See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Published: 17 May 2022 (print)/12th May 2022 (audio) Goodreads badge
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster/Simon & Schuster
Pages: 432/12 hrs and 50 mins
Narrator: Emily Lawrence
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult
★   ★   ★   ★  – 4 Stars

Barrett Bloom is hoping college will be a fresh start after her messy high school experience. But when school starts on September 21st, everything goes wrong. She can’t switch out of her Physics 101 class even after being humiliated by the awkward guy sitting next to her, and she botches her interview for the college paper. At a frat party that night, she accidentally tips over a tiki torch and sets the place on fire. She panics and flees, and when she realizes her roommate locked her out of their dorm, she falls asleep on a couch in the common room.

The next morning, Barrett’s perplexed to find herself back in her dorm room bed, no longer smelling of ashes and crushed dreams. It’s September 21st. Again. And after a confrontation with Miles, the guy from her physics class, she learns she’s not alone—he’s been trapped for months.

When her attempts to fix her timeline fail, she agrees to work with Miles to figure out what’s going on. They start skipping their classes in favour of the library and research trips that take them into the unexplored underbelly of the university and across state lines. As Barrett starts to fall for Miles, the two of them must find a way to grow and change alongside the shifting fabric of the universe. But the one question they can’t answer is what they’ll mean to each other if they finally make it to tomorrow.

I love a time loop. Give me time loop stories every day of the week and I will be one happy reader. There is something about watching people cycle through the different stages and emotions when they’re stuck in time and seeing what choices they make, how they justify their actions and their theories on how and why they became stuck in the first place that is so wonderful to read about.

Obviously readers never get stuck in time loops because I wouldn’t try to escape until I’d finished reading all the books on my shelves. It’s all robbing banks and illegal or absurd activities, never finally having the time to catch up on your reading.

I really enjoyed the narrative Solomon has created. What I love about these stories is you can experience the same day over and over but one new action, one time to change things slightly can bring about new information that you never even knew was being hidden from you and between Barrett and Miles’ stories I loved having these little snippets of their lives revealed, each having an impact at the right moment. I was intrigued that through the whole thing we never see Miles’ side of the story, which was the right choice in the end because Solomon’s reveals are timed so perfectly there was no other way.

For two people who both lamented how they had no friends and were lonely I was a smidge disappointed it didn’t stop with them becoming great friends but that isn’t what these YA stories are about, it’s about finding love and all that stuff. I’m not a total cynic, Solomon has done a great job with this story because the slow build up and the multiple loops are a great way to explore both characters and I love that there was time to explore a full range of emotions and see great character growth on both sides.

It’s classed as a YA and while both characters are still teenagers it’s their first day of college, a unique blending of their high school time and on the cusp of their new beginnings. It is a good choice because it’s a turning point from their high school selves and the start of something new, and it allows more freedom for the events in the story without limitations.

The resolution of the time loop is fantastic and Solomon never takes the easy road with answers or explanations. I loved the complexity of the story and the hints and themes running throughout that mean nothing but mean everything as well. When you get to relive the same day over and over little nothings become big somethings if you make a different decision.

You can purchase See You Yesterday via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | WorderyAngus and Robinson

 Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Long Lost Review: Holding Up The Universe by Jennifer Niven

Long Lost Reviews is a monthly meme created by Ally over at Ally’s Appraisals which is posted on the second Thursday of every month. The aim is to start tackling your review backlog. Whether it’s an in-depth analysis of how it affected your life, one sentence stating that you only remember the ending, or that you have no recollection of reading the book at all. 

Published: 4th October 2016Goodreads badge
Publisher:
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 391
Format: Paperback
Genre: Young Adult
★   ★  ★  ★ – 4 Stars

Everyone thinks they know Libby Strout, the girl once dubbed “America’s Fattest Teen.” But no one’s taken the time to look past her weight to get to know who she really is. Following her mom’s death, she’s been picking up the pieces in the privacy of her home, dealing with her heartbroken father and her own grief. Now, Libby’s ready: for high school, for new friends, for love, and for every possibility life has to offer. In that moment, I know the part I want to play here at MVB High. I want to be the girl who can do anything.

Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin, too. Yes, he’s got swagger, but he’s also mastered the impossible art of giving people what they want, of fitting in. What no one knows is that Jack has a newly acquired secret: he can’t recognize faces. Even his own brothers are strangers to him. He’s the guy who can re-engineer and rebuild anything, but he can’t understand what’s going on with the inner workings of his brain. So he tells himself to play it cool: Be charming. Be hilarious. Don’t get too close to anyone.

Until he meets Libby. When the two get tangled up in a cruel high school game—which lands them in group counselling and community service—Libby and Jack are both pissed, and then surprised. Because the more time they spend together, the less alone they feel. Because sometimes when you meet someone, it changes the world, theirs and yours.

I wish I’d taken more notes at the time but I think I was so drawn in by this book everything was great and I left it at that. This is a fabulous book, it breaks my heart, oh my god it breaks my heart but it’s so fantastic at the same time.

Niven explains living with prosopagnosia quite well. It must be incredibly hard to live with, as Jake explains. I never quite understood why he didn’t tell his family, the wider world yes, but family would have been able to help him out a lot. It’s amazing that he hasn’t been caught out before.

Libby’s self-confidence is insurmountable which is refreshing, and I liked how each of the character’s flaws were for different reasons than you’d expect. I will say I did not like the event that bought Libby and Jack together, I know it gets worked out and Libby can do what she wants but it felt so wrong and I’m amazed they both managed to move past it. It felt like an unnecessary attack and I can see why Niven did it, I can, but it still felt cruel. But maybe that’s the point. You do see growth come out of it so there is that. I had also forgotten about how much Libby loves We Have Always Lived in the Castle. I understand why she likes it, but it is strange to see her love it when I hated it so much.

I would like to reread this one day, it definitely seemed like the kind of story you could happily revisit, the characters were fun, the story was emotional but well written and I think I wouldn’t mind going on their rocky journey together again and remembering exactly everything that makes it so wonderful.

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Published: 1st August 2010 Goodreads badge
Publisher:
Pan Macmillan Australia
Pages: 263
Format: Paperback
Genre: Young Adult
★   ★   ★   ★   ★ – 5 Stars

Lucy is in love with Shadow, a mysterious graffiti artist.

Ed thought he was in love with Lucy, until she broke his nose.

Dylan loves Daisy, but throwing eggs at her probably wasn’t the best way to show it.

Jazz and Leo are slowly encircling each other.

An intense and exhilarating 24 hours in the lives of four teenagers on the verge: of adulthood, of HSC, of finding out just who they are, and who they want to be.

Crowley has written a sweet and intriguing story of 24 hours of adventure and discovery and what I love about it is there’s established relationships so instalove isn’t a real issue given no one is professing love quite yet, but there are certainly connections and second chances.

Crowley captures the teenage friendship and interactions well, the story highlights that teens can have deep thoughts and dreams and ambitions. They aren’t just the outward persona they project to the world.

I liked the alternating points of view because it shows how the same experiences are seen through different eyes. I liked being in Ed and Lucy’s head and seeing their perspectives. The recapping on chapters was interesting. Often you’ll see with alternating voices the scene flips instantly but the small recap is repetitive but I didn’t mind because it brings a new perspective to the latest moment or event and then follows through with a new voice.

This story cemented my love for 24 hour stories. Stories and lives evolved and changed by a mere 24 hours can be so profound and powerful and Crowley does something phenomenal with this story in exploring the lives of these kids and their intricacies, passions and their friendships.

I would reread this in a heartbeat because it is short but powerful and getting to explore the city of Melbourne through the eyes of these characters again would be wonderful.

You can purchase Graffiti Moon via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Angus and Robinson

 Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

Long Lost Review: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Long Lost Reviews is a monthly meme created by Ally over at Ally’s Appraisals which is posted on the second Thursday of every month. The aim is to start tackling your review backlog. Whether it’s an in-depth analysis of how it affected your life, one sentence stating that you only remember the ending, or that you have no recollection of reading the book at all. 

