| Title | : | Cassandra in Reverse |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 368 |
| Publication | : | First published May 11, 2023 |
“A Time-Twisting Delight” —Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club June ’23 Pick)
If you had the power to change the past…where would you start?
Cassandra Penelope Dankworth is a creature of habit. She likes what she likes (museums, jumpsuits, her boyfriend, Will) and strongly dislikes what she doesn't (mess, change, her boss drinking out of her mug). Her life runs in a pleasing, predictable order…until now.
• She's just been dumped.
• She's just been fired.
• Her local café has run out of banana muffins.
Then, something truly unexpected happens: Cassie discovers she can go back and change the past. One small rewind at a time, Cassie attempts to fix the life she accidentally obliterated, but soon she'll discover she's trying to fix all the wrong things.
“A great read-alike for The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore, and The Boys by Katie Hafner.” —Booklist (STARRED)
Cassandra in Reverse Reviews
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Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
DNF I just had to stop around the 50% mark because it was awful. I kept reading hoping it would get better and unfortunately that was not the case. I am all for going back in time (Groundhog Day storyline) and I even enjoy Greek mythology. However, I quickly realized the entire book was focused on repeating Cassandra's breakup with Will. During the whole story, Cassandra was trying to change herself to hold on to her ex. That is absolutely depressing and a red flag for me!
I really wanted to love this book but sadly it just was not for me. -
This is such an interesting book with a quirky, neurodivergent, unique heroine. It's quite a mashup of Oona Out of Order meets Sliding Doors! This book is more than just a time travel and stuck-in-a-loop story. It's about second chances, self-growth, changing your life path, and learning more about yourself, your capabilities, dreams, and potentials.
I found the plot interesting, and Cassandra is definitely an original, unique, one-of-a-kind character with a different perception. You can easily connect with her and get a close look at her journey. She's dealing with the worst kind of day when she loses everything she cares about: her job, her place to live, her boyfriend. Then time moves backwards to give her a chance to make different decisions, following different paths to reach different outcomes. But eventually, she has to find out who she really is and what she wants to do with her life. She's named after Cassandra, a Trojan priestess in Greek mythology dedicated to the god Apollo, fated by him to utter true prophecies but never to be believed.
There are so many Greek mythology references in this book because of Cassandra's special interest in the subject. This slows down the pace and adds a little philosophical approach to the book. The time-loop theme turns into a repetitive cycle, which also bored me a little.
But overall, I'm still rounding up my 3.5 stars to 4 for its interesting concept and likable character.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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This reminded me of the Adam Sandler movie "Click." When Cassandra figures out she can time travel, there are scenes where she is rewinding over and over to achieve her desired result. She has three prime objectives: job, boyfriend, and flatmates. I was rooting for Cassandra. Her autism manifests in many ways. One I was most fascinated with was the colors that she could perceive coming from those around her, revealing the inner emotions. Her own colors were at times overwhelming. There are a lot of Greek mythology references and the book got a bit long. The Geek Girl series is still my favorite of Holly Smales" titles.
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3.5 stars, rounded up. I really struggled to connect at the beginning of this one - the title character was just so unlikeable & hard to relate to, especially how she was so hyper-focused on her ex-boyfriend of 4 whole months. But I hung in & the second half was much better and faster paced, so I am glad that I finished it. I did appreciate all the mythology references, as that aspect along with the time travel, was what drew me to this one. I never did really understand either how or why she got her gift, and similar to another major character, I did feel that she squandered it, but I was pleased with her self-realizations.
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Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale
Contemporary fiction. Diverse “on the spectrum” main character.
Cassandra has her routines and she is the most comfortable when she sticks to them. When her boyfriend breaks up with her, and she’s fired on the same day, she’s sure it’s because of her habits and unsuccessfully handling social events. She finds out she can time travel and goes back over and over again trying to fix her relationship with Will and her job. Eventually she learns more about herself along the way and finds that time travel is not the answer.
Self discovery and awareness become the byproduct for Cassandra as she tries to fix her responses to Will in their dating events. It’s half way through that she looks outside herself to discover the other side and it’s not just about her and Will anymore. Other relationships must come into play.
