Luis Gonzales is gay, loud and proud. He is a mover and shaker at his high school and desperately angling for Prom King. His best friend Nix is non-binary and his boyfriend Cheng is Luis’ opposite – pretty much always quiet and chill, no matter what crazy schemes, outfits or plans Luis dreams up.

In the build-up to their school prom, Luis is beyond excited to be going to prom with his boyfriend, but suddenly finds himself back in time in 1985. He is at the same school, with the same teachers and even knows two of the students.

His school back in 1985 is devoutly Christian with very strict rules and regulations, and the teachers are much younger of course but are showing signs of what and who they are to become in the time he just left – 2020.

He is surprised to be introduced to his own parents as teenagers and can’t understand why his mum even went out with his dad. The hardest thing to cope with is that 1985 is a time of raging homophobia especially in a Christian school. Unfortunately his teen to-be-dad is the most homophobic of all.

Luis must dial down his outrageous and out there personality to fit in with a small group of new friends, as he tries to figure out, along with his in-the-future English teacher; how to get back home to 2020.

In this small group is a boy called Chaz. He is being bullied and Luis can see that he is struggling with his own sexuality. But any attempts at trying to help Chaz with this fall on deaf ears and upset all those around him.

While his English teacher researches time travel and how it works, Luis spends a week in 1985 watching his parents as teenagers, and trying not to rage at the homophobia that constantly swirls around them. He also knows the fate of one of his new friends and knows he must do all he can to change it, even putting himself in danger.

But how is he going to get home again…?

Spin me Right Round is laugh out loud funny, mainly because Luis is such an outrageous main character.

The contrast between 1985 and 2020 is entertaining and an eye opener to how far society has come, particularly with those who identify as LGBTQ+

The story is told over the space of one week including finding a cover story for being in the wrong time, meeting new people and then preparing for the school prom. Main character Luis has a lot more on his mind. He has met another boy hiding his true self, is wary of his own father as a homophobic bully, and is worried he’ll never make it back to the people who are important to him.

Time travel novels often finish when the main character finds themselves back in their right time, but the conclusion of Spin me Right Round is a particularly satisfying one as we see the reactions of people in 2020 after he returns.

Character development and change is always welcome in a story and readers can see how spending a week in a time over thirty years earlier has not only remoulded Luis but the people and his world around him.

Back to the Future with an LGBTQ+ Twist.

Fun read!

Author – David Valdes

Age – 13+

(2022, Bloomsbury, LGBTQ+, 1980’s, 1985, 2020, Gay, Non- Binary, Cisgender, Boarding School, Time Travel, Teacher Student Relationship, Religion, Christian School, School Rules, Back in Time, Relationships, Friendships, Boyfriend, Room Mate, School Ball, Prom, Bullies, Courage, Family, Historical, Humour, Love, Secret, Funny)