Let me tell you, this was such a cutie lil book!!!!! In this queer, coming of age novel, Abby and Leo are our main characters. We follow them around NYC for 24hrs leading up to their marching band’s special appearance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. This dual POV goes back and forth between grumpy Leo and sunshine Abby - Abby is more of a half glass full girl and Leo is the opposite. Abby’s still figuring out her queer identity and her ultimate plan for NYC is to profess her love to her long time best friend, Kat. Instead, she has stumbled into the wrong place at the wrong time with Leo and they get stuck together. Doesn’t that just draw you in immediately?!

I genuinely overall enjoyed this book!! But I would have appreciated it much more from a younger perspective. I wish I could go back in time and put this book in high school Lauren’s lap, she would have loved it! Something I don’t normally enjoy in books is the “24hr falling in love” trope BUT it was so well done in this. I think it helped that they were young and it wasn’t an “insta love” trope. The pacing of this story was pretty fast which is also something I always look for in books. There were so many quotes I simply adored and can definitely see myself picking this one back up again with a physical copy when it comes out in February of 2024!!!

This book is more than just a romance and has had SO MUCH depth and dynamic which leaves you with a completely unforgettable story! Amazing, it was utterly amazing!

Abby Akerman believes in true love, big romantic gestures and the power of the universe. See, she has a plan. When her marching band gets selected to play in the Macy’s day parade, she knows this is the sign of the universe to give her big gesture to her best friend, Kat, who she is in love with. Leo Brewer is known by his Face—he feels like the world is crashing down on him, from the interview that will out him to his family as transgender, to the noisy and crowded Macy’s day parade his marching band is going to participate in, he’s not sure he believes in anything.

The universe decides to knock these two together—literally—on a mistaken NYC subway, where Abby loses her romantic gesture for Abby. To make up for it, Leo comes up with another, surprisingly romantic gesture—find souvenirs from places that are mentioned in a book both Abby and Kat love. Set over a course of a day, Leo and Abby realize that maybe, just maybe, the universe is what you make it.

What can’t I say about this book? I legitimately read this in one sitting. This book showcases the power and joy that comes from making friendships with other queer teens—how it showed both Abby and Leo that they are not alone. I saw another reviewer had a problem with how often both Abby’s and Leo’s orientation and gender status was mentioned, and how hard it is, but I think that’s accurate to not only teens, but to people in the LGBTQ community as well. This is a book for teenagers, and I think this struggle with touch on feelings that the reader might be feeling as well. I cried when Abby and Leo met other LGBTQ teenagers at the Strand bookstore.

This book could be a lifesaver for LGBTQ teenagers in Southern states (or anywhere) that feel like they are possibly the only one in their small area. Absolutely recommend not only for Abby and Leo (who are so wonderful and mesh with one another so well,) but for the side characters, the setting (Underhill either really loves New York, because I felt right there on the New York streets, or did a lot of research,) and the ending. I’m not usually one for quick romances, but I completely believe the ending here.

This was a fun and light read that also addressed some heavy issues. Abby and Leo are from different marching bands that are both in New York for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. The universe brings them together for a day of adventure, fun, and self discovery.

This book is so cute. Abby is very sweet and focused on confessing to her best friend that she likes her. Leo is hurting and understandably grumpy, but has such a kind heart. They go through a very serendipitous adventure through NYC.

This book gave me heavy 90s rom com and Serendipity vibes. There are just so many adorable moments. I especially loved that they just "happened upon" a queer book club who were exactly two people short for their adorable bookish competition. I didn't care how unlikely it was that they would find that book club. It was just absolutely adorable.

Tropes:
Female/Transgender Romance
Sweet no spice ya romance
LGBTQ+ Representation
Misunderstanding (resolves fairly quickly)
Rom Com
NYC adventure
Marching band musicians
Grumpy x Sunshine
Thanksgiving Parade

Content Warning: Rainbow of curse words

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy. This review is voluntarily written, and the thoughts and opinions it contains are my own.

This book is so cute. Abby is very sweet and focused on confessing to her best friend that she likes her. Leo is hurting and understandably grumpy, but has such a kind heart. They go through a very serendipitous adventure through NYC.

This book gave me heavy 90s rom com and Serendipity vibes. There are just so many adorable moments. I especially loved that they just "happened upon" a queer book club who were exactly two people short for their adorable bookish competition. I didn't care how unlikely it was that they would find that book club. It was just absolutely adorable.

