Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Retake

  

    Hi, and welcome to yet another Can't-Wait-Wednesday blog post, part of my ongoing Week of Book Memes! (To view all of the other Week of Book Memes posts I've done in the past and this week, click HERE.)

    I'm very excited about today's featured book, as the author herself responded with all the information I needed, AND a special pre-order link with some fun goodies promised. A huge thanks to her for taking time to send that to me!

    Below, you can find the cover, synopsis, and my reasons for waiting on this. Click on the author's name to head to her website, and click on the book title to go to the special link.

The Retake by Jen Calonita

Release Date: February 23, 2021

(Note: Every preorder from the link above will receive an exclusive sneak peek at the first chapter, the first chapter emailed, a signed copy upon release, a pin, a bookmark, and a sticker. Also, if you pre-order before the end of December you will also get a special video message from the author!)

  Zoe knows that the only thing harder than middle school is losing a best friend. She and Laura used to do everything together from taking silly selfies, to joining all the same clubs together and even throwing surprise birthday parties for one another. 

    But lately things have been weird between them. Now Laura will post a photo of her hanging out with other girls before responding to Zoe's simple text. She doesn't even want to sit with her at lunch anymore. Zoe is heartbroken--all she wants is for things to go back to normal. 

    But then a magical app downloads on her phone...and things get even weirder! Suddenly Zoe can travel back in time to moments where her and Laura started drifting apart. It is like a dream come true. A chance for Zoe to mend their friendship. 

    But as Zoe goes back to moments of middle school drama--sleepover games gone wrong, field trips with cliques and crushes, and school projects that bring on more-than-awkward encounters--she realizes that second chances don't always go as planned and that sometimes you need to trust the magic of new beginnings. 

    The Retake is a picture-perfect look at tween friendship, that also explores more serious themes of social media pressure, bullying and what it means to be yourself. 

Why I'm Waiting on This: When Jen Calonita first mentioned this upcoming release in her interview with me, I immediately fell in love with the idea. I got even more excited once I learned more about Zoe and the wacky adventure she lives through! I already relate to Zoe's struggle of making and keeping friends, and have wondered what it would be like if the same time-traveling opportunity were open to me. The different messages Calonita is writing about in The Retake also seem very relatable and very needed in the world of a tween today! 

(Also, can I take a second to gush about the cover? It's gorgeous. Really. And it fits perfectly with the wild, fun vibe Calonita's story is already giving me!)

     So, after reading my take, what do you think about The Retake? Would you want to read it, or have you already pre-ordered it? Is there anything you're Waiting on Wednesday for? Let me know in the comments, and if you released a Can't-Wait Wednesday themed post on your blog, send me a link!

    Join me on Friday for another Week of Book Memes combo post (and my first blog post in the New Year...*silently squeals*)...