Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
Sam Grant doesn't want to be famous, but he doesn't have much of a say in the matter. On the verge of graduating from college with his master's in History, Sam and the rest of the world bear witness to the invention of time travel. Revealed via a YouTube broadcast, the brothers responsible for inventing time travel find their remarkable device coopted by the U.S. government. In a magnanimous gesture, the U.S. government holds a worldwide competition to decide who will be the first time traveler in history. This turns Sam's world upside down after a half-baked joke application he sends in gets him accepted as a contestant for consideration. Thrust into a political and media blender set to puree, Sam and his fellow contestants vie for the affections of a worldwide audience who will vote on the eventual winner. As the successive rounds of the contest pass by, and Sam tries everything from indifference to wild irreverence to get himself voted out of the competition, he finds that all his actions only serve to make him more popular. As the contest goes on, Sam and the time travel project become more of a referendum on our society's fascination with celebrity disasters, and what they will do to make sure the entertainment doesn't stop anytime soon. Unable to get out of the contest via logical means, Sam learns to embrace the perks sudden celebrity provides, yet also suffers some of its typical consequences. Stuck between two worlds-one he can't handle, and another he can't control-Sam finds himself considering a third option, one that has him confronting a time traveling reality that terrifies him to his very core.
Tags
Is Obvious Child appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
This satirical sci-fi novel explores celebrity culture and media manipulation through the lens of a reluctant time travel contestant. Expect moderate language and themes about loss of agency, but no graphic content.
What to know going in
This book has mild violence, mild sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include anxiety, manipulation, and media exploitation.
Who'll love this
Teens will appreciate the sharp humor and social commentary about fame and media as an ordinary guy gets thrust into an impossible reality TV-style competition.