Hi Everyone! I am so excited to be one of today’s tour stops for Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani, which is hosted by Xpresso Book Tours! Be sure to check out the other tour stops here!
Jukebox
Nidhi Chanani
Published by: First Second/Macmillan
Publication date: June 22nd 2021
Genres: Middle-Grade, Mystery, Time-Travel
Grab some coins for the jukebox, and get ready for a colorful, time-traveling, musical tale about family and courage
A mysterious jukebox, old vinyl records, and cryptic notes on music history, are Shaheen’s only clues to her father’s abrupt disappearance. She looks to her cousin, Tannaz, who seems just as perplexed, before they both turn to the jukebox which starts…glowing?
Suddenly, the girls are pulled from their era and transported to another time! Keyed to the music on the record, the jukebox sends them through decade after decade of music history, from political marches, to landmark concerts. But can they find Shaheen’s dad before the music stops? This time-bending magical mystery tour invites readers to take the ride of their lives for a coming-of-age adventure.
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Oh my gosh, this was such a refreshing take on time travel that also incorporated the importance of family and a love of music.
This story follows Shaheen who teams up with her cousin Tannaz to find Shaheen’s father after he mysteriously disappears. It’s typical of Shaheen’s father to lose track of time when he is listening to music or tracking down hard to find vinyl, but this is different. He never just ignores Shaheen’s text messages and phone calls. Shaheen and Tannaz end up finding a time traveling jukebox and embark on a magical adventure that follows different musicians in different eras in order to find Shaheen’s father. They must work quickly though before they run out of time.
This was such an unexpected surprise of a story. Even though there are some lighthearted moments with Shaheen and Tannaz are enjoying the music of the different eras, there are definitely quite a few social topics that the author addresses really well (the feminist movement, sexuality, immigration, racial identity, etc). I loved the mystery aspect of this story, and the fact that there were very real consequences for altering history when time traveling.
I really enjoyed Shaheen as a character since she’s determined and passionate, but I think watching her learn about how much she underestimated both her cousin’s and father’s love for her was probably one of the best parts about the book.
Overall, this is a great story that I think young readers will enjoy getting lost in.
Thank you to First Second Books for providing a review copy through NetGalley. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
Author Bio:
Nidhi Chanani was born in Kolkata, India and raised in California. She creates illustrations that capture love in everyday moments which are often featured at Disney Parks. In 2012 she was honored by the Obama Administration as a Champion of Change. She’s the author of Pashmina, Shubh Raatri Dost/Good Night Friend, and illustrator of I Will Be Fierce. Nidhi draws and dreams in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and kid. everydayloveart.com
The Reading Chemist 
This sounds like a really unique and well written read! Lovely review! 🙂
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