I fall down rabbit holes very easily. If I read a single book about a topic that really intrigues me, then I'm likely to read every other book on that topic that I can find--plus investigate all the websites, see all the movies, and watch all the YouTube videos. So a few months ago, I read several time-travel books in a row. Two of them--See You Yesterday, by Rachel Lynn Solomon, and The Do-Over, by Lynn Painter--offered intriguing explorations of love, self-discovery, and the chaos of looping through time. They were both fine, but neither made it onto my favorites list.
See You Yesterday, by Rachel Lynn Solomon, takes the time-loop concept and gives it a fresh college twist. Barrett Bloom is hoping for a clean slate after a rough high school experience, but her first day of college—September 21st—is a disaster. She’s humiliated in physics class, blows her interview for the college paper, and ends the day by accidentally setting a frat house on fire. After crashing in her dorm’s common room, she wakes up to discover it’s September 21st all over again. Confused and panicked, Barrett soon realizes she’s not alone in the loop—Miles, the know-it-all from her physics class, has been stuck in it for months.
The story allows readers to ride along on Barrett’s emotional rollercoaster as she repeats September 21 over and over, and cycles from confusion to elation to resignation, all while trying to figure out what she’s supposed to fix or learn to break free. The romance between Barrett and Miles feels believable, though the ending leans heavily on over-explaining Barrett’s personal growth rather than letting the story show it. Barrett has hints of Manic Pixie Dream Girl to her, but the fact that the story is told from her perspective gives her more depth than the traditional version of that trope, and the novel manages to pass the Bechdel Test. The pseudo-science explaining the time loop isn’t the most convincing, but the mix of humor, heartbreak, and chaos keeps things engaging.
See You Yesterday offers a unique spin on the time-loop genre with a diverse cast—Barrett is Jewish and plus-sized, while Miles is half Jewish and half Japanese. It’s not perfect, but it’s a fun, emotional ride that’ll resonate with anyone who’s ever wished for a do-over. If you feel this book calling to you, you can check it out in the library or borrow the audio and electronic versions on the Sora app or SoraApp.com!
The Do-Over, by Lynn Painter, flips Valentine’s Day on its head. After enduring a truly awful V-Day, Emilie Hornby flees to her grandmother’s house for comfort and ice cream. She falls asleep on the couch, only to wake up back in her bed, living February 14 all over again. And again. And again. Each loop forces her to re-watch her boyfriend, Josh, cheat on her. In the meantime, she also repeatedly—and often hilariously—runs into Nick, a mysterious guy who seems to cross her path at the most inconvenient moments.
Unlike many time-loop stories, Emilie skips the whole "keep it a secret" trope and confides in her grandma right away, who takes the news in stride in a not-super-realistic way. Emilie also dives quickly into using the loop to fix things in her life. However, when the loop finally breaks after her self-proclaimed DONC (Day of No Consequences), the reason for its end was unclear to me.
The story shifts focus in its final act, with Nick undergoing the biggest transformation. The time loop seems to serve his character growth more than hers, which is odd since it’s Emilie’s story. Emilie’s personal changes, while interesting, don’t feel like they require a time loop to happen, making the plot device feel somewhat unnecessary.
Despite this unevenness, The Do-Over is an entertaining read with sharp humor and quirky moments. Emilie’s voice is relatable, and her interactions with Nick keep the story engaging. However, the conclusion left me scratching my head about whose story it was meant to be—and why the time loop was even there. If you'd like to read this book yourself, you can check it out in the library!
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