Heart wrenching and ultimately healing.
Quote:
“If you give the power of time travel to a woman who eats banana muffins ever day, for three decades, you can’t go expecting her to be someone else with it”
I received a copy of this from the publisher. -
Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale is what you get when you mix a contemporary romance and a time travel fantasy. The story is told from the point of view of the lead character who is neurodivergent as she bounces around in time trying to fix her own life after it has fallen apart.
Cassandra Penelope Dankworth is not having a good day when she gets to work only to find the cherry on the rotten cake of the day is she’s being fired. Cassie doesn’t know what to think after starting the day off with a break up before it all spiraled out of control and being a creature of habit this is all just too much for her to handle.
In the blink of an eye though Cassie finds herself right back to the beginning of it all and living the trauma over until she wonders if anything she does can change the outcome. Cassie learns that she can start over if things go wrong and time travel just may be the answer she was looking for to fix her life before it went off the rails.
Holly Smale is an author that I was already familiar with having tried some of her young adult contemporary romance novels. I found her writing a ton of fun and seeing a this was an adult romcom that also mixed in another genre when I love books that mix genres I couldn’t help but get excited. The incredibly great part to this new series for me was finding that an autistic lead was at the front of this story and I couldn’t help but be enamored with it. This one turned into just what I hoped, a ton of laughs along with a lot of character growth as she finds herself and navigates the world so I couldn’t help but to enjoy it as I read along.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit
https://carriesbookreviews.com/ -
A time-loop story that exceeded all my expectations! I can’t stop thinking about it.
After getting dumped by her boyfriend and fired from her PR job in the same day, Cassandra Dankworth miraculously gains the ability to manipulate time from the past four months. And she'll do anything to fix her mistakes!
I absolutely ADORED Cassandra. With her passion for Greek mythology threaded throughout, she was such a delight. I loved being in her wonderfully quirky head and genuinely laughed out loud multiple times!
But Cassandra is often misunderstood by others. She's unintentionally brash, prefers predictable situations, and frequently misses social cues. A very big part of this story is piecing together her experiences as a neurodivergent person.
What I loved most was the mysterious detour it leads Cassandra on—one with a surprising twist and a much bigger purpose than she intended. The utterly heartfelt, vulnerable moments along the way made my heart so full.
It’s hard to encapsulate how this book made me feel after finishing. An easy five stars!
(heat level: closed door)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. -
Well that was a surprise. I really thought after the first chapter or so that I was really going to get irritated or Cassandra was going to get on my nerves but instead I quit trying to read it a bit at a time and read the last half in one go. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
The story is that Cassandra has been dumped but after the dumping she ends up reliving the same day. It's a miracle. She can time travel. Not quite back to where she wants to be bit at least she can not get fired, not get dumped, not get made homeless - again.
But it's not as easy to control time as she first thinks and through a series of time re-runs we discover Cassandra's history, her odd personality traits and who the woman she is trying to avoid at all costs is.
It's a very readable book. There's quite a lot of Greek myth references but they're interesting rather than distracting. Its not a re-telling by any stretch of the imagination. Its simply the story of a woman who has struggled to be heard, to fit in, to be accepted her whole life.
Holly Smale has done an excellent job with this adult debut and I'd highly recommend it but do be prepared to ignore the housework for several hours once you've got into it. Just remind yourself that dust can only get so thick before the bottom layer breaks down. You'll be fine. -
DNF. Not my cup of tea.
Keeping this short and sweet.
While I enjoyed having a neurodivergent main character, this book fell flat for me. I ended up quitting it at 37%. There is a lot of Greek mythology references which do not interest me, and although I like ground hog type scenarios, this one got repetitive and didn’t hold my attention. -
This is a Reese’s Book Club Pick.
I really wanted to like this one.
But, part of liking a book, is liking its main character, and well, that wasn’t likely to happen for me.
I am a fan of magical realism. I was so ready for the magic. But this magic was pushing me in directions that just didn’t feel fun.
