The Do-Over by Lynn Painter
Reviewed by Kaelin Lee, age 18
16-year-old Emilie Hornby just had the worst Valentine’s Day ever, from her dreams getting crushed to seeing her boyfriend cheat on her. And she’s forced to relive that day over and over again, unless Emilie can change the course of her day to put an end to it. One thing she can’t seem to escape is running into her classmate Nick, who she is realizing has more to him than she first thought. Will Emilie be able to come out of her do-overs with her heart intact and possibly find love?
While I always look forward to Lynn Painter’s sweet, rom-com-like books, I felt this one was limited by its time loop plot. The story was kept interesting, but each chapter was bound to feel a little repetitive. Emilie’s persistence to continue her relationship with her cheating boyfriend Josh was also irksome to read about. Her persistence to tell him that she loved him, followed by the realization that she never loved him at all felt like it was only written in my convenience, to make way for her true love interest Nick. Speaking of Nick, what I did enjoy about this book was the dynamic between him and Emilie. At first, he seemed cold and standoffish, but Emilie’s warmth cracked through his tough exterior over time. They were able to open up to each other in a beautiful way, with Emilie revealing her struggles with her divorced parents and Nick sharing his grief over his brother. Moments like these, combined with them having adventures in the city, in a day reminiscent of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, bonded the two together quickly in a genuine way. When the characters were having fun, I was having fun as a reader, an element that many books miss, but Lynn Painter never fails to capture. I wish that both Emilie and Josh were stuck in the Valentine’s Day time loop so that they could navigate each day together, and we would get to see their relationship develop even more throughout the book. That being said, I was still satisfied by the book overall and would recommend it to people who are not bothered by the time-loop plot.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Find this book in our catalog: The Do-Over
Catalog number: YA FIC PAINTER,L
291 pages