"Playback," is a Fantastic Novel About How (Literally) Living in the Past Can't Fix Your Present

"Playback," is the latest novel from writer Carla Malden. It follows a 34-year-old named Mari who, in a previous book, "Shine Until Tomorrow," traveled to the 60's when she was 17. I did not read, "Shine Until Tomorrow," but to the credit of, "Playback," anything you'd need to know about Mari's previous journey is expertly imparted in the text. Mari now lives in the present, 2025, and she isn't sure if her memories of traveling in time even really happened, but her present-day life is a bit messy and has her yearning for a potential past. She's divorced, but does love her young daughter, Joni. She didn't achieve success photographing concerts or such, but has a successful career as a real estate photographer. Things aren't bad, but they aren't perfect. Pretty early on in the book, however, Mari finds herself inadvertently shooting backwards into 1967 when someone she cared about then has died in the, "Now."

Much of, "Playback," is spent examining how the more things change the more they stay the same--the window-dressing is just different. Whether it is 1967 or 2025, we live in times of protests, scandals, war, social upheaval, and with it all, a mix of people full of optimism as well as an unending stream of cynics. Whether Mari is somehow back in the 60s and still looks 17 even though she now feels 34, or is in the present dealing with all the B.S. we encounter there, life has complexities. A running theme of, "Playback," is both the love of nostalgia and the danger of embracing it too closely. We talk about, "The good old days," with fondness, and it can be tempting to want to live in them both metaphorically or in Mari's case, literally, but having rose-tinted glasses (the book makes a fun joke with that, actually) about times gone by won't fix your present.

The exact mechanics of why Mari travels in time aren't explored too heavily. She figures out how it is happening on this occasion and starts to realize that if she isn't careful, things can go really wrong. This becomes quite apparent later in the book when she considers trying to mess around with time via moving other people forward or back with her. I enjoyed all of, "Playback," but I really loved the last third where things get incredibly screwy as Mari realizes just how much little things can alter her future in ways she might not like.

Author Carla Malden

Mari spends much of her time in, "Playback," hanging with a band called Neon Dream (whom it is mentioned she assisted heavily in the first book). Music is a big element of the story, with the power it holds over us and within our hearts and memories, resulting in many sweet moments. While Mari is in the 60s, "Playback," both examines and makes some funny jokes about certain time-travel wackiness. Her first love, who used to be older than her and is named Jimmy, is now younger as he's still 22, but she's truly 34 (even if she doesn't look it). Also, one of my favorite running gags is Mari's tendency to ramble when upset, also has her mentioning future technology or ideas, but her anachronistic terminologies are written off by others who assume she's just quirky or possibly tripping on drugs.

"Playback," is a nice and brisk read at just a bit over 200 pages. It doesn't waste any time, with every moment feeling important to the story. There is nothing wrong with a longer yarn, but I love it when a book avoids ever feeling like it is treading water. Even though Mari wants to whittle away her time in 1967, I never felt like Malden was squandering our time with, "Playback," and I appreciate that. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, this book is a bit of a follow-up to another title, but it stands alone with ease.

I found, "Playback," to be a fantastic story thanks to its clever take on time-travel, superb characterization (Mari is a great protagonist and Neon Dream's members are all a hoot), and astute observations about sentimentnailly and the, "Trap," of wanting to live in the past (mentally or in actuality). I was provided a copy for the purposes of review by the publisher, but would encourage anyone interested in the book to get a copy at their local bookstore/request it from their library/bum it off a friend, as it officially hit stores today, August 12th. I give Karla Malden's latest novel....

5 out of 5 Stars.