Premise: Cassandra is neurodivergent. The author portrays her as an annoying and anal character. She is dumped by her boyfriend and her job in the same day. Also, her flat mate situation has become untenable. So, let’s just say it is a very bad day for her.
And it isn’t looking good for me as a reader, either.
Now here is where the magical realism comes in.
Through mental effort, Cassandra can travel back along her own timeline and relive her life at any point. Not a long distance – but at least 4 months to possibly save her relationship – her living situation and her career – right?
A do-over button.
Groundhog Day?
And this is where it gets blurry. Living a single day over and over is one thing – redoing it weeks at a time?
Too many unanswered questions.
First, there is no explanation for her special ability.
Second, why arbitrarily only about 4 months?
Third, why put readers through this blurriness?
Doesn’t time travel alter people’s lives?
Why should I care about getting answers as a reader when I don’t even care about the main protagonist?
I don’t know. I have been debating this book since I started to read it. I really, really wanted to like it.
What gives Reese? -
I really like it when a book totally surprises me. This is not a book I would normally pick up and this is not a genre I normally read. But I'm glad I did. It's a great story and by the end of the book I fell in love with quirky Cassandra.
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I really enjoyed this one!!!
I do think the audiobook was the way to go! The development of Cassandra’s character was wonderful and I wish it started to wrap up before the 75%. I think the time travel trope can get a bit repetitive and exhausting, but I focused more on the development of Cassandra.
If you’re a fan of Oona Out of Order and Eleanor Oliphant, you’ll enjoy this one! -
What a big, warm, fuzzy surprise. I didn't expect to enjoy this book so much but I loved it.
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Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Cassandra in Reverse.
Going back in time is the newest trend in novels.
I've read more novels with this premise last year than the year before and I know I'll see more novels with this narrative this year.
I liked the premise but not Cassandra.
I get that she's autistic, on the spectrum, and likes things a certain way.
I definitely likes things a certain way myself, but I always wonder if authors who write from the POV of an individual like Cassandra is generalizing people with autism or truly knows someone with her attributes?
I don't any autistic adults, I know a few children with autism so I don't have anyone in the adult category to go by.
But I feel all these characters in these novels sound like they're cut from the same cloth.
Next, I didn't understand how the concept of time travel worked in this novel: Cassandra just closes her eyes?
Seems really silly.
Then, she spends the majority of the book trying to re-establish her relationship with her boyfriend. That got boring fast.
I did enjoy the Greek mythology references but I found Cassandra an unlikable character.
I didn't dislike her. I just didn't care about her.
The narrative dragged toward the end until the appearance of Cassandra's sister, but by that time I found it hard to care about anyone or anything. -
Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale. Thanks to @tlcbooktours and @mirabooks #htpinfluencer for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love a good time travel story but this one has a little more to it than just time travel! I loved the Greek mythology that was woven within the story and how the author ran with the Cassandra name; like a modern reimagining of Cassandra. I enjoyed Cassandra’s character and how her time travel affected her personal growth and knowledge about herself. There were a few surprises thrown into the story, that made everything click in a perfect way.
“Time is the invisible thread that weaves our stories together. And sixty seconds can change everything.”
Cassandra in Reverse comes out 5/9. -
I am SO glad that I picked this ARC up at my local bookshop. I knew I was going to enjoy it just by reading the back, but I didn’t expect to love it this much. The book took such a beautiful turn in the middle, and I hate (but also truly love) the way it ended. Cassandra learns so much about relationships and connections and love in this story about time travel. The best part, though? Cassandra Dankworth is SO me. I have never related to a character more, and I felt so seen and understood reading this book. I cannot wait for this to be released so that everyone can read it.
P.S. I do wish the US version was called The Cassandra Complex. -
I went into this expecting a quirky time travel tale and I got that and SO much more! Cassandra’s inner dialogue was so endearing and while you go in thinking the book will be focused on her trying to win her boyfriend back, the ultimate storyline is so much more than that!
