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Vivian Lantz's Second Chances
Groundhog Day meets Eighth Grade in this time-loop story set on the first day of school.
Vivian Lantz is cursed. Every year, terrible things happen on her first day of school. This year, Vivian has a plan to conquer eighth grade. But eighth grade? Turns out to be her worst first day yet.
Vivian can’t wait to put it all behind her. But instead of waking up to a brand-new day, Vivian gets stuck reliving her catastrophic one. Curse: 9,000–Vivian: 0. Then she sees her misfortune for what it is: the golden opportunity to get her perfect plan back on track. But when her second chance turns into a third, a fourth, and a fifth, Vivian might have to let go of the perfect day of her dreams…and make a few surprising choices along the way.
Vivian Lantz is cursed. Every year, terrible things happen on her first day of school. This year, Vivian has a plan to conquer eighth grade. But eighth grade? Turns out to be her worst first day yet.
Vivian can’t wait to put it all behind her. But instead of waking up to a brand-new day, Vivian gets stuck reliving her catastrophic one. Curse: 9,000–Vivian: 0. Then she sees her misfortune for what it is: the golden opportunity to get her perfect plan back on track. But when her second chance turns into a third, a fourth, and a fifth, Vivian might have to let go of the perfect day of her dreams…and make a few surprising choices along the way.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 13, 2023
6 people are currently reading
2276 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Ormsbee
10 books275 followersKathryn Ormsbee is the author of contemporary novels for children and young adults, including Growing Pangs, Candidly Cline, and Tash Hearts Tolstoy.
Her books have been critically acclaimed, translated into eight languages, selected for the Indie Next List and Junior Library Guild, and made “best of” lists at NPR, Amazon, Kirkus, and the Chicago and New York Public Libraries. She lives with her wife in Texas.
Her books have been critically acclaimed, translated into eight languages, selected for the Indie Next List and Junior Library Guild, and made “best of” lists at NPR, Amazon, Kirkus, and the Chicago and New York Public Libraries. She lives with her wife in Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
September 30, 2023
3.5 stars
At first glance, from the cover and the beginning chapters, this would appear to be just another story about a pre-teen girl’s ups and downs. Pretty normal for a beginning eighth grader, right? Yes, the book is that, but also much more…
After disastrous first days in grades K through 8, Vivian really wants a chance for a major do-over. When her second first day of eighth grade somehow magically appears, Vivian is sure that she can make it a perfect one THIS time around, due to her new Master Plan. But the Universe seems to have something totally different in store for her…
I enjoyed it! There were parts that brought back memories of my own school days and wishes for do-overs. And parts that made me a bit misty-eyed, where a big brother and little sis come to terms with each other…
At first glance, from the cover and the beginning chapters, this would appear to be just another story about a pre-teen girl’s ups and downs. Pretty normal for a beginning eighth grader, right? Yes, the book is that, but also much more…
After disastrous first days in grades K through 8, Vivian really wants a chance for a major do-over. When her second first day of eighth grade somehow magically appears, Vivian is sure that she can make it a perfect one THIS time around, due to her new Master Plan. But the Universe seems to have something totally different in store for her…
I enjoyed it! There were parts that brought back memories of my own school days and wishes for do-overs. And parts that made me a bit misty-eyed, where a big brother and little sis come to terms with each other…
January 4, 2023
Adorable and wonderful with the great voice of Vivian Lantz, reliving the same first day of school! Should she do good? Or evil? Get it right? Or her way? Will she ever get to the second day of 8th grade? Read and find out!!
July 12, 2023
What can I say? I'm a sucker for a time loop.
Vivian is cursed. Her first day of school is always horrible. But this year will be different. She has a plan. Alas, plans don't always go the way you expect. Especially not when you are cursed!
Vivian has such a great voice, I was rooting for her the whole way through. There is so much wisdom in this story, and the lessons are learned in an organic way, not in an afterschool special way, which made this book absolutely riveting. This book has everything: mean girls, crushes, friend drama, family drama, and magic. What's not to love?
Vivian is cursed. Her first day of school is always horrible. But this year will be different. She has a plan. Alas, plans don't always go the way you expect. Especially not when you are cursed!
Vivian has such a great voice, I was rooting for her the whole way through. There is so much wisdom in this story, and the lessons are learned in an organic way, not in an afterschool special way, which made this book absolutely riveting. This book has everything: mean girls, crushes, friend drama, family drama, and magic. What's not to love?
March 28, 2023
Yes, this is a middle grade book that is a take on Groundhog Day. That part is true. But like the movie, the repeating the day serves a purpose. Vivian thinks it is make it a perfect day, as she has never had a perfect first day of school. Only thing is, she can’t figure out what a perfect day is? Is it having revenge on the school mean girl? Is it being part of the mean girl squad? Is it getting angry at her brother, who is about to leave home for good without telling anyone? As the days go on, and things keep not turing out the way she hoped, she finally decides to confide in her brother, who tells her that perhaps her idea of perfect is not what the magic is supposed to do. He says in the movie that it teaches the main character to not be a jerk, and then it all clicks in Vivian’s mind. Perhaps having a perfect day isn’t getting revenge? Perhaps it is just being herself.
