Twenty-Four Seconds from Now . . .: A LOVE Story (Coretta Scott King Award Winner)

by Jason Reynolds

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Incisive, hilarious, honest, authentic, important — the list of adjectives for this book is unwieldy. Above all else, this is a thoughtful and necessary story about teenage life.

A Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner
A New York Times Bestseller
Seven starred reviews!

“Jason Reynolds has done it again!...Fresh from start to finish…This is what it could be, should be, if only we were all as lucky as Aria. Girls (and everyone) wait for your Neon!” —Judy Blume, New York Times bestselling author of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. and Forever...

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds tackles it—you know…it—from the guy’s perspective in this stream of consciousness story of a teen boy about to experience a huge first. “Reynolds’s foray into romance is as spectacular as expected…Undoubtedly, a story for everyone” (Booklist, starred review).

Twenty-four months ago: Neon gets chased by a dog all around the parking lot of a church. Not his finest moment. And definitely one he would have loved to forget if it weren’t for the dog’s owner: Aria. Dressed in sweats, a t-shirt, hair in a ponytail. Aria. Way more than fine.

Twenty-four weeks ago: Neon’s dad insists on talking to him about tenderness and intimacy. Neon and Aria are definitely in love, and while they haven’t taken that next big step…yet, they’ve starting talking about…that.

Twenty-four days ago: Neon’s mom finds her—gulp—bra in his room. Hey! No judging! Those hook thingies are complicated! So he’d figured he’d better practice, what with the big day only a month away.

Twenty-four minutes ago: Neon leaves his shift at work at his dad’s bingo hall, making sure to bring some chicken tenders for Aria. They’re not candlelight and they definitely aren’t caviar, but they are her favorite.

And right this second? Neon is locked in Aria’s bathroom, completely freaking out because twenty-four seconds from now he and Aria are about to…about to… Well, they won’t do anything if he can’t get out of his own head (all the advice, insecurities, and what ifs) and out of this bathroom!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665961295
Publisher:	Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Publication date:	10/08/2024
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Jason Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, recipient of the MacArthur Genius Grant, a Newbery Award Honoree, a Printz Award Honoree, a two-time National Book Award finalist, a 2024 MacArthur Fellow, a Kirkus Award winner, a UK Carnegie Medal winner, a two-time Walter Dean Myers Award winner, an NAACP Image Award Winner, an Odyssey Award Winner and two-time honoree, and the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott King honors, a Coretta Scott King Author Award, and the Margaret A. Edwards Award. He was also the 2020–2022 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. His many books include All American Boys (cowritten with Brendan Kiely); When I Was the Greatest; The Boy in the Black Suit; Stamped; As Brave as You; For Every One; the Track series (Ghost, Patina, Sunny, Lu, and Coach); Look Both Ways; Stuntboy, in the Meantime; Stuntboy, In-Between Time; Miles Morales Suspended; Ain’t Burned All the Bright (recipient of the Caldecott Honor) and My Name Is Jason. Mine Too. (both cowritten with Jason Griffin); Twenty-Four Seconds from Now...; and Long Way Down, which received a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, and a Coretta Scott King Honor. His debut picture book, There Was a Party for Langston, won a Caldecott Honor and a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor. He lives in Washington, DC. You can find his ramblings at JasonWritesBooks.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ 07/22/2024

Reynolds (Long Way Down) astounds in a sweetly hilarious story of two Black teens preparing to take a huge first step in their relationship. Twenty-four seconds before this book’s start, 17-year-old Neon Benton and Aria, his girlfriend of two years, were kissing on Aria’s bed. Now, Neon is hiding in Aria’s bathroom, lamenting the complications of opening a condom and unlatching a bra as he nervously anticipates their “first time.” In frank stream-of-consciousness prose, Reynolds rewinds the teens’ heartfelt romance to showcase its development in reverse: 24 hours before, Neon was avoiding his homework by scrolling through videos he’d recorded of his classmates. And 24 days earlier, Neon was strolling the neighborhood with Gammy and the family dog, Denzel Jeremy Washington. As events roll backward, Neon has conversations with numerous richly wrought supporting characters, including his effervescent musician friend Dodie and his open and loving sister Nat, all of whom regale Neon with their thoughts on sex and love (with varying degrees of embarrassment and enlightenment for Neon). Sex-positive messaging encourages vulnerability in personal exploration as well as open conversations about bodily autonomy and consent. Authentically tapping into the way teens think, Reynolds delivers a mighty exaltation to Black love in this moving story of one boy’s growth and the community that fosters it. Ages 14–up. Agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

*Reynolds' foray into romance is as spectacular as expected. [...] This structure makes for a unique read. Reynolds’ ability to introduce characters in reverse and make them compelling is a testament to the author’s skill. Readers of his previous works will easily lose themselves in the author’s writing and complicated characters. While Neon’s relationship with Aria is highlighted during a pivotal point, Reynolds pays tribute to all different love stories and doesn’t shy away from the messiness of love; instead, the author’s exploration is grounded in reality. Undoubtedly, a story for everyone.

9/15/24 - STARRED Review Booklist

"Jason Reynolds has done it again! But in a totally new way. His take on Neon's first time with Aria, his true love, is fresh from start to finish. Who wouldn't want a first time partner like Neon? He's tender and sweet and scared and funny. He's a romantic. This is what it could be, should be, if only we were all as lucky as Aria. Girls (and everyone) wait for your Neon!"

Judy Blume

"Neon’s anticipation is presented tastefully as the story spirals outward from the deed itself, moving back in time to give a fuller picture of the life of a sensitive Black boy with a lot of love for his partner and, fortunately, a lot of love in his life. A charmingly instructive picture of intimacy without shame is deftly portrayed through many of the secondary characters"

9/1/25 -  STARRED Review BCCB

The unusual narrative device drops readers immediately into the action and then zooms out to contextualize the moment, introducing a fully realized, frequently hilarious cast of characters who offer advice on sex and relationships. [...] This is, in Neon’s words, “a special, regular story where two people meet and help each other make something beautiful, at the risk of making a mess.” The simple plot is balanced by Neon’s narration, which sparkles with rhythm and wordplay.

Jan/Feb Issue - Horn Book Magazine *STARRED REVIEW*

"[H]ilariously sweet [...] Twenty-four Seconds from Now... features Reynolds's distinct, direct, and informal style in Neon's intimate first-person narration. Reynolds (Long Way Down; Track Series) tenderly covers the big topics he's taken on—love, sex, bodily autonomy, and consent—through mindful and attentive advice from Neon's older sister, parents, and grandparents. Neon receives nothing but sex-positivity from his loved ones, including his Dad's refrain: "don't bring no babies in here unless they know how to count money." Not only is this the perfect book for sex-curious youths, Reynolds's messages on how to approach sex, how to be gentle, and how to respect each other give readers profuse, healthy versions of Black love and community."

09/25/2024 - Shelf Awareness STARRED review

"Reynolds and Lockard have become one of those stellar author/narrator pairs inextricably linked in listeners' minds as well as in award-contender lists. This title has an innovative structure that hearkens back to Reynolds' other explorations with form like Long Way Down (2017); here, the plot moves backwards in time by a measure of 24. Twenty-four seconds, minutes, hours, days, months ago, as Neon falls in love with Aria, the two form a relationship, and the two contemplate sex for the very first time. Lockard's narration is beautifully tapped into Reynolds' writing. He knows these characters backward and forward, and not just and Aria and Neon, from whose perspective the story is told. Everyone from lunch-table companions to parents to a hall-monitor-vigilante-styled teacher comes through loud and clear as a fully-voiced individual. It's a touchy topic, but Lockard evokes the tenderness between the central couple, Neon's deep love, his trepidation, his self-consciousness, and his internal depths. This notable and realistic look at young love and romance hits all the right notes in Lockard's impeccable and intuitive narration. Twenty-Four Seconds should find a ready audience with teens who love Reynolds' writing and any listeners up for a vibrant slice-of-life narration."

