✰ 3.5 stars ✰
“I sit up in bed, recalling each one of Ms. Hazel’s tips to defeat loneliness:
Try to make a new friend.
Help someone who could use it.
Be vulnerable so others can be too.
Do the thing that scares you.”
I already have Robbie Couch's previous books in my tbr, but once again, I decided to check out his latest release, If I See You Again Tomorow so I could get a feel of his writing, which happily enough, I liked! It was very clear, very direct, with much love and attention to detail, and very on the point telling a story, without wavering in any way.
And yes, while it was a Groundhog Day-esque plot, there were plenty of repetitive scenes that took place, but it didn't become too redundant to the point that I would become fed up from it. Throw in the fact that there's actual a timer to how long our protagonist, Clark, can continue on this endless loop of this one day in his life - then the odds are certainly stacked against him as he races to figure out what exactly could be the tipping point to get him past the clock striking that fateful time of repeat. 🥺🥺
“She referred to the day you’re Trapped as the time gap grace period. The universe is allowing you an additional day to fix your wrong—and make it right.”
My first impactful moment would have to be when Clark admitted aloud to his therapist that he was lonely - we've all been, there - I still feel that way - so for him to reflect on his life and his family - that he was lonely even before he became the only one re-living the same day over and over, was an interesting touch. I enjoyed all the characters choices for who Clark ultimately had to do his good deed for the day in order for him to make sense of this trajectory. 🩷🩷
“I’ve been stuck on my beaten path for so long, reluctant to discover more sadness existing in my today, that I’d forgotten I could come across lots of good things stuck on repeat as well.”
Each of them had a unique touch to their personality, offered a different perspective into Clark's own rationale frame of mind and how he was reacting to his own family situations. And trust me - they were there! Trying not to mention spoilers, but just seeing Clark grow as a person himself, was also cathartic if not rewarding - because when he figured out the reason why he was even here in the first place is when he really shined. ✨✨
“Even with the time loop messing with my memory, I know I would remember Beau; his ease, his energy, his voice—warm, deep, and a touch raspy, like a bonfire crackling on its last log. Nothing about him is subtle, and even less is forgettable.
“Well, I think you’re wrong.” His eyes dart between me and the road. His lips, pink and full, curl up into a grin. “Maybe we met in another life.”
Sadly, I really didn't feel much for Beau - the potential love interest - maybe if we had been offered some perspective from his point of view, or got to see him more than just Clark spending the majority of his remaining time chasing after him in the chance of meeting him again - I would have believed their chemistry. Even if I buy into the whole 'soulmates' vibe and one day can change everything - it fell a little flat for my taste, despite Beau stating, “I’m the luckiest because I got to have you, even if it was just sixteen hours.”
Honestly, it may be my personal opinion, but if there wasn't even romance involved and it was the story of how Clark overcame his own personal demons and gained a level of maturity to his way of thinking - I think it would have been just as a rewarding, if not interesting read. Not to say that I didn't have a good time with it - but, I just think I could have felt more for them and the keen desperate yearning Clark had to make it right for him to find a way back to him - if there was more to them than just what we were given. 🤷
But, if Clark was able to feel something within that short span of time, with the surprise - the anomaly in his redundant space-time continuum - then it matters very little what I think. I definitely walk away with this book with the hopeful prospect of checking out Robbie Couch's other works as soon as I can. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
“Because, if there’s one thing I’ve learned while being Trapped, it’s that time may be able to warp many things, but it can never destroy the life I’ve shared with the people I love—regardless if I shared all seventeen years, or just a single afternoon of running errands.
The time loop may have tried, but it couldn’t conquer me. Not really. In the end, I found my way back to them.”