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This Again?
How far would you go to have the best day of your life? Middle grade author Adam Borba returns with a funny and thrilling time travel adventure that tackles questions of fate and free will.
Noah Nicholson has plenty to be grateful for. He has solid grades and great friends, he’s finally becoming closer with Lucy Martinez—his crush since second grade— and he just might have a chance to be elected class president next week. But despite all that, Noah fixates on the should’ve-beens and could’ve-beens and the belief that he can make his life perfect. Then Noah comes upon an opportunity to do just that.
At the local bowling alley, Noah runs into someone most unexpected: himself. The look-alike is him from nine days in the future, and he insists that if Noah does every ridiculous thing he says—from quacking like a duck in science class to painting himself green—they can achieve their dream of perfection. However, fate may have other plans, and Future Noah may not be entirely honest about what he’s doing there.…
Perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead and Louis Sachar, This Again? takes readers on an incredible journey through time, mind, and middle school.
Noah Nicholson has plenty to be grateful for. He has solid grades and great friends, he’s finally becoming closer with Lucy Martinez—his crush since second grade— and he just might have a chance to be elected class president next week. But despite all that, Noah fixates on the should’ve-beens and could’ve-beens and the belief that he can make his life perfect. Then Noah comes upon an opportunity to do just that.
At the local bowling alley, Noah runs into someone most unexpected: himself. The look-alike is him from nine days in the future, and he insists that if Noah does every ridiculous thing he says—from quacking like a duck in science class to painting himself green—they can achieve their dream of perfection. However, fate may have other plans, and Future Noah may not be entirely honest about what he’s doing there.…
Perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead and Louis Sachar, This Again? takes readers on an incredible journey through time, mind, and middle school.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published April 16, 2024
6 people are currently reading
2432 people want to read
About the author
Adam Borba
3 books28 followersADAM BORBA is the author of THIS AGAIN?, OUTSIDE NOWHERE, and THE MIDNIGHT BRIGADE. When he’s not writing, he develops and produces movies like PETE'S DRAGON and PETER PAN & WENDY with his friends. He is a graduate of Palm Springs High School, the University of Southern California, and the William Morris Agency mailroom. Adam lives in California with his family and can be found on the internet at adamborba.com
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 24, 2025
This was a perfectly enjoyable middle grade read but somewhere around the 3/4 mark, something about this book really got me in an unexpected way and it became something more.
Noah has always grown up feeling like he's in his family's shadow. His parents are science geniuses and his older brother capped off a successful high school career with getting accepted to Harvard. Noah's determined to make his family proud, but the first major step in his ren year plan is getting elected eighth grade president, and it's not exactly going well.
Enter a mysterious doppelganger claiming to be his future self. Loaded with insider knowledge, Future Noah thinks the two of them will be unstoppable. Unfortunately, Future Noah isn't exactly showing all of his cards and present-day Noah starts to feel like the more he does to be his "best" self, the more he loses sight of who he really is.
Although Noah isn't coded as neurodivergent himself, I do feel like there's a lot here that neurodivergent kids can relate to. Particularly those of us who were misdiagnosed or diagnosed later and found our school success through enormous effort/intensity and a good helping of anxiety. Noah is undoubtedly a smart kid, but he's a kid under a lot of pressure. His journey to finding the right balance for him and not being afraid to ask for help, is relatable. It's also just nice to see a few examples of positive adult role models and (though imperfect) ultimately supportive family and friend relationships. A good read for fans of Mike Jung's The Boys in the Back Row, Better Nate Than Ever, and Kelly Yang's books, that also feature extremely determined kids coming into themselves, community, and solid friendships.
Noah has always grown up feeling like he's in his family's shadow. His parents are science geniuses and his older brother capped off a successful high school career with getting accepted to Harvard. Noah's determined to make his family proud, but the first major step in his ren year plan is getting elected eighth grade president, and it's not exactly going well.
Enter a mysterious doppelganger claiming to be his future self. Loaded with insider knowledge, Future Noah thinks the two of them will be unstoppable. Unfortunately, Future Noah isn't exactly showing all of his cards and present-day Noah starts to feel like the more he does to be his "best" self, the more he loses sight of who he really is.