Tropes:
Female/Transgender Romance
Sweet no spice ya romance
LGBTQ+ Representation
Misunderstanding (resolves fairly quickly)
Rom Com
NYC adventure
Marching band musicians
Grumpy x Sunshine
Thanksgiving Parade

Content Warning: Rainbow of curse words

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy. This review is voluntarily written, and the thoughts and opinions it contains are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I have been reading a lot of fantasy recently, and getting into a romance book really brought me back and reminded me why I love them. This was really good! I was pulled in from the very beginning. I couldn't put this down. I love the development of the story and characters. Edward has such a unique voice in his writing and every time I read (or re-read) his books, I find new, cute things that make my heart swell even more. He just does such a great job with pulling you into the story, and Never wanting to let it go. They're emotional, heartfelt, and so important. Everyone should read his books. If you enjoy YA contemporary or romance, definitely grab this one!

So, I loved the premise of this book. All of my friends are in marching band and they literally just went on a trip to NYC to be in the Macy Day parade. So it was such a cute premise but it honestly took me forever to get through.

The whole book for me was an anxiety trip. I wanted to enjoy Abby and Leo's love story, but the anxiety of what would've happened got to me too much. I think it is because my friends just had that experience, and our band director is like scary, so it was a bit too real for me.

Other than that, the writing was amazing, I loved the characters and just the premise was so good.

I finished this one a while ago and i just simply forgot to give feedback on Netgalley, as I've been a little hiatus recently.

I found this title very interesting and fun! I can't remember how I felt about it in a deep way but I do remember loving it! Thank you for the ARC!

I loved the queer representation, and as Ferris Buellers Day Off is one of my favs, this was too!

A light-hearted read featuring two people learning and growing into who they are. I usually don't like books that take place in just one day, but this was a super fun read with moments of seriousness. Also, I 100000% want to someday participate in a book scavenger hunt just like in the book. I am a sucker for books that feature a book that parallels the plot of the main book.

Personally, I am not a fan of people quickly falling in love (in just one day), but I understand it in the context of this book. I would've liked to have seen more of their relationship, especially post-Thanksgiving.

This Day Changes Everything has a fantastic premise: queer fairytale with build-your-own agency. As the book mentions, there’s a plethora of anti-queer legislation throughout the US, and it’s having a deleterious effect on kids (and everyone). The main characters lack representation in their hometowns and in their media. How much representation matters is quite the theme in this book, and the real-world book bans and criminalization of medical care are only making it harder on actual children to believe their lives are possible.

Leo, a trans boy from North Carolina, isn’t out to his extended family because his parents are closeting him, afraid of what their parents and cousins might think. His teachers and chaperones misgender him, and he’s made to feel like a nuisance, a “Logistical Headache.” I felt so strongly for Leo throughout the book. He’s understandably grumpy. He has A Face. He’s coping with figuring out how to be in a world-made-binary while the adults in his life–family, teachers, political leaders–let him down at every turn. Dealing with the mortifying ordeal of being known is a terrible burden, and he’s left feeling liminal.

Abby is full of deliberate, carefully crafted sunshine. She believes in magic and the power of the Universe to guide her. Terrified of what it would mean to be the only gay girl in her town, she’s trying so hard to enjoy life and find some good in it that she forgets that she’s equally capable of making her own good. She starts the novel in love with her best friend Kat and plans an elaborate Promposal-level event to confess her feelings on their band trip to NYC. She and Kat have bonded over a book wherein the main character has to find true love before she can escape a timeloop that takes her all over NYC. Abby finds an autographed copy of the book and annotates it for Kat, hoping that it will serve as a love letter clear enough to overcome her fear of coming out (despite not being sure she even is gay because labels are hard and don’t come with built-in senses of belonging).

And let’s all be honest: who amongst us queers hasn’t had an unfortunate but revelatory crush on a best friend in high school? Points for relatability, Abby.

A series of unfortunate events leads to Abby losing the book, so she and Leo try to piecemeal Plan B: skip band activities to traipse around NYC to find souvenirs from the places in the book. On their 12-hour adventure, they fall in love.

Twelve hours.

In twelve hours, Abby falls out of love with Kat and in love with Leo, a stranger from another state.

In twelve hours, Leo surmounts his justifiable pessimism, sheds his protective shell, and falls in love with Abby, a stranger from another state.

They’re seventeen, and this is a fairytale, but I found my credulity strained.

