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lesserjoke's review against another edition
4.0
This isn't my first time-loop story -- or even the first YA book I've read where a teenager keeps reliving the same party where a classmate gets killed, and in the process gradually realizes that their clique of popular friends are actually pretty awful. (That would be Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, a vastly inferior spin on the same general premise.) But within that space, debut author Louise Finch has crafted a taut psychological horror piece, digging deeply into the protagonist's raw anguish and despair over his seeming inability to ever alter fate.
See, Spence is still reeling from the death of his mother one year ago today, when he first witnesses Clara's own tragic accident. But in the morning, she's back alive and it's the beginning of the same day all over again, with everyone repeating their old behaviors just as we'd expect from the genre. Only not quite, since like in the Netflix show Russian Doll, the cycle appears to be somehow degrading over time. The same injuries start causing more damage, people develop sudden nosebleeds they didn't have before, a new thunderstorm rolls in, and certain electric lights flicker and then go out entirely. It's a really creepy addition to the familiar plot beats, and one that neatly mirrors the narrator's increasingly frantic mental state.
As he repeatedly tries and fails to save the girl, we learn a little bit more about the characters' history together. The reader probably figures out that she likes him before the boy does, but that's to Finch's credit for her sharp characterization skills, which totally nail the tentative teenage banter. Nevertheless, I should be clear that this isn't a love story. Instead, it's a bleak look at the potential for accountability in toxic lad / bro culture, centered on the hero's dawning realization that one of his rugby mates has been drugging and raping their fellow students. Even when he manages to rescue the one from the title whom he's developing mutual feelings for, someone else just winds up hurt in her place, and the whole thing resets anyway.
I'm guessing the conclusion to this novel might prove divisive for a number of reasons, but personally, I think it nimbly splits the difference between an unearned happy ending and a hopeless declaration that growth and redemption are inherently impossible. It's a complicated topic, but that's only fitting a project that name-checks the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche so extensively. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for this writer's work going forward.
[Content warning for underage drug and alcohol abuse.]
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See, Spence is still reeling from the death of his mother one year ago today, when he first witnesses Clara's own tragic accident. But in the morning, she's back alive and it's the beginning of the same day all over again, with everyone repeating their old behaviors just as we'd expect from the genre. Only not quite, since like in the Netflix show Russian Doll, the cycle appears to be somehow degrading over time. The same injuries start causing more damage, people develop sudden nosebleeds they didn't have before, a new thunderstorm rolls in, and certain electric lights flicker and then go out entirely. It's a really creepy addition to the familiar plot beats, and one that neatly mirrors the narrator's increasingly frantic mental state.
As he repeatedly tries and fails to save the girl, we learn a little bit more about the characters' history together. The reader probably figures out that she likes him before the boy does, but that's to Finch's credit for her sharp characterization skills, which totally nail the tentative teenage banter. Nevertheless, I should be clear that this isn't a love story. Instead, it's a bleak look at the potential for accountability in toxic lad / bro culture, centered on the hero's dawning realization that one of his rugby mates has been drugging and raping their fellow students. Even when he manages to rescue the one from the title whom he's developing mutual feelings for, someone else just winds up hurt in her place, and the whole thing resets anyway.
I'm guessing the conclusion to this novel might prove divisive for a number of reasons, but personally, I think it nimbly splits the difference between an unearned happy ending and a hopeless declaration that growth and redemption are inherently impossible. It's a complicated topic, but that's only fitting a project that name-checks the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche so extensively. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for this writer's work going forward.
[Content warning for underage drug and alcohol abuse.]
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6288479-joe-kessler
--Or click here to browse through all my reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
aoife_taylors_version2413's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
arlothecoolest's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
besp00ked's review against another edition
1.0
I lived, I didn’t laugh or love it. The plot was okay but due to the amount of times the day repeated i felt as if I had to fully force myself to read because it just went on too long (after 7 times). Due to the repetitiveness of it I felt my feelings went downhill as the book progressed and I didn’t feel any connection between them.
annabel_l4's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Misogyny
Moderate: Rape and Death of parent
Minor: Drug use, Blood, and Car accident
katysherwood's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
byera's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Philosophy, time travels and teenage issues.
This was deeper and more thoughtful than I was expecting. A lot of time travel stories are comedic, or family-based, even romantic.
Here is one based on the ideas of Nietzsche. Which does make sense in context. As usual of course, we will never find out exactly WHY such-and-such a person is granted the ability to live a day over and over again, who or what controls this, why this character is selected, and exactly what the agenda is. You always have to let that go. It's not a Ray Harryhausen celestial chess board.
Spence (James Spencer) wakes up in his car on the anniversary of his mum's death. Hungover, surrounded by unfinished essay notes, and with his car bumped into by another student. Clara Hart is unapologetic. Spence gets on with his Friday, friends forgetting his reason for mourning, a party that evening. A scene of bedroom confusion. An accident. A death. Spence wakes up back in his car, feeling it bumped into.
And so the day goes round and round. With an angry and blinkered Spence trying to work out why he's caught in a Groundhog Day scenario, and what he might have to do to move onto Saturday.
As I said, it becomes more layered than you might expect. With believable character arcs, realistic teenage interactions and conversations, it's a clever use of time travel tropes. We don't see the exact same scenes again and again. Spence interacts with other people and settings differently each day, putting himself in various places to learn more about the whole scope of his Friday. We see the same school and party backdrops in multiple angles, as he speaks to others and learns more about them, realising a lot for himself as he goes along.
I liked not reliving each scene directly again and again, and I liked Spence a lot. He's honest with his realisations, as he looks at himself, as he tries hard to improve the day for other people. It ended on the perfect note.
The issues raised may be upsetting for some readers, but there are already warnings on the cover about this, and the book handles these responsibly and with quite a lot of discussion.
An excellent Carnegie-shortlister. I would applaud were it to win.
For ages 13 and above.
This was deeper and more thoughtful than I was expecting. A lot of time travel stories are comedic, or family-based, even romantic.
Here is one based on the ideas of Nietzsche. Which does make sense in context. As usual of course, we will never find out exactly WHY such-and-such a person is granted the ability to live a day over and over again, who or what controls this, why this character is selected, and exactly what the agenda is. You always have to let that go. It's not a Ray Harryhausen celestial chess board.
Spence (James Spencer) wakes up in his car on the anniversary of his mum's death. Hungover, surrounded by unfinished essay notes, and with his car bumped into by another student. Clara Hart is unapologetic. Spence gets on with his Friday, friends forgetting his reason for mourning, a party that evening. A scene of bedroom confusion. An accident. A death. Spence wakes up back in his car, feeling it bumped into.
And so the day goes round and round. With an angry and blinkered Spence trying to work out why he's caught in a Groundhog Day scenario, and what he might have to do to move onto Saturday.
As I said, it becomes more layered than you might expect. With believable character arcs, realistic teenage interactions and conversations, it's a clever use of time travel tropes. We don't see the exact same scenes again and again. Spence interacts with other people and settings differently each day, putting himself in various places to learn more about the whole scope of his Friday. We see the same school and party backdrops in multiple angles, as he speaks to others and learns more about them, realising a lot for himself as he goes along.
I liked not reliving each scene directly again and again, and I liked Spence a lot. He's honest with his realisations, as he looks at himself, as he tries hard to improve the day for other people. It ended on the perfect note.
The issues raised may be upsetting for some readers, but there are already warnings on the cover about this, and the book handles these responsibly and with quite a lot of discussion.
An excellent Carnegie-shortlister. I would applaud were it to win.
For ages 13 and above.
breadandbutterflies's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
librandian's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75