It was so interesting to read that Holly Smale was diagnosed with autism in her 30s and to see how she used Cassandra’s inner dialogue to teach us readers what it’s like to live with her own norms and feelings in a neurotypical world that forces her to try and make it work by those rules. It was also nice to read commentary from the autistic community saying they appreciated that we’re seeing things from Cassandra’s POV—which is just one experience and POV in a diverse community. -
3.5 stars.
The latest pick by Reese’s Book Club is an easy and fun read.
We follow a unique character who is stuck in a time loop.
I found the story quite fascinating and entertaining.
The situations are quite funny and I loved the dialogues.
The writing is very good.
The only problem is that, with the ability to time travel (although limited to 4 months back - I think) trying to fix the same problems, the story becomes repetitive.
There are no explanations as to how she gained this ability, but that did not bother me.
I had some good laugh.
Although this kind of concept has been done before (a single example: Groundhog Day), the main character shines.
But I wished that the character was not so obsessed in saving a job that she hated or a relationship that wasn’t older than 4 months.
There is a reveal at the end that should have been a surprise. Unfortunately lots of reviewers spoiled that one.
I do recommend the audiobook narrated by Kristin Atherton, who did a fabulous job (but sounding older than 31 years, the protagonist’s age.
Hardcover (Mira): 368 pages
e-book (Kobo): 326 pages (default), 101k words
Audiobook narrated by Kristin Atherton: 13.3 hours -
This was beautiful, brave, uncomfortable, interesting and lovely. And so well written, Holly Smale can *write*.
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Title: Cassandra in Reverse
Series: n/a
Author: Holly Smale
Release date: June 6, 2023
Cliffhanger: no
Genre: time travel, fantasy
Anytime I see a new book pop up with a time travel theme, I'm automatically excited to read it. I'm a bit obsessed with time travel, and frankly, there isn't enough out there to whet my voracious appetite for it. Let me start off by saying that Cassandra in Reverse started off with a bang.
Cassandra, the main character, has some great philosophical, original thoughts that effortlessly pulled me into the story. As she begins her narration, she even breaks the fourth wall by speaking directly to the reader. It was a really promising first impression, and even better, she only became more interesting the more I read. I could see how many people might be frustrated or annoyed with her horrible interactions with everyone around her. After all, she hasn't a clue how to engage in small talk or polite, casual conversation. She inevitably manages to offend or anger the person she is speaking to-completely unintentionally. Still, for me, her clumsiness at personal and professional relationships made me feel so sympathetic towards her struggles. The author spent a lot of time explaining Cassandra's differences, daily challenges, and feelings of despair that she couldn't stop pushing people away. Based on all of these things, it became crystal clear very early on that Cassandra is autistic, but was never diagnosed.
The book begins with her getting fired from her job, getting dumped by her boyfriend, and her living situation with her roommates is pretty well destroyed. So far, it was reminding me very strongly of Penny Reid's Neanderthal Seeks Human just without the huge dose of humor. (One of my top favorite books, btw) Cassandra doesn't care much for her PR job in the first place, considering she just isn't a people person. However, nobody wants to be fired and lose their financial stability, so she is naturally distraught. Even more upsetting is her unexpected break-up with her lovely boyfriend Will of four months. She truly cares for Will, and was completely blindsided by his sudden extraction from their relationship. Will seemed to genuinely admire Cassandra's intelligence and wasn't put off by her differences. What seemed to be a breaking point for him was her issue with opening up to him about her feelings and sharing herself with him. No matter how many times he asked her to share what she was thinking and feeling, she didn't know how to give that to him.
Somewhere after this disaster of a day when her life implodes, she discovers that she inexplicably went back and started repeating the day over again. She's stunned to discover that she has a strange ability to manipulate time, rewinding moments and re-doing them to fix what she feels like she broke. The catch is that she can only go back to the beginning of that one day and no further. This time travel aspect is left pretty vague and not at all fleshed out. The rules seem arbitrary and erratic, fluid even. But putting that aside, if you suspend disbelief and explore the yawning possibilities with her, there's still potential.
When I woke up this morning, it suddenly occurred to me that I’m not using my newfound abilities to their full capacity. I can travel through time, which means I can draw the day in pencil and then simply erase it when it’s done. I can have a holiday whenever I feel like it.
