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 worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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