My library recommended this to me after I finished More Happy Than Not, and I can see why — while the plots have almost nothing in common, the style and theme seem similar. Basically, another coming-of-age story set against a slightly science fiction-y background (although the sci-fi in this story impacts the plot quite a bit more than the memory removal service in More Happy Than Not).
“How much sweeter life would be if it all happened in reverse, if, after decades of disappointments, you finally arrived at an age when you had conceded nothing, when everything was possible.”
Julie, an eleven year old only child growing up awkwardly in California, wakes up one morning to discover — along with the rest of the world — that the rotation of the earth has started to slow. Gradually, the days and nights get longer and longer, affecting everything from bird migration to the growth of crops. But that just forms the background for the story of an awkward girl, whose friends have all changed over the summer and whose parents seem to be changing as well.
I definitely found the sci-fi stuff interesting. Walker does a great job of examining the way every little bit of life and society ends up affected by “the slowing”. I especially liked the way a faction of society splits off, choosing to live by the sun rather than a clock that no longer coincides with day and nights. But Julie really carries the book — her fears and triumphs and quiet love for a boy in her class reached me in a way that the “slowing” could not, probably because her experience as a middle school student is what makes her so relatable.
I also really enjoyed this one when I read it, and it has stayed with me more than many other books, probably because Julie’s experiences are so relatable.