Member Reviews
I liked this, but it hasn't stuck with me after finishing it, so I wouldn't identify it as a must read. I like the Groundhog Day plot so that was fun to read.
I was not planning on reading this five months before its release date, but I was just really in the mood for a graphic novel today, and it totally hit the spot.
Chris and Alicia are stuck in a time loop on the day of their high school graduation. Turns out, Alicia has been in the loop longer than Chris so she shows him the ropes, which provides the perfect opportunity for them to repair their long-dormant friendship. Chris' mission for the day to have the perfect first kiss with his girlfriend quickly morphs once he's looping, and naturally he gravitates towards the only other person he knows who is stuck in the same day. A connection to a tragically deceased teacher leads to the answer they need, but will they be ready to get back to reality?
This was really cute. I think it's perfect for young adults (the intended audience) but also was a great read for me (a person in her mid-30s dealing with what feels like secondary teenager syndrome). Shyne gives so many of the characters here surprising complexity considering they're repeating the same 24 hours over and over again. And there are big questions here that, again, feel incredibly relevant as you enter adulthood but are still relevant as you journey through it: is it better to dwell in the familiar past, or try to move forward into the unknown future? How do you grieve? How do you repair a friendship? How do you learn to understand others in all of their facets? Should you stay near home or venture away? Is it okay to change what you want? How do you move through the world?
The art style is absolutely stunning. With alternating-color duochrome panels (a ROYGBIV color and then grey/black), occasionally Shyne throws in all the colors at once, to indicate something magical/scientific/loop related. Beautiful and effective.
Also, I would die for Mr. Chunkums.
A time loop romance that's fun and somehow heavy and lighthearted at the same time. It took me a little bit to like Chris, but I adored Alicia's journey. She's nerdy and a little fearful but mischievous and fun. This story dives into how well do we really know the people around us, whether it's a childhood friend or a coach. Sweet romance and great character development.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.
I really liked the concept of this book, a version of Groundhog's day involving a teenage boy and his high school graduation/quest for the perfect kiss. It has some fun characters and really cool plot - but it's a bit convoluted. Some of the pages are so crowded that following the text was a task. Overall it's a cool book but I didn't enjoy the act of reading it .
This was such an AMAZING book! I have never seen such a tightly woven graphic novel like this. I can be rather picky about time travel stories since there are so many that are overdone, but this is perfect. It's absolutely beautiful. The use of color and line work was gorgeous. The complicated characters and their development. Definitely don't regret reading this. I kind of wish I had this in high school when I graduated. Will be buying the book for myself in when it comes out.
This was such a complex and refreshing graphic novel! I was honestly a little disappointed at first because from the blurb I had thought Andy was a boy's name (it's not) and had been looking forward to a bisexual story. Rest assured, this *does* have great bisexual rep, just not what I expected! I also loved how this explored Alicia's complex identity and insecurities and layered in Chris's personal growth. This graphic novel takes the typical time loop love story and layers in so many complex and wonderful layers with every repeating loop, including identity, family, grief, and friendship. I enjoyed this story immensely.
Ahh, I LOVED this graphic novel! Congratulations to Mary Shyne for taking the "do-over" plot and transforming it into this funny, emotional, heartwarming masterpiece. The day-on-repeat arc can be very difficult to execute well. First of all, it's been done so many times, but mostly it often (understandably) feels super repetitive after a while. In You and Me on Repeat, the graphic novel format was perfect to tell this kind of story. Shyne was able to cover multiple repetitions of days within single panels.
But my favorite part of all was the character development. I liked Chris, and I LOVED Alicia, but mostly I loved seeing the way they went through their do-over day together, over and over again. At the heart of this book is a message about moving on and moving forward, graduating and having the courage to take the next steps. I highly recommend this book for teens and soon-to-be graduates, but also just anyone who loves an emotionally uplifting coming-of-age graphic novel.
Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.