A Week of Mondays

Brody (the Unremembered trilogy) brings fresh twists to a familiar Groundhog Day–esque premise. Monday, September 26, is not a good day for high school junior Ellie Sparks. She gets drenched on the way to school, flubs a campaign speech to become class v-p, and bombs her softball tryout. All of this pales in comparison to getting dumped by her boyfriend, Tristan, after a fight. Desperate to win him back, Ellie makes a frantic wish: “Please just let me do it over.” And when she wakes up the next morning, it’s Monday all over again. After the second Monday turns out as badly as the first, Ellie gets five more chances to make things right. Watching Ellie relive her horrible day is something like peeling an onion. Each Monday, a piece of her people-pleaser facade melts away, revealing more of her real self—the self only her best friend Owen appreciates and, it turns out, loves. Adeptly balancing comedy and heartbreak, Brody’s fantastical romance raises thoughtful questions about true love and the power to change one’s destiny. Ages 12–up. [em]Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. (Aug.) [/em]