Book Review: Anywhen by Beth Duke

“Baezy is born in 2069, the centennial of the legendary Woodstock Music and Art Fair. Everything peace, love, and flower power is celebrated that year in a wave of nostalgia that takes over fashion, music, and the public’s imagination. She grows up listening to and loving the artists of that time, dreaming of witnessing everyone from Joan Baez to Santana in person. When presented with the opportunity to time-travel, Baezy immediately chooses Woodstock as her destination…”

Goodreads blurb for Anywhen

Review:

I’m new to the world of time travel fiction and I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the concepts. Anywhen sounded like a perfect book for me to delve deeper into this type of story as I love this mid-20th century era. Woodstock is such an interesting place and time to explore. 

In the year 2101, Baezy is sent to the year 1969. Having been named after Joan Baez, she has a special sentiment for this time period. Going to Woodstock is the opportunity of a lifetime, especially because she will get to meet her great-great-great grandmother. Baezy’s time at Woodstock changes her life in more ways than she could have imagined. 

It was interesting to see the contrast between the rugged and wild 1960s and a 2100s advanced and sterile society. The story mostly takes place in the 1960s and shows different perspectives through the various characters. I still struggled with the logistics of the time travel (but I’m slowly getting the hang of it!), but I found myself invested in the story, particularly the connection between Baezy and Kelly. 

A huge thanks to Book Publicity Services for reaching out and inviting me to read a digital ARC of the book!

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• The contrast of the two time periods explored.
• The familial connections.
• Baezy was a lovable main character.

What I didn’t like:

• The last third of the book was where I started getting muddled, especially with a shift in eras.

Afterthoughts:

In a way, I think I enjoyed this book more than I expected too. I didn’t plan on getting so invested in the plot. I was more curious going in about the vibes if I’m being completely honest.

Update: I’ve gone back and forth about whether or not I should make this update but I feel like I must be transparent. I was asked by the author to remove my review on Amazon as it interfered with maintaining a 5-star average. I found this to be extremely unprofessional and dishonest. I obliged only because I have enough real life things to be dealing right now and I am picking my battles. That said, I stand by my initial review and will not be changing it as it has always been my practice to post my honest opinions when writing my reviews whether I’ve picked the book up on my own volition or whether I’m invited to read an ARC. Because of this incident, I will not be reading more from this author which disappoints me as I had a glance at her other books and a couple caught my attention. I cannot in good conscience support this kind of ratings manipulation, especially when I gave a 4-star positive review. My review has remained posted on other platforms.

Where to buy the book: