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The Eternal Return of Clara Hart
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06 October 2026

In this Kirkus Prize-shortlisted 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.
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.
Louise Finch’s Carnegie shortlisted time-loop YA novel ‘tackles sexual assault, toxic masculinity, and grief with precision and courage’ (Kirkus starred review).
"Finch tackles sexual assault, toxic masculinity, and grief with precision and courage ...A devastating, essential journey." — Kirkus starred review
"An intelligent novel about grief, sexual violence, and the impact of personal accountability." — Foreword Reviews
"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.” — The Irish Times
"This book is a riveting read that you will find hard to put down." — The Scotsman
“An exceptional debut that can be enjoyed by anybody, but especially by teenage boys who can connect to Spence and his struggles.” — Paper Lanterns
"An incredible debut ... It's a rollercoaster, and you're left breathless merely watching from the outside." — ReadingZone
"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