Awards

• Short-listed for Great Reads Award 2023
• Short-listed for The Badger Books Award 2023
• Short-listed for Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing 2023
• Winner of White Raven Award 2023

Overview

In this YA sensation, a teen boy becomes trapped in a time loop of the day of his classmate’s death and must confront toxic masculinity, his own complicity and the courage it takes to change the future. Louise Finch’s Carnegie shortlisted time-loop YA novel ‘tackles sexual assault, toxic masculinity, and grief with precision and courage’ (Kirkus starred review). Wake up. Friday. Clara Hart hits my car. Go to class. Anthony rates the girls. House party. Anthony goes upstairs with Clara. Drink. Clara dies. Wake up. Friday again. Clara Hart hits my car… Why can’t I break this loop? Spence and Anthony have been friends for years, but it’s only when he witnesses a classmate die in what looks like a tragic accident at a house party that a flicker in the fabric of time helps Spence ‘see’ Anthony for the first time. When Spence wakes up to the same day again and sees Clara, the girl who died, alive and well, it’s clear he’s been granted a second chance. And a third. And a fourth… Caught in a loop, condemned to experience the same 24 hours over and over, Spence tries to prevent the terrible events of the party. To break the spell, he has to re-evaluate everything he previously took for granted and find the courage to call out his own and others’ complicity in events that marked the life and death of Clara Hart.

Full Product Details

9781912417247

Table of Contents

Reviews

'Shows us the complexities of teenage gender relations without teaching or preaching.' -- Mia Döring * Author of Any Girl * 'What a voice ... An amazing debut.' -- Sue Wallman * Author of I Know You Did It * 'A real page-turner.' -- Helena Close * Author of Things I Know * ""If I had my way this fast-paced, thought-provoking and gorgeously crafted book would be required reading in every secondary school. A timely and important story."" -- Aislinn O'Loughlin * Author of Big Bad Me * ""Exceptional ... a careful, thoughtful, compulsively readable examination of toxic masculinity and normalised sexual abuse."" * The Guardian * “This novel is a reminder of how fiction can be an ideal space for exploring philosophical questions … I am glad this superb book exists.” -- Claire Hennessy * The Irish Times * ""Debut author Finch tackles sexual assault, toxic masculinity, and grief with precision and courage ...A devastating, essential journey."" * Kirkus Reviews starred review * ""The Eternal Return of Clara Hart is an intelligent novel about grief, sexual violence, and the impact of personal accountability.” -- Foreword Reviews ""Bold and honest ... More than a fast-paced novel with visible, realistic and necessary character growth that helps the reader move closer to understanding, The Eternal Return Of Clara Hart is a reflection on real life."" * The National * ""This book is a riveting read that you will find hard to put down."" * The Scotsman * ""An incredible debut ... It's a rollercoaster, and you're left breathless merely watching from the outside."" * ReadingZone * ""An exceptional debut that can be enjoyed by anybody, but especially by teenage boys who can connect to Spence and his struggles."" * Paper Lanterns * ""Prepare to be blown away by this incredibly impressive debut."" * Paperback Snob * ""This has been my book of the year so far ... I am honestly speechless about how incredible this book is."" * Total Bibliophile * ""I adored every page of the novel, the characters are achingly real making all their actions more impactful and believable."" * The Paper Orange Charley * ""Compelling and relatable."" -- Shelly Mack Books ""An excellent twist on the time-loop trope. It is a gripping, heart-wrenching and eye-opening story that I cannot recommend enough."" * Lois Reads Books * ""An impressive debut."" * Teaching English Magazine * ""The Eternal Return of Clara Hart was absolutely addictive! I stayed up way too late to finish it because I had to know what happened to Spence. This is a great time loop story, but it's much more than that and covers deep, dark issues like death, assault, male toxicity and more.""  * ***** reader review, NetGalley Librarian * ""Compelling, well-written and devastating."" * ***** reader review, Emily May, Goodreads * ""I absolutely loved reading this book."" * ***** reader review, Goodreads * ""A fantastic debut."" * ***** reader review, Goodreads * ""Incredibly readable."" * ***** reader review, Goodreads * ""It is so powerful and just such an engaging read. Every teen should read this book."" * ***** reader review, Goodreads *

'An intelligent novel about grief, sexual violence, and the impact of personal accountability' 'Exceptional ... a careful, thoughtful, compulsively readable examination of toxic masculinity and normalised sexual abuse' 'A powerful takedown of misogyny and toxic masculinity, Finch's time-slip tale focuses on a teenager seemingly condemned to witness the repeated demise of the eponymous girl for the rest of his life' 'Finch tackles sexual assault, toxic masculinity, and grief with precision and courage' 'A reminder of how fiction can be an ideal space for exploring philosophical questions' 'A riveting read that you will find hard to put down' 'A rollercoaster, and you're left breathless merely watching from the outside'

Author Information

Louise Finch grew up in a small town in the Midlands. After studying History of Art she worked for over a decade in the charity sector across women's and LGBT+ rights, and youth arts. She now lives in the South East of England with her photographer husband, their two small dogs and too many house plants, surrounded by books, craft supplies and vintage furniture.

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