I love how each thing Vivian tries makes things worse, until she lets go. If we all had to go through days as she did, what would we pick? Would it be public humiliation over being right?
I love how Vivian’s dads are there, and not made a point about anything. I love how Vivian is not quite out, but has told her father that she thinks she is probably bi. I love how this is just part of the story, and not the center of the story.
A lot of the advice in the story is spot on too. When Vivian realizes that when her best friend moved away, that she would have to make new friends, and that’s ok. And its ok that she still has her old best friend and her new.
There is a lot going on in this book, but it was so much fun to read to see how Vivian was going to solve her problems, and stay true to herself, as we all should.
Highly recommend this delightful tale, which comes out 13th of June 2023. Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. And just look at that cover, too.
I love how each thing Vivian tries makes things worse, until she lets go. If we all had to go through days as she did, what would we pick? Would it be public humiliation over being right?
I love how Vivian’s dads are there, and not made a point about anything. I love how Vivian is not quite out, but has told her father that she thinks she is probably bi. I love how this is just part of the story, and not the center of the story.
A lot of the advice in the story is spot on too. When Vivian realizes that when her best friend moved away, that she would have to make new friends, and that’s ok. And its ok that she still has her old best friend and her new.
There is a lot going on in this book, but it was so much fun to read to see how Vivian was going to solve her problems, and stay true to herself, as we all should.
Highly recommend this delightful tale, which comes out 13th of June 2023. Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. And just look at that cover, too.
June 20, 2023
So funny! I adore a time-loop book, and this one is exactly right. It's full of wisdom about being a teenager, a woman, just a human being trying to exist in the world. Most of all, Vivian is a lovely person. She tries so hard, and I had to cheer when some things finally started to go right for her.
March 21, 2023
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Vivian has ALWAYS had bad first days of school. One of the worst ones was when she and her fathers and brother Arlo moved from Chicago to Texas in third grade, and she didn't know the song "Deep in the Heart of Texas". Now, everyone associates her with that day. In 7th grade, she got food poisoning from bad turkey bacon, but at least she had her best friend Cami to help her. Now, Cami has moved away, and Vivian has to start 8th grade all alone. She has a plan, though, that she's written in the hyacinth themed journal that Cami gave her; she's being more deliberate about her clothing choices, wants to get in with the popular Amberleigh's crowd, and wants cute Alex to notice her. Things don't start well. She wakes up to the sound of Arlo dealing with a leak in the roof (their dads run the Be Kind, Rewind resale shop, and the family lives above it), her dog makes a mess on the carpet, and she doesn't get breakfast. Arlo drives her to school and they get stuck in traffic, and she has a collision with Gemma that ends up with Vivian covered in mud. She's late for assembly, and later talks to her teacher about joining the school newspaper, only to them trip on a cord and destroy the teacher's aquarium. To make matters worse, she gets her period in school. She ends up, miserable, in the nurses office, and has her dads pick her up. Arlo decides that this is a good day to leave home to tour with his rock band. It's officially the worst day ever. The only good thing in her life is the Revelande book series, and for her birthday, her dads have gotten a taped message from the author, promising that Vivian can be in control of her own destiny. She's thinking about that as she goes to bed on that terrible day, wishing that she could relive it and make it right. When she wakes up the next morning, Arlo is once again dealing with a water leak. Realizing that she's in a time loop, Vivian tries to be more prepared. She takes supplies with her for her period, redirects Arlo through traffic, and manages to talk to Gemma rather than run into her. She even gets invited to a party at with the cool kids, but still there are plenty of things that are disatrous. Since she gets several more attempts at the day, she hopes that she can eventually fix everything. After six days, when things still aren't going right, she reaches out to Cami to see if they can figure out how to make 8th grade a success and avoid pitfalls like banana pudding and pockets full of dog poop. Will they succeed?
Strengths: Yep. We've all had those moments, which is why Seventeen Magazine ran a "Was My Face Red!" column for years. There's something about reading about other people's bad moments that is somehow comforting. So insecure about your outfit that you kept your sweater on the entire day and almost passed out from the heat? Tame compared to being covered in mud. The way that Vivian tried to rectify her mistakes was realistic, and her interactions with Gemma, Alex, and Amberleigh all changed in satisfactory ways. Alex turns out to be a bit of a jerk, Amberleigh is not nice, but Vivian eventually stands up to her, and Vivian realizes that she has a crush on Gemma. This works out because Gemma has come out to her friends as queer, and part of her problems with them is that they didn't accept that. I loved the vintage shop and wished we had seen more of it, and Vivian's connection with Cami was well done; now that kids have cell phones, they are able to keep in touch with friends in a way that wasn't possible even fifteen years ago. Throw in a little bit of fantasy fandom and fanfiction writing, and you've got a winner of a middle grade book.
Weaknesses: At one point, Vivian toasts and butters a PopTart. Is that something people do? Also, a girl in the school clinic is given a cup of Pepto Bismal to drink; maybe clinics in Texas can give out medication, but here in Ohio the best the nurse can do is bandages and peppermint candy. The magic that made the day repeat was a tiny bit vague, but the execution was great, so I didn't mind.
