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booksthatburn's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love time loop stories, and this was one of the better ones that I’ve read in a while. It begins after the protagonist, Clark, has already been in the loop for more than 300 days. It skips past the usual shock, realization, and eventual acceptance of the time loop, instead introducing him to the reader when the highlight of his day is figuring out to make for his sister’s party. This is definitely a story which assumes some familiarity with this basic tropes of time loop stories, taking advantage of the reader's likely familiarity to do something more interesting, while still explaining enough to make sense for someone new to this sub-genre.
The plot related to the tips for beating loneliness start out as this unexpected assignment, one of the early indications that something might be about to change. That list turns into a guide post, something he can use to make different choices when trying to get out of the loop. Because Beau is actively avoiding Clark after their first meeting, they don’t actually end up spending much time together. Instead, after they most of a day running Beau's errands, Clark is chasing Beau's shadow, retracing their steps. He wants to see him again, and doesn’t agree with Beau's theory that they should avoid each other, but tracking him down again proves harder than Clark anticipated. The idea of Beau permeates the book, as Clark gets to know some people Beau has known all his life, and some he only met right before the time loop began. It’s a story about loneliness and connection, the need to be vulnerable sometimes in order to let in someone new or find something good.
I love the in-universe explanation for how the time loops work. It clearly makes them a phenomenon that has happened to other people and will happen to more, something widespread enough for there to be a whole range of ideas about it on the internet (some far less useful than others). The theories are based on things that different people have observed, compiling together the stories of many people's experiences in time loops. The style of worldbuilding and access to the information means that no one comes down from on high to say exactly how time loops function, and why, but the directions for how to get out have enough detail for him to actually try.
This is great, a must-read for anyone who loves time loop stories and/or gay teenage romance.
The plot related to the tips for beating loneliness start out as this unexpected assignment, one of the early indications that something might be about to change. That list turns into a guide post, something he can use to make different choices when trying to get out of the loop. Because Beau is actively avoiding Clark after their first meeting, they don’t actually end up spending much time together. Instead, after they most of a day running Beau's errands, Clark is chasing Beau's shadow, retracing their steps. He wants to see him again, and doesn’t agree with Beau's theory that they should avoid each other, but tracking him down again proves harder than Clark anticipated. The idea of Beau permeates the book, as Clark gets to know some people Beau has known all his life, and some he only met right before the time loop began. It’s a story about loneliness and connection, the need to be vulnerable sometimes in order to let in someone new or find something good.
I love the in-universe explanation for how the time loops work. It clearly makes them a phenomenon that has happened to other people and will happen to more, something widespread enough for there to be a whole range of ideas about it on the internet (some far less useful than others). The theories are based on things that different people have observed, compiling together the stories of many people's experiences in time loops. The style of worldbuilding and access to the information means that no one comes down from on high to say exactly how time loops function, and why, but the directions for how to get out have enough detail for him to actually try.
This is great, a must-read for anyone who loves time loop stories and/or gay teenage romance.
Content Warnings
Minor: Vomit, Racism, Death, Sexual content, Infidelity, Car accident, and Death of parent
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