She struggles with questions of morality: should she even be re-doing so many failures with Will in order to prevent their break-up? If she keeps rewinding situations that end badly until Will is happy with her, isn't that a form of control and manipulation? Eventually, it doesn't sit well with her. She briefly thinks about doing illegal things just because she can and then erasing them, but she is an honest person at heart so she discards the possibility. In the end, what she cares most about is finding out where she went wrong with Will, preventing herself from getting fired, and preventing the day with her roommate Derek that ruins everything at home. So she begins an exhausting effort to reset everything. Along the way, she starts to learn things about herself as well as start to become more friendly with Salini and Sophie. Unfortunately, even with some successes, she keeps hitting walls when it comes to Will and the mystery woman named Diana that keeps popping up no matter what she changes. She starts to think that the harder she tries to put things back together again, perhaps she's just better off letting things fall where they may and accepting her life, flaws and all.
The mystery woman, Diana, set the story on a whole new course that I was not expecting. After Cassandra's reconciliation with her, the storyline with Will is completely altered. At first, I was extremely annoyed. After all, wasn't this book partially a romance? Now it wasn't feeling like one so much. Then the more I thought about it, I came to the conclusion that maybe there was a reason she and Will keep having issues in every alternate reality she creates. As sweet as he is, perhaps they really are too different, and she was wrong about fate. She can keep altering it, but in the end, things will eventually realign in the way they were meant to go. Different journey, same results. So I adjusted my thinking about her new projected ending. This is all about her deciding not to time travel anymore because she finally accepts herself for who she is, differences and all. Except...she starts making mistakes again with Diana, time traveling again to fix it (after declaring that she won't anymore), and then deciding to contradict everything she claimed to have learned and start COMPLETELY over again.
By the end, I was left floundering. I wondered what the lesson was. What was the message, the timeline of anything, the takeaway from everything I just read...? It's so unfortunate, but the promising beginning fizzled out to confusion in the final chapters. Everything I thought the book was about changed to something else, then left completely unresolved and undone. I decided on three stars, but this really was a tough one to rate. I enjoyed the author's writing style a lot, unfortunately the execution left something to be desired. Also, a minor complaint I have is the excessive references/comparisons to ancient Greek Gods. I understand that it was Cassandra's obsession, but there were so many insertions into the story that it became boring and I started skimming over them.
I wish I could have loved this one more, but I ended up having very mixed feelings. I will say that despite my issues, this was an original concept that held my interest pretty much the whole way through. I might be willing to give this author another try in the future if the right synopsis catches my eye again.
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Loved this. Went in with low expectations but found it lovely and unpredictable. I related to the main character more than I would have expected, opening up some questions for me (won’t say more to avoid a spoiler).
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This is a really difficult book to review. There was a lot I liked about this book, but there was also a ton of things that I found jarring.
First off -I love Holly Smale's writing style - I have read lots of her YA/middle grade books previously and she writes so personably. Its like reading a diary. Her characters are always so vivid and this book is no exception.
However I feel like this book tried to be too many things for it to work fully. I was confused by the time travel element. It appeared out of nowhere but then I got used to it - however the rules of the travel seemed to change and I was unsure where it was going in terms of the overall plot. Also, the constant reference to Greek mythology and storytelling was super random - it took a long time to understand why Cassandra kept bringing it up. It seemed to come together a bit more when the character of Artemis was introduced - but still it just didn't really work for me. It was shoe-horned in and I don't think it had any relevance to what was really going on.
So, theres time travel and there's greek myth - thats not all.
Then there's the constant reference to Cassandra being 'different' or 'odd' which was very obvious to me that the character was probably on the autistic spectrum. This was addressed towards the end of the book but quickly brushed over. I don't think it really needed the 'big announcement' - I think Smale should have given the reader more integrity and didn't need to address it like she did.
So thats, time travel, greek myth, autism, and to add to that....
The 'mystery woman' - this character (i wont explain more as I don't want spoilers) but this woman that keeps appearing and getting brushed off by Cassandra.
There was just too much going on, and I don't think these new plot elements/themes complimented each other.
