You know what you're getting with most teen novels: boy meets girl, girl isn't sure how she feels about boy, boy and girl figure it out. Occasionally there's a vampire thrown in for good measure, but in Cycler, which has just been optioned for the screen, there's a different twist: for four days every month Jill turns into Jack,
Written by Lauren McLaughlin, a former Lionsgate executive who's already written the screenplay and a sequel, the story provides an unusual twist on the "time of the month", with teenager Jill worried about who'll ask her to prom but also concerned that Jack might turn up on that day instead. What's more, Jack has a crush on Jill's best friend and Jack's personality is getting stronger and stronger, lingering in Jill's head even after he's gone.
It's an intriguing concept, one that goes a step further than the slightly similar body-swop tale It's A Boy Girl Thing. Angryfilms, the company behind Real Steel starring Hugh Jackman, is hoping to bring it all together, with partners Don Murphy and Susan Montford producing.