What I really think: I can only think of one other middle grade timeloop book, Bearce's Paris on Repeat, although Thayer's excellent The Double Life of Danny Day gives Danny one chance to repeat his days. This will be a big hit, although I wish the cover had looked a bit older. The cartoon style graphics on YA books are throwing me off, and I think this cover still reads a bit young. Definitely purchasing, though!
Vivian has ALWAYS had bad first days of school. One of the worst ones was when she and her fathers and brother Arlo moved from Chicago to Texas in third grade, and she didn't know the song "Deep in the Heart of Texas". Now, everyone associates her with that day. In 7th grade, she got food poisoning from bad turkey bacon, but at least she had her best friend Cami to help her. Now, Cami has moved away, and Vivian has to start 8th grade all alone. She has a plan, though, that she's written in the hyacinth themed journal that Cami gave her; she's being more deliberate about her clothing choices, wants to get in with the popular Amberleigh's crowd, and wants cute Alex to notice her. Things don't start well. She wakes up to the sound of Arlo dealing with a leak in the roof (their dads run the Be Kind, Rewind resale shop, and the family lives above it), her dog makes a mess on the carpet, and she doesn't get breakfast. Arlo drives her to school and they get stuck in traffic, and she has a collision with Gemma that ends up with Vivian covered in mud. She's late for assembly, and later talks to her teacher about joining the school newspaper, only to them trip on a cord and destroy the teacher's aquarium. To make matters worse, she gets her period in school. She ends up, miserable, in the nurses office, and has her dads pick her up. Arlo decides that this is a good day to leave home to tour with his rock band. It's officially the worst day ever. The only good thing in her life is the Revelande book series, and for her birthday, her dads have gotten a taped message from the author, promising that Vivian can be in control of her own destiny. She's thinking about that as she goes to bed on that terrible day, wishing that she could relive it and make it right. When she wakes up the next morning, Arlo is once again dealing with a water leak. Realizing that she's in a time loop, Vivian tries to be more prepared. She takes supplies with her for her period, redirects Arlo through traffic, and manages to talk to Gemma rather than run into her. She even gets invited to a party at with the cool kids, but still there are plenty of things that are disatrous. Since she gets several more attempts at the day, she hopes that she can eventually fix everything. After six days, when things still aren't going right, she reaches out to Cami to see if they can figure out how to make 8th grade a success and avoid pitfalls like banana pudding and pockets full of dog poop. Will they succeed?
Strengths: Yep. We've all had those moments, which is why Seventeen Magazine ran a "Was My Face Red!" column for years. There's something about reading about other people's bad moments that is somehow comforting. So insecure about your outfit that you kept your sweater on the entire day and almost passed out from the heat? Tame compared to being covered in mud. The way that Vivian tried to rectify her mistakes was realistic, and her interactions with Gemma, Alex, and Amberleigh all changed in satisfactory ways. Alex turns out to be a bit of a jerk, Amberleigh is not nice, but Vivian eventually stands up to her, and Vivian realizes that she has a crush on Gemma. This works out because Gemma has come out to her friends as queer, and part of her problems with them is that they didn't accept that. I loved the vintage shop and wished we had seen more of it, and Vivian's connection with Cami was well done; now that kids have cell phones, they are able to keep in touch with friends in a way that wasn't possible even fifteen years ago. Throw in a little bit of fantasy fandom and fanfiction writing, and you've got a winner of a middle grade book.
Weaknesses: At one point, Vivian toasts and butters a PopTart. Is that something people do? Also, a girl in the school clinic is given a cup of Pepto Bismal to drink; maybe clinics in Texas can give out medication, but here in Ohio the best the nurse can do is bandages and peppermint candy. The magic that made the day repeat was a tiny bit vague, but the execution was great, so I didn't mind.
What I really think: I can only think of one other middle grade timeloop book, Bearce's Paris on Repeat, although Thayer's excellent The Double Life of Danny Day gives Danny one chance to repeat his days. This will be a big hit, although I wish the cover had looked a bit older. The cartoon style graphics on YA books are throwing me off, and I think this cover still reads a bit young. Definitely purchasing, though!
November 21, 2023
This story revolving around a time-loop, like in the movie Groundhog Day, is completely transfixing!
The set-up, that Vivian *always* has a ridiculously terrible first day of school is a good framing for the loop, and makes at least 6 of the 9 repetitions equally mortifyingly hysterical. However, given how consistently Vivian makes a "wrong" move - either socially or physically clutzy, it's hard to imagine her having ANY sequence of more than 3 days in a row that go smoothly. (...and about 3 of them felt to me like one-too-many times - but I may have miscounted, and this could be because I'm way past the prime reading age for this middle-grade novel...)
Nevertheless, I'm sure many upper-elementary and middle-school readers will be equally mesmerized by Vivian's attempts to make the repeated day better. The great thing is that you already know she's going to flub something, because her character is pretty consistent that way! So you know it's going to take her some time practicing to actually improve...and by trial and error, she does.
Somehow, these lurching, humorous repeating failures, near-failures, bad ideas, poorly-thought-through brainstorms, and occasional (but consistent) flashes of true, deep empathy for other people all combine to give readers a sense that none of us is perfect, and we all do usually get a second chance, even without a magical time loop.
