February 2nd is Groundhog Day, known for being the day when the nation turns its eyes to a small mammal for weather predictions. (Punxsatawney Phil said 6 more weeks of winter this year, in case you were wondering.) But Groundhog Day is perhaps better known for being the title of the iconic time loop movie where Bill Murray is doomed to repeat February 2nd over and over again. Since the pandemic has made many of our days blur together, Groundhog Day and other timeloop stories have taken on an extra resonance. Here are some novels that use some form of time loop as a plot device--maybe you'll find them particularly relatable.
|
|
Life after life : a novel
by Kate Atkinson The award-winning author of Behind the Scenes at the Museum follows the experiences of a woman who after being born on a snowy night in 1910 repeated dies and reincarnates into the same life to correct missteps and ultimately save the world. |
|
|
The first fifteen lives of Harry August
by Claire North Forced to relive his life over and over again, Harry August receives a message on his eleventh death bed, from a little girl who tells him that the world is about to end, and it is up to him to stop it. |
|
|
Before I fall
by Lauren Oliver After she dies in a car crash, teenage Samantha Kingston relives the day of her death over and over again until, on the seventh day, she finally discovers a way to save herself. |
|
|
Neverworld wake
by Marisha Pessl A former in-crowd member returns to her hometown a year after graduating from high school to investigate unsolved questions about her genius boyfriend's shocking death, only to be approached by a mysterious stranger who challenges her circle of friends to make a harsh decision to avoid becoming trapped in time. By the award-winning author of Night Film. |
|
|
Opposite of always
by Justin A. Reynolds Falling hard for a popular and charismatic girl who suddenly passes away, a grieving Jack finds himself traveling back in time to when they first met, only to find his efforts to prevent her death triggering unanticipated consequences. |
|
|
Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children
by Ransom Riggs After a family tragedy, Jacob feels compelled to explore an abandoned orphanage on an island off the coast of Wales, discovering disturbing facts about the children who were kept there. |
|
|
The 7 1/2 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
by Stuart Turton Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden Bishop must solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle in order to escape the curse, in a world filled with enemies where nothing and no one are quite what they seem. |
|
|
Timequake
by Kurt Vonnegut After the universe decides to back up ten years and all humans must live through the 1990s again, author Kurt Vonnegut finds himself trying to write a book called Timequake, which he knows he will never finish since he already did not finish it. |