• About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
The Wellesley News -
  • News and Features
    • Professor Phillip Levine Discusses “A Problem of Fit”
      Professor Phillip Levine Discusses “A Problem of Fit”
    • CS Department shifts CS 111 course structure
      CS Department shifts CS 111 course structure
    • WAMI and WRJ host discussion on criminalization of abortion
      WAMI and WRJ host discussion on criminalization of abortion
    • News
      • News in Brief
      • Nation & World
      • President’s Corner
      • Senate Report
    • Features
      • Alumnae Spotlight
      • Eye on Science
      • Faculty Focus
      • LGBTQIA+ Column
  • Opinions
    • Why Art Basel is partially responsible for Miami’s gentrification
      Why Art Basel is partially responsible for Miami’s gentrification
    • It’s time to put traditional grading to the test
      It’s time to put traditional grading to the test
    • What can the fall of Z-library teach us about textbook accessibility?
      What can the fall of Z-library teach us about textbook accessibility?
    • Staff Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
    • The Elephant in the Room
  • Arts
    • No image
      Pentimento’s Open Mic is Like an Old Patchwork Quilt–Worn, Yet Cozy
    • No image
      Kanye’s Antisemitism Steps on his Shoe Brand
    • Lousy Realities: Luca Guadagnino (2015)
      Lousy Realities: Luca Guadagnino (2015)
    • Arts In The News
    • Reviews
    • Music Peek
    • Books Before Boys
  • Sports and Wellness
    • Student-Athlete of October
      Student-Athlete of October
    • Athletics Update Oct. 19, 2022
      Athletics Update Oct. 19, 2022
    • The Case for Body Neutrality
      The Case for Body Neutrality
    • Athlete of the Week
    • Boston Sports Update
    • The Vegan Digest
    • The SHE Corner
  • The Wellesley Snooze
    • Top 10 Girlbosses who aren’t alumnae, but I would totally believe you if you told me they were
      Top 10 Girlbosses who aren’t alumnae, but I would totally believe you if you told me they were
    • Wendy Wellesley’s Thanksgiving Menu
      Wendy Wellesley’s Thanksgiving Menu
    • The Snooze Awards for the Best Tanners of 2022
      The Snooze Awards for the Best Tanners of 2022
  • Miscellanea
    • President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
      President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
    • Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
      Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
    • 50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
      50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
    • The Dose
    • The Olive Branch
    • Multimedia
      • Galleries
      • Infographics
      • Videos
By Ann Zhao Arts, Books Before Boys, ReviewsMay 4, 2022

Sometimes you just need to read a YA “Groundhog Day” to feel something

Do you remember the 21st night of September? Because Barrett Bloom does.

“See You Yesterday” is my fifth Rachel Lynn Solomon novel. I can’t seem to stop reading her rom-coms; they always seem to have the most interesting hooks with the wackiest casts of characters, and Solomon’s latest YA novel is no exception.

Barrett is just beginning her freshman year at the University of Washington, and she’s having a terrible day. Her roommate turns out to be her high school nemesis, and some guy makes fun of her in physics class. But her day goes from bad to worse when she sets a frat house on fire.

And then she wakes up, and it’s the same day. And that guy from physics? He’s been living this day for months now.

Barrett is extremely annoying. She has to be, at the start of the book. Her love interest, Miles, is too. But as they spent more and more of their days (day?) together, I grew to genuinely like them. I wanted them to get out of this time loop so badly that I could not stop reading. 

Now, do I think this book was a lot like “Today Tonight Tomorrow,” but in college and with a “Groundhog Day”-esque premise? Yes. The cover is literally the exact same thing but in pink.

But I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. When you pick up this book, you know what you’re in for, and that’s the fun thing about romances — the point of reading it is more about the journey the characters go through to get to where they need to be. 

Solomon’s humor is on point as usual; she doesn’t make the terrible millennial mistake of incorporating too many pop culture references, and her characters also don’t sound like they’re from decades ago. Barrett and Miles’ romance is adorable, and despite the confines of the time loop, I also loved the relationships they developed with the side characters. 

The one thing I would like to point out, though, is that this book is ultimately written by a white person, and that readers of color should be advised that the representation in this book, though abundant and inoffensive, probably isn’t going to be accurate to real experience. Miles is biracial — Jewish on his dad’s side, Japanese on his mom’s side — and the only time they discuss his identity in the novel was cringe-worthy at best. 

This is an issue with pretty much every book written by a white person I’ve ever read, and that speaks to publishing’s need for diverse works told by authors who share their characters’ experiences. (Solomon’s representations of Jewish identity and mental illness are, as always, rich and nuanced.) 

That all being said, I loved “See You Yesterday.” Which shouldn’t have surprised me, given how much I loved “Palm Springs,” a Hulu movie with essentially the same premise but set at a wedding.

“See You Yesterday” comes out on May 17, 2022. I received an early copy from the publisher, Simon and Schuster, in exchange for an honest review.

Tags

groundhog dayRachel Lynn Solomonrom-comYA

Share on

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Previous articleIn “Time is a Mother,” Ocean Vuong Explores the Wreckage of Life
Next articleBirds Falling Upwards: Wellesley College Theater’s The Moors is a Must-See

You may also like

Pentimento’s Open Mic is Like an Old Patchwork Quilt–Worn, Yet Cozy

Kanye’s Antisemitism Steps on his Shoe Brand

Lousy Realities: Luca Guadagnino (2015)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

Top Articles

Sorry. No data so far.

Recent Tweets

Tweets by @Wellesley_News

The independent student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901.

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

  • About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
COPYRIGHT © 2023 THE WELLESLEY NEWS
Back to top