Finn and Ezra’s Bar Mitzvah Time Loop

When 13-year-old Ezra Rosen starts repeatedly reliving his bar mitzvah weekend, he wonders if there’s a way out. Then he meets fellow 13-year-old Finn Einstein, who is also caught in the same 55-hour time loop. Armed with myriad theories on why this is happening—as well as many more about how to break the loop—type A Finn and cautious Ezra spend countless variations of the weekend putting their plans into motion and learning through trial and error. Enacting schemes such as engineering “the perfect loop” and robbing a bank, they leave no potential solve unexplored. It’s only when they discover the physicists convention taking place in the same hotel that they see real progress. While juggling matters of science, family, and faith, the two new friends must confront their personal challenges and vulnerabilities if they hope to break free. Levy (The Jake Show) puts a new spin on time loop tropes by infusing this energetic tale with Jewish sensibilities via Ezra’s more traditional family values and Finn’s more liberal upbringing, making for a delightfully offbeat read about becoming a man dozens of times over. The protagonists read as white; most characters are Jewish. Ages 8–12. Agent: Elana Roth Parker, Laura Dail Literary. (May)

Correction: The text of this review has been updated for clarity.