I'll Stop the World
"Lauren Thoman's I'll Stop the World is a whip-smart mystery with a vibrant cast of characters that gives off great eighties vibes. I was absolutely dazzled by this unputdownable genre-bending novel that's equal parts coming-of-age suspense and emotional tale of forgiveness and second chances." --Mindy Kaling
The end and the beginning become one in a heart-pounding coming-of-age mystery about the power of friendship, fate, and inexplicable second chances.
Is it the right place at the wrong time? Or the wrong place at the right time?
Trapped in a dead-end town, Justin Warren has had his life defined by the suspicious deaths of his grandparents. The unsolved crime happened long before Justin was born, but the ripple effects are still felt after thirty-eight years. Justin always knew he wouldn't have much of a future. He just never imagined that his life might take him backward.
In a cosmic twist of fate, Justin's choices send him crashing into the path of determined optimist Rose Yin. Justin and Rose live in the same town and attend the same school, but have never met--because Rose lives in 1985. Justin won't be born for another twenty years. And his grandparents are still alive--for now.
In a series of events that reverberate through multiple lifetimes, Justin and Rose have a week to get Justin unstuck in time and put each of them in control of their futures--by solving a murder that hasn't even happened yet.
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Lauren Thoman is the author of the Mindy's Book Studio selection I'll Stop the World. She lives outside Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, two children, a fluctuating number of rescue and foster dogs, and a somewhat alarming quantity of fish. Her pop culture writing has appeared in numerous online outlets including Parade and Vulture. When she's not writing, she's probably on the hunt for tacos or coffee, poking around her flower beds, or buried underneath a pile of dogs. For more information, visit laurenthomanwrites.com.
Mindy Kaling is an Emmy-nominated Indian-American actress, comedienne, writer and producer. She shot to fame with her cross-dressing impersonation of Ben Affleck in a play she co-wrote, entitled Matt & Ben and then went on to write for the US version of The Office, before going on to portray Kelly Kapoor in the TV series. She has had cameos in The 40-Year-Old Virgin and appeared in The Five-Year Engagement with Jason Segel. She is also the creator and star of the FOX television show, The Mindy Project. She lives in rural New Hampshire and does not own a TV.
"Thoman's ambitious timeline of events is both expansive and compressed, with the storyline unfolding over the course of both one week and 38 years, and her portrayal of teenagers in varying degrees of crisis is sympathetic. A novel look at strange (and stranger) things." --Kirkus Reviews
"Thoman's sweeping debut defies categorization. A multigenerational mystery, a compulsively readable love story, an intricately woven sci-fi--whatever it is, I'll Stop the World is the mind-bendy time-travel eighties romp we all need right now. I'm obsessed with this book." --David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author
"I'll Stop the World layers mystery upon mystery, from the everyday secrets in the lives of teens coming of age in a small town now to the dark shock waves still radiating out from deaths that took place decades before. Lauren Thoman's debut novel is a time-bending page-turner packed with twists no one will see coming. This is a story that continues to resonate long after you finish." --Gwenda Bond, New York Times bestselling author of Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds
"In this standout debut, Lauren Thoman takes the reader on a wild ride, deftly wrapping a coming-of-age story with a clever mystery, sprinkled with eighties nostalgia that'll have you reaching for your Bubble Yum. As I tore through the pages, I fell in love with the cast of flawed and funny characters, who felt as real as the friends I grew up with. Best of all, Thoman delivers an impossibly satisfying ending in a way only the very best time-travel storytellers can. This one should go at the top of everyone's must-read list!" --Brianna Labuskes, Wall Street Journal bestselling author
"A brilliant, thought-provoking page-turner that so deeply sucked me into a world of richly drawn characters and fast-paced action that I never wanted to leave." --Sonali Dev, USA Today bestselling author of The Vibrant Years
"A page-turning, time-bending mystery full of heart. I'll Stop the World gave me a chance to solve a cold crime from a refreshing new perspective. Lauren Thoman is an exciting new talent not to be missed!" --Kara Thomas, bestselling author of That Weekend and Out of the Ashes
