Spence is having a terrible day.
It’s the anniversary of his mum’s death, but no one seems to remember, except his dad, who he can’t face – that’s why he’s sleeping in the car. When he’s awoken by classmate Clara crashing into him in the school parking lot, he assumes things can’t get much worse, but they do. By the end of that day, Spence has had to face up to the fact that his friends aren’t who he thought they were, his life isn’t what he thought he was, and when he finally realises Clara may actually be the one good person in the school who can help him, he witnesses her violent death at a fateful teen party.
It's a terrible day.
But one he seems doomed to live over and over until he can find a way to save Clara.
For those of my generation, the time-loop trope is most associated with Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, repeatedly and hilariously punching Ned Ryerson in the face or pushing him off the pavement. But here, Finch uses it skilfully as a way to explore actions and responsibility. As he relives this day and its hideous consequences over and over again, Spence must accept that he cannot control the outcome, only his own role in it. Looking back over his life, can he be content with the choices he made?
The opening is compelling and the storyline interesting, but it is by its very nature repetitive. Spence is slow to realise the true nature of his friends – and that is central to the story – but it does mean the middle gets a little slow and frustrating, as it seems abundantly clear to the reader what the true issue it long before it dawns on our protagonist.
That being said, this is not a book you want to put down, and while the resolution may be (sadly) unrealistic in the real world, it is powerful and satisfying.
Of all the novels on the Carnegie 2023 Shortlist, this is by far the most mature in themes and content. Exploring issues of sexual assault, drug taking and to what extent we are complicit in the actions of other. It is a timely novel and it achieves what all YA fiction should strive to do: it delivers a powerful and important message, hidden in a compelling and exciting story teenagers will race to finish.
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