Overall I enjoyed the reading experience, but it was very much a mish-mash of lots of different things that left me feeling confused by the end of it. -
*Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review!*
Well this was an absolute delight to read! I had no idea what to expect from it, especially given that there’s a huge time travel twists element that I’m not usually a fan of in fiction, but Smale managed to make it work really well here.
It takes a few chapters to orientate yourself with this book, but once you’re familiar with the writing style and what’s happening, it really is a breeze to read. Though it tackled some rather vulnerable and emotional themes throughout, it still felt really light and at times it was quite funny. It was really easy to get through and I found myself finishing this in no time at all. The time travel concept slotted in perfectly and the plot itself was very fast moving, and surprisingly I didn’t find it overly repetitive or boring which I have found in the past with books utilising a similar trope. I think it was well written and well executed.
In here we have protagonist coming to terms with the fact that she’s autistic which is why people treat her differently and why she sometimes struggles to cooperate with the world. It was heartbreaking to read at points how people took advantage and made fun of Cassandra, but it was also really heartwarming to see those around her who genuinely cared about her uplift and support her. Though it has some romance elements, this is really her story and her reconfiguring life which I enjoyed reading. She was an excellent protagonist, I loved her immediately and she had such a loving and warm personality that was easy to connect to and engage with. I also really loved the little tidbits of Greek mythology woven into the narrative, it worked so well.
I was worried about how this was all going to tie up and what the overall focus and message of the story was going to be, but I was so happy with how it ended. This story was wonderful and I can’t wait to see what Smale does next. -
I have to say, and I hate saying it, but this book wasn't for me, and I found it quite a struggle reading it.
Cassandra is a complex character who, when her life implodes, discovers that she can travel back in time. Using the gift to try and correct things and become a different/better person she discovers a lot about herself and other people.
There are many many references to Greek mythology, and I found this part of the book a slog, and skipped many paragraphs as there were huge chunks of prose about it and it's not something I personally find interesting, but I know that will be enjoyable for other readers.
Sadly this just wasn't the book for me, but it will appeal to many many readers. -
So much potential!
Reese always makes her book club picks sound so amazing, but they’re hit or miss for me. This one leaned more towards a miss.
Cassandra loses her boyfriend, job, and probably her living situation all at once. After a meltdown (maybe a panic attack) she discovers she can go back in time and have some do-overs. She focuses her newfound ability on repeatedly going back in little spurts to try to save her relationship, her job, and her roommate arrangement. Over and over and over. But the relationship that she ultimately saves is a bit of a surprise and the most meaningful one in her life. And maybe she saves herself, too. It’s a very long and tortuous road to get there- but maybe there’s hope for Cassandra Dankworth after all.
I’m not a big fan of ‘groundhog day’ types of repetitive scenarios, especially when they repeat someone’s worst day of terrible encounters over and over again. So much awkwardness and pain. Ugh! The repetitiveness went on too long and just wasn’t enjoyable to read. I wanted to stop. But I persevered and did find redeemable aspects to the story.
It’s obvious early on that Cassandra has some neurodivergent issues, so it’s frustrating to see others (and herself) just label her as rude, selfish, and other characteristics that are considered to be negative. I thought surely other characters could see and appreciate what the reader can perceive about Cassie, but the reality of her situation isn’t revealed until late in the story. This seemed unlikely to me. But then I read in the author’s bio that , “At the age of 39, Holly was diagnosed as both autistic and dyspraxic.” So it’s safe to say the author knows more about this late diagnosis at the age of 31 for Cassie than I do. But it was still really hard to read about how poorly she was treated. I think I just wanted her to be treated with more empathy. I’m frustrated again just thinking back on the ways her boss (Barry,) her client (Jack,) her boyfriend (Will,) her flatmates (Sal and Derek,) and others spoke to and about her.
Seeing the other characters through Cassie’s lens and reading about their mean comments and behaviors made most everyone an unlikable character, which isn’t fun to read about. The reading journey became much more enjoyable for me as little changes were made that helped Cassie make some connections with others and see more little kindnesses. These were the good parts. But I have to admit I wanted more good parts for Cassie. The ending was definitely better than the beginning, but I still didn’t love the end.
