It's You Every Time

April 1, 2025
A cosmic mixed-up breakfast order pushes two Black teens into a merged time loop. It's September 24, and Sydney is running late for school, where she'll have to take a dreaded precalc test. She stops at Dunkin' for a sausage, egg, and cheese croissant--without the sausage and egg--and bumps into a boy named Marcus. Strangely, they have the same order number and similar tastes, only he's ordered a sausage, egg, and cheese croissant with no cheese. Marcus invites Sydney to join him for breakfast at a nearby park, and she agrees, figuring that she can make up the test tomorrow. They spend the day together, but as their date winds down and they lean in for a kiss, they hear screeching tires, feel intense pain, and see a blinding light. Sydney wakes up to find it's September 24 again, but she remembers her day with Marcus. They reconnect at Dunkin' and begin reliving the same day, including always being painfully ripped apart at 10:15 p.m. Over time, the teens open up to each other about painful losses that still affect them. Readers witness the well-developed evolution of their relationship and their different responses: Sydney wants them to break free from the cycle, while Marcus sees getting stuck with Sydney as a welcome reprieve from grief. Thomas excels at blending meet-cute elements with more serious themes. A swoonworthy romance blending strong character development with realistic portrayal of the grieving process. (content note, playlist)(Romance. 13-18)

COPYRIGHT(2025) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2025

Gr 9 Up-A coffee shop meet-cute in New York City-that happens over and over. The author controls the clock so teenagers Sydney and Marcus, who are both Black, meet again and again, pretending everything's okay when clearly, it isn't. The same-day repeat plot will feel tiresome to some readers but will be an appealing fantasy for others as a romantic courtship unfolds, from learning how to ride a bike to attending a fake prom. Each day ends painfully in real time at the exact moment Marcus lost his best friend in a recent, tragic accident. That hasn't erased his capacity for love, however. When Sydney shares a secret career aspiration she cares about deeply, he encourages her to apply for a competitive internship. He's her "better tomorrow"-the one she's been waiting for since her brother's death. She's his brave role model as together they reenter the imperfect present, with no guarantee of a happy ending. VERDICT The "what if" plot of a fantasy romance serves a deeper purpose here as two teens grieve the death of loved ones.-Georgia Christgau

Copyright 2025 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2025
Grades 7-12 Sydney Michaels is grieving the loss of her brother the morning of September 24, when she's supposed to be taking a precalc test, which she's expecting to bomb. When she bumps into a charming, handsome stranger, Marcus, while getting breakfast on the way to school, she feels drawn to him enough that, in an out-of-character move, she decides to take the day off to spend it with him. While this seems like it might start off as just a fluffy romance, things take an abrupt turn when, after their sweet day together ends in an unexpected accident, Sydney wakes up on September 24 again. In chapters moving between Sydney's and Marcus' perspectives, the novel gradually reveals why these two characters keep reliving the same day over and over. Thomas explores themes of love, loss, and emotional growth as her characters experience burgeoning love and the importance of finding the strength to move on. A beautiful, heartwarming time-loop romance grounded in two meaningful journeys of emotional growth.

COPYRIGHT(2025) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.