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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
Cassandra in Reverse follows cassandra, a neurodivergent woman in her 30’s, through the worst day of her life… her boyfriend leaves her, she gets fired from her job, her flatmates dislike her, and her regular coffee stop is out of banana muffins. she also discovers her ability to go back in time.
i think time travel plots stress me out. but i would also go back in time and mess it up every time, or use it for the slightest inconvenience. so it’s okay.
overall, i thought this was a cute read. i loved the tie-ins to greek mythology, and i loved the exploration of cassandra’s character. the author was also diagnosed autistic later on in life, so this feels like a personal story with a lot of passion and love put behind it, and you can feel it.
(i also love the myth of cassandra so bonus points…)
i think time travel plots stress me out. but i would also go back in time and mess it up every time, or use it for the slightest inconvenience. so it’s okay.
overall, i thought this was a cute read. i loved the tie-ins to greek mythology, and i loved the exploration of cassandra’s character. the author was also diagnosed autistic later on in life, so this feels like a personal story with a lot of passion and love put behind it, and you can feel it.
(i also love the myth of cassandra so bonus points…)
Almost stopped listening, but I really enjoyed the second half. Glad I was too busy to find a different book
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
Some reviewers are out here telling on themselves and how little they know about autism, and especially autism and late-diagnosis that tends to occur with women and others that aren’t white/cis/male (note that this is the trend, not the *always*—the history of autism research is dark and deep, and, as most medical research is, biased towards white, cis, male.)
I enjoyed this portrayal of autism in Cassandra. Unlike other reviewers, I found her to be extremely likable (again, if your reason for not liking the book is Cassandra’s character herself, please re-examine your biases!). The time travel plot *can* get slightly repetitive, such is the nature of a the plot device (I wonder if anyone has ever said “oh I didn’t like Groundhog Day.. it was just too repetitive for me”?). Cassandra’s story is infused with so many little “lol” moments that it was still enjoyable for me.
I do agree that the pacing of this book could be a complaint of mine. For the majority of the story, Cassandra has one objective: to use her gift of going back in time to fix her and her boyfriend’s story so they don’t break up. The last 25% of the book, her objective changes. But this, too, feels like a manifestation of autism: the tendency to hyper focus and lean in to the familiar.
I’m grateful for this own-voice autistic MC that isn’t infantilized like so often happens in media with autistic rep. I hope that reviewers with negative opinions of things that are quite literally aspects of autism can re-examine their positions to see that we get an unfiltered, unmasked look into Cassandra with the first person MC, but some reviews are basically saying that they’d prefer she mask because “the Greek mythology is too much,” among other reasons.
Spoiler ahead:
For those saying that you wish Cassandra’s diagnosis wasn’t treated like a “plot twist” or wasn’t revealed at all…. I highly disagree. Cassandra receiving her diagnosis created a heart line directly to her mother which then allowed her to feel permission to 1. Be like her mother and 2. Follow her special interests. This diagnosis wasn’t for us (the reader), it is for Cassandra, and I am so grateful that she finally got it.
I enjoyed this portrayal of autism in Cassandra. Unlike other reviewers, I found her to be extremely likable (again, if your reason for not liking the book is Cassandra’s character herself, please re-examine your biases!). The time travel plot *can* get slightly repetitive, such is the nature of a the plot device (I wonder if anyone has ever said “oh I didn’t like Groundhog Day.. it was just too repetitive for me”?). Cassandra’s story is infused with so many little “lol” moments that it was still enjoyable for me.
I do agree that the pacing of this book could be a complaint of mine. For the majority of the story, Cassandra has one objective: to use her gift of going back in time to fix her and her boyfriend’s story so they don’t break up. The last 25% of the book, her objective changes. But this, too, feels like a manifestation of autism: the tendency to hyper focus and lean in to the familiar.
I’m grateful for this own-voice autistic MC that isn’t infantilized like so often happens in media with autistic rep. I hope that reviewers with negative opinions of things that are quite literally aspects of autism can re-examine their positions to see that we get an unfiltered, unmasked look into Cassandra with the first person MC, but some reviews are basically saying that they’d prefer she mask because “the Greek mythology is too much,” among other reasons.
Spoiler ahead:
For those saying that you wish Cassandra’s diagnosis wasn’t treated like a “plot twist” or wasn’t revealed at all…. I highly disagree. Cassandra receiving her diagnosis created a heart line directly to her mother which then allowed her to feel permission to 1. Be like her mother and 2. Follow her special interests. This diagnosis wasn’t for us (the reader), it is for Cassandra, and I am so grateful that she finally got it.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It started out cute but ultimately it’s a version of Frozen where the real love story isn’t romantic at all.
This time-loop novel jumps right into Cassandra’s story… her boyfriend breaks up with her, she is then fired the same day from her PR job… she goes to grab her favorite muffin and they have none… she then finds herself manipulating time for the last few months of her life trying to get everything on track to avoid the outcome she just experienced…
Cassandra is a character I’ll be thinking about for awhile. My heart ached whenever she felt misunderstood or how she had to constantly question how she should feel/react. I love her straight forward honesty and the need of a plan or predictable situations. A great addition to Cassandra’s story was her love for Greek mythology and how she views and compares day to day situations to the classic gods/goddesses.
The more you get into the story the more you SEE Cassandra… the story takes a quick turn that I was not expecting I want to say at about 75% that had me glued to the book through the remaining chapters. The tale you thought you were along the ride for may turn out to be one you weren’t expecting.
I’ve read some incredible articles about Holly Smale and her own story. Im immediately seeking out her Geek Girl series!
Cassandra is a character I’ll be thinking about for awhile. My heart ached whenever she felt misunderstood or how she had to constantly question how she should feel/react. I love her straight forward honesty and the need of a plan or predictable situations. A great addition to Cassandra’s story was her love for Greek mythology and how she views and compares day to day situations to the classic gods/goddesses.
The more you get into the story the more you SEE Cassandra… the story takes a quick turn that I was not expecting I want to say at about 75% that had me glued to the book through the remaining chapters. The tale you thought you were along the ride for may turn out to be one you weren’t expecting.
I’ve read some incredible articles about Holly Smale and her own story. Im immediately seeking out her Geek Girl series!