One flaw;
Vivian doesn't even talk to Gemma about getting her period - they have an instantaneous bond, a meet-cute, a developing crush, and Vivian states clearly that she values the particular qualities of females for close relationships, so that is another missed opportunity, but not really a flaw.
A quick "booktalk" of the premise will be sufficient to get plenty of readers - here's my version: "Vivian's first day of 8th grade is absolutely horrible - couldn't have been worse, right? - but what happens when she wakes up the next day and gets to - or has to - do that same day all over again? Could she make it even worse, by trying to make it better?"
As an adult reader, after I closed this book, I started to consider how it would go if I tried to "do over" any of my worst days and make them better? Even with decades of experience & understanding of what followed - not just one good night's sleep like Vivian had - could I do any better? The magical time loop will give readers lots to think about, which is always great for school book reports.
The set-up, that Vivian *always* has a ridiculously terrible first day of school is a good framing for the loop, and makes at least 6 of the 9 repetitions equally mortifyingly hysterical. However, given how consistently Vivian makes a "wrong" move - either socially or physically clutzy, it's hard to imagine her having ANY sequence of more than 3 days in a row that go smoothly. (...and about 3 of them felt to me like one-too-many times - but I may have miscounted, and this could be because I'm way past the prime reading age for this middle-grade novel...)
Nevertheless, I'm sure many upper-elementary and middle-school readers will be equally mesmerized by Vivian's attempts to make the repeated day better. The great thing is that you already know she's going to flub something, because her character is pretty consistent that way! So you know it's going to take her some time practicing to actually improve...and by trial and error, she does.
Somehow, these lurching, humorous repeating failures, near-failures, bad ideas, poorly-thought-through brainstorms, and occasional (but consistent) flashes of true, deep empathy for other people all combine to give readers a sense that none of us is perfect, and we all do usually get a second chance, even without a magical time loop.
One flaw;
Vivian doesn't even talk to Gemma about getting her period - they have an instantaneous bond, a meet-cute, a developing crush, and Vivian states clearly that she values the particular qualities of females for close relationships, so that is another missed opportunity, but not really a flaw.
A quick "booktalk" of the premise will be sufficient to get plenty of readers - here's my version: "Vivian's first day of 8th grade is absolutely horrible - couldn't have been worse, right? - but what happens when she wakes up the next day and gets to - or has to - do that same day all over again? Could she make it even worse, by trying to make it better?"
As an adult reader, after I closed this book, I started to consider how it would go if I tried to "do over" any of my worst days and make them better? Even with decades of experience & understanding of what followed - not just one good night's sleep like Vivian had - could I do any better? The magical time loop will give readers lots to think about, which is always great for school book reports.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2023
I was drawn to this book by the cover, but when I read the blurb and saw that this story was going to be a Groundhog Day (I'm a super fan of the concept of the movie from the nineties) meets Eighth Grade I could not pass it and I'm glad I didn't.
Vivian is a more mature character than the usual middle-grade twelve-turning thirteen years old character. It doesn't mean she has all the answers, and that she is confident, on the contrary, everything seems out of control, she gets her period for the first time, changes her look with style and makeup, and has a love interest as a goal.
Her new goals are meant to break her curse of having a horrible first day of school but this curse gets trumped by a new magical event: reliving the first day of the Eighth grade over and over.
It's awesome.
The author takes us and Vivan on a journey from being a clutz, to having specific goals (but are they the ones she should be pursuing?) in the end this is a journey of self-discovery and identity, finding priorities, trying to take control of one's life, making mistakes, taking revenge, you name it... all her choices have consequences, some good, others bad, on a path to honesty.
I love that Vivian loves fantasy novels and writing them as well. She is a very relatable character. I saw myself in many of her scenes and many readers will identify with a few of her predicaments, even if her experiences aren't exactly the same as ours, the themes are.
Explores themes such as interest in romance, first time having the period, bullying, coming out, acceptance from peers, changes that are out of control like a close best friend moving away, distance relationships, new friendships, seeking validation, love for writing, pursuing favorite interests, shared interests, learning kindness, standing up for friends, adoption, two Dads and older brother as a family structure, LGBTQ+, bisexuality, acceptance that leads to confidence. Great novel for Pride Month.
I loved repeating the same day with Vivian, it wasn't a repetition at all, (it's actually a very readable book), it felt that we were growing together, sharing valuable lessons that even some adults should be reminded of.
An author to keep following. Looking forward to reading the next project.
Vivian is a more mature character than the usual middle-grade twelve-turning thirteen years old character. It doesn't mean she has all the answers, and that she is confident, on the contrary, everything seems out of control, she gets her period for the first time, changes her look with style and makeup, and has a love interest as a goal.
Her new goals are meant to break her curse of having a horrible first day of school but this curse gets trumped by a new magical event: reliving the first day of the Eighth grade over and over.
It's awesome.
The author takes us and Vivan on a journey from being a clutz, to having specific goals (but are they the ones she should be pursuing?) in the end this is a journey of self-discovery and identity, finding priorities, trying to take control of one's life, making mistakes, taking revenge, you name it... all her choices have consequences, some good, others bad, on a path to honesty.