Published: 1st August 2010
Publisher:
Pan Macmillan Australia
Pages: 264
Format: Paperback
Genre: Young Adult
★   ★  ★  ★ – 4 Stars

Lucy is in love with Shadow, a mysterious graffiti artist.

Ed thought he was in love with Lucy, until she broke his nose.

Dylan loves Daisy, but throwing eggs at her probably wasn’t the best way to show it.

Jazz and Leo are slowly encircling each other.

An intense and exhilarating 24 hours in the lives of four teenagers on the verge: of adulthood, of HSC, of finding out just who they are, and who they want to be.

Crowley has written a sweet and intriguing story of 24 hours of adventure and discovery and what I love about it is there’s established relationships so instalove isn’t a real issue given no one is professing love quite yet, but there are certainly connections and second chances.

Crowley captures the teenage friendship and interactions well, the story highlights that teens can have deep thoughts and dreams and ambitions. They aren’t just the outward persona they project to the world.

I liked the alternating points of view because it shows how the same experiences are seen through different eyes. I liked being in Ed and Lucy’s head and seeing their perspectives. The recapping on chapters was interesting. Often you’ll see with alternating voices the scene flips instantly but the small recap is repetitive but I didn’t mind because it brings a new perspective to the latest moment or event and then follows through with a new voice.

This story cemented my love for 24 hour stories. Stories and lives evolved and changed by a mere 24 hours can be so profound and powerful and Crowely does something phenomenal with this story in exploring the lives of these kids and their intricacies, passions and their friendships.

I would reread this in a heartbeat because it is short but powerful and getting to explore the city of Melbourne through the eyes of these characters again would be wonderful.

You Were Made For Me by Jenna Guilllaume

Published: 11th August 11th 2020 Goodreads badge
Publisher:
Pan Macmillan Australia
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
Genre: Young Adult
★   ★   ★ – 3 Stars

The day I created a boy started out like any other.

Katie didn’t mean to create a boy. A boy like a long-lost Hemsworth brother: six-foot tall with floppy hair and eyes like the sky on a clear summer’s day; whose lips taste like cookie-dough and whose skin smells like springtime.

A boy who is completely devoted to Katie.

He was meant to be perfect.

But he was never meant to exist.

I was expecting a lot from this after having fallen in love Guillaume’s other book What I Like About Me and while it isn’t as fabulous as that, it does have heart and a fun story to enjoy. It was an interesting concept and one I think Guillaume does well making it light hearted with a little bit of strangeness, not to mention some humour, teen relationships as well as some more serious issues too. The characters are diverse and unique in their voices and personalities; Guillaume captures the teen voice and the impulsivity, the hormones and the heightened emotions come across with a simple but solid storyline.

I think I quite liked the lack of explanation about everything that happens. The unexplained magical realism was interesting because it’s so easily accepted that a person has been created and so much time and energy is spent containing him that there’s no need to find any real answers about how. Not that things are left completely in the dark, naturally the characters discuss where and how this could even be possible, but it isn’t an issue when no solid answers come up.

I liked the format of having two key characters chatting in the story as if they were writing it out in front of each other and including their conversations as well as the recount. It gives the story a great conversational feel and gives us easy access to Katie’s thoughts and feelings as she writes out what happened. The use of formatting is also played with to help distinguish between voices and they are nice breaks around the more traditional format of the rest of the book.

There are a few comments in other reviews about the girls sounding young and juvenile but while I can see this perspective, it’s also refreshing not to have them be too grown up, too mature or adult like; they are young girls, they are best friends doing weird, fun things together and being complete dags about it. It’s great. Yes they are growing up and exploring their feelings and relationships but that doesn’t thrust them into completely mature minds automatically.

Overall this is a nice light hearted teen romance that has pining and unrequitedness, plus all the key players in a teen drama but with a lovely Australian feel. It isn’t too deep either, despite the heavy topic of cancer and parental death which Guillaume navigates around wonderfully.

You can purchase You Were Made For Me via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | WorderyAngus and Robinson

 Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

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