Although Noah isn't coded as neurodivergent himself, I do feel like there's a lot here that neurodivergent kids can relate to. Particularly those of us who were misdiagnosed or diagnosed later and found our school success through enormous effort/intensity and a good helping of anxiety. Noah is undoubtedly a smart kid, but he's a kid under a lot of pressure. His journey to finding the right balance for him and not being afraid to ask for help, is relatable. It's also just nice to see a few examples of positive adult role models and (though imperfect) ultimately supportive family and friend relationships. A good read for fans of Mike Jung's The Boys in the Back Row, Better Nate Than Ever, and Kelly Yang's books, that also feature extremely determined kids coming into themselves, community, and solid friendships.
July 7, 2024
Noah is focused on his plan to be admitted to Harvard and become a world-famous physicist like his parents and like his older brother Paul, who is a freshman at Harvard, is in the process of doing. Noah believes if he can just become 8th grade class president, just like Paul, he will have taken his first step along that road. However, nothing seems to be going right for him, until he meets his future self who came back to help him. As Noah listens to Future, events seem to be proceeding along just as they should. But are they really? And should Noah trust Future when nothing except the election process seems to be going right? This Again? is a tale of finding oneself in middle school and learning to be happy with who you are instead of the person you assume others want you to be.
June 20, 2024
We all have done things we wish had turned out differently, but if you could go back and time and change them, would you? And more importantly, could you?
Such is the dilemma that Noah Nicholson faces in This Again?. When Noah meets a future version of himself, aptly called Future, who has traveled back in time with a plan to help Noah achieve everything he thinks he wants, Noah agrees to go along with the plan, despite some of the ridiculous things it entails. But along the way, he comes to see that getting what he wants isn't worth sacrificing what he already has - and that maybe the universe has different plans for him.
I loved how this book entwined so many important messages with humor and science fiction, making it both enjoyable and instructive for middle grade readers. Noah's experiences speak volumes about the pressures of expectations, perceptions, and popularity, as well as what truly matters. The story is very relatable to many, especially to those who feel that they struggle to live up to an older sibling's achievements, who are not part of the "in" crowd, or who think that humiliation in front of one's peers would be the worst imaginable thing. Who hasn't been in one of those situations before?
Overall, I think this was a pleasant and dynamic story that will truly resonate with its readers . The inclusion of so many powerful messages along with humor and time travel make this book suitable for almost anyone who enjoys reading on the middle grade level.
Special thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Such is the dilemma that Noah Nicholson faces in This Again?. When Noah meets a future version of himself, aptly called Future, who has traveled back in time with a plan to help Noah achieve everything he thinks he wants, Noah agrees to go along with the plan, despite some of the ridiculous things it entails. But along the way, he comes to see that getting what he wants isn't worth sacrificing what he already has - and that maybe the universe has different plans for him.
I loved how this book entwined so many important messages with humor and science fiction, making it both enjoyable and instructive for middle grade readers. Noah's experiences speak volumes about the pressures of expectations, perceptions, and popularity, as well as what truly matters. The story is very relatable to many, especially to those who feel that they struggle to live up to an older sibling's achievements, who are not part of the "in" crowd, or who think that humiliation in front of one's peers would be the worst imaginable thing. Who hasn't been in one of those situations before?
Overall, I think this was a pleasant and dynamic story that will truly resonate with its readers . The inclusion of so many powerful messages along with humor and time travel make this book suitable for almost anyone who enjoys reading on the middle grade level.