I love that Vivian loves fantasy novels and writing them as well. She is a very relatable character. I saw myself in many of her scenes and many readers will identify with a few of her predicaments, even if her experiences aren't exactly the same as ours, the themes are.
Explores themes such as interest in romance, first time having the period, bullying, coming out, acceptance from peers, changes that are out of control like a close best friend moving away, distance relationships, new friendships, seeking validation, love for writing, pursuing favorite interests, shared interests, learning kindness, standing up for friends, adoption, two Dads and older brother as a family structure, LGBTQ+, bisexuality, acceptance that leads to confidence. Great novel for Pride Month.
I loved repeating the same day with Vivian, it wasn't a repetition at all, (it's actually a very readable book), it felt that we were growing together, sharing valuable lessons that even some adults should be reminded of.
An author to keep following. Looking forward to reading the next project.
June 16, 2023
A girl whose first school days are always cursed receives a time loop to correct her first day.
Vivian Lantz, a starting eighth-grader, prepares for her first school day. She needs to take the utmost caution because, usually, her first days aren't perfect. But even so, Vivian didn't have an excellent first day. Though, when she woke up, it was the same day again. What does this mean for Vivian? And how will she deal with her time loop?
This book is a perspective into a middle schooler's life who struggles with the challenges of having a perfect day and fitting in. If I had a bad day, would I want a time loop to start over the day? Yes and no. Yes, I could fix my mistakes, and no, because I would be afraid to get stuck in it.
Vivian learns a lot of things every day she is reliving. She will learn along the way what is important to make a perfect day at school and what to let go. Second chances teach you patience, wisdom (it's ok to make mistakes), forgiveness, courage, and to find who you are.
Could a first day at school be perfect? I don't think so, but we must learn from our mistakes.
This book addresses a lot of subjects such as friendship (losing new ones), romance (first crush), first period, family with two dads and a brother, coming out of the closet, and bisexuality (but those are just part of the story, not the center of the story).
Her parents (two dads) are excellent, and her big brother is pretty snarky. Gemma, her new friend, is lovely, and Cami, her other friend, is a pretty cool friend. Vivian also loves to write fanfic on her favorite series (like me, fanfic is when you take your fav series and make a whole new story with some of the characters or invent a character that lives in the series).
Give this book to anyone who believes in the magic of second chances and likes time loop stories.
Happy Reading, Paige ❤️ 📚
Vivian Lantz, a starting eighth-grader, prepares for her first school day. She needs to take the utmost caution because, usually, her first days aren't perfect. But even so, Vivian didn't have an excellent first day. Though, when she woke up, it was the same day again. What does this mean for Vivian? And how will she deal with her time loop?
This book is a perspective into a middle schooler's life who struggles with the challenges of having a perfect day and fitting in. If I had a bad day, would I want a time loop to start over the day? Yes and no. Yes, I could fix my mistakes, and no, because I would be afraid to get stuck in it.
Vivian learns a lot of things every day she is reliving. She will learn along the way what is important to make a perfect day at school and what to let go. Second chances teach you patience, wisdom (it's ok to make mistakes), forgiveness, courage, and to find who you are.
Could a first day at school be perfect? I don't think so, but we must learn from our mistakes.
This book addresses a lot of subjects such as friendship (losing new ones), romance (first crush), first period, family with two dads and a brother, coming out of the closet, and bisexuality (but those are just part of the story, not the center of the story).
Her parents (two dads) are excellent, and her big brother is pretty snarky. Gemma, her new friend, is lovely, and Cami, her other friend, is a pretty cool friend. Vivian also loves to write fanfic on her favorite series (like me, fanfic is when you take your fav series and make a whole new story with some of the characters or invent a character that lives in the series).
Give this book to anyone who believes in the magic of second chances and likes time loop stories.
Happy Reading, Paige ❤️ 📚
June 1, 2023
The colorful artwork on the cover of “Vivian Lantz’s Second Chances” caught my attention, but the description of the story being the first day of school on repeat (a la Groundhog Day) had me requesting the book immediately!
Vivian is incredibly relatable, and I loved her from the very beginning of the story. She’s been cursed with having horrible first days of school, but Vivian’s determined to make eighth grade different and get a new reputation before high school. However, when her first day begins with getting pushed into the mud and seeing her crush is now dating the ultimate mean girl, Vivian knows the curse isn’t playing games.
Just when you think things can’t get any worse for Vivian, she ends up in a time warp of reliving the same awful day. No matter how hard she tries, something always goes wrong! After redoing the same day multiple times, Vivian slowly begins to realize that her idea of the perfect day maybe isn’t so perfect after all.
Overall, I really did enjoy this book and thought the author did a great job at capturing the essence of first days of school and being an eighth grader. I wouldn’t recommend this book for younger grade school children since it touches on LGBT topics, but it’s suitable for upper middle grades and teens.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review.
Vivian is incredibly relatable, and I loved her from the very beginning of the story. She’s been cursed with having horrible first days of school, but Vivian’s determined to make eighth grade different and get a new reputation before high school. However, when her first day begins with getting pushed into the mud and seeing her crush is now dating the ultimate mean girl, Vivian knows the curse isn’t playing games.
