Young Adult
Pages: 320
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: October 4, 2011

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. Because those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it….

Past Perfect is smart and sassy realistic fiction splashed with historical awesomeness... Can you think of a better book for me? Because I can't. All the cool things I love about contemporary mixed with the most fun historical facts and plot pieces. I was a bit in book heaven.

The setting was a historical geek's Disneyland. I mean seriously, I need to visit places like this. The story is set in a colonial reenactment facility that happens to be just across the street from a Civil War reenactment facility. So there's a hilarious tension between this two historical time periods and the people who represent them. Workers have made up this whole "war" between them and it was deliciously funny to read about it.

Elizabeth's Chelsea's narrating voice was so addicting and entertaining it was hard to put the book down. One of the best realistic contemporary voices I've read this year. I was a bit irked at the beginning of the story, finding it a little unrealistic that they would take the stupid war so seriously. Chelsea had all this inner dilemmas about being with Dan that seemed silly to me at first. But that faded quick and it became... just perfect. It's just one of those books that's not necessarily fast paced but you're glued just because it so fresh and fun!

And the romance? It was intelligent and sweet and leaves you with that feel-good ridiculous warm smile after every scene. I love authors who can do that. Best kinds of romances. Overall, this is one of the most fun fun fun books this year!