Book Review: See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Our main character Barrett Bloom is hoping that college (University) will be a fresh start from things that happened to her in High School. But unfortunately, fate has a different plan for her on September 21st. She gets roomed with her mean ex-friend from school, tanks an interview—her chance at following Journalism—gets shown up by a smart-ass in class, and sets fire to a frat house. It’s not until Barrett wakes up the next day that she sees the unthinkable: September 21st has restarted all over again. And after going through the motions (and all the emotions) she finds she’s actually not alone, either—smart-ass from physics is trapped right there with her. Which is when life gets crazy.

Trying all they can to fix the broken timeline, Barrett and her newfound partner in time, Miles, clash at first. But over literal time, they begin to make a plan. Try things her way a little, then his. But no amount of good deeds, reckless days, road trips and alternate endings can fix what’s wrong. They explore the University, trying to find a logical, or even wild, idea that would fix it. But the more they become wrapped in their own little world that only they are trapped in, the more Barrett can’t ignore her growing feelings for Miles. She’s been burned before, but she knows he’s different. Kind, caring, soft beneath the hard exterior front he puts on to the world. She lets him see the real her, too, as she discovers it for herself right alongside him. But the closer they get to finding a way out, and to one another, the more it becomes obvious—what happens to what they built when this is over, and is it worth the risk?

Overall, See You Yesterday came into my life in a whirlwind of sassy lines, time jokes, sex-positive inclusion and characters I adored from the get-go. Barrett felt like a friend, someone I was cheering on as she battled insecurities and came to terms with her feelings of the past, present and future. I adored Miles. He was truly a top-tier book boyfriend and will be beloved by many, I can say for certain. The raw, crystal-clear connection between Barrett and Miles defied everything I thought could exist between characters. Don’t even get me started on this well-crafted, exquisite world Rachel built, how time weaved a tale that wrapped the characters in a Groundhog Day style mystery that kept me reading endlessly. See You Yesterday was simply an unafraid novel that had me enamoured—turning pages into the night—in awe of how deeply I felt attached to everything, each character, each time, all at once. Five stars doesn’t feel like enough!