Barrett Bloom thinks college will be the start of a new chapter, especially coming out of a tough high school experience. On her first day of classes, things start out badly and progressively get worse, ending with Barrett starting a fire at a fraternity party. Locked out of her room, Barrett falls asleep in the common room. The next day, Barrett wakes back up in her bed only to find out that it’s the first day of classes … again.
Barrett realizes she’s not alone, because Miles has been trapped in the same day for even longer than she has. Together, Barrett and Miles take a journey of self-discovery by crossing items off their bucket list and facing fears. Barrett and Miles grow alongside one another and learn to show their vulnerability. Solomon’s true craft is building young characters that attract readers, even if they’re not always the most relatable. The time loop aspect gives Barrett and Miles the space to grow without letting them actually move forward in time, making the story all the more compelling.
Rachel Lynn Solomon portrays Jewish identity beautifully in this latest YA romance novel by creating two characters that have different family backgrounds, demonstrating that there is no one way to be Jewish. With added racial diversity and LGBTQ+, Solomon gives us a variety of characters with differing representations. Most of all, Solomon’s writing is approachable for an audience ranging from high school to adulthood filled with witty humor and a love story that will melt your heart.
Elizabeth Slotnick works in the technology space but has a growing presence on bookstagram, where she reviews books spanning across all genres. She graduated from the University of Virginia and lives in Seattle, WA.
