An engaging time-loop love story with a unique spin.
Carter Cohen just turned 16—again.
On the morning of Carter’s 16th birthday, his family delivers some unbelievable news: This isn’t the first time. Technically he’s 22—and his “little brother,” Lincoln, is 19. Every December, when Carter is supposed to turn 17, he instead loops backward; any physical changes and his memories from the previous year are erased, while the rest of the world keeps going. Carter is now on his sixth loop, and doctors haven’t been able to figure out what’s causing his unusual condition. Meanwhile, Maggie Spear, Carter’s girlfriend from the previous loop, is devastated that he no longer remembers her. She decides it’s better to pretend their relationship never happened than to risk heartbreak again. Despite Maggie’s efforts to move on from Carter, the two find themselves drawn together again. As Carter’s next birthday comes closer, he and Maggie question what their future will look like when there’s no guarantee that Carter will reach 17. Rubin offers an original take on the time-loop trope, deftly exploring the complexities of relationships and what it means to change. The novel alternates in perspective between Carter and Maggie, who have distinct voices, resulting in a delightfully banter-filled love story. Carter is Jewish, and he and Maggie both read white. There are queer and racially diverse characters among the supporting cast.
An engaging time-loop love story with a unique spin. (author’s note) (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9780063330368
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
PERSPECTIVES
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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