Pretty in Punxsutawney by Laurie Boyle Crompton

Pretty in Punxsutawney

by Laurie Boyle Crompton

The only thing worse than the first day of senior year at a new high school is reliving it over, and over again. This ?Groundhog Day? meets Pretty in Pink mashup has Andie using all of her film knowledge to find out how to break the curse. Could it be true love's first kiss? Or is it reconciling with her own misconceptions? Only time will tell.

Andie is the type of girl who always comes up with the perfect thing to say … after it’s too late to say it. In a disastrous first day full of mishap at her new high school in Punxsutawney, PA, she just wants to disappear. Her passion and knowledge of movies — from rom coms to suspense and everything in between — made her think a fresh start would be easy, and maybe lead to her first kiss. When she wakes up caught in an endless loop of her first day at her new school, Andie decides to take matters into her own hands and find a way to stop the time loop — whatever it takes.  

Convinced the curse will be broken when she meets her true love, Andie embarks on a mission: infiltrating the various cliques—from the jocks to the nerds to the misfits—to find the one boy who can break the spell. What she discovers along the way is that people who seem completely different can often share the very same hopes, dreams, and hang-ups. And that even a day that has been lived over and over can be filled with unexpected connections and plenty of happy endings.

Pretty in Punxsutawney:

  • Includes tropes of — coming of age, first kiss, first crush, true love, and misfits
  • Addresses social issues of self-discovery, navigating cliques, and overcoming stereotypes
  • Is an homage to beloved 80s movies, such as John Hughes’?The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles,?and?Pretty in Pink?
  • Is perfect for fans of This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender or The Do-Over by Jennifer Honeybourn
  • Is a 2020 YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

 

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

4 of 5 stars

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This book was a fun mix of Groundhog Day and classic teen rom-coms, which kept a smile on my face from beginning to end.

Things I Loved:

• 80s teen movies own me, because I was actually a teen in the 80s. So, obviously, I loved all the movie references and discussions that popped up in the story.

• It was fun seeing how Andie would relive her day. She learned new skills, did some body alterations, dropped truth bombs, made friends and enemies -- she took risks, because she knew the day would reset, and there were some really amusing and thoughtful moments in some of those days.

• Andie grew a lot over the course of the book. She learned quite a bit about herself and those around her, and she started seeing things and people through a new lens. It was really great to see her using the experience to become a better version of herself.

• There were some great themes explored about looking past the surface to see how we are the same and avoiding labels.

• Andie's parents were maybe a little quirky, but they were present and supportive, and gave her space to explore who she wanted to be.

• This was a light and fun story with a rom-com feel, and I laughed and smiled a lot.

Yes, I had a lot of fun reading this, but there was one things I wish there had been more of - Tom. I loved him, and would have liked to have seen a bit more of him, especially at the end.

Overall: A witty Groundhog-esque story about looking beyond the labels, which was filled with friendships, many amusing antics, and an adorable romance.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 24 December, 2018: Finished reading
  • 24 December, 2018: Reviewed