Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop
by Joshua S Levy (Author)
Finn and Ezra's bar mitzvah weekend takes on a Groundhog Day twist in this hilarious and magical middle grade novel from Joshua S. Levy.
Finn and Ezra don't have a lot in common--except, of course, that they're trapped in a bar mitzvah time loop, reliving their celebrations in the same New Jersey hotel over and over and over again. Not ideal, particularly when both kids were ready for their bar mitzvahs to end the moment they began.
Ezra comes from a big family--four siblings, all seeming to get more attention than him, even on his bar mitzvah weekend. Finn is an only child who's tired of his parents' constant focus, even worse on his bar mitzvah weekend. They just want to get past it, just want to grow up. And now they're both stuck. Friday. Saturday. Sunday. No way out.
Until Finn and Ezra meet and realize they're not alone. Teaming up, they try everything they can think of to break the loop. But nothing works, and after every reset, the boys' schemes become more desperate. As their frustrations build, the questions mount and real-life problems start to seep through the cracks. With all the time in the world, can Finn and Ezra ever figure out how to move forward?
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Publishers Weekly
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 conservative family traditions and Finn's reformed 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)
Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
"By the middle of the first chapter it's clear that Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop is funny, gripping, and written by an expert storyteller. By the end of the last chapter it's clear that Finn and Ezra is mind-bending and brilliant. A book you'll never forget." — Adam Gidwitz, author of the Newbery Honoree The Inquisitor's Tale
JUV039020 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Adolescence
JUV033020 - Juvenile Fiction | Religious | Jewish
JUV064000 - Juvenile Fiction | Time Travel
