Kirkus Reviews

A magical app gives Maggie insight into the hearts and minds of her friends and family.Maggie Scott thinks she's meeting her boyfriend, Theo Kallis, for a promposal only to be dumped because he's tired of all the drama in their relationship. Leaving the coffee shop, she falls and breaks her foot. The injury sidelines her from her current and upcoming dance and stage performances, a fact that's devastating to Maggie, who's working toward a career in musical theater. Almost as bad is that her accident is witnessed by Theo's best friend, Carson Lockwood, whom she can't stand. Maggie decides to try to get Theo back-she hopes to glean ideas to rekindle his interest by remembering what originally brought them together the previous summer. A mysterious text takes her to the Best Day app, which, through simulations that follow the structure of a play, transport Maggie back in time. It also grants her access to people's inner thoughts, including those of her parents, brother, and best friend as well as Carson and Theo. As a result, Maggie uncovers uncomfortable truths, including about her own behavior. Maggie is a well-developed character whose journey to self-knowledge is believable and earned. Her relationships with her family members are given equal weight as those with friends and romantic partners. Main characters are cued as White; Maggie's best friend is Dominican and Irish American.Equal parts sweet romance and thought-provoking story of self-discovery. (Romance. 12-18)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

On the worst day of her life, high school sophomore Maggie Scott is given the opportunity to relive her best day via a magical smartphone app in this whirlwind rom-com by Mason (Your Life Has Been Delayed). First, Maggie thinks she is meeting up with her boyfriend, Theo, so he can finally prompose; instead, he dumps her, citing “too much drama.” Then, she falls and breaks her foot, causing her to miss out on auditions for her school’s Footloose production. Even worse, her now-ex-boyfriend’s best friend, Carson, witnessed the fall. When she receives a mysterious text that links to the Best Day app, which customizes itself to the user (“Since you’re involved in theater, the app follows a theater theme,” it tells Maggie), she’s transported via simulation to the day she met Theo and discovers that, through the app, she can hear others’ inner thoughts. While experiencing this day from a new perspective, she discovers things about her friends and family that she never knew. Mason cleverly layers the cast’s interior monologues with Maggie’s effusive narration to fluidly carry this innovative escapade to its meditative conclusion. Ages 12–up. Agent: Elizabeth Bewley, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Sept.)

School Library Journal (Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Gr 8 Up— Maggie's life implodes in one day: she's dumped by Theo, her nemesis Carson finds her clutching a broken ankle, and the subsequent doctor's visit ends with her scheduling surgery while calling in her play's understudy. Stuck at home, Maggie receives an anonymous text asking if she'd like to relive her "Best Day." Clicking "yes" downloads a mysterious app on her phone that lets her revisit the first day she met Theo, but there's a catch. The app's "backstage pass" allows Maggie to hear others' thoughts, bringing forth some surprising truths that have Maggie reevaluating more than one relationship in her life. With a hint of magical realism and a nod to theater nerds, Mason's sophomore novel ventures into the "what ifs" everyone experiences in their relationships. A bit dramatic and selfish at times, Maggie embodies a realistic teen whose dive into the Best Day app gives her a reality check on how perspective can change everything. At some moments, the relationships within Maggie's family feel unbalanced, but eventually stabilize as Maggie learns to make a more conscious effort within the family dynamic. What truly shines in this story is how Maggie works through her flaws and feelings, showing it's okay to get things wrong, as long as you're willing to learn and grow. This point is strongly driven home as Maggie grapples with a huge secret her best friend has been hiding. Maggie and Carson are white, and Theo's background is Greek. VERDICT A whimsical coming-of-age story that plays with the concept of second impressions.— Emily Walker