Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collections
Publication
Simon Pulse (2012), ebook edition, 336 pages
Description
Sixteen-year-old Chelsea knows what to expect when she returns for a summer of historical reenactment at Colonial Essex Village until she learns that her ex-boyfriend is working there, too, and then meets the very attractive Dan who works at a rival historical village.
User reviews
LibraryThing member allureofbooks
Past Perfect by Leila Sales is the perfect cute comfort read. I loved it! It won't help you solve any problems in the field of nuclear physics, but it will leave you with a smile on your face.
Chelsea works at a Colonial Village. The dresses, the apothecary, the blacksmith...the whole works. My
I really loved the characterization in this novel. Chelsea is great and her parents (especially her dad) are hilarious. I also love her best friend - they are on a constant search for the best ice cream in the world, I thought that was really cute. Added a nice dose of reality to their relationship. I also loved Chelsea's interactions with the love interest - no immediate intensity or crazy implausible situations. Just a nice teenage romance.
So, ultimately the book is very cute, very realistic and super readable. It also kinda made me think about Sweet Home Alabama, one of my favorite chick flicks (you know, the whole Civil War reenactment thing). The romance is light and believable - but also really satisfying. Definitely a book I recommend!
Chelsea works at a Colonial Village. The dresses, the apothecary, the blacksmith...the whole works. My
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inner history nerd sat up and cheered. Especially since there is a rival camp across the street - the Civil War reenactors. The teenagers in both places have a War (capital W) every summer - things can get pretty intense. Very intense. Like, when Chelsea is named a Colonial lieutenant just before being kidnapped and then held hostage by a guy that looks more like a hottie than an enemy. Also making things complicated is that Chelsea's ex is now working at the Colonial Village too, and she is having problems letting go completely. Oh the complications. How can her summer possibly turn out well?I really loved the characterization in this novel. Chelsea is great and her parents (especially her dad) are hilarious. I also love her best friend - they are on a constant search for the best ice cream in the world, I thought that was really cute. Added a nice dose of reality to their relationship. I also loved Chelsea's interactions with the love interest - no immediate intensity or crazy implausible situations. Just a nice teenage romance.
So, ultimately the book is very cute, very realistic and super readable. It also kinda made me think about Sweet Home Alabama, one of my favorite chick flicks (you know, the whole Civil War reenactment thing). The romance is light and believable - but also really satisfying. Definitely a book I recommend!
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LibraryThing member Candacemom2two
Such an amazing book! This was a jump around and scream WOW book. This book was PERFECT! It was a light hearted contemporary with a very funny main character (well, all the characters, really), a very sweet romance and a summer of FUN. And it was the perfect book for my mood (and that's what I keep
This book seriously gave me the giggles. Chelsea is a very funny character, she says, does and thinks in such a way that it's just funny (yeah, sorry, my description kind of fell flat there...). And I LOVED her! Such an awesome character that really jumped off the page at me. And yes, she had flaws, but she wouldn't be very real if she didn't, right?
Now it's not all funny. Chelsea is getting over an ex, dealing with some issues with her new crush because he's kind of (well, really) off limits (even if it is for a kind of silly reason...). We watch as she realizes that maybe things weren't so perfect between her and her ex, as she figures out some complicated friendship things and discovers that living in the past isn't all that great.
Honestly, there's not much to say about this one without major spoilers. It's just seriously amazing with characters that pop, a setting that rocks (and is unique), a romance (and kissing!) that will make you swoon and a bit of adventure to bring back those fun summers of your youth (at least if you're an adult like me ;) I borrowed this one but I'm seriously going to need my own copy cause this is book I'd like to reread over and over again!
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seeing in other peoples reviews too!). This book seriously gave me the giggles. Chelsea is a very funny character, she says, does and thinks in such a way that it's just funny (yeah, sorry, my description kind of fell flat there...). And I LOVED her! Such an awesome character that really jumped off the page at me. And yes, she had flaws, but she wouldn't be very real if she didn't, right?
Now it's not all funny. Chelsea is getting over an ex, dealing with some issues with her new crush because he's kind of (well, really) off limits (even if it is for a kind of silly reason...). We watch as she realizes that maybe things weren't so perfect between her and her ex, as she figures out some complicated friendship things and discovers that living in the past isn't all that great.
Honestly, there's not much to say about this one without major spoilers. It's just seriously amazing with characters that pop, a setting that rocks (and is unique), a romance (and kissing!) that will make you swoon and a bit of adventure to bring back those fun summers of your youth (at least if you're an adult like me ;) I borrowed this one but I'm seriously going to need my own copy cause this is book I'd like to reread over and over again!
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LibraryThing member amusingmother
I have said this before. I want Leila Sales to be my best friend. Her sense of humor is stunningly funny. She writes relationships the way they are or can be. Teenage years are angst-ridden. On the other hand, they aren't as complicated as some books would have us believe. For instance, our
No creepy vampire who never sleeps watching every rise and fall of the chest. No memorizing the tiny, downy hairs on the skin, no smelling of the morning sleep smell. I've watched my husband sleep. I love him. But even I get antsy after about 48 seconds of it.
Sales first book made me laugh like I was reading an episode of Seinfeld. She gave the characters personality and flair without overdoing it. I'm sure she takes her craft seriously but her writing style and character development isn't taken so seriously that each descriptor is written like poetry. It's fun. It's funny. It's how people talk. This continued with the second book but with some differences. I would call them improvements and I thought the first book was a LOT of fun.
The first part of the book is setting up. This is Chelsea. This is Fiona. This is Ezra. Here are the bit players. Now meet the enemy camp. Here's Dan. He's cute. He's tall. We don't over analyze his looks, smell, or whatever else. Now the reader can create him in her mind. Here are the antics of their war. This is where Sales has me laughing out loud. Not so much what they did but their interactions. During a serious confrontation between Ezra and Chelsea, she makes her retort, hitches up her Colonial dress, straddles her bicycle, shoves her helmet over her cap, and peddles away.
