What do you do when the girl you love dies? What do you do when you find yourself reliving the party where you first met her?
Jack King is sitting on the stairs at a party at Whittier University. He had the college tour today and now he and one of his best firends, Jillian, are hanging out with the college kids. It's the usual with Jack wishing he could get up the nerve to ask Jillian out but knowing he never will because she is the girlfriend of his other best friend, Franny. Then, fate steps in when a girl tries to get past Jack on the stairs. The two exchange some casual comments that surprise them both and they decide to head out back with a bottle of red wine.
It's not what Jack expected at all. This girl, Kate, has caught him and he's hoping he can get her phone number and have another chance to at least spend some time with her and probably ask her to his high school prom. It's love at first sight.
Prom night Jack has the corsage and the tux and he's ready for Kate to arrive. But she doesn't come. She doesn't show up. He waits for hours and finally he heads to her dorm 90 minutes away to get an answer. He didn't expect to fall in love. He didn't expect to find the love of his life in the hospital and to wonder if she was going to make it. He sure as heck didn't expect to feel his body peel itself back until he wakes up to find himself back at the party where he first met Kate.
This is a love story. This is a story about having another chance - a do-over. This is a story about learning to see what's really important in life and to trust yourself enough to take some risks and about a boy who wants to save the life of the girl he loves.
One part Groundhog Day and another part THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, this is the story of Jack, of sickle cell disease, and of an African American high school senior, who turns out to be a hero.
464 pages 978-0062748379 Ages 14 and up (Language and kissing)
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
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“One of the best love stories I’ve ever read.” —Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give
“Read this one, reread it, and then hug it to your chest.” —Becky Albertalli, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Debut author Justin A. Reynolds delivers a hilarious and heartfelt novel about the choices we make, the people we choose, and the moments that make a life worth reliving. Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and John Green.
When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he’s falling—hard. Soon she’s meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack.
But then Kate dies. And their story should end there.
Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate’s there again. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack isn’t sure if he’s losing his mind.
Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate’s death, he’ll take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences. And when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he’s willing to do to save the people he loves.
