Books Like The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Everyone has at some point wished that they could go back in time and do something differently, which is why time travel is such a popular plot device. The ability to alter history and the implications involved is a theme numerous authors have explored. However, some novels deal with time loops, where characters find themselves stuck in a cycle of repetition. In most cases, there is a condition for the time loop to reset, such as the death of a character, while in other instances, the loop repeats after a preset time. Time loops have appeared in stories as early as Doubled and Redoubled by Malcolm Jameson in 1941, while The Seven 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton is a popular contemporary example. It is a story about a man named Aiden Bishop who is stuck in a time loop during a day where a woman named Evelyn Hardcastle is murdered. Aiden has until the end of the day to find the killer with failure resulting in Evelyn's death. However, there is a twist as each day Aiden returns to the past, he does so in the body of a different guest at the manor where Evelyn is killed. For more mind-bending books with unique twists on time loops, check out the following books like The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.
All You Need Is Kill
by Hiroshi Sakurazaka
All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka is a 2004 novel about Keiji Kiriya, one of the many recruits sent out to fight when alien Mimics invade. Keiji is strapped into a suit of battle armor called a Jacket but soon ends up being killed by an unusual Mimic. However, after dying on the battlefield, Keiji is shocked to find himself in a time loop where he wakes up again the day before the battle. Keiji retains all of his memories up until the time of his death, which allows him to hone his skills and try to change his fate. The novel received a film adaption in 2014 called Edge of Tomorrow, which stars Tom Cruise. The movie changes the setting to Western Europe but retains most of the original novel's plot.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
by Ransom Riggs
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is the first novel in the series of the same name by Ransom Riggs. After the death of his grandfather, sixteen-year-old Jacob Portman is plagued with nightmares about horrific monsters. These monsters appear to be from his grandfather's stories about his time during World War II, where he lived in a secret home with other peculiar children. At a psychiatrist's suggestion, Jacob goes to the remote island off the coast of Wales where his grandfather's children's home used to be. Jacob finds the ruins of the house but is shocked to discover that a bomb destroyed it on September 3, 1940, which also killed all the inhabitants. Things become even stranger when Jacob ends up in the same time loop that takes him back to the day of the bombing. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was turned into a 2016 film by Tim Burton starring Eva Green, Samuel L. Jackson, and Judi Dench.
Before I Fall
by Lauren Oliver
Before I Fall is the debut novel by author Lauren Oliver and stars a popular high school senior named Samantha Kingston. Since she is at the top of the social pyramid, Samantha anticipates a day of valentines roses and one big party on "Cupid Day." This is precisely what happens too, but Samantha dies in a terrible car accident after the party at the end of the day. However, when she wakes up unscathed, Samantha is shocked to discover that she is reliving the last day of her life. Samantha is too dazed to change anything the first time it happens, but after dying again and discovering that she is trapped in a time loop, she tries out different things each time the day resets. Before I Fall received a film adaptation in 2017 starring Zoey Deutch in the lead role.
11/22/63
by Stephen King
The master of horror has tackled many subjects over his illustrious career, so it should come as no surprise that Stephen King has a book featuring time loops too. The title, 11/22/64, refers to the day that President Kennedy was assassinated. In this novel thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher Jake Epping learns about a time portal that leads back to 1958. He is convinced by the person who discovered the portal to assist with a mission to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy. However, things don't go as planned, which results in Jake making multiple trips back to 1958, each with unforeseen consequences. A six-episode miniseries based on the book was released in 2016, starring James Franco as Jake Epping.
Neverworld Wake
by Marisha Pessl
Neverworld Wake is a 2018 novel by Marisha Pessl about a weekend reunion gone horribly wrong. Beatrice Hartley has mixed feelings about joining her friends for the weekend reunion one year after graduation, and as it turns out, she had every right to be worried. They narrowly avoid a collision with another vehicle on a deserted road after a night out, only to be confronted by a mysterious man who shows up back at the mansion they are staying in. He informs them that one of them will live while the rest dies and that they must come to a unanimous decision on the matter among themselves. Until they do so, they will be stuck in a time loop that resets back to the moment they were in the accident. As the group experiences this time loop, they all deal with it differently, resulting in unexpected and horrifying events.