The book includes loads of Greek mythology references, which were interesting (to a point) and revealed part of Cassie’s way of processing; but it became a bit much for me. And there are a lot of descriptions of seeing emotions as colors, which is also interesting as it relates to Cassie’s way of processing information; but it’s also overdone. It really is enlightening to get a glimpse behind the curtain to see Cassie’s internal functioning.
So many aspects of the book have good parts with great potential. But something about how it all comes together just doesn’t make it a great book for my tastes. I could give it 4⭐️ because of the good parts and the great effort for neurodivergent representation. But the reality that at many points I didn’t want to continue reading the book has me giving it 3⭐️. Many readers seem to love it, and I’ve seen glowing reviews. But it’s not one I’ll be telling everyone to read this summer. -
↠ 2.5 stars
turned out this book was a complete let down. i didn't feel invested in cassandra, who is the main character, and the plot felt shallow and lacking in depth. even though i usually love time travel books no matter how simple they are, this one didn't impress me at all. however, i appreciate the author's writing style, which is what ultimately earned the book 2.5 stars from me. i do believe HS has potential and i hope that in her future works she'll be able to create more compelling characters and a more nuanced plot that will capture my interest.
my gratitude to netgalley, the publisher and the author for an arc copy in exchange for an honest review! -
2.5⭐️… Am I just in a reading slump or was this really not very good? It started great, but then I ended up not vibing with it.
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Rounded down to 3.75 stars.
While I loved the premise- Cassandra Duckworth finds out she can go back in time and change the details of her life, I found it be repetitive. Thank goodness for a Kindle, because I know nothing about Greek mythology and there is a lot of it in this, which made it confusing if you don’t know much about it. -
I loved Loved LOVED this book. Absolutely adored Cassandra for her brazeness and frankness. She was a breath of fresh air to read because the way she sees the world is so different. Everything is either black and white to her and so anything that is not a simple "good or bad", makes her confused. The literal ways she interprets a sentence can add a lot of light-hearted misunderstandings. My favourite being when Sal questioned if Cass meant she was giving her the dress right now, and Cass started to take her dress off thinking RIGHT NOW.
The way Cass goes through time travel again and again to dodge an awkward situation is so relatable to me (well, minus the going back in time to undo it part). I feel like I wouldn't have thought to try win the Lotto first either. Also, the way you can see her grow and try open up is amazing. You can see it through her own responses but also in the way the side characters respond to her too. For example, I didn't like Sal or Sophie because they didn't treat Cass well but when you see later (by fitting together puzzle pieces on why they are acting that way) that they are actually lovely people. I felt like we were literally in Cass' shoes and realising that "It's me, hi! Im the problem its me". Yes, I just quoted Taylor Swift.
Moving onto the romance, I thought it was really well written. It is seemingly the whole reason for the time travel because Cass wants to fix it. But it actually doesn't take over the whole story. I love how Cass grows aware that it might be a form of manipulation to keep rectifying mistakes in order for Will to like her. But it also helps her practice with opening up to people and being vulnerable. She gets that she is different but she doesn't know why. But she figures out that her differences shouldn't limit her and that people can still like her for who she is.
She also tries to do her job better but I like that her view of the job doesn't change. She still hates it but learns to deal with her boss and also fix her workplace relationships. She's resilient but also learns where to be flexible. She just grows SO MUCH and I was supporting her the whole way through. I loved Sophie and how we misread her at the start. She ended up being by favourite character in the end (along with Art and Sal).
Speaking of Art, I know it was suggested that Cass could have tried to save lives but I think Cass still did save lives in her own way! Sal decided to believe Cass over that trash boyfriend, Sophie got better recognition and (intentional or not) helped Art find her perfect match.
(I also loved how Art believed Cass immediately, no questions asked)
The only thing I have a small issue with is the ending...I feel like the trajectory she was on was the perfect way to move forward but I also think the other path makes sense too. I just hope that she is able to get it back while changing a major plot point.
