Discussion: 24-Hours

This Week’s Topic:

24-HOURS

I recently finished Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon. It was a stupendous story, which took place over the course of one day. It had me thinking about other circadian novels I have read, and I was wondering what is so appealing about books that transpire in such a short time period. 

One thing that came to mind is how impressed I am with how these novels seems to fly by. I have read many books, that were the same length or longer, and span a longer time period. You would think those books would fly by, but my experiences with circadian stories have showed that stretching that single day into the length of the book can result in quite a quick paced read. One could propose, that the books cut out the everyday mundane things, but that's not necessarily true of all for all these novels.  In fact, I found that authors employing this structure can make some of the most ordinary things seem extraordinary.

Another observation, many of these novels feature a small cast of main characters. When I examine my own list, there are two main players, for the most part. Fewer characters allow for deeper interactions, it leaves ample time for some serious introspection, and allows the characters to examine their past and present. 

What I think I like most about this format is the way it shows how a person or their circumstances can change so drastically in a such a short period of time. I always believed that significant changes required patience and many days, months, or years. However, these stories have shown that to be false, and maybe made me appreciate all the possibilities a day can present. 

Whatever the reason, I seem to love these short spanning books as much as those which span long periods of time, and here are some of my favorites. 

• Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between by Jennifer E. Smith
• Even if the Sky Falls by Mia Garcia
• White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig
• Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
• Somewhere Only We Know by Maureen Goo

• Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
• The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
• The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith 
• Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan 
• Love & Other Train Wrecks by Leah Konen

Now it's your turn!

Have you read any circadian novels? 
Let us know in the comments!