Sixteen Minutes

Reilly (Four for the Road) dives into the multiverse, adolescent love, and grief in this upbeat time-travel tale. Having grown up together in the small town of Clawson, N.Y., teenagers Nell, Cole, and Stevie B have been each other’s lifelines, supporting one another through some of the worst events of their lives even as they constantly navigate the shifting boundaries of their own relationship as a trio. When a mysterious new girl named Charlotte, who hails from “everywhere,” arrives in Clawson, Charlotte imparts the girls with her impossible secret: she’s a time traveler from 2101, and she claims to be able to save Cole’s younger sister Finn from certain death due to a childhood health condition. But Cole must return with Charlotte to the future to set things right. Together, the group must decide what they’re willing to sacrifice. The characters’ relationships feel lived-in, thanks in part to Reilly’s snappy, free-flowing dialogue. Though occasionally uneven pacing can sometimes dampen a scene’s emotional impact, it all culminates in a gratifying gut-punch ending. Main characters cue as white. Ages 12–up. Agent: Molly O’Neill, Root Literary. (Oct.)