Just when you think things can’t get any worse for Vivian, she ends up in a time warp of reliving the same awful day. No matter how hard she tries, something always goes wrong! After redoing the same day multiple times, Vivian slowly begins to realize that her idea of the perfect day maybe isn’t so perfect after all.
Overall, I really did enjoy this book and thought the author did a great job at capturing the essence of first days of school and being an eighth grader. I wouldn’t recommend this book for younger grade school children since it touches on LGBT topics, but it’s suitable for upper middle grades and teens.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review.
June 25, 2023
Vivian Lantz's Second Chances is a groundhog day meets eighth grade masterpiece. This book is full of lessons, understandings, funny moments, and obviously second chances.
Vivian has a history of terrible things happening on her first day first day of school. You name a grade, and she can tell you want happened. Burst appendix? Check. Throwing up in the school gym because of food poisoning? Yip. Not knowing the lyrics to a well known popular Texas school song, and get stage fright and run off so everyone now sings the lyrics when they're near? You bet ya. So of course, she wants to try and do everything she can to make the first day of Eighth Grade go perfectly. Of course, when it doesn't, she doesn't want to go back to school ever again. Until she wakes up the next day being the day before. She tries again. And again, and again, until she releases the lesson the universe (and a little bit of magic) is trying to teach her.
This book is funny and cute. There are typical middle school bullies, crushes and shenanigans. But there is also queer representation, with Vivian's two dads, her own bisexuality, and her love interest, Gemma being a lesbian.
This book is worth reading at any age, but I definitely recommend it to kids who have bad days at school.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Collins for a copy of the eArc. I leave this review voluntarily.
Vivian has a history of terrible things happening on her first day first day of school. You name a grade, and she can tell you want happened. Burst appendix? Check. Throwing up in the school gym because of food poisoning? Yip. Not knowing the lyrics to a well known popular Texas school song, and get stage fright and run off so everyone now sings the lyrics when they're near? You bet ya. So of course, she wants to try and do everything she can to make the first day of Eighth Grade go perfectly. Of course, when it doesn't, she doesn't want to go back to school ever again. Until she wakes up the next day being the day before. She tries again. And again, and again, until she releases the lesson the universe (and a little bit of magic) is trying to teach her.
This book is funny and cute. There are typical middle school bullies, crushes and shenanigans. But there is also queer representation, with Vivian's two dads, her own bisexuality, and her love interest, Gemma being a lesbian.
This book is worth reading at any age, but I definitely recommend it to kids who have bad days at school.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Collins for a copy of the eArc. I leave this review voluntarily.
May 16, 2023
Vivian Lantz has the worst luck when it comes to first days of school. Every year something different happens, whether it's being forced to sing in front of her entire class or having your appendix burst in fifth grade. 8th grade is going to be her chance for a fresh slate.
However, it turns out, 8th grade is the worst first day yet. So, when Vivian wakes up the following day and finds herself stuck in her first day of 8th grade again. Now is her chance to right all of her wrongs and create the best first day ever. But as it keeps happening, Vivian has to figure out how to escape the first day time loop.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy to review! I love Kathryn Ormsbee; she writes great middle grade that just hits the voice just right. And this one was no different! Vivian has such a journey of self-discovery in this book, one that a lot of middle schoolers will relate to. Finding her voice, finding a new friend after her best friend moves away. It's got it all.
Vivian also discovers that she might be attracted to girls in this book, and her dads just roll with it. The entire first crush moment was adorable, and Vivian learned more each time she was stuck in the time loop. She also had some great family relationships, and we get to explore those too as she's stuck.
All in all, if you like time loop stories and stories about finding yourself, you'll definitely love this middle grade!
However, it turns out, 8th grade is the worst first day yet. So, when Vivian wakes up the following day and finds herself stuck in her first day of 8th grade again. Now is her chance to right all of her wrongs and create the best first day ever. But as it keeps happening, Vivian has to figure out how to escape the first day time loop.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy to review! I love Kathryn Ormsbee; she writes great middle grade that just hits the voice just right. And this one was no different! Vivian has such a journey of self-discovery in this book, one that a lot of middle schoolers will relate to. Finding her voice, finding a new friend after her best friend moves away. It's got it all.
Vivian also discovers that she might be attracted to girls in this book, and her dads just roll with it. The entire first crush moment was adorable, and Vivian learned more each time she was stuck in the time loop. She also had some great family relationships, and we get to explore those too as she's stuck.
All in all, if you like time loop stories and stories about finding yourself, you'll definitely love this middle grade!
May 4, 2024
RIMSBA 2025 nominee #6:
What would you do differently if you could redo yesterday? How many takes would you need to get it right? And what is “right” anyway????
This is a great middle grades read! Vivian Lantz gets a magical opportunity to relive her first day of eighth grade over and over again until she gets it right. She learns some
valuable lessons about life, love, family and friendship in the process.
This book has diverse LGBTQ+ characters seamlessly woven into the story, and just enough “drama” to hold a middle schooler’s interest, without inducing tears or triggering trauma. (The only trauma that was triggered for me, as an adult, was remembering the awkwardness of my own middle school experience - haha- author Kathryn Ormsbee really nailed it! ) Vivian, and the reader, learn some hard truths in a gentle way that never feels preachy or dogmatic, just well earned with a touch of magical realism.