Don't read this late at night. I can't believe how hard I laughed at this one paragraph. I was much too tired to stop myself. I had to put myself to bed just to gain control.
The second part of the book ties it all together. The way Chelsea and history are intertwined in an unhealthy manner. The way history is interpreted. Who interprets it. How all is not fair in love and war. How Chelsea grows as a person. It was sweet but not too sweet. It was perfect.
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protagonist, Chelsea, sleeps over at Ezra's house. Not THAT kind of sleeping over, she falls asleep on his bed with him all cuddled up cute. No sex, just sleep. Chelsea wakes up and watches him breathe because it's the romantic thing to do. But then it gets boring. She texts a few of her friends. She finishes the book she has in her purse. She creates animals in the ceiling texture (I made that one up) and Ezra sleeps on. She nudges him. He pushes her away, may have sworn at her and tells her to leave the dead alone. Finally, she gets bored and goes home. He wakes up and is ticked that she left.No creepy vampire who never sleeps watching every rise and fall of the chest. No memorizing the tiny, downy hairs on the skin, no smelling of the morning sleep smell. I've watched my husband sleep. I love him. But even I get antsy after about 48 seconds of it.
Sales first book made me laugh like I was reading an episode of Seinfeld. She gave the characters personality and flair without overdoing it. I'm sure she takes her craft seriously but her writing style and character development isn't taken so seriously that each descriptor is written like poetry. It's fun. It's funny. It's how people talk. This continued with the second book but with some differences. I would call them improvements and I thought the first book was a LOT of fun.
The first part of the book is setting up. This is Chelsea. This is Fiona. This is Ezra. Here are the bit players. Now meet the enemy camp. Here's Dan. He's cute. He's tall. We don't over analyze his looks, smell, or whatever else. Now the reader can create him in her mind. Here are the antics of their war. This is where Sales has me laughing out loud. Not so much what they did but their interactions. During a serious confrontation between Ezra and Chelsea, she makes her retort, hitches up her Colonial dress, straddles her bicycle, shoves her helmet over her cap, and peddles away.
Don't read this late at night. I can't believe how hard I laughed at this one paragraph. I was much too tired to stop myself. I had to put myself to bed just to gain control.
The second part of the book ties it all together. The way Chelsea and history are intertwined in an unhealthy manner. The way history is interpreted. Who interprets it. How all is not fair in love and war. How Chelsea grows as a person. It was sweet but not too sweet. It was perfect.
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LibraryThing member MesaSagacityQuest
I can’t say I loved this book but I really enjoy reading it. I really like the history part of this book because we are learning about Civil War and the Revolutionary War at school and I can understand the whole thing easily—and make connections, too. Even though history isn’t my favorite
The role of authentic history addition made this book more interesting and when Chelsea, who is on the Revolutionary side, met Dan, Civil Warrior, it was fuel to a fire. Chelsea was a fun character to read about. This book is about Chelsea moving on from her past (Ezra) and letting someone new (Dan). Furthermore, Chelsea following her dad and mom foot step is the one thing that I loved about this book. Its shows the good relationship she has with her parents--some kids these days don’t take interest on their parent’s work or life.
All in all, Past Perfect is fun, cute, and a good read for either summer or fall.
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subject (and that doesn’t mean I don’t like Historical fiction, I do love them), I didn’t get bored reading the history part on this book. It’s funny to read that Civil War workers and Revolutionary War workers fought which each other in this book. It’s crazy to fight about which war is important or not, but it still make the book to standout.The role of authentic history addition made this book more interesting and when Chelsea, who is on the Revolutionary side, met Dan, Civil Warrior, it was fuel to a fire. Chelsea was a fun character to read about. This book is about Chelsea moving on from her past (Ezra) and letting someone new (Dan). Furthermore, Chelsea following her dad and mom foot step is the one thing that I loved about this book. Its shows the good relationship she has with her parents--some kids these days don’t take interest on their parent’s work or life.
All in all, Past Perfect is fun, cute, and a good read for either summer or fall.