But I do think that approaching this book from the lens of “what makes logical sense” is an incorrect framework. This is bordering on metafiction with how it discusses The Book and The Author of The Book, Abby’s relationship to The Book, and Abby’s overall removal of The Book from its context. After all, books belong to their readers, and Abby’s made The Book her own. Her love for the queer fanfic of The Book is integral to her love of The Book. To me, it feels like a commentary on “you can’t be what you can’t see” while proposing that we can make our own pockets of fairytale joy in a very real world.

Abby’s growth as a person throughout her one adventure was cool to follow, especially the part at the Strand. Same with Leo. Part of why, even outside of this fairytale context, I would buy that they’re in like (but not in love) is that they do spend concentrated time together, exhilarated at the possibilities available outside a stifling, queerphobic context. Living their one wild and precious life. And there were moments throughout their adventure that felt so visceral, so emotionally real, that I was ready to forgive the logistical headaches inherent with mistaking fairytale for typical fiction.

It’s easy to mock Abby for believing in the Universe and agree with Leo’s cynicism about what the Universe is capable of, but really they’ve both been abdicating their agency to the Universe in different ways. There’s a certain queerphobia-induced learned helplessness in both of them, and realizing the depth of their similarities despite their different surface reactions goes a long way with making their whirlwind romance sparkle.

I’d hope that this story reminds queer kids that they’re not alone in the world, that “coupledom [isn’t] the only way to escape . . . purgatory,” and that being a liminal person doesn’t erase your existence.

For me, there are pacing issues, which may be natural for a book that takes place over the course of roughly one day. And there are times where the story feels unfocused with plot threads disregarded. But there are so many amazing things that this story does so well.

Once the characters’ solipsistic isolation crumbled when confronted with multitudinous diversity, I believed in magic too.

“The universe is what you make it.”

After reading Always the Almost and loving it, I was really excited to read this book. I grew up close to New York City and definitely visited all the time around the holidays so this book gave me all the nostalgic feels. I could even vividly imagine some of the places Abby and Leo visited. I absolutely loved how both main characters explored and discovered their queerness. Kay’s revelation was everything too - I related so much even though I didn’t come to my realization until I was in my 30s. Edward Underhill did a great job showing each character’s mindset in existing as queer teenagers in today’s society. And I usually don’t always enjoy quick romances, but I love seeing Abby and Leo’s relationship form and then see the open possibilities for their relationship.

The only negative to me was a bit about the pacing. The ending did feel a bit rushed and I would have loved to see more.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest re

This is such a love letter to NYC and I love visiting NYC. In addition, it was compared to Ferris Bueller and I love Ferris Bueller :)

Two teenagers find themselves together in NYC. Both are very much trying to figure out their place in the world and who they are.
Abby has realized recently that she’s in love with her best friend Kat. She has written out love notes to Kat in their mutual favorite book and plans to come out and spill her love for Kat during their marching band’s trip to NYC. But she looses the book on the subway shortly after she gets separated from the rest of her group.
Leo is dealing with the fact that he’s about to be outed as trans on tv. His parents know and his sister knows. But his whole extended family is going to find out when they see him on a pre-parade segment as Leo. His parents have just been telling the family he’s a tomboy and he knows they aren’t going to be happy when everything comes out during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

Abby and Leo meet after Leo is also separated from his school group. At first they plan to meet back up with their group as quickly as possible. But after Abby loses her book, they mutually come up with the idea of finding little tokens around NYC that represent the book so Abby can give those to Kat instead.

And then they start having a lot of fun on their big NYC adventure. It takes them to all kinds of noteworthy NYC spots. They mentioned Strand books, Chelsea Piers and a number of places I have enjoyed on my own trips to NYC. It really made me smile.

As these two start to bond and to understand themselves better in NYC, it makes them wonder about the other one’s place in their lives.

This day really could change everything.

I got to read an early ebook edition on NetGalley and really enjoyed it.

CW: transmisia, queermisia

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for inviting me to review a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

After a series of events involving wrong subway cars and a lost romance novel, Abby and Leo end up wandering the streets of Manhattan getting souvenirs for Abby’s Epic Scene for her best friend (and secret crush) Kat. While the two are quite opposites: Leo, a skeptic and is bracing for the impact of his extended family finding out he’s trans on live TV, and Abby, a hopeless romantic who feels that she can get her own rom-com moment, learn more about taking chances in life and love over the course of a whirlwind day in the heart of New York City.

As a fan of Underhill’s debut novel, Always the Almost, I was excited to be invited to review his second novel, This Day Changes Everything. I didn’t quite know what to expect from this book, the concept in itself seemed interesting. However, I read books in the past that had a similar concept to This Day Changes Everything and wasn’t really impressed with them.

Nevertheless, I believe that Underhill has done it again with creating another swoonworthy, queer rom-com in This Day Changes Everything.

For a book that unfolds itself over the course of three days and all of the main action on a single day, Underhill does a great job with pacing out the plot in This Day Changes Everything. I felt that it never got too hectic and it was just the right amount of pacing where you can follow along with the characters without feeling too lost or feeling like everything is moving at a snail's pace.

Though, it did take a while for me to form a connection with the two MCs, Abby and Leo, compared to Underhill’s previous work. Since you only get a brief snapshot of their background, almost all that you get to know of Abby and Leo comes from their time together in New York. While this may be off-putting to some readers, I think the investment of seeing Abby and Leo’s strong character development and growing connection is worth it. Amidst Underhill’s beautiful writing, you get to feel the rush of falling in love and finding a sense of belonging in just a single day, which I feel Underhill does a great job of capturing in this book.

That being said, if you’re looking for a YA queer rom-com that features grumpy x sunshine, has bookworm undertones, and/or chance encounters set in New York City, you might enjoy reading This Day Changes Everything.

After reading Always the Almost by this author, I knew going into This Day Changes Everything that it would be good, but I was even more impressed than before. This book was like a giant warm hug after a long day, I cannot stress that enough. Such loveable characters, a setting that acts as a character, amazing representation and such comforting plot lines that discuss real issues without “bogging down” the story with the shitty reality of life in too much detail. Let me outline some of what I loved, spoiler free.

I read the second half of the book in a single sitting because I was so enthralled and captivated by the story, I just had to know where the story would take them and where they would go next. I love how New York really felt like part of the story instead of just a setting. The story wouldn’t have been the same anywhere else.

Kat’s revelation made me cry because it was scarily close to my own experiences and it felt so good to have that representation in a YA book. It was written so well! That’s all I will say, go read it yourself.

Side characters? Immaculate. I want an Evan.

The bookstore scene? LOVE! Possibly my favourite of the whole book, besides the ending. The whole mini adventure in the bookstore felt so comforting and made me want to LIVE in the story. The conversations? The game? I need to find me a group like that.

It wouldn’t be an Edward Underhill book without music! The music in this book just acted as the spine of the book, holding everything and everyone together. I love it.

I can’t really think of anything negative to say about this book. It’s a huge hug in written form. Such a comfort read from now on. I will be rereading!!!!

Overall, I highly highly recommend this book. Five stars, six if I could. Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for allowing me to read this book early. All opinions are my own.

The good news about receiving access to a galley by Edward Underhill: reading it in one sitting. The bad news about receiving access to a galley by Edward Underhill: reading it in one sitting--and then having to wait months to share it with my students. I adored Underhill's debut novel as well as this one. I wasn't sure THIS DAY CHANGES EVERYTHING would hold up to Underhill's ALWAYS THE ALMOST, but it does.

I loved reading about a marching band going to the Macy's Thanksgiving parade; seeing what that's like for the high school bands is fascinating even though I was never in marching band. Then we have the richly developed characters of Abby and Leo, each with their own pressing reasons to be thrilled and/or miserable about their NYC trip.

Overall, NYC was its own character and I especially appreciated seeing it through the eyes of two high school kids who clearly made some navigational mistakes. Abby and Leo were fun to read, too, because of their disagreements and they way they misread each other's reactions. Leo was set up especially well in his first chapter because even his closest friends made fun of his (usually cranky) facial expressions.

Compared to Leo, Abby felt a bit underdeveloped. This was largely because of her relentless focus on her bff Kat and that underdevelopment was kind of the point. Still, I would have liked a bit more about Abby outside of her friendship with Kat earlier on.

Otherwise, this book is funny, inventive, specific, and such a great read. I love the use of group chats, google maps, subways, and so much more to create such a rich tapestry for Leo and Abby.

3.75⭐️

I really enjoyed reading this novel, but at the end, I also found it a bit forgettable.

I was really excited for the falling in love in 24 hours aspect of this book, cuz I’m actually a sucker for it, but it didn’t feel well executed.

In this novel, the two MC’s come from hometowns where they are practically the only queer kids they know. They travel to New York City for the thanksgiving parade, and NYC is this major foil to the life they know. I felt that this would’ve been better if it was subtle, but the MC’s literally run into a group of queer friends in a bookstore where a lot of their realization occurs.

I think if the novel had followed more after the characters returned from NYC and had to deal with their conservative hometowns again, it would’ve felt more impactful and possibly helped out queer kids more.

As far as the romance goes, I didn’t really feel the chemistry until the end, and more wish that they had just remained friends.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest, spoiler-free review!

Themes: Love, Friendship, Fate
Representation: Queer MCs, Trans MCs, Asian-American SC, Black SC, Queer SCs
Content Warnings: Transphobia

Premise: Abby and Leo are both in marching band. Abby wants to tell her friend Kat that she loves her. Leo wants his family to see him as the boy he is. The Universe intervenes when they both take the wrong train together and end up having a magical day… that changes everything.

PERSONAL COMMENTS
Bonjour tout le monde! Je suis en vacances, donc ma revue de livre serait simple! Et je suis écrit this on my phone so… beware of any spelling or grammar mistakes. Anywho, school is also starting lol, and I am NOT too excited about that. Because that means I have to spend less time reading.

Now, back on track. Overall, I enjoyed this book! I’m a sucker for faster-paced books—I consider this book faster-paced since the events in this book take place basically over the course of a day—and this book is, I would say, pretty fast paced!

I also enjoy reading fairly sweet YA books that deal with social issues while still remaining lighthearted and this book has that too.

As for the characters and plot… I liked both Leo and Abby. I personally found them relatable and likeable. I loved how passionate they are about their bands! I also loved their friends. They have great friends. And I thought that the plot was action-packed enough to keep me on my toes.

Thus, 4.5 stars

CHARACTERS
I loved how this book is full of queer characters and lots of diverse representation. Even if the main relationship is F/M, that DOES NOT mean that it isn’t a queer relationship. Abby is queer and Leo is too. As are some of their friends and the people they meet on their adventure.

Let’s talk about Abby. From the premise, Abby’s main dilemma is that she’s in love with her friend and wants to wait for the “perfect moment” to tell her. But she gets on the wrong train and along comes Leo. And she learns that perhaps… some things work out differently but that doesn’t mean they don’t work out.

For Leo, he has to deal with transphobia. And he wants people to like him as who he is. But he meets Abby and learns that maybe, you don’t need to change or hide yourself to get others to like you.

Finally, as for the other characters, though we don’t see them much, they’re also likeable and add to the story. I’d say that the author does a good job of writing realistic characters. Though, I do wish that there was a bit more depth to the side characters.

Thus, 4.3/5

PLOT
I’d say that the setup for this book, the beginning if you will, is kind of long. I read on my kindle so I think I got to around perhaps 1/5th through the book before the action really begins as compared to 1/10th or 1/7th in usual books. Anyway, I personally don’t have complaints about long expositions, but if you’re expecting a book that jumps straight into action, then this book might not be for you. However, if you stick around, it’s action packed.

Speaking of action, the middle of the book has a lot of it with Abby and Leo racing around New York to places where her favourite book was set. The author does a good job with the setting so you feel like you’re racing through NYC with them.

Finally, the end of the book ties things up. There’s an argument. People talk things out. Some characters do and say surprising things. Questions are answered, the “goal” of the book is met. And the book just ends. Though the book ends with all threads tied, I think that it would’ve been nice if there was an epilogue.

Therefore, 4/5 for the plot

OTHER
In terms of formatting, the book has chapters of mid-length—not too long or short—duel perspective from Abby and Leo. It’s told in first person point of view and is written in the past tense. Personally, this is really fitting for a more lighthearted YA romance book as it allows for better pacing and allows you to know both MCs.

For themes, I think that the author does a great job talking about love. Talking about how you really can’t help falling in love with who you do. And that love is also a choice and you have to make it work as well. Among other things. And for friendship, I like how the author also adresses that platonic relationships are just as important as romantic ones.

As for representation, I like how the author normalizes queerness. And how the author states that you don’t owe people a label or anything. Simply being yourself and queer is enough. Which is a great message to young readers.

5/5

RATINGS
Personal Rating: 4.5/5
Characters: 4.3/5
Plot: 4/5
Other: 5/5
Final Rating: 4.5/5 (round to 5 stars)

Date Read: September 3rd
Date Reviewed: September 4th

4/5
“The point is: New York City is objectively romantic.”
I really enjoyed reading this book! I enjoyed getting to know Abby and Leo. Having both of this stories be intertwined and at the same time not being too busy to follow along. I really hope this book does well because it is such an exciting read. Yes, it is similar to the Getaway List, but only

I don't know how Edward Underhill does it. He creates such rich and touching stories about true to life experiences.

Go buy this and his other works now!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.