You and Me on Repeat

Gr 10 Up–When Chris wakes up and realizes he’s reliving his high school graduation day, he shrugs it off as a dream, but as the cycle repeats again and again, he begins to believe something strange is happening. The alarm, the texts from his friends, eating breakfast—it’s all familiar. He starts to change the details to get different outcomes. His main goal is to win a first kiss from his girlfriend Andy, who’s been mysteriously postponing intimacy. Enter his old friend Alicia, who reveals that she’s traveling in this time loop alongside him. The two had been close friends as children, but once middle school started, Chris left her behind. Now, as Alicia gives her valedictorian speech loop after loop, she helps Chris confront his fears. While trapped in this perpetual graduation day, Chris and Alicia navigate life’s uncertainties. Their exploration of time, regrets, and love eventually leads them to a place they never expected to be. Shyne has created a delightful story that highlights both the anxiety of adolescence and the joy of being young. Though the time loop trope is not new, the author pumps fresh life into it with quirky characters, humorous pranks, and realistic drawings. There are also meaningful lessons about grief, gratitude, and identity. The characters include LGBTQIA+ and immigrant representation. The handful of profanities throughout the text may make this inappropriate for younger teens.