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LibraryThing member TheBookLife
I've read battle of the sexes and rivalries between high schools, but I can say for certain that "War" between a Civil War living history park and a Colonial living history park is definitely new territory. New and magnificent territory! We start out with our main character, Chelsea, not wanting to
We get told about the "war" between the teens at the Civil War park and the teens at Essex right in the beginning and it's the part of the plot that drives most of the drama in the book. What a fun idea, to have a rivalry/prank war with the neighboring living history park! Of course things kind of start to get out of control and people start getting hurt, physically and emotionally. I really liked a lot of the secondary characters that were scattered through the story. The miliner girls were always good for a laugh! And Bryan, poor, sad Bryan. He was so persistent and so oblivious, which also made him totally amusing. We don't really get to know much about Chelsea's mom, but her dad is one heck of a character. He's always going on and on about history, and can't imagine why anyone would want to be anywhere but portraying Colonial history at Essex. Chelsea was a good main character. She may have been a bit naive at times, but overall she was a decent person who was just trying to live her life. And her and Fiona wanting to be ice cream connoissuer's was priceless! What a better way could there be to have an excuse to eat ice creram all the time? Fiona was the fun and dramatic best friend. There is a big conflict in the big that makes us question how good of a friend she is, but in the end we realize she really is the best friend Chelsea could want. Ezra, Chelsea's ex-boyfriend, was a tool. I didn't like him really at any point in the book. He irritated me a lot, because he never seemed genuine about anything. Dan, on the other hand, loved him! He was just a really nice guy and he was definitely affected most profoundly by the war. Of course, because he's a guy with true character, that doesn't even ruin him. *Swoon*
This book made me laugh so much! It was a really great, cute read and I will be checking out other books by this author ASAP! I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a laugh! Enjoy :0)
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go work at Essex again this year. She's worked there since she was six years old and wants to do something new. Her best friend Fiona convinces her that it will be fun and so she ends up back at Essex for one more summer. Chelsea is rolling with it, until she realizes that her ex-boyfriend Ezra has also decided to work there this summer. Oh, the drama! I think my favorite part about this book was that I unintentionally learned stuff about history while reading it. Way to go with the sneaky teaching, Ms. Sales! I know some of the stuff they are telling people in the book isn't true, but there were some definite history nuggets spread throughout. We get told about the "war" between the teens at the Civil War park and the teens at Essex right in the beginning and it's the part of the plot that drives most of the drama in the book. What a fun idea, to have a rivalry/prank war with the neighboring living history park! Of course things kind of start to get out of control and people start getting hurt, physically and emotionally. I really liked a lot of the secondary characters that were scattered through the story. The miliner girls were always good for a laugh! And Bryan, poor, sad Bryan. He was so persistent and so oblivious, which also made him totally amusing. We don't really get to know much about Chelsea's mom, but her dad is one heck of a character. He's always going on and on about history, and can't imagine why anyone would want to be anywhere but portraying Colonial history at Essex. Chelsea was a good main character. She may have been a bit naive at times, but overall she was a decent person who was just trying to live her life. And her and Fiona wanting to be ice cream connoissuer's was priceless! What a better way could there be to have an excuse to eat ice creram all the time? Fiona was the fun and dramatic best friend. There is a big conflict in the big that makes us question how good of a friend she is, but in the end we realize she really is the best friend Chelsea could want. Ezra, Chelsea's ex-boyfriend, was a tool. I didn't like him really at any point in the book. He irritated me a lot, because he never seemed genuine about anything. Dan, on the other hand, loved him! He was just a really nice guy and he was definitely affected most profoundly by the war. Of course, because he's a guy with true character, that doesn't even ruin him. *Swoon*
This book made me laugh so much! It was a really great, cute read and I will be checking out other books by this author ASAP! I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a laugh! Enjoy :0)
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LibraryThing member LauraMoore
I originally heard about this book because of some of my fellow blogger friends! They told me I had to read Leila Sales, and because i'd heard nothing but good things, I knew I needed to give this author a try.
Leila wrote such a unique and interesting YA contemporary, yes maybe the overall theme
The main character Chelsea was snarky and realistic, and as teen-like as I could have imagined her to be. There's some Teen Angst, as well as tones of jealousy, lying, and betrayal, and of course the swoon-worthy Dan from across the way (A Civil War Re-enactment Village), who causes a far share of drama.
If you like contemporary, this is a fun, interesting, and unique story by Leila Sales. The setting made for an interesting twist on the story, and her writing style rang true to that of a teenage girl. I definitely need to get my hands on Mostly Good Girls now, and Thank God my friends told me to read some Leila Sales!!
Leila wrote such a unique and interesting YA contemporary, yes maybe the overall theme
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and plot line were similar to many other contemps out there, but the setting in a colonial re-enactment village. Ever since 5th grade or so i've had a huge interest in the colonial time period, so this book seemed fresh and new, and I couldn't think of another YA that had this element in the story. The main character Chelsea was snarky and realistic, and as teen-like as I could have imagined her to be. There's some Teen Angst, as well as tones of jealousy, lying, and betrayal, and of course the swoon-worthy Dan from across the way (A Civil War Re-enactment Village), who causes a far share of drama.
If you like contemporary, this is a fun, interesting, and unique story by Leila Sales. The setting made for an interesting twist on the story, and her writing style rang true to that of a teenage girl. I definitely need to get my hands on Mostly Good Girls now, and Thank God my friends told me to read some Leila Sales!!
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LibraryThing member flannabanana
True confession: I love reenactors. People who wear oldey-timey outfits for work? You’re awesome. Does your job require you to shun modern technology and to feign ignorance when someone asks you where the bathroom is? You deserve a medal. This is the first YA book I’ve ever read in which the
Chelsea Glaser, or “Elizabeth Connelly” when she is working, has been employed practically from the womb at Essex, a colonial village. Both of her parents (the silversmith and the silversmith’s wife) work there and she’s grown up knowing the life of a reenactor. Every summer, the middle school/high school employees at Essex have a war with the employees at the Civil War ReenactmentLand that is conveniently (or not?) located across the street. In addition to the drama of the war, Chelsea’s ex-boyfriend Ezra is also working at Essex for the summer and the boy she finds herself attracted to is a *gasp* Civil Warrior. (I loved that term, by the by) It’s funny to me that a relationship that is not the only focus of a novel can be more riveting than many contemporary YA romances where the whole plot revolves around the two lovebirds. I actually enjoyed the progression of Dan and Chelsea’s relationship—it felt natural and their conversations felt real…and hilarious.
This book somewhat obviously talks a lot about history and how we interpret events of the past. I was just talking to a friend the other day about this. It’s like we have our own memory erasers that just remove all the horrid bits and we just prance around on merry go rounds and sing Kumbaya together in the fields full of puppies in our memories. For example, I once drove from New Orleans to Sacramento in a 15-passenger van with 11 other people. Did it suck a lot of the time? Definitely. But I remember it with a grin on my face because I collected bandannas with my friend Josh at every roadside stop, we listened to some great tunes, and they let me plan the route so we stopped at ridiculous places like a deserted ghost town and to see the huge dinosaurs from Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. I love all those people like family even though I definitely wanted to murder each of them at some point during our year of living and working together. I do have a point here—I loved Chelsea’s reevaluation of her relationship with Ezra. Her box of happy relationship memories wasn't what she thought it was upon closer examination. We remember things the way we want to remember them, and when we reinsert the intentionally forgotten parts, people, places, memories might not wow us as much. I went on loads of car trips with my family as a kid and I got carsick every time. You know what I remember most though? Sitting backwards in our Volvo station wagon and listening to Cat Stevens’ greatest hits CD. I think I wouldn’t look at my childhood so fondly if I had to remember all the places I’d yakked over the years.