Special thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 13, 2024
Noah Nicholson has an absolutely disastrous day when he has to give a speech for the class president election at East Hills Middle School in Albany, New York. He has a plan. A good plan. It involves becoming class president, doing well on the bowling team, going to Harvard like his older brother Paul, and becoming a college professor of physics. His parents are co chairs in a university science department, so there is a definite trend toward embracing academia. However, he's not doing well in math, and his pants rip when he stands to give his speech. He panics and runs off staging, giving everyone a glimpse of his pink underwear. This horrifies him. He tries to get over it, but keeps seeing someone who looks just like him hanging around town. When his doppelganger knocks on his window late at night, he finds out the truth. His parents, inspired by a new blender, have invented a time machine, and he's traveled from eight days in the future to try to help himself avoid his mistakes. His future self, who helpfully suggests he be called "Future", which certainly makes things much easier, has some odd suggestions, like making Noah learn to drink tea. He wants to help Noah win the election, and has a plan to make him more popular that involves an afternoon detention picking up trash with the popular kids. Future manages to engineer a meeting with Noah's crush, Lucy Martinez, at a tea shop, so the tip about tea was a good one. Noah doesn't break the blender, so the family doesn't need a new one, and efforts have to be made to change this so that time travel will be invented. This happens, and the resultant machine involves a computer and a claw foot bathtub, very similar to Welford's in Time Traveling with a Hamster. Noah is subjected to all sorts of embarassing things, like showing up in a lime green tuxedo to play basketball, but in the end, he finds out that this is the twentieth time Future has tried to fix the day. When Paul comes home from Harvard, having dropped out, Noah must reassess his life. Is it worth traveling through time to be perfect, or should he take what life gives him and make it work?
Strengths: Noah's math teacher, Ms. Tucker, was my favorite part of this book, with the bowling being a close second. It's so common for students to try to stay in advanced classes for which they are not developmentally ready because they have friends or older siblings who have taken the classes. Ms. Tucker tries to let Noah know that it's okay not to be brilliant in math; it doesn't mean the rest of his life will be ruined. I wish more of my students had life plans, although not as rigourous as Noah's perhaps. The nascent romance is a nice addition. This is a fun, goofy look at attempts to change one's life course, even when it ends up being unnecessary.
Weaknesses: In almost 25 years of teaching, I have never seen a school election, much less one with speeches in an auditorium. Back in 1982, I had a slogan very similar to Noah's "Know-A Good Thing" in my riff on the Hallmark classic: "Yingling, when you Karenough to Choose the Very Best". I don't remember there being speeches, because then I would certainly have delivered a memorable performance. I wouldn't have won, but it would have been memorable. Hope you're doing well, President Chuck Smith.
What I really think: I liked this even better than Borba's goofy The Midnight Brigade or Outside Nowhere, and it's a great addition to humorous speculative fiction titles like Thayer's The Double Life of Danny Day, Lubar's The Emperor of the Universe series, or Thompson's The Day I Was Erased.
Strengths: Noah's math teacher, Ms. Tucker, was my favorite part of this book, with the bowling being a close second. It's so common for students to try to stay in advanced classes for which they are not developmentally ready because they have friends or older siblings who have taken the classes. Ms. Tucker tries to let Noah know that it's okay not to be brilliant in math; it doesn't mean the rest of his life will be ruined. I wish more of my students had life plans, although not as rigourous as Noah's perhaps. The nascent romance is a nice addition. This is a fun, goofy look at attempts to change one's life course, even when it ends up being unnecessary.
Weaknesses: In almost 25 years of teaching, I have never seen a school election, much less one with speeches in an auditorium. Back in 1982, I had a slogan very similar to Noah's "Know-A Good Thing" in my riff on the Hallmark classic: "Yingling, when you Karenough to Choose the Very Best". I don't remember there being speeches, because then I would certainly have delivered a memorable performance. I wouldn't have won, but it would have been memorable. Hope you're doing well, President Chuck Smith.
What I really think: I liked this even better than Borba's goofy The Midnight Brigade or Outside Nowhere, and it's a great addition to humorous speculative fiction titles like Thayer's The Double Life of Danny Day, Lubar's The Emperor of the Universe series, or Thompson's The Day I Was Erased.
August 15, 2025
In This Again Noah is the nerdy kid of middle school with his pressed khaki pants and button-down shirts; he's in a bowling league with his two best friends and usually with senior citizens. He suffers from feeling inadequate to his physics professor parents and an older brother who sailed through middle school confident popular, athletic, and is now at Harvard.
Noah is none of those things.
But Noah has a five-step plan to "become wildly happy & successful", beginning with winning the election in eight days to become the president of the eighth-grade class, and then all four years of high school.
With a bit of physics - magic - Noah meets his future self who is eight days ahead in the future, and who has a plan to help Noah.
The plan, devised by Future Noah, goes both well but also, all kinds of wrong. But along the way Noah finds most of what he hopes, with comedy, heart, and angst.
I always read books before I buy them for our grands. As soon as I closed the cover, I purchased This Again for our soon to be thirteen-year-old grandson. He'll have it tomorrow.
