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.

To view a complete list of content warnings for I’LL STOP THE WORLD, please go here.

Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook, with an original introduction written by Mindy Kaling.

Add I’LL STOP THE WORLD on:   Goodreads BookBub StoryGraph

Buy the book:

Nashville independent bookstores: Parnassus Books (signed upon request) | The Bookshop

Other outlets: Amazon | Apple | Audible | Barnes & Noble | Blackwell’s | Bookshop.org | Books-A-Million | Powell’s | Target

Praise for I’LL STOP THE WORLD

  • Mindy Kaling headshot

    "Lauren Thoman's I'LL STOP THE WORLD is a whip-smart mystery with a vibrant cast of characters that gives off great '80s vibes. I was absolutely dazzled by this unputdownable genre-bending novel that's equal parts coming-of-age suspense and an emotional tale of forgiveness and second chances."

    Mindy Kaling

  • David Arnold

    "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 '80s romp we all need right now. I'm obsessed with this book."

    David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author

  • Sonali Dev headshot

    "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

  • "In this stand-out debut, Lauren Thoman takes the reader on a wild ride, deftly wrapping a coming-of-age story with a clever mystery, and sprinkled with '80s nostalgia that'll have you reaching for your BubbleYum. 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

  • Kara Thomas headshot

    “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

  • Gwenda Bond headshot

    "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 shockwaves 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

  • "A retro roller coaster of suspense and supernatural mystery. "

    Library Journal

  • “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

  • "I’ll Stop the World is a refreshingly original and whimsically nostalgic story of time travel. In an age where “the same but different” often reigns supreme, Lauren Thoman unapologetically inhabits her own unconventional (and undeniably pop culture savvy) space. The result is a clever mash-up that’s part coming-of-age story, part whodunit, and whole-hearted love letter to humanity’s capacity for betterment."

    Criminal Element

  • "As hard to put down as it is to see the twists coming, Thoman’s debut is a deeply compelling time-travel mystery wrapped in a coming-of-age tale."

    Dahlia Adler for BuzzFeed