In the same vein, I also loved how Leila Sales talked about how we are living in the past and the present at the same time. We are still every version of ourselves that we have ever been in the past; all it takes is one sensory experience to take us back. Like when you think you are over someone and then you walk by a random person on the street wearing their cologne. Or when you remember a joke that you shared with someone but you are 3000 miles away from them and haven’t seen them in 5 years. As a total history nerd, I also enjoyed the random historical facts that were interspersed in the text and the discussion of one-sided history textbooks and the countless jokes about historical anachronisms in reenactions.
If you have a snarky sense of humor, enjoy reenactors (or reading about them), were a theater geek, or are just looking for a fun/ny read, I’d totally recommend this. I keep thinking that I should caveat it as not being especially thought-provoking but I actually thought about a lot of things while I read it. (It was, like, totally deep, maaaan) It is somewhere above 4 stars but below 5 stars for me but my eyes are shutting with exhaustion and I liked it enough to round up. Oh man, I need to go to bed.
Thanks S & S Galley Grab for satiating my need for hilarity and fun times in colonial America!
ETA: This cover makes absolutely no sense. I hope they change it before the actual release date. Also, I changed my rating to 4 stars.
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main character works at a colonial village. (My only other experience with reenactors in a book is from Pahlaniuk's Choke) There’s just something about how people having jobs at places like Sturbridge Village and Colonial Williamsburg that entertains me. They have to act oldey-timey all day, but you know that at the end of the day they are getting in their Toyota Corollas, lighting up a cigarette, and blasting Journey on their ride home to a house with indoor plumbing and an icemaker. (or whatever modern cars, music, technology, and vices they enjoy) This author is hilarious. Seriously. And snarky. I had a love connection with this book from page one.Chelsea Glaser, or “Elizabeth Connelly” when she is working, has been employed practically from the womb at Essex, a colonial village. Both of her parents (the silversmith and the silversmith’s wife) work there and she’s grown up knowing the life of a reenactor. Every summer, the middle school/high school employees at Essex have a war with the employees at the Civil War ReenactmentLand that is conveniently (or not?) located across the street. In addition to the drama of the war, Chelsea’s ex-boyfriend Ezra is also working at Essex for the summer and the boy she finds herself attracted to is a *gasp* Civil Warrior. (I loved that term, by the by) It’s funny to me that a relationship that is not the only focus of a novel can be more riveting than many contemporary YA romances where the whole plot revolves around the two lovebirds. I actually enjoyed the progression of Dan and Chelsea’s relationship—it felt natural and their conversations felt real…and hilarious.
This book somewhat obviously talks a lot about history and how we interpret events of the past. I was just talking to a friend the other day about this. It’s like we have our own memory erasers that just remove all the horrid bits and we just prance around on merry go rounds and sing Kumbaya together in the fields full of puppies in our memories. For example, I once drove from New Orleans to Sacramento in a 15-passenger van with 11 other people. Did it suck a lot of the time? Definitely. But I remember it with a grin on my face because I collected bandannas with my friend Josh at every roadside stop, we listened to some great tunes, and they let me plan the route so we stopped at ridiculous places like a deserted ghost town and to see the huge dinosaurs from Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. I love all those people like family even though I definitely wanted to murder each of them at some point during our year of living and working together. I do have a point here—I loved Chelsea’s reevaluation of her relationship with Ezra. Her box of happy relationship memories wasn't what she thought it was upon closer examination. We remember things the way we want to remember them, and when we reinsert the intentionally forgotten parts, people, places, memories might not wow us as much. I went on loads of car trips with my family as a kid and I got carsick every time. You know what I remember most though? Sitting backwards in our Volvo station wagon and listening to Cat Stevens’ greatest hits CD. I think I wouldn’t look at my childhood so fondly if I had to remember all the places I’d yakked over the years.
In the same vein, I also loved how Leila Sales talked about how we are living in the past and the present at the same time. We are still every version of ourselves that we have ever been in the past; all it takes is one sensory experience to take us back. Like when you think you are over someone and then you walk by a random person on the street wearing their cologne. Or when you remember a joke that you shared with someone but you are 3000 miles away from them and haven’t seen them in 5 years. As a total history nerd, I also enjoyed the random historical facts that were interspersed in the text and the discussion of one-sided history textbooks and the countless jokes about historical anachronisms in reenactions.
If you have a snarky sense of humor, enjoy reenactors (or reading about them), were a theater geek, or are just looking for a fun/ny read, I’d totally recommend this. I keep thinking that I should caveat it as not being especially thought-provoking but I actually thought about a lot of things while I read it. (It was, like, totally deep, maaaan) It is somewhere above 4 stars but below 5 stars for me but my eyes are shutting with exhaustion and I liked it enough to round up. Oh man, I need to go to bed.
Thanks S & S Galley Grab for satiating my need for hilarity and fun times in colonial America!
ETA: This cover makes absolutely no sense. I hope they change it before the actual release date. Also, I changed my rating to 4 stars.
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LibraryThing member kylenapoli
A thoroughly enjoyable YA novel in the mode of (but not quite equal to) Sarah Dessen.
As an aside: the gifter warned me to ignore the dust jacket image, which was excellent advice. It is entirely misleading as to the story and characterization. What editor in her right mind OK'd this design?
