Barrett Bloom is hoping college will be a fresh start after a messy high school experience. But when school begins on September 21st, everything goes wrong. She’s humiliated by the know-it-all in her physics class, she botches her interview for the college paper, and at a party that night, she accidentally sets a frat on fire. She panics and flees, and when she realizes her roommate locked her out of their dorm, she falls asleep 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 Physics 101, 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 find a way out. Soon they’re exploring the mysterious underbelly of the university and going on wild, romantic adventures. As they start falling for each other, they face the universe’s biggest unanswered question yet: what happens to their relationship if they finally make it to tomorrow?
Rachel Lynn Solomon is a bestselling author of love stories for teens and adults, including Today Tonight Tomorrow, The Ex Talk and Weather Girl. Now she’s back with See You Yesterday, a magical romance in the vein of Groundhog Day about a girl forced to relive her disastrous first day of college – only to discover that her nemesis is stuck in the time loop with her.
Romance and sci-fi – need I say more? I really loved this novel. In a nutshell, See You Yesterday is about showing how everything can go right in the midst of everything going wrong. Barrett and Miles are loveable characters who start off as enemies and end up as lovers. While you’ll grow to love and appreciate both Barrett and Miles as individuals, their connection together is swoon-worthy, heartfelt and inspiring.
I sometimes find Groundhog Day plotlines quite repetitive (pun intended!) but See You Yesterday breaks barriers. I actually found the time loop relevant for Barrett and Miles’ growth. As each day repeats, the two characters tackle things differently, moving the plot forward through their quirks and development, while also uncovering their pasts.
Beyond the time loop and budding romance, there are important themes of mental health, bullying and sexual harassment, but Solomon tackles these in a sensitive way while still underlining their importance. Despite the time loop, this is a very real novel that highlights very real experiences.
If you loved Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall, or you’re just looking for an entertaining YA read, then I highly recommend See You Yesterday – it’s the perfect read to brighten up these rainy weekends.
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