This Day Changes Everything

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ISBN10: 1250835224
ISBN13: 9781250835222

Hardcover

288 Pages

$20.00

CA$27.00

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Abby Akerman believes in the Universe. After all, her Midwest high school marching band is about to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City—if that’s not proof that magical things can happen, what is? New York also happens to be the setting of her favorite romance novel, making it the perfect place for Abby to finally tell her best friend Kat that she’s in love with her (and, um, gay). She’s carefully annotated a copy of the book as a gift for Kat, and she’s counting on the Universe to provide an Epic Scene worthy of her own rom-com.

Leo Brewer, on the other hand, just wants to get through this trip without falling apart. He doesn’t believe the Universe is magical at all, mostly because he’s about to be outed to his very Southern extended family on national TV as the trans boy he really is. He’s not excited for the parade, and he’s even less excited for an entire day of sightseeing with his band.

But the Universe has other ideas. When fate throws Abby and Leo together on the wrong subway train, they soon find themselves lost in the middle of Manhattan. Even worse, Leo accidentally causes Abby to lose her Epic Gift for Kat. So to salvage the day, they come up with a new mission: find a souvenir from every location mentioned in the book for Abby to give Kat instead. But as Leo and Abby traverse the city, from the streets of Chinatown to the halls of Grand Central Station and the top of the Empire State Building, their initial expectations for the trip—and of each other—begin to shift. Maybe, if they let it, this could be the day that changes everything, for both of them.

Reviews

Praise for This Day Changes Everything

“Tender, earnest, and unabashedly romantic—an ode to serendipity, liminal spaces, and the joy of marching to your own drumbeat.”—Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda

“Captures the magic of New York City, unexpected adventures, and whirlwind romances, showing spectacular things can happen if you trust the universe, and yourself, enough to let them.”—Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times bestselling author of She Gets the Girl

“Underhill writes romance from a place of homage and elevation; tropes and cliches are effortlessly charming, lovingly updated for a modern audience . . . [Leo and Abby's] discovery of how to live and love as their authentic selves will hit harder than any shako-wearing percussion section.”—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

“This Day Changes Everything will parade into your heart and set off the confetti cannons. The romance is as real and magical and unpredictable as a day in New York City.”—Stephanie Perkins, bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss

“A delightful ode to New York City, taking chances, and falling in love. Joyous, romantic, and true.”—Axie Oh, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea and XOXO

“Woven throughout Leo and Abby’s charming adventures are beautiful notes on identity, destiny, and the thrill of being seen for who you truly are, even as you’re still figuring that out.”—Racquel Marie, author of Ophelia After All

“Heartfelt and delightful . . . A perfect blend of Nicola Yoon’s The Sun Is Also a Star and Becky Albertalli’s Imogen, Obviously.”—Bookpage

“A lively, queer romance with flourishes of drama.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Pick this up if you love books where the setting feels like a character, but stay for the absolute magic that is watching Abby and Leo fall in love with each other and with themselves.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Depictions of Abby and Leo’s gradually developing friendship—as well as their interactions with the loyal supporting cast—cultivate a safe and affirming space in which two queer teens discover new perspectives.”—Publishers Weekly

Reviews from Goodreads

BOOK EXCERPTS

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ONE

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21—4:00 P.M.

ABBY

THERE’S A SCENE in my favorite book, The Hundred Romances of Clara Jane, where the main character (Clara Jane) takes an elevator to the top of the Empire State Building...

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About the author

Edward Underhill

EDWARD UNDERHILL (he/him) is a queer trans man who grew up in the suburbs of Wisconsin, where he could not walk to anything, which meant he had to make up his own adventures. He began writing (very bad) stories as a kid and wrote his first (also very bad) novel in his teens. In college, he studied music composition, before earning a master’s degree in film music composition. After a few years living in very tiny apartments in New York, he moved to California, where by day he writes music and by night he writes stories, which aren’t as bad as they used to be. When not doing either of these things, he’s probably gardening or hanging out with his cat. He is the author of Always the Almost.

Edward Underhill