As an aside: the gifter warned me to ignore the dust jacket image, which was excellent advice. It is entirely misleading as to the story and characterization. What editor in her right mind OK'd this design?
LibraryThing member AnnaKay21
Chelsea Glaser (known as Elizabeth Connelly when re-enacting) has been a part of the Essex Historical Colonial village re-enactment since she was a child. Her father is the silversmith and her mother is just as involved in it. Every summer the middle/high school employees have a war with the Civil
VERDICT: 4/5 Stars, plus hugs for Chelsea and Fiona
*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*
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War ReenactmentLand kids across the street. This year Chelsea is working with her best friend Fiona, her ex-boyfriend Ezra who she still isn't over, and she has been voted the lieutenant. Also, she has growing feelings for one of the Civil Warriors, Dan. Will Chelsea be able to work things out with Dan, or is she doomed to repeat her past mistakes with Ezra all over again? Who will win the war and will it even matter by the time it's over. I loved the snarkiness of the main characters in this book. Their whole obsession with ice cream made me laugh out loud, especially when Fiona and Chelsea expound on their ratings system at length. I adored Chelsea in general because she reminded me a lot of Mia in The Princess Diaries. This whole book has a Meg Cabot feel, with the historical reenactment lending it's own brand of special awesomeness. I loved the moments between Dan and Chelsea, especially the scene on the trampoline. The last 'war council' in the book was laugh out loud funny. I would recommend this to fans of light-hearted books with romance and historical elements. VERDICT: 4/5 Stars, plus hugs for Chelsea and Fiona
*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*
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LibraryThing member Strawberryreviews
As much as I really did like Past Perfect, I wish I could like it more than I did. I don't really want to give it a negative review but I think it is going to be half and half. I think the fact that me and history have never been friends in any way, I found it really hard to get into this book. For
I usually have issues with books if I can't relate to characters very well and I think the only thing I could really relate with Chelsea about was her love for Ice Cream. I still don't really understand the purpose of them being ice cream connoisseur but for some reason, I really did enjoy that aspect of the book.
Even though the story itself wasn't my favorite, I did really like Leila Sales writing. I think good writing is equally if not more important than the plot of the book. I'll read anything if it is well written and I definitely plan to read other books of her's in the future.
So while this book was not a perfect choice for me, I don't think that it was a bad book in the slightest. It was extremely well written and if you are interested in the subject matter definitely go get this book.
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people interested in the subject matter a little bit more, I think they will really enjoy this book.I usually have issues with books if I can't relate to characters very well and I think the only thing I could really relate with Chelsea about was her love for Ice Cream. I still don't really understand the purpose of them being ice cream connoisseur but for some reason, I really did enjoy that aspect of the book.
Even though the story itself wasn't my favorite, I did really like Leila Sales writing. I think good writing is equally if not more important than the plot of the book. I'll read anything if it is well written and I definitely plan to read other books of her's in the future.
So while this book was not a perfect choice for me, I don't think that it was a bad book in the slightest. It was extremely well written and if you are interested in the subject matter definitely go get this book.
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LibraryThing member renkellym
Past Perfect was exactly what I needed. I was completely stressed out with packing for school at the time I read it, and this book helped me relax (and better yet, it put a smile on my face!). Past Pefect is a light read, but it does cover some more serious subjects, like letting go and learning to
Essex (the Colonial reenactment place) was a really neat setting; I’ve always been a bit curious about historical interpreters (a.k.a. the people who dress up and pretend they live in the 1700’s), and Past Perfect revealed that they’re just regular people. Sure, there are some crazies (and boy, were they hilarious to read about!), but most people that work as interpreters are just like us. I also really loved the “War” (capital W) that went on between the Essex teens and the Civil War reenactment teens. Some seriously funny stuff went down, and I really enjoyed reading about the two sides constantly trying to outwit each other. Epic pranks were pulled!
Chelsea was a really likable protagonist. I loved how smart and quick she was (her retorts almost always made me smirk)! She didn’t really stand out as particularly unique, as far as protagonists go, but she was fun, and her narration always kept things exciting. Chelsea’s friends, on the other hand, were very memorable. From Fiona and her long-hair fetish to Bryan the toad-like history buff, Past Perfect was chock-full of fabulous secondary characters.
The last thing I’ll mention is, of course, the romance. The forbidden love between Chelsea and Dan was kind of humorous, but the moments that they were actually together were precious. Their relationship started off flirty and tentative, but later progressed into something much more passionate. I loved how Leila Sales paced their romance—it felt very real.
If you’re looking for an adorable romance with lots of laughs, Past Perfect is a perfect choice. I was hooked from page one, and found myself smiling all the way until the end.
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live for today, not yesterday. I really liked how the themes tied in with the setting—a Colonial reenactment attraction. Because Chelsea is almost literally stuck in the past, and because that’s the way she’s been raised, it’s harder for her to focus on the present.Essex (the Colonial reenactment place) was a really neat setting; I’ve always been a bit curious about historical interpreters (a.k.a. the people who dress up and pretend they live in the 1700’s), and Past Perfect revealed that they’re just regular people. Sure, there are some crazies (and boy, were they hilarious to read about!), but most people that work as interpreters are just like us. I also really loved the “War” (capital W) that went on between the Essex teens and the Civil War reenactment teens. Some seriously funny stuff went down, and I really enjoyed reading about the two sides constantly trying to outwit each other. Epic pranks were pulled!
Chelsea was a really likable protagonist. I loved how smart and quick she was (her retorts almost always made me smirk)! She didn’t really stand out as particularly unique, as far as protagonists go, but she was fun, and her narration always kept things exciting. Chelsea’s friends, on the other hand, were very memorable. From Fiona and her long-hair fetish to Bryan the toad-like history buff, Past Perfect was chock-full of fabulous secondary characters.
