See You Yesterday

• Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
• Genre: NA Romance
• Publication Date: May 17, 2022
• Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

CONTENT WARNING: bullying, panic attack, blood

From the author of Today Tonight Tomorrow comes a magical romance in the vein of Groundhog Day about a girl forced to relive her disastrous first day of college—only to discover that her nemesis is stuck in the time loop with her.

Barrett Bloom is hoping college will be a fresh start after a messy high school experience. But when school begins on September 21st, everything goes wrong. She’s humiliated by the know-it-all in her physics class, she botches her interview for the college paper, and at a party that night, she accidentally sets a frat on fire. She panics and flees, and when she realizes her roommate locked her out of their dorm, she falls asleep in the common room.

The next morning, Barrett’s perplexed to find herself back in her dorm room bed, no longer smelling of ashes and crushed dreams. It’s September 21st. Again. And after a confrontation with Miles, the guy from Physics 101, she learns she’s not alone—he’s been trapped for months.

When her attempts to fix her timeline fail, she agrees to work with Miles to find a way out. Soon they’re exploring the mysterious underbelly of the university and going on wild, romantic adventures. As they start falling for each other, they face the universe’s biggest unanswered question yet: what happens to their relationship if they finally make it to tomorrow?

Seriously? Everything Rachel Lynn Solomon writes is amazing. And every time I think I found my favorite one of her books, I read another and discover that she gets better with every book. It doesn’t hurt that every time I turn around, she’s got another killer book coming out, and that she writes in both the YA and the adult romance genres. Although this one is smack in the middle, more like a NA book, it’s still perfect for YA readers.

True to form, there are some things that RLS effortlessly works into this story, without ever feeling forced or uncomfortable. Our MC is Jewish, and I adore how the Jewish representation is different in each of her stories, reflecting the wide range in how Jewish people practice their faith, and how adaptable and flexible it is. Not only that, but Barrett is plus-size, which I feel like I don’t see often enough in books. Or maybe I’m just not reading the right books. Barrett’s partner in the time loop and love interest is Japanese-American and Jewish, which allows her to address the way that patrilineal Jews, or Jews of Color are often the recipient of microaggressions. Barrett’s mother is bisexual and currently in a relationship with a woman. I fully expected mental health representation to come up, and I wasn’t let down.

Let me gush about the characters a bit. I immediately fell in love with Barrett. She’s hilariously funny, quirky, and not afraid to get silly, even if she is afraid of opening up and getting vulnerable after some terrible experiences. And Miles … he’s aloof and a little condescending at first, but I definitely warmed up to him. I loved watching the two of them connect with each other and eventually team up to get unstuck from the time loop.

While I do have a basic understanding of physics, or at least I did about a decade ago, this book gets into some more complicated concepts than I learned in intro to physics back in college. However, it kept it simple enough that I didn’t feel like it was going over my head, or that it was being dumbed down. And rather than focusing on the quantum mechanics aspect, the heart of the story was about Barrett and Miles working through their issues, both individually and together. But I can’t lie — my favorite part of the story came towards the end, when they finally admit their feelings and act on them. 

The discussion of having expectations when you first go away to college, and have a new opportunity to reinvent yourself is addressed beautifully. As is the way that the romance develops, and the way we get to know all the unique, sensitive, and quirky aspects of both Barrett and Miles. With this book, RLS has again cemented her place in my list of all-time favorite authors.

Which is your favorite RLS book?