Dorm-mates Barrett and Miles get stuck in a Groundhog Day–like time loop reliving their first day of college classes.
University of Washington first year Barrett Bloom wakes up at 6:50 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21 (a date some will recognize from its Earth, Wind & Fire fame), shocked to find out that her high school nemesis, Lucie, is her new roommate. The day grows progressively worse after a science nerd named Miles humiliates her in Physics 101, she botches her newspaper staff interview, accidentally sets a frat house on fire, and gets locked out of her dorm room and is forced to sleep in the common room. But the next morning, it’s still Sept. 21. On her third time reliving the day, Barrett discovers that physics prodigy Miles Kasher-Okamoto has been experiencing the time loop for months, and now they’re both repeating the same day. Attempting to restart time, together they go on fun adventures, research scientific solutions (which appeal to Miles), and strive to be their best selves (which Barrett suspects is the solution). All the while, it’s clear their intense bonding is a slow-burn romance in the making. Both main characters are Jewish: Barrett is White, with a single mom who is bisexual; Miles has a Japanese American mother and White father. Vividly expressing the singularity of attraction, Solomon presents another inclusive, sex-positive love story featuring Jewish teens dealing with loneliness, stress, and secrets.
A swoon-y time-travel rom-com that captures the overwhelming nature of first love.
(Romance. 14-18)