The last thing I’ll mention is, of course, the romance. The forbidden love between Chelsea and Dan was kind of humorous, but the moments that they were actually together were precious. Their relationship started off flirty and tentative, but later progressed into something much more passionate. I loved how Leila Sales paced their romance—it felt very real.
If you’re looking for an adorable romance with lots of laughs, Past Perfect is a perfect choice. I was hooked from page one, and found myself smiling all the way until the end.
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LibraryThing member ethel55
It's the summer before senior year and Chelsea just wants to spend it working at the mall with her best friend Fiona. Instead, she returns as usual to the Essex Historical Colonial Village as she has every year since before she could get paid because her parents work there too. Luckily Fiona is a
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budding drama gal and working in costume appeals to her too. The touches Leila added to the story, such as all the hot guys wanting to work at the magazine and all the cool girls at the milliners were perfect. The teens who work at Essex are at after hours war with another group of working teens. There are some great Romeo/Juliet type moments as Leila worries about fancying the enemy. Chelsea has some great comments about time, whether the past and present are concurrent and she living/acting in it all at once. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheHeathers
Past Perfect is the nerdiest book I've read in a long time, and I really enjoyed it! How can you go wrong with warring history reenactment groups? This novel is part YA, with actual philosophical considerations of what time really means and how we live and relive it.
Chelsea Glaser (Elizabeth
This year, Chelsea is over the interpretation gig and wants to ditch the job altogether. But her best friend, Fiona, talks her into staying and she's pulled into becoming the Lieutenant for the war. And of course she falls for one of the rival Civil War interpreters, because isn't that how these things always go?
Past Perfect is funny, ridiculously nerdy and an overall smart read for a YA book.
Chelsea Glaser (Elizabeth
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Connelly, if you go by her Colonial reenactment name) has grown up in a family of historical interpreters. Every summer, the younger employees of her Colonial village go to secret war against the junior interpreters from the Civil War living history museum across the street. This year, Chelsea is over the interpretation gig and wants to ditch the job altogether. But her best friend, Fiona, talks her into staying and she's pulled into becoming the Lieutenant for the war. And of course she falls for one of the rival Civil War interpreters, because isn't that how these things always go?
Past Perfect is funny, ridiculously nerdy and an overall smart read for a YA book.
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LibraryThing member leftik
As expected, PP was a fun read. Chelsea, our main character, was funny and made some fun observations about her life in the reenactment village and her life outside of the workplace.
The only thing that particularly bothered me was the book’s unevenness. In some scenes, Chelsea hated working at
Those issues aside, I enjoyed PP. It would be a great summer read on a road trip with your family. The romance was cute and there were some super funny scenes. I found Chelsea’s interactions with her ex well-done, interesting and realistic.
Like I mentioned above, however, the highlight of this entire book is the crossroad of teenager meets reenactment camps/villages. The details were awesome and, as expected, the combination of the two usually led to pretty hilarious or crazy circumstances. Definitely a good read for any teen who has been dragged to one-to-many historical sites.
The only thing that particularly bothered me was the book’s unevenness. In some scenes, Chelsea hated working at
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Essex, and in the next she loved it. Similarly, some scenes that were dramatic…weren’t terribly dramatic (or shouldn’t have been) to me. Those issues aside, I enjoyed PP. It would be a great summer read on a road trip with your family. The romance was cute and there were some super funny scenes. I found Chelsea’s interactions with her ex well-done, interesting and realistic.
Like I mentioned above, however, the highlight of this entire book is the crossroad of teenager meets reenactment camps/villages. The details were awesome and, as expected, the combination of the two usually led to pretty hilarious or crazy circumstances. Definitely a good read for any teen who has been dragged to one-to-many historical sites.
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LibraryThing member matamgirl
As someone who wants to work in an archive and preferably in a museum archive I think it is safe to say that I am a total history nerd. Take away the living museum and reenactment stuff and you have a basic girl meets boy and there are obstacles thrown in their way plotline. But the fact they work
Chelsea herself is a fairly likable character and Dan is too. Could they be a little more fleshed out? Yes. I read a lot of YA Lit last year and swore off the genre for a little while so for me to read this in two days and like it says a lot of positive things.
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at something like Colonial Williamsburg makes it awesome. Chelsea herself is a fairly likable character and Dan is too. Could they be a little more fleshed out? Yes. I read a lot of YA Lit last year and swore off the genre for a little while so for me to read this in two days and like it says a lot of positive things.
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LibraryThing member A_Reader_of_Fictions
Anyway, back to the book. Generally, I really enjoyed this. It was fun and cute, keeping things light but with a pretty good message on the interpretation of historical events, be they last week or 300 years ago. The ending, which focused on these aspects, was definitely awesome.
The premise, a
Chelsea was sort of an indifferent main character. She wasn't particularly bright and tended towards moping, not to mention wishing for the past. Ezra is so obviously a skeeze, but she just won't see it. Dan was definitely my favorite character. None of the kids are particularly well-defined or deep, but they do come off as fairly realistic teenagers, if exceedingly petty.
So yeah, a fun read, if not quite what I was hoping for (something a bit more comedic). I am definitely looking forward to trying Sales' Mostly Good Girls, which I just happen to own. On a side note, what does the cover have to do with anything?
The premise, a
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completely original one so far as I know, amuses the heck out of me. Rival historical reenactors and a forbidden romance between the two camps sounds rife with humorous possibility. At the same time, though, it was rather difficult to take any of the drama seriously because of the inherent absurdity. Also, a lot of what they did was super not okay. I just kept wanting to shake the characters and tell them to get a grip.Chelsea was sort of an indifferent main character. She wasn't particularly bright and tended towards moping, not to mention wishing for the past. Ezra is so obviously a skeeze, but she just won't see it. Dan was definitely my favorite character. None of the kids are particularly well-defined or deep, but they do come off as fairly realistic teenagers, if exceedingly petty.
