It’s been exactly a year since that message from Dad. A year since James (Spence) Spencer learnt of the accident. A year since he lost his mum. Spence’s mates Anthony and Worm were great at the time. Especially Anthony. And they’ve kept their promise not to talk about it with anyone. The last thing Spence wants is to be the key figure in a pity party at school.

He’s just got on with it, hanging out with Anthony and Worm. Parties with booze, drugs and girls. Not that Spence or Worm ever hook-up with the latter. Worm is too crazy and Spence is too quiet. Anthony’s wealthy parents are away again, so that means another party. Everyone knows his parties are legendary, and Spence intends to attend, even on this night as his father stays home alone.

The music is loud, the drugs hidden but present and the booze plentiful. Spence saw his old crush Clara Hart among the partygoers, dancing and getting drunker by the minute. Then she’s gone. With Anthony. Which gives Spence a stab to the heart. There is worse to come. Clara reappears after stumbling and falling down the stairs. She runs out into the night – straight into the path of an oncoming car. Everyone sobers up fast, especially Spence at the news of her death.

There are more shocks to come. The next day, he sees Clara in the carpark. What the…? She is exactly as the morning before. Even says the same things? In class, Spence hears the exact same sentences. Incredibly, somehow… he is reliving Friday.

This happens again and again… and again and…

Struggling with Clara’s loss over and over, he tries to figure what he must do to return to reality. Save Clara? Prevent Worm losing even more dignity? Help others around him? Every rerun of the day begins to bring different events and morphs slightly when he changes things. But someone always gets hurt. When he finally realises what has to happen he is shocked and disgusted with himself. If only he had clicked sooner. If only he had spoken up.

Wow. Every teenage boy should read this book. The list below cannot be wrong.

Shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing, 2023

Finalist for the Kirkus Prize, Young Adult category, 2023

Winner of a White Raven Award 2023

Shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2023

Shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2023

Shortlisted for The Badger Books Award 2023

Shortlisted for the Great Reads Award 2022

The premise of reliving a day is interesting and entertaining, but the reason Spence must persevere with it is shocking, heartbreaking, and was with me long after I’d finished listening to this audiobook.

Date rape, Toxic masculinity, and looking the other way are the underlining themes of this powerful and brilliantly written novel of a teen in a time loop.

Personally, I believe there should be many more Winner listings above.

Author – Louise Finch

Age – 16+

(2023, Little Island, Date Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual Violence, Parties, Alcohol, Booze, Drugs, Looking the other way, Time Loop, Grief, Loss, Toxic Masculinity, Patriarchal Norms, Sexism, Misogyny, Meathead Mentality, Friendship, Loyalty, School, Crime, Secret, Grief, Peer Pressure, Growing up, Courage)