5 Stars for This Again.
Noah is none of those things.
But Noah has a five-step plan to "become wildly happy & successful", beginning with winning the election in eight days to become the president of the eighth-grade class, and then all four years of high school.
With a bit of physics - magic - Noah meets his future self who is eight days ahead in the future, and who has a plan to help Noah.
The plan, devised by Future Noah, goes both well but also, all kinds of wrong. But along the way Noah finds most of what he hopes, with comedy, heart, and angst.
"Quack, quack."This Again will entertain middle schoolers with the added benefit of being assured that middle school won't define them.
I always read books before I buy them for our grands. As soon as I closed the cover, I purchased This Again for our soon to be thirteen-year-old grandson. He'll have it tomorrow.
5 Stars for This Again.
July 23, 2024
This Again is a fun and wacky story about an uptight, nerdy boy (Noah) trying to get elected class president and is taking advice from his future self to do weird things that will make him more popular.
It's a standard 'don't change yourself to fit someone else's image of you' story, but what makes it unique is Noah is changing to fit his own idea of who he should be (he's taking the advice from himself after all).
The ending gets preachy, and the beginning hits the 'Noah's a nerd & outcast' a bit hard (he hit soe many stereotypes I had to wonder if I wasn't a major nerd in my school years). The middle of the story is by far the best part when he's doing a bunch of wacky things and gets caught up in his sudden popularity. There's an interesting exploration of the positive effects of stepping out of your comfort zone that the story could have gone a bit deeper into, but overall it was a very fun book.
It's a standard 'don't change yourself to fit someone else's image of you' story, but what makes it unique is Noah is changing to fit his own idea of who he should be (he's taking the advice from himself after all).
The ending gets preachy, and the beginning hits the 'Noah's a nerd & outcast' a bit hard (he hit soe many stereotypes I had to wonder if I wasn't a major nerd in my school years). The middle of the story is by far the best part when he's doing a bunch of wacky things and gets caught up in his sudden popularity. There's an interesting exploration of the positive effects of stepping out of your comfort zone that the story could have gone a bit deeper into, but overall it was a very fun book.
May 1, 2024
Who hasn’t asked, “What if?”
That’s the premise of This Again? What if Noah did something different? What if Noah acted a certain way? What if Noah tried a little harder? Present Noah isn’t above asking those questions. After all, he has a certain outcome in his sights. But those questions eventually lead Noah to the realization that nothing is perfect.
Readers will immediately relate to the humor/humiliation that Noah faces. They’ll understand why things may be funny to those on the outside and not to those in the middle. They’ll understand the desire to go back and change things. They’ll relate to almost everything.
Author Adam Borba deftly explores middle-school dynamics with wit and heart. And he hits a home run with the topic of personal and external expectations. Borba’s writing is smooth and inviting, and This Again? reads faster than its 250 pages.
That’s the premise of This Again? What if Noah did something different? What if Noah acted a certain way? What if Noah tried a little harder? Present Noah isn’t above asking those questions. After all, he has a certain outcome in his sights. But those questions eventually lead Noah to the realization that nothing is perfect.
Readers will immediately relate to the humor/humiliation that Noah faces. They’ll understand why things may be funny to those on the outside and not to those in the middle. They’ll understand the desire to go back and change things. They’ll relate to almost everything.
Author Adam Borba deftly explores middle-school dynamics with wit and heart. And he hits a home run with the topic of personal and external expectations. Borba’s writing is smooth and inviting, and This Again? reads faster than its 250 pages.
March 23, 2025
3.5 stars. Usually time travel books are not my favorite, but this was a fun take on time travel. 12 year old Noah is feeling the pressure of trying to get elected as the 8th grade, keep his grades up, and prove to his parents and older brother that he is on the same path of success that they are on. His super smart parents invent a time travel machine so he goes back in time to try and keep himself from experiencing the most embarrassing day of his life, and win the election. Future self has a lot of suggestions, which cause some unintended ripple effects in his life. Noah starts to question which is the right path and what is worth being “popular”. A quick read with some interesting plot points. No swears, no romance, no violence. 5th grade and up.