So yeah, a fun read, if not quite what I was hoping for (something a bit more comedic). I am definitely looking forward to trying Sales' Mostly Good Girls, which I just happen to own. On a side note, what does the cover have to do with anything?
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LibraryThing member StefanieGeeks
Not your typical teen romance novel. About dueling reenactment parks with detailed characters whom I loved getting know. If you have any love for historical events and realistic love stories, then this is your next read.
LibraryThing member Ceilidhann
Sometimes there is nothing that will satisfy a reader such as myself like a good piece of sweet fluff. That is not in any way meant as an insult towards “Past Perfect” and other such books, there’s no such room for genre snobbery in my eyes. While genre fiction such as horror, romance and the
The unconventional setting – a colonial village re-enactment centre - and set-up for the novel creates countless opportunities for entertainment and mayhem. Some of the funniest moments of the book come from the over-the-top and gleefully ridiculous war plans between the colonial re-enactment workers and the civil war re-enactors right across the road. It’s incredibly petty and immature but there’s something undeniably funny about Churchill war speech parodies and battle strategies that revolve around historical anachronisms. This element of the book was definitely my favourite part and I only wish more time had been dedicated to it rather than Chelsea’s love life.
While I appreciated that Sales spent some time deconstructing the rose-tinted image of her ex boyfriend that Chelsea had built up for herself, so much time is spent with Chelsea in moping mode that it became very tiresome. I think one’s mileage may vary for such scenes and will depend on the reader’s emotions towards Chelsea. I did not find her to be a particularly brilliant protagonist. She had her moments – I enjoyed her ice-cream taste testing – and I greatly appreciated her close relationship with her quirky parents and group of friends, but said moping grated on me. She also makes a couple of plot driving decisions that made me lose all sympathy for her. If I was to pick a character in the novel to follow, it would be Tawny, the general of the colonial workers in the war.
There was one element of the romance plotline that really got to me. This small rant is partly inspired by this book but is also something I’ve had on my mind for a while so please take this with a pinch of salt when considering reading this book for yourself. Dan, the primary love interest of the novel, is set up in a forbidden love style element (a “Romeo & Juliet” parallel is actually mentioned by Chelsea, but since the war between both sides spends most of its time in war parody mode, don’t take that comparison too seriously) so of course there needs to be a degree of animosity between the pair, coupled with that trademark jerk charm so common with male love interests. I’ve become rather fed up with books, mainly YA, where the male love interest is characterised by being charming when he’s really a smug know-it-all that borders on insulting. Chelsea’s often not very likeable but generally I find it difficult to believe that every teenage girl is charmed and seduced by this sort of behaviour. The fact that such behaviour is often the only defining characteristic of many male love interests is even more infuriating for me. Luckily, Dan is given more depth than this but it does make the romance between him and Chelsea harder to believe considering her own decisions.
The key to this book lies in its charm. Sales writes a well paced and often very funny book with witty observations, an interesting supporting cast to prop up a less than perfect protagonist, and a whole assortment of pranks, jokes and completely ridiculous war parodies with just a pinch of history. “Past Perfect” won’t be considered groundbreaking by any standards, and the romance angle will be read differently by different readers depending on one’s opinion of such elements, but it’s a quick read with bagfuls of charm you could have a lot of fun reading.
3/5.
“Past Perfect” will be released in USA on October 4th. I received my arc from Simon & Schuster’s Galley Grab program.
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romantic comedy, which is how I would classify this book, are the first to be mocked or derided, it’s worth remembering that it’s pretty damn hard to write a convincing and entertaining piece of genre fiction. Writing a romantic comedy that can use familiar tropes of the genre and remain charming and entertaining is a tough task, and I’m pleased to say that, for the most part, Leila Sales pulls it off.The unconventional setting – a colonial village re-enactment centre - and set-up for the novel creates countless opportunities for entertainment and mayhem. Some of the funniest moments of the book come from the over-the-top and gleefully ridiculous war plans between the colonial re-enactment workers and the civil war re-enactors right across the road. It’s incredibly petty and immature but there’s something undeniably funny about Churchill war speech parodies and battle strategies that revolve around historical anachronisms. This element of the book was definitely my favourite part and I only wish more time had been dedicated to it rather than Chelsea’s love life.
While I appreciated that Sales spent some time deconstructing the rose-tinted image of her ex boyfriend that Chelsea had built up for herself, so much time is spent with Chelsea in moping mode that it became very tiresome. I think one’s mileage may vary for such scenes and will depend on the reader’s emotions towards Chelsea. I did not find her to be a particularly brilliant protagonist. She had her moments – I enjoyed her ice-cream taste testing – and I greatly appreciated her close relationship with her quirky parents and group of friends, but said moping grated on me. She also makes a couple of plot driving decisions that made me lose all sympathy for her. If I was to pick a character in the novel to follow, it would be Tawny, the general of the colonial workers in the war.
There was one element of the romance plotline that really got to me. This small rant is partly inspired by this book but is also something I’ve had on my mind for a while so please take this with a pinch of salt when considering reading this book for yourself. Dan, the primary love interest of the novel, is set up in a forbidden love style element (a “Romeo & Juliet” parallel is actually mentioned by Chelsea, but since the war between both sides spends most of its time in war parody mode, don’t take that comparison too seriously) so of course there needs to be a degree of animosity between the pair, coupled with that trademark jerk charm so common with male love interests. I’ve become rather fed up with books, mainly YA, where the male love interest is characterised by being charming when he’s really a smug know-it-all that borders on insulting. Chelsea’s often not very likeable but generally I find it difficult to believe that every teenage girl is charmed and seduced by this sort of behaviour. The fact that such behaviour is often the only defining characteristic of many male love interests is even more infuriating for me. Luckily, Dan is given more depth than this but it does make the romance between him and Chelsea harder to believe considering her own decisions.
