From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up—In a prologue, 12-year-old Mark, who is horsing around with his older brother, Justin, accidentally shoots himself with their father's gun. The rest of the story, set a year later, shows the tragedy's effects on Justin, who has become an outsider-emotionally disconnected from his parents, avoided by classmates, and frequently in trouble at school. His anger reaches a head on the anniversary of Mark's death. Prodded forward by a mysterious internal voice, Justin describes the events and personal interactions leading up to a fight at school with his former best friend, Billy. During the scuffle, Billy falls down a set of stairs. Presuming him to be dead, a devastated Justin returns home and attempts suicide. When he awakens, he finds himself experiencing the same day over again and again, each time revealing new aspects of the events-and of himself. As the incidents are repeated, with subtle changes in Justin's attitudes and perceptions, the novel takes on a surreal tone-will the teen be forced to relive this day forever? While the final twist isn't as dramatic as one might expect, the book's exploration of how one's memories and perspectives can distort reality is compelling. The short narrative, broken down into brief, straightforward chapters, makes this novel a good choice for reluctant readers.—
Christi Voth, Parker Library, CO Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Morgenroth plays with form in this curiously compelling psychological drama about a depressed teen who has lost his grasp on reality. The story begins with a scene (not explicit) in which Justin witnesses his 12-year-old brother inadvertently killing himself. Fast-forward one year, and Justin, guilty, angry, and guided only by a voice in his head, readies himself for school, endures bullying classmates, and suffers a painful encounter with his former girlfriend. Then, during an angry conversation, he watches his one-time best friend accidentally tumble down the school stairs. Icily calm, Justin goes home, swallows pills, and goes to sleep. Did he kill himself? It seems so--until subsequent chapters find him reenacting the previous day's events, retold with subtle changes, a second and then a third time. Tension builds as readers attempt to determine why Morgenroth has changed this detail instead of that one and guess what Justin's fate will be. The end may actually be a letdown; it's watching Morgenrath manipulate Justin and his reality that makes this go.
Stephanie ZvirinCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
