TIME AND TIME AGAIN

For Phoebe Mendel, it’s been Aug. 6 for a month.

That situation doesn’t look like it will change any time soon. Trapped in a seemingly endless time loop that begins in the morning of that sweltering, miserable Florida day and ends with a major flare-up of her severe irritable bowel syndrome, Phoebe is miserable and lonely—until the arrival of childhood friend Jess Friedman. Jess, who’s nonbinary and has oligoarthritis for which they use mobility aids, is a brash, fearless, and fun free spirit who is also trapped in the time loop. Determined to live each consequence-free repeated day to the fullest, Jess convinces Phoebe to embark on hijinks and adventures. The pair grow and change but cannot escape the complications of their usual lives and selves. Phoebe and Jess’ slow-burn romance is carefully developed and believable—an opposites-attract connection that’s built on shared experiences as disabled Jewish lesbians in an unwelcoming town. Greenfield captures well the existential horror of the loop while finding believable ways for the protagonists to seek enjoyment and growth within it, ensuring that familiar genre tropes don’t feel stale. Often-passive Phoebe feels less vibrantly portrayed than the supporting cast; however, her struggles with pain, insecurity, and anxiety are sympathetically shown, and her role as a fat romantic lead coming into her own is much needed. The supporting cast includes queer and racially diverse characters.

An original twist on a well-grounded romantic storyline.