November 10, 2024
Time travel is definitely my favorite theme in the science fiction genre, and this is a great one. Noah meets his future self (nicknamed Future) who has come back to help him win both the student council election and the girl, all while saving him from the worst day of his life. Of course there are problems with the do-over, and Noah has to decide if the cost is worth it. I will highly recommend this my middle schoolers looking for an engaging scifi read.
Fellow Christian school teachers: no content warnings, just a story that is both fun and thought-provoking.
Fellow Christian school teachers: no content warnings, just a story that is both fun and thought-provoking.
April 26, 2024
Middle grade time travel fun, and a reminder that some things - good or bad - are just meant to be.
“Life can be lonely. Even when you're surrounded by other people. But that loneliness goes away when you find someone who really gets you. “
But my favorite line is from the Acknowledgments following the story:
“But most of all, thank you to my wife... if I had the ability to do things over again in life, there are some things I might do differently, but I'd fall in love with her every time.”
“Life can be lonely. Even when you're surrounded by other people. But that loneliness goes away when you find someone who really gets you. “
But my favorite line is from the Acknowledgments following the story:
“But most of all, thank you to my wife... if I had the ability to do things over again in life, there are some things I might do differently, but I'd fall in love with her every time.”
January 22, 2024
Reading for myself, I’d give this book 3 ⭐️, if I were considering it for my classroom it would get 4 ⭐️.
This book is perfect for intermediate (3-5th grade) students.
Noah is running for class president and nothing seems to be going well. Until himself from a week in the future jumps back to help. This book is a fun read with an awesome moral for students.
#netgalley #ThisAgain
This book is perfect for intermediate (3-5th grade) students.
Noah is running for class president and nothing seems to be going well. Until himself from a week in the future jumps back to help. This book is a fun read with an awesome moral for students.
#netgalley #ThisAgain
June 7, 2024
Technically this is a time travel book, but the traveling part has already occurred so it is not the focus of the book. Noah does learn a lot about himself throughout the book, sometimes in spite of "Future". The story felt a little anti-climactic. The best parts were watching Noah navigate through his friendships and deciding what was important.
June 11, 2024
I love time travel novels, the more complex the better. THIS AGAIN? keeps you guessing the entire time. Will Noah win the school election (with help from Future Noah?) Will he pass that algebra test? Will his friends stay his friends? Or will Future Noah keep screwing things up? Funny and fast-paced, and highly entertaining.
March 1, 2024
This book is absolutely fantastic!! I love this middle grade read! It is full of humor, wit, adventure, excitement, and fun! I adore the main character! He is very engaging and fun! The time travel aspect is also great!
October 20, 2023
This book had me and the kids chuckling the whole way through and teary eyed by the end. Utter perfection. Adam Borba is becoming one of our family's favorite authors.
January 11, 2024
I’ve always been a fan of time travel stories and this is a great one! This Again is laugh out loud funny and a true original. I absolutely plan on reading this to my class soon.
April 21, 2024
Well written and entertaining despite a very predictable ending.
May 20, 2024
Unique
May 22, 2024
A very cute middle school read. A good example of what happens when you try to change things
July 7, 2024
Great tween book.
October 15, 2024
A great book about middle school, do overs, and what we think is important.
I'll admit I'm a sucker for a good Ground Hog Day type book.
This one does a reasonable job at adding to the genre.
I'll admit I'm a sucker for a good Ground Hog Day type book.
This one does a reasonable job at adding to the genre.
October 26, 2024
I like this book. Would recommend.
July 23, 2025
Cute middle school book that held our interest. Finished quickly. Good strong nasal voice in audio format. Would listen to another by Adam Borba.
February 15, 2024
If your middle school self traveled in time just to tell you how to turn the worst day of your life into the best day of your life, would you take their advice? Noah is trying to win class president, just like his older brother did, and he’s torn between his best friends and their favorite sport, bowling (uncool), and new friendships with the super-cool basketball players. And can he pass pre-algebra without actually putting in any work? When his future self shows up, Future Noah is full of ideas for getting their life on track, but in the end, who is the real Noah? THIS AGAIN is LOL funny but also a great reflection on being a good friend and doing what makes you happy rather than trying to meet what you think are other people’s expectations. A great lesson for middle grade readers and grownups.
September 9, 2024
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews