16 FOREVER, by Lance Rubin, HarperCollins, Jan. 6, 2026, Hardcover, $19.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
A teen gets a rude awakening when he discovers he’s been reliving age 16 for years in 16 Forever, by Lance Rubin
It’s the morning of Carter Cohen’s 16th birthday, and everything’s going his way.
He’s psyched and ready to get his driver’s license, his little brother’s not hogging the bathroom, and, man, something smells good for breakfast…
But when Carter bounds downstairs, Mom bursts into tears. It happened again. It’s Carter’s 16th birthday—for the sixth time. Every time he’s supposed to turn 17, he loops back a year. His memory gets wiped clean, his body ages backward—the rest of the world moves on, just not him.
Maggie Spear, on the other hand, has been dreading this day ever since she and Carter started dating. When she spies him in the halls and he doesn’t seem to know her at all, it’s obvious that it’s over between them. She can’t be in a relationship with someone who is just going to forget her again and again. Since Carter doesn’t remember that they’re together, then it’s probably better if she just pretends that they never were.
Except Carter senses that there’s more to their story than Maggie’s letting on, and Maggie’s keeping secrets of her own—but in the process of trying to let the other go, they find themselves falling in love all over again.
With Maggie soon leaving for college and Carter’s birthday quickly coming around again, will they be able to find a forever that isn’t stuck at 16? —Synopsis provided by HarperCollins
The idea of someone caught in a time loop isn’t new. Groundhog Day, anyone? It’s a concept that’s been done with varying success. And Lance Rubin’s 16 Forever fits in the success column.
Rubin’s treatment feels fresh, and his characters are compelling.
The story takes place from Carter and Maggie’s alternating points of view, with Carter trying to out why he’s looping, and Maggie deliberately trying to move on. Both of the characters are flawed, and situation is messy, making it a good setup for a YA romance.
There’s lots of teenage angst, flirting and banter that moves the story forward at a good pace.
The one thing that did bug me was that Carter has this condition, and it’s not a news story. I had a hard time with it being a thing without it being a THING. In real life, there’d be news stories, medical studies and social media posts at the bare minimum.
But if you ignore that, everything else falls into place. 16 Forever is an enjoyable and genuine read.
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