Teachers - this piece would lend itself to good book group discussions, and even a narrative writing prompt to create yet another chance for Vivian to redo her first day of school.
What would you do differently if you could redo yesterday? How many takes would you need to get it right? And what is “right” anyway????
This is a great middle grades read! Vivian Lantz gets a magical opportunity to relive her first day of eighth grade over and over again until she gets it right. She learns some
valuable lessons about life, love, family and friendship in the process.
This book has diverse LGBTQ+ characters seamlessly woven into the story, and just enough “drama” to hold a middle schooler’s interest, without inducing tears or triggering trauma. (The only trauma that was triggered for me, as an adult, was remembering the awkwardness of my own middle school experience - haha- author Kathryn Ormsbee really nailed it! ) Vivian, and the reader, learn some hard truths in a gentle way that never feels preachy or dogmatic, just well earned with a touch of magical realism.
Teachers - this piece would lend itself to good book group discussions, and even a narrative writing prompt to create yet another chance for Vivian to redo her first day of school.
June 19, 2023
Groundhog’s Day meets the first day of 8th grade.
☔️
Vivian Lantz has the worst luck with first days of school. The stories she could tell you! Now she’s starting the last year of middle school without her best friend who moved across the country. Vivian has high hopes for this first day, but they quickly get dashed the second she wakes up to rain pouring into the house and the day gets worse from there. The next day, though, it’s a first day all over again. As Vivian relives each day, she tries to create the perfect Monday, but maybe there is no such thing as the perfect first day of school.
📆
This was such a breath of fresh air! I adored the representation of two dads and a bisexual main character. I liked how honest @kathsby made Vivian and didn’t hold anything back—good and bad and she had great character growth throughout. Groundhog’s Day is one of my favorite tropes. I loved this MG book set down the road in Austin!
CW: bullying, blood, car accident
☔️
Vivian Lantz has the worst luck with first days of school. The stories she could tell you! Now she’s starting the last year of middle school without her best friend who moved across the country. Vivian has high hopes for this first day, but they quickly get dashed the second she wakes up to rain pouring into the house and the day gets worse from there. The next day, though, it’s a first day all over again. As Vivian relives each day, she tries to create the perfect Monday, but maybe there is no such thing as the perfect first day of school.
📆
This was such a breath of fresh air! I adored the representation of two dads and a bisexual main character. I liked how honest @kathsby made Vivian and didn’t hold anything back—good and bad and she had great character growth throughout. Groundhog’s Day is one of my favorite tropes. I loved this MG book set down the road in Austin!
CW: bullying, blood, car accident
July 16, 2023
Vivian makes an authentic eighth grader point of view voice and I instantly related to her desire to reinvent herself because she wants to be more popular and make more friends after her bestie moved across the country. The family is heartwarming and I enjoyed the supportive, loving dads that adopted Vivian and her brother Arlo.
The magical system was just okay but since I enjoy the time-loop idea, I was able to suspend my beliefs and keep hoping Vivian reached her goal of breaking her "curse" of first day of school disasters. Vivian has many tries to "get things right" and accomplish her written goals, and I thought her growth arc was well-paced.
I often laughed out loud and even got angry at the bullying Vivian experienced. I cringed at some of her choices, but she ultimately learns what is truly important in life with a little help from her brother Arlo.
The magical system was just okay but since I enjoy the time-loop idea, I was able to suspend my beliefs and keep hoping Vivian reached her goal of breaking her "curse" of first day of school disasters. Vivian has many tries to "get things right" and accomplish her written goals, and I thought her growth arc was well-paced.
I often laughed out loud and even got angry at the bullying Vivian experienced. I cringed at some of her choices, but she ultimately learns what is truly important in life with a little help from her brother Arlo.
April 13, 2023
“It’s not about getting it right. It’s more about getting it wrong”. Wise words from Vivian’s older brother Arlo. This is the perfect Groundhog Day middle school book. Vivian wants it to be the BEST first day ever, since all the first days throughout school have been horrible. However, she has to do it on her own, without her best friend Cami, who as moved far away to Florida. She creates a list of second chances, which blows up in her face, resulting in living the same first day over and over. By the time she hits day 4, her brother’s wise words start to make sense. There are no perfect days; we all learn from our mistakes. I loved the character of Vivian; so raw, so honest and so full of sass! Can’t wait to grab a copy for my library collection!
May 6, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free review copy.
Vivian Lantz has had a terrible first day of school every single year. When she has her worst first day ever, she wishes for a second chance to have the perfect first day, and gets one. And a third, fourth, and fifth.
Time loops are one of my absolute favorite tropes and this was no exception. I loved reading about Vivian finding out who she is and who she wants to be and realizing it's okay to not be perfect.
Rep: main character who identifies as liking "both guys and girls", lesbian side character, side character who likes "girls, guys, everyone", queer side character, main character and her brother are adopted and have two dads
CW: bullying, sexism, homophobia, blood
Vivian Lantz has had a terrible first day of school every single year. When she has her worst first day ever, she wishes for a second chance to have the perfect first day, and gets one. And a third, fourth, and fifth.