Booklist  - Heather Booth

"[H]ilariously sweet [...] Twenty-four Seconds from Now... features Reynolds's distinct, direct, and informal style in Neon's intimate first-person narration. Reynolds (Long Way Down; Track Series) tenderly covers the big topics he's taken on—love, sex, bodily autonomy, and consent—through mindful and attentive advice from Neon's older sister, parents, and grandparents. Neon receives nothing but sex-positivity from his loved ones, including his Dad's refrain: "don't bring no babies in here unless they know how to count money." Not only is this the perfect book for sex-curious youths, Reynolds's messages on how to approach sex, how to be gentle, and how to respect each other give readers profuse, healthy versions of Black love and community."

09/25/2024 - Shelf Awareness

★ 10/01/2024

Gr 9 Up—Reynolds is back with his first romance novel, a heartwarming story about first loves and first times, told in reverse. Twenty-four months ago, Neon Benton first laid eyes on Aria Wright, looking fine in her sweatpants, T-shirt, and ponytail, after being chased away from his grandpa's funeral by her dog. Fast forward two years and Neon finds himself locked in Aria's bathroom, stressing about the correct way to open a condom and the intricacies of how to unhook a bra, because 24 seconds from now, they are going to, you know. In between, their relationship unfolds in a series of moments and important conversations. Neon seeks advice from all the important people in his life: his energetic friend Dodie, his older sister Nat, and his caring and up-front parents. The romance of these two Black teenagers is told openly and honestly. Neon takes such care in wanting to do right by Aria. The conversations with his parents are stand-out moments in the story, as Neon navigates his own feelings and the fervor of wanting to do things right. Reynolds has single-handedly set the standard for all young women on the type of guy they deserve. VERDICT A present-day Judy Blume's Forever, this novel has been set up by its author to become a modern classic.—Amanda Harding

School Library Journal

Guy Lockard narrates this fresh and funny novel from Jason Reynolds. Told from the perspective of 17-year-old Neon, the novel moves backward over Neon's past 24 months. As he prepares to celebrate his anniversary with his girlfriend, Aria, he reflects on everything that has happened since they first met. From work to school to family, Neon's life is average but warm and loving. Reynolds uses a stream-of-consciousness style to showcase Neon's creativity and intelligence. Lockard's deep, resonant voice is expressive and full of humor that fits Neon's youth and the bright banter between Neon and his friends. This contemplative novel is a joyful celebration of young love. C.R. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

OCTOBER 2024 - AudioFile

★ 2024-07-19
Two high school seniors anticipate a big change in their relationship.

Neon Benton and Aria Wright have been a couple for two years. They’re planning to take a huge step in their relationship, and while they have a plan, Neon is battling a serious case of nerves. Fortunately, he’s close to his older sister, Nat, and leans on her for advice. He also finds himself reflecting on the journey that led the two of them to this moment—readers learn of Neon’s close ties with his no-nonsense mother, his affectionate, hardworking dad, and his grandmother (who’s still grieving the death of his grandfather). Aria’s family life is a bit more complicated, since she’s the only nonmusical household member, and her relationship with her mother is somewhat strained. Amid family, school, and yearbook club, moving toward more physical intimacy takes center stage for the Black teens. The fact that Aria will be heading away for college while Neon stays home to earn money for film school is another factor. Setting aside anticipation and apprehension, the couple have a bond that is clearlyof paramount importance to them. This rich, tender story captures the range of emotions surrounding emerging love and what they mean in the lives of young people. Neon narrates with clarity, sensitivity, and humor. The wonderfully developed cast of characters (both adults and teens), lively language, and the clever flashbacks contribute to the freshness of the storytelling.

A warm, heartfelt, and fully engaging portrayal of teen love.(Romance. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews