Seventeen-year-old Clark has two problems: he is lonely and--wait for it--trapped in a time loop. For Clark, every day is the same until he meets a boy named Beau. This leads Clark to join Beau as he runs "errands," which consist largely of visiting friends--including a baker whose every confection is blue and a weeping young woman--and visiting a rundown movie theater important to Beau. At day's end, the two admit they are attracted to each other, and Beau kisses Clark just as the latter's new day starts over again. But now, a seriously smitten Clark is determined to find Beau. He manages to do this three different times, but each time he's rejected as Beau explains he has to reunite with his boyfriend--for, yes, Beau is also trapped in a time loop and has determined that to escape, he must find his soul mate. Ah, but how? Couch has done an excellent job of breathing new life into an old trope, crafting a clever plot with complex, likable characters. Along the way, he keeps readers on their toes as they look for the kind of inconsistencies that may visit novels with time anomalies. If Couch occasionally throws his readers for a loop, they'll be glad he does.

Couch (Blaine for the Win) couples a vivacious queer romance with an emotionally intelligent time loop tale, meshing Groundhog Day with Ferris Bueller's Day Off. For reasons he does not understand, high school senior Clark Huckleton, described as having olive skin, has had to endure the same lousy day in suburban Illinois--September 19--310 times. He repeatedly attends therapy; longs for his best friend, who is living her best life after a move to Texas; and navigates anger with his mother for initiating a divorce with his father. The time loop's monotony shatters when handsome Beau Dupont, a Black biracial teen, interrupts Clark's trigonometry class, engaging in disruptive hijinks that establish him as everything that introverted Clark is not. When Beau flees school in a teacher's car and Clark agrees to tag along, the two explore Chicago together, skinny-dipping and visiting a vintage movie theater. Clark quickly realizes that either Beau "is stuck in my today. Or, I'm stuck in his," but after their initial encounter, Beau seems oddly intent on avoiding him. Their day-after-day cat-and-mouse game, which never feels dull despite repeating events, eloquently explores themes of loneliness, love and forgiveness, and the quiet power of kindness, all while maintaining ticking-clock suspense. Ages 12--up. Agent: Moe Ferrara, BookEnds Literary. (Apr.)

Stuck reliving a single day, a teen seeks a way to break the cycle. Clark has been living a time loop that resets every night to Sept. 19. At first, it was fun doing whatever he wanted with no rules or consequences; now, by day 309, Clark feels stuck in a monotonous grind, reliving events and conversations in his dingy apartment with his younger sister and mother while best friend Sadie is living it up in Texas after leaving Illinois. Without hope of change, Clark feels increasingly disconnected from his relationships. But when a new boy, Beau, shows up in class on Day 310 and drags him off on a madcap adventure, Clark has a new goal in life: escape Sept. 19 and find Beau for real. Clark's time loop echoes the pandemic lockdown, with themes of social isolation, loneliness, and leaving one's comfort zone to connect and rebuild relationships. Clark's interactions with his therapist are a big part of the book, helping to ground the fantastical, romanticized premise. The romance itself is strange and satisfying, consisting of both classic meet-cute instant attraction between Clark and Beau and slow-burn character development as Clark hunts for Beau and seeks to learn more about him. While Clark's narration at times feels naïve for a 17-year-old, his development is heartfelt and rings true. Clark reads White; biracial Beau's late father was Black, and his mother is White. An engaging, sweet, and emotional journey. (Romance. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.