Time loops are one of my absolute favorite tropes and this was no exception. I loved reading about Vivian finding out who she is and who she wants to be and realizing it's okay to not be perfect.
Rep: main character who identifies as liking "both guys and girls", lesbian side character, side character who likes "girls, guys, everyone", queer side character, main character and her brother are adopted and have two dads
CW: bullying, sexism, homophobia, blood
January 21, 2024
Vivian wants to break her first-day-of-school curse. So far she’s had a burst appendix, a hornet sting, and a broken nose among other things happen on the first day of school. With inspiration from her favorite author and her best friend who has moved away, she plans the perfect first day of 8th grade. Monday morning starts with a bang, or rather a flood in her house followed by a traffic jam making her late for school, and then a fall into mud on her way into the school building. And it only gets worse from there. When she wakes up the next day, the same flood is happening and she quickly realizes she has been given a do-over. The problem is she is stuck on the same day. How will she break the cycle and will she ever have a good first day of school?
March 27, 2023
Y'all, let's talk (again) about how much I LOVE a Groundhog Day inspired story. This one takes place on Vivian's first day of eighth grade. Vivian's first days of school have been historically cursed. She's determined that this year will break the curse, but it doesn't. However, she gets a chance to do it all over again. With her second (and third and fourth) chances, Vivian has to decide what she'll do differently, what she can do with the information she learns, and who she wants to be. This was just a delight, and Vivian was such a wonderful character to follow on this journey of the chances to do things all over again. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this June 2023 release!
January 5, 2024
I liked this time loop story even though it came with a strong moral as Vivian learns not to succumb to mean girl ways and instead embrace her individuality, mistakes and all. I liked her fashion sense and how the author lets her make these mistakes, learning why bullying doesn’t feel right to her. And the hints of crushing are sweet.
I’m a bit worried about the friend’s master plan for medical school; pre-algebra in 8th grade means she’s already falling behind. It will be tough for her to get through calculus in high school.
I’m a bit worried about the friend’s master plan for medical school; pre-algebra in 8th grade means she’s already falling behind. It will be tough for her to get through calculus in high school.
August 16, 2023
The absolutely beautiful cover illustration and the concept of "middle grade Groundhog Day" immediately caught my attention, and I'm really glad I picked this up. Vivian gets stuck in a loop, repeating the first day of 8th grade over and over until it's perfect. But what is perfect? Really adorable, believable characters, and some gentle messaging about how even imperfect days can have perfect moments - or at the very least, moments that eventually lead to better things.
December 26, 2023
I enjoyed this but I don't have any really strong feelings either way about this book. What I did really appreciate was the time loop was useful in showing that people don't always make the right choices immediately after seeing that something is wrong (like how Vivian saw that Amberleigh's friends were letting her get away with being a bad person but she kept justifying it through many of the loops).
April 10, 2023
EARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
What fun it would be to have a “do over” on an important day when things went badly. That’s exactly what Vivian does, several times over, after experiencing yet another awful first day of school. Readers will enjoy finding out which parts of the day she changes and how she finally gets out of her time travel loop.
What fun it would be to have a “do over” on an important day when things went badly. That’s exactly what Vivian does, several times over, after experiencing yet another awful first day of school. Readers will enjoy finding out which parts of the day she changes and how she finally gets out of her time travel loop.
June 28, 2023
The author did a great job with the Groundhog Day trope and captured middle school life very well. My only problem is the immature cover; Vivian is in 8th grade, but my 8th grade girls are not going to pick up this book because the girl on the cover looks like a cartoonish 4th grader. Fabulous audiobook!
August 22, 2023
3.5 stars. On the pro side, who doesn't love a time loop? Also, shout out to recopgnizing bangs make someone look more rocker. On the con side, not to sound like a pearl clutcher, but when the word "pissed" is in a middle grade book 4-5 times, it does limit how many kids (even 8th graders, which is how old our protag is) I can freely recommend it to without qualifiers.
November 27, 2022
Thank you to Harper Collins for sending me this arc in exchange for a honest review.
A middle grade Groundhog Day?
I had no idea I needed this in my life. I loved Vivian and the discussion about sexuality and bullying had me tearing up.
A middle grade Groundhog Day?
I had no idea I needed this in my life. I loved Vivian and the discussion about sexuality and bullying had me tearing up.
March 8, 2024
Vivian Lantz's Second Chances: DNF. Too much secondhand embarrassment! And really, Vivian's brother has consistently called her "Barficorn" for nearly a decade because of a mishap when she was in preschool, and this is portrayed as totally fine?
September 11, 2024
Great storyline with lots of relatable drama for middle schoolers, esp. girls. groundhog day theme of reliving worst first day of 8th grade over and over. I did not give 5 stars because the cover looks more young and cutesy than the story and subject matter.
February 1, 2023
I never knew I needed a middle grade time loop book until I read this one. queer female mcs in middle grade always make me so happy!
October 14, 2023
Super cute story totally appropriate for middle grade readers. It’s Groundhog Day in 8th grade!
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