Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Time loops are a well-worn story device, but a fresh spin can make the old feel new, and Robbie Couch infuses If I See You Again Tomorrow will all kinds of new energy. We first meet seventeen-year-old Clark Huckleton at a session with Ms. Hazel, his therapist. After his parents' divorce it was deemed wise that Clark receive professional guidance, but he seems jaded with Ms. Hazel. We soon learn why: Clark has been living today, September 19, on repeat for more than three hundred days. Clark isn’t sure he hasn't already gone insane, and he has no idea why the loop is happening, but the next day at school something new hits the timeline.

A transfer student in Mr. Zebb's math class. Clark has never seen handsome Beau Dupont, with his rich-brown skin and foppish style. Everyone is stunned when Beau hops onto the desks and jumps around, definitely a new occurrence in Clark's time loop. Before Zebb can phone security, Beau has jetted from the classroom and Clark impulsively follows. Beau is as unflappable up close as during his impromptu dance show, and asks Clark to join him as he steals Zebb's car to go on a string of "chores" in and around Rosedore, Illinois, where they live. Knowing that the day will reset at exactly 11:16 P.M. and he'll wake up in bed at 7:15 A.M. on September 19 again, Clark goes along for the ride. He’s perplexed by where Beau takes him: to Ben's Everything Blue Bakery in Chicago for a visit with the owner, Otto, on the anniversary of his son's death; to Splendid Cinemas, a retro movie theater, for a conversation with Emery, the teen guy who works there; and last, to meet a girl named Dee whose relationship with Beau is complicated. Clark is falling in love with Beau, but what happens when 11:16 arrives and everything reverts to how it used to be?

Outlier though Beau has been, Clark resolves to somehow find him. Will he return in the morning as a "transfer student" to torment Mr. Zebb? Why did Beau appear on this iteration of September 19 and none before, when everyone else in the time loop seems bound to the actions they took on the original day? Beau is a mystery that challenges everything Clark thought he knew about the time loop, but he can't invest all his resources into finding and wooing that charming boy. Clark needs to confirm the mechanics of the time loop and figure out what can be done to escape its gravity. Could he be forced to repeat September 19 an infinite number of times, never growing older or closer to anyone because only he can build new memories? What if the time loop has a shelf life, and Clark will die or disappear if he doesn't get out soon? New facts that Clark uncovers suggest he needs to work out a solution fast before the life he knows—happiness, heartbreak, and all—vanishes.

When sadness or tragedy victimize you, it can feel as though time has frozen and daily survival is an unmanageable burden. You feel isolated because no one else is stuck in the loop: they all have ambitions, expectations, and know tomorrow will be a new day. But what happens when you find that special person who restarts your engine, someone else who feels as though time has stopped...and you're the only one who can get them going again? You can either avoid each other—denying that the solution is in your mutual embrace—or recognize that, while stepping out of the time loop will be jarring, it's the only way to move forward. Take each other’s hand and step into destiny together; life is better when you have someone to help unsnarl your messy existence. You'll never be perfect, but taking steps to improve is better than looping forever. Life’s adventure is more exhilarating than anything you hoped for or planned.

Robbie Couch knows just when to inject surprise, sincerity, deep emotion, humor, and narrative innovation. If I See You Again Tomorrow reinvigorates the time loop sub-genre with beautiful pacing and suspense that isn't resolved until the book's final sentence. I'd consider rating If I See You Again Tomorrow three and a half stars; as a literary artist, Robbie Couch gets the blend of colors just right. If you haven't had the pleasure of reading him yet, you can't go wrong starting with this book.