Stuck in the 70's -- D. L. Garfinkle

Shay Saunders passes out, all drunk and post-coital, in a Jacuzzi. When she comes to, she's still naked, but in a bathtub. In a hideous bathroom featuring flocked red wallpaper and a furry gold toilet lid. There's a strange boy staring at her. And it's 1978.

Luckily, it turns out that Tyler is a physics genius, so she at least has a chance at getting home to her own time. In the meantime, though, she's Stuck in the 70's*.

It's not really a time travel book. Obviously, it figures in, but it's much more about Shay coming into her own -- she evolves from a Poor Little Rich Bad Girl to a Decent Kid Who Likes to Read and Encourage Others to Be All They Can Be -- it's easiest if you just imagine a rich version of Reese Witherspoon in Pleasantville. It's about Tyler, too, but he doesn't change as much -- he goes from being Brilliant Yet Socially Inept and Oblivious to Brilliant, Considerate and Less Socially Inept. It's more of a teen comedy of manners than science fiction.

It was cute. Nothing earth-shattering, but I enjoyed it enough that I know I'll pick up her first book** at some point. In a few places the dialogue didn't ring quite true for me, but overall, it was a fun little read. It has potential to make a decent teen movie. 

I'm enjoying this new trend of Gossip Girl-type characters in strange situations. (Just wait until I tell you about Wuthering High!***)   

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*I apologize for that. I think the cover art is affecting my sobriety.

**And not just because it's my official entry into Fuse's Lisa Yee Book Cover Lookalike Contest.

***!!!