Can I get a what what for all my history nerds in the house? Y’all, Past Perfect, Leila Sales’ sophomore novel is off the hook with awesomeness. Every summer, Chelsea and her parents work as reenactors, or historical interpreters at Essex Village, a tourist attraction where it’s always 1774, baby. This summer, Chelsea doesn’t want to work at Essex. Instead, she wants to work at the mall and become an ice cream expert with her BFF Fiona. Life, however, has other plans and Chelsea ends up at Essex again, which would be okay except, oh, her ex Ezra who she’s not over yet has managed to get a job at Essex too. Compound this with Chelsea’s selection as general in the war against the Civil War reenactors, up the road at Reenactment land and Chelsea is sure to have a crazy summer.
Past Perfect
Friends, compatriots, I LOVED Past Perfect. I loved how cool in made history. I mean I already love history, but it least it makes it semi-appeal to people who only think history is cool when Gladiator is on tv or their knowledge of the Revolutionary War extends to The Patriot. Further, I loved how unique Lelia Sales’ book was. I mean, how many other books feature reenactors? At war? It’s such a great premise and catalyst.
I might as well begin making my love declarations, as that’s what the rest of my handwritten review looks like.
I loved:
- The War. Yo, those of us who have ever desperately wished to experience a color war or those of us privileged enough to go to a camp with a color war should be able to relate.
- Chelsea as a character. I could relate to her whole being stuck in the past/hating change mentality. I want to tell her it will be alright to change, and in fact it’s a great thing.
- The romance. It’s very Romeo and Juliet forbidden love and all that jazz minus crazy shit like double suicides.
- Chelsea’s BFF Fiona. This girl is fierce. She’s got a loud, bubbly personality, dates lots of boys, is super dramatic, sweet and always down for her best friend. Plus she has words of wisdom, which I consider words to live by.
- The examination of history written by the victors and how we’ll never know exactly how the past happened if we didn’t experience. And further, our memories may be imperfect, because we tend to remember the good and forget the bad. It’s just got this awesome look at history which causes me to geekgasm all over the place.
Really, I can only write my love in bullets for Past Perfect and say lay your hands on a copy of it when it drops, because it is awesome and there’s romance and war and history.
Disclosure: Received for review via Galleygrab.
Other Reviews of Past Perfect by Leila Sales:
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This post was written by...
April (Books&Wine) – who has written 1074 posts on Good Books And Good Wine.
April is 24 years old. She is an educator. In her free time she can be found reading, working out, or eating junk food. She often wears her sunglasses at night.
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First of all, THANK YOU for mentioning my review
and second… I love that you love this book as much as I did 
The subtle hints at history thrown in to a modern day teenage angsty romance was fabulous. The trampoline scene was by far my favorite! And yes, I secretly want to have a color war now. Can we make this happen?? Great review April!
Um yes, let’s do a color war.
Also your review was awesome and so totally deserves a mention!
Oh what up trampoline scene! Hahaha. Loved the ladies in this book — who WOULDN’T want to be an ice cream expert???
If only I could be an ice cream expert and not gain weight, that would be awesome.
Very delightful review. Honest, funny and enjoyable.
Thank you!
you had me at history nerd geekgasm.
history nerds shall inherit the earth.
Super awesome cover.
It’s a great cover, but it has nothing to do with the book, ha ha.
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