The key to this book lies in its charm. Sales writes a well paced and often very funny book with witty observations, an interesting supporting cast to prop up a less than perfect protagonist, and a whole assortment of pranks, jokes and completely ridiculous war parodies with just a pinch of history. “Past Perfect” won’t be considered groundbreaking by any standards, and the romance angle will be read differently by different readers depending on one’s opinion of such elements, but it’s a quick read with bagfuls of charm you could have a lot of fun reading.
3/5.
“Past Perfect” will be released in USA on October 4th. I received my arc from Simon & Schuster’s Galley Grab program.
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LibraryThing member peptastic
Past Perfect is set in the world of historical reenactments. Not the wildly inaccurate world of renaissance/mid-evil fairs [my local annual faire has steam-punk and anime thrown in an eclectic mix of time periods.] but a rivalry between a Colonial and Civil War. The attractions have their mix of
This novel has minimal adult involvement that you might expect from a YA novel. The parental advice comes out of Chelsea father love of hearing himself talk than actively taking notice of anything in his child's life.
None of the adults ever realise what the kids are doing even people actually get hurt. I was surprised the war never reached the adults considering how seriously they took the reenactments themselves.
This book was very fun and entertaining but I was disappointed we never met the fake Abigal Adams. Chelsea mentions in the beginning of the book that the lady took her role too seriously. I've heard stories from coworkers active in the local Renaissance faire that behave just like in this book. From actively forbidding fraternising of those they don't like or believing they are in character 24/7 not to mention cohabiting with their "queen".
I was hoping for a character like in the wonderful film "Role Models". The scene with the "king" at the burger hut kills me every time. "They eat there before every battle."
I tagged along to the faire one year and was endlessly amused but was called out for appearing "confused" by everyone. I do not belong to this world but find the larping concept fascinating.
This book often reminded me of Melina Marchetta's "Jellicoe Road" with some of the film Role Models mixed in but in a good way.
The theme of this book was Chelsea getting over the heartbreak of being dumped.
I loved how this was portrayed in the book. How you choose to interpret the past or other's intentions, emotions, etc. are the epitome of having relationships.
The analogy of the victor writing the history books was a nice touch for using the historical reenactment setting to tell this story.
My favourite part was that a character called Bryan was constantly referred to appearing like a toad. My twin sister and I have always assigned animal attributes to people.
This unfortunate kids crush on Chelsea rang very true.
The only truly negative aspect of the book was the often used pool party scene depicted. Why must this scene where lead girl borrows swim suit from rich girl feature so often?
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history nerds vs. actors but we're only told this happens. The focus is on when things get out of hand one summer between the teenagers of the two parks.This novel has minimal adult involvement that you might expect from a YA novel. The parental advice comes out of Chelsea father love of hearing himself talk than actively taking notice of anything in his child's life.
None of the adults ever realise what the kids are doing even people actually get hurt. I was surprised the war never reached the adults considering how seriously they took the reenactments themselves.
This book was very fun and entertaining but I was disappointed we never met the fake Abigal Adams. Chelsea mentions in the beginning of the book that the lady took her role too seriously. I've heard stories from coworkers active in the local Renaissance faire that behave just like in this book. From actively forbidding fraternising of those they don't like or believing they are in character 24/7 not to mention cohabiting with their "queen".
I was hoping for a character like in the wonderful film "Role Models". The scene with the "king" at the burger hut kills me every time. "They eat there before every battle."
I tagged along to the faire one year and was endlessly amused but was called out for appearing "confused" by everyone. I do not belong to this world but find the larping concept fascinating.
This book often reminded me of Melina Marchetta's "Jellicoe Road" with some of the film Role Models mixed in but in a good way.
The theme of this book was Chelsea getting over the heartbreak of being dumped.
I loved how this was portrayed in the book. How you choose to interpret the past or other's intentions, emotions, etc. are the epitome of having relationships.
The analogy of the victor writing the history books was a nice touch for using the historical reenactment setting to tell this story.
My favourite part was that a character called Bryan was constantly referred to appearing like a toad. My twin sister and I have always assigned animal attributes to people.
This unfortunate kids crush on Chelsea rang very true.
The only truly negative aspect of the book was the often used pool party scene depicted. Why must this scene where lead girl borrows swim suit from rich girl feature so often?
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LibraryThing member melrailey
This was a fun, light-hearted romance. I like Chelsea a lot and loved the romance between her and Dan (the Civil War guy) except the romance wasn't as big of a part of the story as you might think it would be. Instead it was more about Chelsea finding herself learning to see things (i.e. the past)
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in the right light. I loved the way that Leila Sales painted the picture of what it would be like to work at one of the colonial villages and made it seem like the perfect summer job. If you're looking for a cute romance, this is the perfect choice. Show Less
Awards
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 2012)
Language
Local notes
All Chelsea wants to do this summer is hang out with her best friend, hone her talents as an ice cream connoisseur, and finally get over Ezra, the boy who broke her heart. But when Chelsea shows up for her summer job at Essex Historical Colonial Village (yes, really), it turns out Ezra's working there too. Which makes moving on and forgetting Ezra a lot more complicated...even when Chelsea starts falling for someone new. Maybe Chelsea should have known better than to think that a historical reenactment village could help her escape her past. But with Ezra all too present, and her new crush seeming all too off limits, all Chelsea knows is that she's got a lot to figure out about love.
Cute for a highschool romance novel, and the history re-enactment village part of the plot is interesting.
Cute for a highschool romance novel, and the history re-enactment village part of the plot is interesting.