' mum (especially when she realises Luis was a time-traveller) as I was actually really invested in her. Also, Ernie is my fav. character. I think there is an issue in the portrayal of Luis and his gay identity - like the incessant use of "sis" and "slay" became kind of annoying and felt unnecessary (and as other people have noted in their reviews kind of stems from AAVE in the queer community - which comes with a whole other set of debates) and I think he slipped into a gay stereotype at some points. Other forms of queerness, such as his friend being non-binary and Cheng and Ernie's expression of their queer identity seemed almost non-existent because Luis was so overpowering in the story.
Relationships: Luis and Cheng were cute, I really appreciated Luis admitting that they might not be each other's forever couple - Idk it was just a really honest admittance that high-school romance doesn't tend to last and I liked that. All the other relationships were a bit pale in comparison, obviously, Chaz and Luis weren't to be (I do love Ernie and Chaz as a couple - maybe a scene of them in the new 2020 being happy would have been nice) I still don't quite understand why Gordo and Luis' mum stayed together for so long - they're relationship just didn't seem to work but I'm happy to overlook that because the book was so good.
World-Building: I loved the world-building the details of both the 2020 and the 1980s setting were really nice - the references and the culture for both eras were pretty spot on (a bit jarring at times) I liked the emphasis on movies, TV shows, music, fashion etc. as it all helped to build a clearer picture of the time.
Genre: Time travel is the best form of sci-fi, there I said it. And this time-travel book is absolutely the best one I've read. It didn't read as sci-fi, it read like contemporary fiction (except it had two definitions of the word contemporary) and I loved that. The little nods to each time fitted perfectly into the flow of this book and the subtleties of the time travel weren't over-explained or justified and I liked that. The style, pretty pop-culture heavy, with references to movies and Tiktok and other Gen Z things isn't for some but to me it was really nice, especially as I am an internet person, it was really nice to see 2020's "culture" (is that the right word?) reflected in a novel (in a way that was a bit cringy but I still enjoyed it)
Characters: 4/5
Relationships: 4/5
World-Building: 5/5
Genre: 5/5
Plot: Perfect pacing, not too much set-up (but enough to understand what Luis is leaving behind in the present - so we are attached) and the ending was short but sweet. The book had a really nice flow to it and I felt it was just the right length. However, the plot was driven forward by sub-plots to which they weren't given much attention (like the teacher-student relationship which absolutely deserved to be recognized as more problematic than it was addressed) and there were some rushed realisations/events. I think the murder attempt (?) was an important inclusion but I'm not sure why I just have mixed feelings about it.
Character: Luis was a great MC, likeable but not too perfect, he had faults and insecurities but he was defiantly built to be the main character. I liked the comparisons between his 2020 friends and his 1980s friends and generally, I found each character interesting. Some I felt ran a little bland and could have done with a little bit more exposition (the friend who was sleeping with the teacher was interesting but her big moment maybe wasn't as definitive as it could have been) and I would have KILLED for a bit more time given to Luis' mum (especially when she realises Luis was a time-traveller) as I was actually really invested in her. Also, Ernie is my fav. character. I think there is an issue in the portrayal of Luis and his gay identity - like the incessant use of "sis" and "slay" became kind of annoying and felt unnecessary (and as other people have noted in their reviews kind of stems from AAVE in the queer community - which comes with a whole other set of debates) and I think he slipped into a gay stereotype at some points. Other forms of queerness, such as his friend being non-binary and Cheng and Ernie's expression of their queer identity seemed almost non-existent because Luis was so overpowering in the story.
Relationships: Luis and Cheng were cute, I really appreciated Luis admitting that they might not be each other's forever couple - Idk it was just a really honest admittance that high-school romance doesn't tend to last and I liked that. All the other relationships were a bit pale in comparison, obviously, Chaz and Luis weren't to be (I do love Ernie and Chaz as a couple - maybe a scene of them in the new 2020 being happy would have been nice) I still don't quite understand why Gordo and Luis' mum stayed together for so long - they're relationship just didn't seem to work but I'm happy to overlook that because the book was so good.
World-Building: I loved the world-building the details of both the 2020 and the 1980s setting were really nice - the references and the culture for both eras were pretty spot on (a bit jarring at times) I liked the emphasis on movies, TV shows, music, fashion etc. as it all helped to build a clearer picture of the time.
Genre: Time travel is the best form of sci-fi, there I said it. And this time-travel book is absolutely the best one I've read. It didn't read as sci-fi, it read like contemporary fiction (except it had two definitions of the word contemporary) and I loved that. The little nods to each time fitted perfectly into the flow of this book and the subtleties of the time travel weren't over-explained or justified and I liked that. The style, pretty pop-culture heavy, with references to movies and Tiktok and other Gen Z things isn't for some but to me it was really nice, especially as I am an internet person, it was really nice to see 2020's "culture" (is that the right word?) reflected in a novel (in a way that was a bit cringy but I still enjoyed it)