Time and Time Again
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4.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
A Stonewall Honor Book
A Reese Witherspoon Book Club LitUp Pick
In this debut YA speculative romance perfect for fans of Rachael Lippincott, two queer, disabled, Jewish teens find themselves stuck in a time loop--and falling love.
Phoebe Mendel's day is never ending--literally.
On August 6th, she woke up to find herself stuck in a time loop. And for nearly a month of August 6ths since, Phoebe has relived the same day: pancakes with Mom in the morning, Scrabble with Dad in the afternoon, and constant research into how to reach tomorrow and make it to her appointment with a doctor who may actually take her IBS seriously. Everything is exactly, agonizingly the same.
That is, until the most mundane car crash ever sends Phoebe's childhood crush Jess crashing into the time loop.
Now also stuck, Jess convinces Phoebe to break out of her routine and take advantage of their consequence-free days to have fun. From splurging on concert tickets, to enacting (mostly) harmless revenge, to all-night road trips, Jess pulls Phoebe further and further out of her comfort zone--and deeper in love with them. But the more Phoebe falls for Jess, the more she worries about what's on the other side of the time loop. What if Jess is only giving her the time of day because they're trapped with no other options? What if Phoebe's new doctor dismisses her chronic pain? And perhaps worst of all: What if she never gets the chance to find out?
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This queer romantic fantasy is an absolute joy. It seems like this miserable summer will never end for Florida teenager Phoebe—because she’s been living the same boring, sticky-hot day over and over. But then one go-round of this day gets a lot more interesting when Phoebe’s old childhood crush Jess runs into her. Literally. With their car. Which means now Jess is stuck in the loop with her. Author Chatham Greenfield has a lot of imaginative fun with the time-loop trope, letting Phoebe and Jess get into goofy mischief and deep, introspective conversations. She’s also written a lead couple that we’re absolutely smitten with: proudly plus-size Phoebe and nonbinary Jess are well-rounded in every respect and read like real, intelligent, conflicted, and lovable people. We just can’t help but root for them both.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Two disabled former friends—both white and Jewish—reconnect and explore their feelings while stuck in a time loop in this heartfelt, pitch-perfect debut. In Lewiston, Fla., 17-year-old Phoebe has been stuck reliving August 6 for nearly a month. She worries that a wish she made during an intense IBS flare-up is why she's trapped; now, she's forever waiting for her anticipated appointment with a specialist whom she hoped wouldn't dismiss her symptoms because of her weight. Everything changes when she encounters her former BFF, nonbinary and arthritic Jess, and discovers they're also stuck. Horrified to learn that Phoebe hasn't taken advantage of the "no consequences" aspect of the loop, Jess dubs themself a "certified fun guide" and pushes Phoebe into new activities, such as seeking revenge on a bully and hanging out with Jess's brother's band. As their time together blossoms into romance, Phoebe's comfort in the certainty of the loop's events chafes against Jess's sudden desire to break the loop. Via sparkling prose, Greenfield crafts a magnetic romance between two disabled teens that highlights the realities of their experiences, comforting reconnection, and ways in which anxiety can distort perception. Ages 13–up.
