Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
MAIN THEMES:
Nostalgia vs Historical Reality
Gender Roles & Womanhood
Performance of Identity
Appearance vs Reality
Power and Control
Yesteryear was one of the most frustrating reading experiences I’ve had this year because for the first half of the book, I genuinely thought it was shaping up to be one of my favorite reads of 2026.
The premise hooked me immediately, and I was completely invested in uncovering the mystery behind the “time travel” elements. Unfortunately, the explanation behind it all in the second half completely lost me. What had felt intriguing and atmospheric suddenly became disappointing enough to knock this down several stars.
Another hurdle was the characters. Nearly every adult in this book is insufferable. The children were the only characters I found myself rooting for. Natalie, in particular, was incredibly difficult to connect with. I almost DNF’d in the very first chapter because I found her so deeply unlikeable. She came across as narcissistic and, at times, displayed what I interpreted as sociopathic tendencies. She frequently narrates moments where she doesn’t know what emotions she should be expressing and studies the faces and reactions of others for cues on how to respond. Whether this was an intentional aspect of her characterization or not, it made her feel emotionally inaccessible to me as a reader.
I can see the author’s vision, and I genuinely appreciate what she was trying to say about mental health, religious cults, and the infiltration of extremist ideologies into modern politics. But everyone was so relentlessly hate-able that the message got lost in the sauce. I couldn’t connect with anyone enough to care what happened to them. I couldn’t fully buy into Natalie as a victim of anything—much less of her utterly smooth-brained husband.
Ultimately, Yesteryear is a book with a fascinating concept and admirable intentions, but one that stumbled in its execution. I can see why it will resonate with some readers, especially those who enjoy morally gray and deeply flawed characters. For me, though, the payoff didn’t live up to the promise of its opening chapters.
A solid 3 stars: compelling premise, thought-provoking themes, but a conclusion and cast of characters that left me more frustrated than satisfied.
