When your unofficial family motto is "Katsuyamas Never Quit," there is a lot of pressure to have "a grand vision" and succeed in life. Much to her mother's chagrin, 17-year-old CJ Katsuyama has yet to find her passion, and sees life as "an endless cycle of trying and failing." At least working with her aunt at the flower shop, which has been in the family since the 1930s, is fun, and CJ discovers she has a talent for floral arrangements. Then, her mother decides to sell the business to the McAllisters, a family that exploited the Japanese American Katsuyamas during World War II. This decision leads CJ to her true passion: holding the McAllisters accountable for decades of exploitation and prejudice. Add in CJ's budding relationship with her mega crush Shane Morgan (a stellar athlete with a "smile to make the angels sing") and her increasingly fond feelings for Owen Takasugi (her history nerd co-worker), and CJ's world is more complicated than ever before.
Asian/Pacific American Award-winning author Misa Sugiura (It's Not Like It's a Secret) seamlessly incorporates discussions of complex social issues into her sophomore YA novel. CJ is an accessible, imperfect protagonist who simultaneously develops crushes and worries about the future as her mission to save the family flower shop blossoms into a larger purpose. She and her peers bring the history of Japanese American internment (and those who took advantage of Japanese Americans) into the spotlight: "There's no point in dwelling on the past, but you can acknowledge it and try to make things better. Or try a new way, and know that this time will be different." With intelligent dialogue surrounding diversity, representation and responsible social action, This Time Will Be Different is a timely, smart novel that readers of contemporary teen fiction will likely devour. --Jennifer Oleinik, freelance writer and editor